Question for all those writers out there.

[M. A.]

Ok first of all I am not a writer I am just a stay at home mama who finds her escape through reading. About 9 months ago I woke up from a dream and thought that would be a cool story, then when back to sleep well the idea has not gone away. My question is is there "Rules" or spacific system to writing a story? I mean if it was a grocery list, invitation, or birthday card I would be all set. Not sure if my question even makes any sense (see so not a writer). Thanks.

[Tommy]

There are really no set rules. Stephen King, for instance, just sits down and starts writing from page 1 til done. JK Rowling supposedly spent over a year outlining and planning before she started writing the first Harry Potter book. Ken Follett writes 30 page outlines that tell the entire story before he starts writing.

The person I go to for rules, personally, is Neil Gaiman. 1. Write with passion 2. Write every day 3. Finish things.

[L.A.]

I just write and the characters come to life. Sometimes they let me sleep till I put the words down. I was in the middle of writing a series when, like you, I had a dream. I wrote some noted then went back to my series. However the dream wouldn't let me write till I wrote the new story. Right now it'd being edited but early reviews are great. I say just sit down and write. Find a system that works best for you. Make sure you get an editor. It will help in rewrites later.

[Victoria]

There's no right or wrong way, and different ways work for different people.

Some people do outlines, some don't. Some have the whole story playing like a film in their head and just have to write it down, others just know the point they want to get across, or a summery of what the story will be about, so the story unfolds as they write and some of it is as much of a surprise to them as it will be to the reader. Some people work to writing schedules, writing a certain number of words or pages in a day, or writing for a certain amount of time each day, while others don't keep to a schedule.

Basically, just do what feels right to you, and enjoy writing your story.

[M. A.]

Thank you everyone. I feel better about jumping into this whole writting thing :-)

[Karen’s Library]

Good luck, Millie!! :)

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

I agree with everything everyone said. The only right answer is what works for you. And the more you write, the more you'll fine-tune what works for you. Personally, I do a very brief outline with main plot points, twists, and specific scenes I know I want to include. Then I list the main characters I want and some of their attributes, as well as a map for their growth. That's it. That probably takes me a couple of hours, and then I just start writing. From there my stories usually take on complete lives of their own and go places I never expected--which is part of the fun of it for me!

Best of luck, and the most important thing is to write because you ENJOY it :)

[Lorraine]

Millie wrote: "Ok first of all I am not a writer I am just a stay at home mama who finds her escape through reading. About 9 months ago I woke up from a dream and thought that would be a cool story, then when bac..."

Hi Millie, I just started writing last year - the same thing happened, my story came to me in a dream and wouldn't go away.

By the time I decided to write about it, the story was so detailed that I just about knew what scene was going to happen next.

So my advice would be to write/type as much as you remember and if any other ideas scenes/dialogue come to you, put them down too.

Start at the beginning of the story and just write. You will be amazed at how, by just by the act of immersing yourself in the story, it will develop and grow.

And its true what David said, sometimes the characters themselves dictate what's going to happen next.

When you think your story is ready, or you don't know what is missing, jump on Goodreads and look for a Beta reader, which is someone who can give you advice on your story/plot/character development etc.

Good luck :D

[David]

Enjoy the writing process, as everyone has indicated. When it's finally finished, put it aside for at least six weeks, and then read it. You'll read it differently for letting it rest. I really enjoy this stage; It's where I tie the whole tale together, making the whole more cohesive. As Lorraine has already suggested, if you intend to publish, get a beta reader and possibly get it proof read. Good luck with the adventure; it can be great fun.

[Katy]

I was watching 'Hotel Secrets ands Legends' because I like history-related stuff and they did a story about The Stanley Hotel. Apparently, when Stephen King was a fledgling novelist, still looking for an idea for his first book, he, his wife, and their young son were caught in a snow storm and stayed there. There was no one else there besides the staff and as Stephen was wandering the halls he purportedly saw the ghost of a long-deceased housekeeper. That night, he had a nightmare that the housekeeper's ghost was chasing his son through the hotel's halls and awakened, scared out of his mind for the boy's safety. Of course he (the son, that is) was perfectly fine, but the dream stuck with King and wouldn't you know - he decided it would be an interesting basis for a novel. I'd say that worked out pretty well for him. The Shining So, my point is: if you want to make a novel from your dream, go for it! For the record, I'm no novelist, but I know that great things can happen when you follow (or in this case, novelize) your dreams. Best of luck to you!

[Bee]

I always try to have a good outline of the story and the characters before I start writing to prevent I get stuck. =)

As for where the ideas come from... Well, the series I'm working on now, came from a dream I had. :P I get most of my ideas when I in bed, almost asleep. Haha.

