How do I start a first novel?

[Beefstew]

I'm sure there have been threads about this in the past, but I couldn't find any using the search function.  I skimmed through a few of the old pages as well and couldn't find anything.

I have no trouble coming up with new ideas for books.  I've got one in particular that has been bouncing around my head for a couple of years.  In my head it's actually a pretty well developed world, but every time I sit down to write it, my brain *giggles* and runs away, and I'm stuck staring at a white screen.  If I force something out, I'm literally cringing as I write it.

I don't have any problems with short, nonfiction stuff.  Every paper I write gets an A, and usually a comment about me being an excellent writer.  And it only takes me a couple of hours to bang out a 10 page paper with minimal revisions.  But man, when I sit down to write a novel, I can't seem to do a thing.

So how do I get started?  Or better yet, how did you get started?  What do you do when developing a new idea into a full sized novel?

[Enjorous]

Word vomit! Just type anything that has to do with the idea, it's kind of like priming the pump, get the crap out first then you can get something good.

[Lanodantheon]

First piece of advice, eliminate self-destructive, reductionist and denying language from your vocabulary. Every human being uses language like, 'No" "Don't" "Won't" or "Can't". The first thing to do is just to suck it up and say to yourself, "I can do this, dang it!" Even if you add a proviso like, "It may take a year.... but I'll do it." it's better than the negative language. If you use negative language and keep saying that stuff all the time, you will never get started, let alone finish.  You will hit a brick wall every single time you say you can't do something.

After that, find your writing method by trying the following:

1. Make yourself a writing ritual like sharpening a lot of pencils or brushing your teeth or whatever. Do that every time before you write.

2. Set aside some time in your schedule as few as 5 minutes or as long as several hours as, "Writing Time". Set multiple alarms for it. You'd be surprised how much this helps.

3. One of the following:

A. If you follow the advise of Stephen King then lock yourself up and just start writing without anything but the gobaly guck in your head. Just write until the story is told and step away from the keyboard. Don't think, just write. 

But I personally don't like that method because it's like driving to a major city without looking at the map before hand or any kind of street signs. You might know where your destination is, but you may just take a header off the cliff instead.

I prefer
B. Start simple: Pre-writing.

1. Start with everything you know about the novel. Just open up a new word file called, "Idea Sheet" and write down everything. It might take a while. If you're like me and have a random imagination, most of the stuff in the idea sheet will be incoherent babble that makes no sense out of context. But it needs to get out.

2. Describe your story in 1-3 sentences. Keep it simple. How would you describe it to someone in TV Guide?

(It's called a logline)

3. Describe your story in a few sentences. just a paragraph. Maybe name the 2 main characters. 

4. Describe your story again in a few paragraphs. Name the major players.

5. Make a bullet-point outline of the novel from beginning to end. Start simple, then get more complicated.

This bulleted outline will start as "Beginning event" "Mid-point" and "Ending" but will eventually turn into a chapter by chapter, line by line list of the events in the novel.

6. Look over the outline and do necessary research and revise the outline. This long thing is basically the novel...in event form.

7. Write a first draft or what my Screenwriting Professor called, "A Vomit Draft". It's just meant to get the story on paper. I mentioned before that King recommends starting with this draft, but if you pre-write it becomes a heck of a lot easier. 

8. Take a breather, step away from the book.

9. Come back after the breather and do a revision.

10. Find people whose opinions you can trust. Someone who will give you honest criticism without repercussions.

11. Get said friends to read it your current draft.

12. Take the notes and comment from your readers and revise again.

13. Rinse and repeat.

14. Decide when to stop revising. Just decide, "It's as done as it's going to be. " And you have a novel.

I hope that helps.

[Beefstew]

yeah that does help.  It's just so opposite of what I normally do that it may take a while.  Typically I do the necessary research, then write most of it in my head until I sit down and type it out.  But that's only for 10-25 page papers.  I've never written anything longer.  Thanks for the input. 

Of course, alternate methods are welcome to post.

[RodimusGT]

Beef I'm right there with you! I like to think I have an expansive imagination. I have ideas for 3 different book series, and two of the series I have ideas for multiple sequels. The problem is when I go to sit down I just don't feel like typing. I'd rather hook some device up to my head through a USB port and have the computer translate the novel from my brain. It doesn't help that I have a one year old who just doesn't think writing a novel is worth daddys time.

It definately helps me to plan the book out. Have you checked out Jim Butchers blog? It has his own set up with how to create a story idea and get it started. I agree with Lano that once you have your overall plot, write a short paragraph about it. I think Jim said try to do it in one sentence, but if you can't project your plot in less than a paragraph then it's too polluted. It has to be simple enough that your mind doesn't find it impossible to write from start to finish.

