For Writers: “Where do I start?”
“Where do I start?”
A lot of people tell me that they want to write, but don’t know where to start. Everyone has heard, “write what you know,” but I say, “write what you love.” Here’s a great exercise for finding out the kinds of stories that you want to approach.
-Write down a list of all of books, movies, and stories that you absolutely LOVE. Think of those books that you’ve read again and again. Think about the movies that you couldn’t live with out. Write down as many as you possibly can!
-Now, circle the titles that you wish that you’d written yourself, or been involved with. Sometimes those stories hit closest to home, and sometimes they’re just so innovative that you’ve always remembered them. Circle only the ones that you are most passionate about.
-Find the themes. What is similar between the pieces that you’ve chosen? Are they about unrequited love? The strength of family bonds? The betrayal of a friend? The journey of a nation? All of these are themes that have been explored through out the ages. This exercise is all about finding the theme that speaks to you.
-Once you find the theme, distill it down to one sentence. “These stories are about…”
(Example: These stories are about sacrifices made for freedom.)
-Now, write a fictional monologue where your character expresses their thoughts about the theme. Try and find a CONFLICT that is involved with this theme. Once you have a conflict, your story can grow from there.
The point of this exercise is to find something that you are passionate about. If you’re passionate about your story you are more likely to keep writing it. So many writers abandon their work because they forget why they’re writing what they’re writing.
We all started writing because a work moved us so much that we wanted to move others. Some themes speak to us, and others don’t. If you find a theme that moves you, you’ve taken a great first step towards creating something incredible.
-Keep writing. Just keep writing.
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This article is copyright © Rebecca Forster