My tips would be:
1. Write when you have inspiration. When you don't feel like writing, don't do it. It won't do your book any good.
2. If you don't like what you've written so far, change it. It's your book and if you're not even 200% happy with it, why would your readers be?
3. Keep a notebook and a pen close at all times. I always have pen and paper with me in case I get an idea. I write it down so I can work it into the story later!
4. Have a friend or friends read it over. Whether it's just for typos or just the story in general, a fresh pair of eyes is always a good idea!

[M. A.]

Oh my gosh such great advice everyone. Thank you so much. Im getting excited now :-)

[Donna]

I loved this too. I do just want to say to all you writers, please please please before you go live on Amazon or wherever, have someone read your story besides you! Fix those typos. I can't tell you how many times I read books that were really well written except for the very simple mistakes, the wrong spelling of "to/too" or leaving out a word that makes the sentence make sense, usually simple stuff. But they interrupt the flow of the story.

[Victoria]

Donna wrote: "I loved this too. I do just want to say to all you writers, please please please before you go live on Amazon or wherever, have someone read your story besides you! Fix those typos. I can't tell yo..."

I quite agree!

I mentioned something about that very topic in a guest post I did recently where I was asked to give tips to others wanting to write and self-publish: edit, edit, and edit some more, because poor editing can spoil an otherwise amazing story. Personally, I have a policy that if there are a lot of editing issues - no matter how small they are - I will decrease the number of stars in the rating I give the story, so a story that might have gotten a 5 star rating from me will only get 4 stars. I'll let it slide if it's just a couple of mistakes (though I notice them, and find it annoying) but some of the stuff put out there as supposedly completed and edited work has more typos than some of my early drafts, and I think it's disgraceful. I'm not saying my work is perfect; I've had one or two mistakes pointed out to me by readers after publication, if I'm honest. But some of the books out there look as though someone just quickly threw the first draft together and then published them without even attempting editing.

[Donna]

Amen!

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

I really agree with you all about typos. I think Indies should be held to the same high standard in terms of editing. The goal should be for readers to not even realize they're reading an Indie book vs. a big published book.

[Tracy]

What I've learned about editing: Even when you are 110% SURE that your story is typo-free, IT. IS. NOT. In fact, I feel pretty confident in saying that there's a really good chance it will NEVER be. Even with a professional editor. How many traditionally published books have I read with a handful of errors? Like David said, Indies should be expected to deliver the same level of accuracy. I mean, why not?? Sure, maybe it means more work on our part, but that's what you sign up for when you choose to self-publish. Oh, the joys!! lol

[Victoria]

Oh, yes, even the best editors can miss the odd mistake. I once pointed that out to someone who sent me a message after I reviewed their book to tell me that I had no right to say there were several typos in their book because the person had paid for a proffessional editor. It's important though - especially with self-published authors, but not exclusively as I think it applies to those using traditional publishing too - for the author to do their best to have as few typos as possible before having someone else (editor or otherwise) read the work. If you act as your own editor, then it becomes even more important to do your best to catch those typos though.

[Donna]

Unfortunately I think most authors do reread their work but miss their errors because they are so used to reading it they sort of skim. So there must be at least two other people who read it, people who read a lot usually, as they are more comfortable with the language and more apt to spot your errors. When I first started reading Indies on Amazon, after I got my first Kindle, I would write these new authors and tell them about their errors and offer to edit them. Sometimes they are happy to have the help but often when you criticize something about the story (which I also did, maybe not so gently) they are not happy. I am just one opinion but if I am finding fault with a storyline or sentence structure you can be sure there will be many others who agree. So just fix it already :) I remember one who used colons profusely. He did not like my "suggestion" to use them sparingly. In fact if I never saw another colon or semi colon I would be happy.

[Tracy]

I totally agree, Donna! It's like the American Idol auditions. The crappy singers who think they're amazing?? When told they need more training, the smart ones are like, "Yeah, cool, I'm on it!" But there are those who won't listen... And I know from personal experience that it's hard to hear criticism but if you want to reach your full potential then you have to be teachable!

[Victoria]

I quite agree, Donna and Tracy!

[Dale]

If you can take any online writing classes, that would help. There are so many writing do's and don'ts, you have to learn them from somewhere, and hopefully not through readers' comments or reviews. This goes beyond grammatical editing, but more about how to write engaging dialogue, plot holes, action and re-action, scene and structure, etc. There's a lot more to writing than meets the eye. Literally. :)

[Victoria]

Good point, Dale; you need to learn your own style, but getting advice from doing courses or joining writing groups is a great way to improve your writing and learn some helpful tips and tricks for giving your readers the best reading experience possible.