If I'm not typing my story then I at least always keep my mind on it, and come up with new ideas and try to fill in chapter gaps.

You should also figure out how detailed you want your first draft to be. My friend is a sucker for details of the scene, place, and character, so he adds that all in right from the get go. I personally get bored with the details, so I choose to skip them so I can at least get my story on paper. Once I finish my first draft I will go back and insert details of buildings and scenes. I call my first draft my story skeleton. You could also choose to skip any subplots you have, and just punch out the main story first and foremost.

Lastly I would say don’t let yourself get stuck by writers block. If you are typing out a scene and get completely stuck with where to go or how to describe it, then just make a note of it, highlight it, and move on. I personally have trouble skipping entire chapters, but if I’m having an issue with naming something or describing something important I can move over it just fine.

Some of this may work for you, some may not. This is just steps I take when I’m trying to write. I wish you lots of luck!

PS – You could always find a friend who loves to write and just double team the story out. There are times I wouldn’t mind this option but the only friend I have who is a writing fan is working on his own projects at the moment.
 

[Wordmaker]

Once you have tyour rough plot and characters in mind, just dive in, all guns blazing, and write. Don't sweat on how to start it, remember that anything you're not happy with you can change once your first draft is done. And yes, transform your vocabulary, both in conversation and in thought. A strong, positive attitude can give you the inspiration to keep working even when the work gets hard.

I'm always thinking about my writing. Going to and from work, watching a movie, listening to music, I'm always remembering how these things can influence my writing and working out what happens next. You don't have to be a master of mental multi-tasking, but try to fill up as many "empty" parts of your day with thoughts about your characters, who they are and what they're doing.

Remember that planning doesn't stop once type the words "Chapter One." You keep planning, keep researching. Sometimes you'll discover something that means you need to change what you've written. Resist that temptation. If you get into the habit of always going back to edit, you'll never get finished. Finish the thing, then fix what's wrong with it.

[Lord Rae]

Lay out the things you do have in your mind on paper. If you have to write them with pencil in a notebook somewhere. The basic rules of your universe. The driving force and motivations of your characters. The big picture of your story and the start/end points you want to hit along the way. Also list characters, descriptions, items they wear, tattoos scars, eye color....things like that.

That way when you go to actually write the story you have everything working and going and you don't have to scrounge for what you were thinking about that time at the office. I get a lot of ideas while driving and listening to music... so I try and write stuff down later so I don't redo or over-think one particular scene or plot point.

[meg_evonne]

In my head it's actually a pretty well developed world, but every time I sit down to write it, my brain *giggles* and runs away, and I'm stuck staring at a white screen.  If I force something out, I'm literally cringing as I write it.  ...

I don't have any problems with short, nonfiction stuff.  ...

Beefstew,  It sounds like you have a world or a place or a set to stage your novel. You have characters in need of a plot perhaps? They have the place to play, are defined, but they have no place to go?

forget the massive, scary novel bit. Write a series of very short stories. Maybe one for each character. Nothing honking complicated--that will come. Write one character walking down the street on his way to the grocery store. Write what he sees, feels, smells etc.  Write a whole new character (you the author is fine) arriving on the bus in the middle of your world. Don't worry about 'what happens', but write down this new character's point of view of this great world that is bottled up inside you.  make sure you have them walking, interacting with others on the sidewalk, maybe have them buy a starbucks while they look around the shop. Throw your main characters onto separate tables and write what they look like, how they act.

Once your characters have you literally by the balls--you won't be able to stop writing.  Believe me on that.  Being a woman, I'm using an image described by male authors, but it's pretty accurate from what I hear. LOL

If that, and the other great ideas above aren't working? Maybe you aren't ready yet--emotionally or perhaps you lack the time commitment that you know this will take. Don't let that faze you. You have a long life. Your world won't go away and it will be there when the time is right.

Try some collaborative writing sites. While you 'play' with other writers, you can test out your characters, letting them develop while bouncing off creative juices with other writers.  This is a bit more fun than sitting at the scary desk and keyboarding out novels, but it's a way to explore in your world while typing.

After you try that, let me know how it went. I think you'll be surprised how quickly these characters refuse to remain at their separate tables. They'll start to bump against each other, interact, and the 'do' something. Little bits and pieces will swirl around and congeal into a plot eventually.  

Their stories are there to find. You just haven't found them yet. You will.    