[Mia]

My favorite book on writing (and the process/rules) is "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott. Great advice about when to follow the rules and when to break them and be free.

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation, I always enjoy learning more about how others see the writing process :)

[Tommy]

I'm currently reading The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig. Probably my favorite craft book(so far). Each section is just 25 short tips(single paragraphs) and on top of being clear and easy to soak in, they're hilarious.

[M. A.]

Oh my gosh you guys are amazing thank you so much for the advice.

[Kate]

As far as studying, I would add that studying through reading can be as helpful as studying books about writing. There are only so many regurgitated tips you can make use of before you become formulaic. Read things by fabulous writers and reflect on what really "gets" you about the story. Why did it work? How did the author do it? (Taking a few courses in literature can be immensely helpful, if you get a good teacher.) And remember that you absorb a little bit of whatever you read... so be careful to read quality work.

Also, don't expect to be a professional writer because you write one story. It takes time and effort, and many, many, many pages before your writing will start to come together. But if you keep at it and work hard, you can get there. You learn something with every story. Think of your talent as a diamond in a lump of rock. It's going to take a lot of chiseling before you're ready to set that baby into a ring.

[M. A.]

Thanks for the advice Kate. I am going on the mind set of just for fun and creativity....an outlet if you will. Mostly just for my book club gal pals to read and if others want to read it and then enjoy it well that would be a bonus.

[Kate]

Millie wrote: "Thanks for the advice Kate. I am going on the mind set of just for fun and creativity....an outlet if you will. Mostly just for my book club gal pals to read and if others want to read it and then ..."

There's nothing funner than writing for/with your friends. :)

[Karen’s Library]

Wow, if I ever wanted to start writing, I'd come back to this thread! This is amazing stuff here!

[Tommy]

Kate wrote: "As far as studying, I would add that studying through reading can be as helpful as studying books about writing. There are only so many regurgitated tips you can make use of before you become form..."

I can't stress enough how much I agree with this. Reading craft books is fine, but it only becomes really helpful for me when I go to read a novel and see those tips in action. Stories are the most valuable sources for learning to write stories. Period. Craft books/tips, should be used in tandem with stories, not in place of them. That's my thoughts on the issue, anyway.

[Kate]

Tommy wrote: "Kate wrote: "As far as studying, I would add that studying through reading can be as helpful as studying books about writing. There are only so many regurgitated tips you can make use of before yo..."

Another thing about craft books: A lot of people who write these things assume that they know everything about writing, and try to tell you to use a method that may or may not have worked for them. True, there are some things that are universal, but when it comes to process, authors vary widely. Every author I know has their own way of doing things. What works for someone else is not necessarily going to work for you. Part of learning to write is exploring different processes and finding out what you connect with. You need to be able to look at things with an open mind, and toss anything that doesn't work over your shoulder. Trying to fit yourself into a mold will hurt your writing more than help it. That's why, every time I give writing advice, it is with the disclaimer: If it doesn't work for *you*, then don't do it.

[M. A.]

Thats awesome thank you. I have found that I do better by writting what ever scene comes to me at the time it comes that way it does not feel so forced. Then I will work on putting it in order and the in between portion of the book.

[Scott]

I just wanted to add to some of the previous posts with two suggestions. One – remember that writing is an art, not a science. Two – always be a student.

These two recommendations go hand-in-hand. While there are no rules to writing, there are conventions. Knowing them will drastically help anyone considering writing their first novel. As for the art side –analyze your favorite authors. What do they do that you like/dislike? Perhaps you already have your own unique style. If not, study other writer’s to learn how/why their writing is effective.

As already noted by others, there are tons of posts/blogs about writing to help beginners. There are also online courses such as the UCLA Extension classes I took when I first started. If you already know how to maintain POV, develop plot, building characters, balance exposition with dialogue, etc., then you’re ahead of the curve. If not, do some research.

Being a willing student helped me more than anything else when it came to writing my first book. There were so many things I didn’t know when I first started: tell facts/show emotions, nothing happens nowhere, indirect vs direct dialog, active vs passive voice, etc.

Expect to do a lot of writing/rewriting before you’re happy with the results. Editing is key. Editing helps you track your own progress. Whenever you discover how to make one of your own sentences better, you’ve gained insight that will help make you a better writer.

Some lesser advice: maintaining both your confidence and focus is key. Don’t get discouraged no matter what other people think/say about what you produce. It’s a process. The goal is to make it good eventually, not immediately. Speaking of processes: find your own. As noted by many other posts on this thread, what works for others may not work for you. Knowing about various tools helps (i.e. scene summaries, character bios, etc.) but the deciding factor should what works for you and nothing else.

I hope this helps. Good luck and remember: above all else, writers write.

[Tommy]

R. wrote: "I just wanted to add to some of the previous posts with two suggestions. One – remember that writing is an art, not a science. Two – always be a student.

These two recommendations go hand-in-hand..."

If the other posts were angels, this post is God haha.

I'd just like to elaborate on one point, if I may:
"Knowing about various tools helps (i.e. scene summaries, character bios, etc.) but the deciding factor should what works for you and nothing else."

What I'm about to say may be implied here(especially with the message of being a willing student), but I think it deserves a direct mention. Know what tools work for you, but always be willing to try new ones. I've recently discovered a few outlining tips/templates. I tried them, just for kicks, and they've focused my writing by about 50%. Even if you get in a groove that you're comfortable with and that works wonders for you, always be willing to try something new. You never know if it will improve your craft or not. And if you don't like the tool, leave it out of your box and go back to work.

[M.T.]

Hi Millie.

I'm a mum too and I have 4 books out now. It took me 13 years to write a book I didn't wish someone else had written but I'm rather slow on the uptake.

For what it's worth, I write the Stephen King way. My advice is, make a start and see what the characters do and where the story takes you. Good luck

Cheers

MTM

[Donna]

Stephen King has an excellent book on writing called On Writing. :)

[M.T.]

Yep I, too, ace heard that it's excellent. :-)

[M.T.]

Gah auto correct I have heard it's ace not I ace it's... Ah you get the picture. :-)

[Donna]

Yep, I do

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

His book is VERY good, I can vouch for it! There's another good one called

[M. A.]

Thank you everyone for the great advise.

[CeeCee]

My advice is just sit down and write. Don't edit, and don't picture someone reading over your shoulder judging your work. Just get the words on the paper.

Have fun!!

[M. A.]

Yea Ceecee thats what I am doing. I just write what ever sceen comes to me. They are totally out of order and I am currently struggling with the opening for the whole book but I am at least getting my thougts and ideas down on paper :-)

[CeeCee]

Don't worry about the opening too much. Chances are, the first, and last chapter will get the most editing. They are notoriously difficult. Keep going!! Can't wait to hear the ending of it! *Rah! Rah! Rah!*

[Kate]

When I first started writing, I always worked out of order as well. There is definitely something appealing about writing a scene while you are freshly inspired. For a large part, this worked for me, however, there are a few hangups, particularly with continuity of character (on a deep level, especially). I thought for the longest time that I couldn't work any other way... until I wrote a particularly challenging novel (complex timeline issues). Because of the challenges of that story, I realized I sometimes needed to work through things in order... which I made myself do. And now I really love working that way. I guess the moral is to always be willing to change and try out new ways of working, because you might find something good. Of course, the problem with working in order is that you have to make yourself wait to write those scenes you are itching to write. I have a little problem with writing them again and again in my head just to have that experience... and then by the time I get to paper with them, they lose the freshness they would have had. My fix: don't let myself write them in my head (which is hard). And the new problem: possibly forgetting some of the good bits. So... I try to write quick. It's a great motivator to get the words down!

[M. A.]

Great advice Kate. I am already noticing that issue. The very first scene I wrote (which was the inspiration for the whole story) is neededing to be tweeked because I feel it might not fit like I originally thought. But now that I have my opening scene Im hoping I can write more in order.

[Kate]

I'm sure you can make it work. Most of the issues from working out of order can be fixed through careful editing, though you might have to do a bit more work than if you'd started in order.

If you can make writing in order work for you, it is probably the way to go, at least on a practical level. It's so funny, the hangups writers have about particular ways to work, though. My husband writes as well, and he insists he has to write on paper or the end product is not as good. (Strangely enough, I was that way for years, too, until I *made* myself (painfully) change to typing my rough draft.) We all have little things that we are more comfortable with, and sometimes it seems like we can't change those processes without damaging our creative flow.

As for working in order, it helps to keep your eye on that next scene that you want to write... and think of it as a stepping stone. You may not know exactly what happens between now and then, but you know where you're going. Sometimes it is really fun to write blind, because you get some surprising things out of your characters and world. There is a freedom within the story that makes the writing something that is exciting to do. I would just warn to keep your eye on the tension level and make sure that you're maintaining energy within the story. (It's easy to lag if you are not sure what happens next.) Some of that is fine and natural. You do want variances within the action. But don't get bogged down in endless description or conversation. Keep your eye on the scene you're dying to write, and aim the momentum of the story at it until you get there.

Hope this helps. :)

[M. A.]

Thank you Kate. Tyat does really help.