[Beefstew]

Well thanks for all the advice.  I think my problem is that my world is too complex, and the idea of sitting down and writing it all out can be overwhelming.  I've got too much material for one single novel, and I haven't been able to figure out where one begins and ends in the entire mess.  Maybe I will try just sitting down and writing a few short stories to get some of it out of the way.  It might make things a little clearer for me.

[meg_evonne]

Suggestion: Simply let your complex world exist in your writing. Try not to get caught up in 'explaining' how things work. Let it simply be evident in what you see, hear, and feel. Don't feel like you have to explain anything in your shorts. You'll find out that less is more in so many ways. You'll have lots of time to round out the edges later.

It might be that your mind has been overwhelmed trying to figure out how to explain everything. Or perhaps your mind resents having to write what it already knows. So don't. Play in this wonderful world as you write. It's only for you at present anyway. You can 'explain' it later.  Does that make sense?

[Razzazzika]

I haven't come to these forums in a while, but I decided to poke around and came across this thread.

I'm exactly like you Beef. I have 5 distinct 'universes' in my head, each with its own novel, one universe is a clearly defined trilogy in my head, and one universe, an urban fantasy, I've thought of ideas for 5 individual books now. But when I try to put them down on paper... It's just hard. I only get about 2-4 chapters in before giving up and either experimenting with another idea, almost feeling like it has gone sour. But the thing I've started to tell myself recently is that, yeah, the ideas my seem sour to ME, I've been running through them over and over again like a song stuck on a loop, but the REST OF THE WORLD has yet to hear of it.

Take my urban fantasy, I recently had written to chapter 6, and realized there was a scene that was stale, not much was happening, but the reason it was stale was because of how I started the book. See, my main character is a private eye, like Dresden, but he had fallen on hard times. Initially I had begun my writing sort-of how meg is suggesting, with an average, everyday activity for my main character. I knew WHERE I wanted my plot to go from there. So I had him hunt for a lost cat in the park. It wasn't very exciting from a reader's perspective, which is why I cut it later, but starting with him hunting for the cat and rescuing it from a tree, I was able to lead into the other elements from my story.

Once it was established that that arc with the cat needed to be resolved, I realized it was an inessential part of the book, but I had doled out 5 chapters after the cat scene.

(I've been going to another more active writing forum, and You can see exactly what i'm talking about as I posted a before and after http://www.writingforums.com/fantasy-sci-fi-horror/120326-urban-fantasy-first-chapter-revision.html )

I don't really know if I... helped... any more, I basically repeated what meg said, or rather confirmed that what she suggested worked for me, and my brain seems to be wired the same way as yours.

[Snowleopard]

As some writer said - get black on white.
Don't overthink as someone suggested - just start writing - don't try to follow
an outline or conform to anything - just see where your mind and computer take you.
Wishing you much luck.

[Jaeh]

personally i prefer planning the novel before i write - it helps when you get stuck somewhere, especially if you have some sort of an outline. and it's fun. then, after planning and everything else in between, Just. Keep. Writing. just keep on it until your fingers fall off - you know, in between real life and stuff. don't let anyone, not even yourself, tell you that the book you're writing is crap and that you'll never finish it. before you know it, you're typing out "the end" at the bottom.

this might help too: http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/  - i love jim's lj and his thoughts on writing and stuff -  it helps me lots. lol.

ALTHOUGH, that's for planners like me. if you're more of a jump-straight-into-the-fray type of writer...

just start writing and don't think much about it. just see where your characters, story, and fingers will take you - let it flow and all the metaphors that come with it. take the idea and run with it, and before you know it, you'll be finished.

and if ever you need a driving force, a deadline, a challenge to get you *started* have friends place a bet and give yourself a deadline, or, you could try NaNoWriMo.

That's what works for me, at least.

right now i'm stuck with the problems of self-editing. haha.

[trboturtle]

The key is to get it onto paper -- either by writing the story, or writing down the details.

Beefstew, you say you have a complex world? Good for you! Just take some time and start writing down the details. Start with characters, situations, events -- Everything that make your world complex. Don't worry about really sorting things out -- get it down so you don't forget it!

In another file, start with the story plot. Again, just get the points down. Once you have enough, then you can worry about structing it. There are a few story-writing aids out there, or use index cards. Just get everything out of you mind and onto paper.

Here's an important point: you don't have to use everything you come up with. A lot of authors have complex backgrounds on their characters, yet don't use more than a feaction of it. Yet, because they know the character so well, they can stay faithful to that character actions and thoughts.

I tend to be more of the Steven King-type writer -- I write like mad, then go back and revise it. It works for m,e, but it may not work for you....

Craig