How to Write a Story

[KingdomKey]

Adding my own input on this. C: Because this is how I plan things out or write anything in general. No idea if it helps any. lol.

I'll have random ideas come in my head. Sometimes music influences it. Then I'll start imagining the scenes playing out in my head. Unfortunately, I never write my ideas down and let them become forgotten over time, because I'm not motivated to write it out except on rare occasions. For example, my story Contact started out this way until I was motivated enough to keep writing it. I still need to write out chapter 3.

Whereas my fan-fiction ended up being a silly scene in my head. I like humor a lot and have a natural affinity for it. Therefore I expand on it and keep it going. I tried to plan out an ending by getting to point A to point B. Except it doesn't always work because, the story will take me in a different direction or end up surprising me. I never worry about beginnings or endings because, it's fan-fiction and I don't expect it to be perfect the first time I write it out. Recently, I've had an idea in my head for KH/Ace Attorney one-shot; which is suppose to have tons of humor in it, but I haven't written down a single word for it yet.

To put it simply, none of my ideas start at the beginning. Always in the middle. I have to figure out how we got there. Then I have to engage the audience of readers to care about the characters and story; depending on what the scene is and what lead to transpire to that point.

As for a novel, it's a completely different ball game for me. I had an outline of ideas for each chapter or section to follow through; therefore I'd write down each individual scene out little by little until I got to the end of it. Sadly, I lost it when my old laptop died. I had written several rough drafts of it in my youth and now it's gone for good.

Last but not least, whenever I write poetry it's based off an emotion I'm currently feeling. Nothing more, nothing less.

In short, don't think too much unless you're trying to write a novel, Mega. Go with the flow and see where it takes you! Always write your ideas down because, someday you may forget them or wish you had used it later on in a story or novel.

 

[MegaWallflower]

It's interesting to hear someone starting at the middle instead of the beginning or the end. I hadn't been able to wrap my head around how that would work before, but it's way easier to understand that way now.

For fanfics there's so much more to check, like the character's personalities and the rules of their universe. I get nervous writing it even with the ideas and the words on the paper, because it always feels like I can't quite get my head around the already established character.

For my original stuff, a chapter outline would really help me out. My ideas are all out of order, so something like that may actually help me get somewhere.

Thanks a bunch for your input! ♥

 

[Professor Ven]

Does the same apply for planning a story together with other people?

It depends on how you work versus how other people in your group works; though you should focus more on your part of the puzzle - you don't have to make a bazillion posts a page for an RP if you feel that one or two, or even three will do. It really just grinds down to how you want to depict your character and what you want them to do.



for instance I made like only two posts in this rp but that was mostly because of time problems, however you always want to take in account how your character works in the rp's overarching plot - just because you have something planned ahead doesn't mean that's the exact journey your character(s) will or must take, things can always change



~~be the LEAF~~~

 

[MegaWallflower]

I can always appreciate friendly RP advice, and I definitely learned from that, but I meant more along the lines of a joint story where all the writers shape the universe and write, rather than a thing where each person is in charge of their characters and build the story together from their interactions.

 

[Professor Ven]

I can always appreciate friendly RP advice, and I definitely learned from that, but I meant more along the lines of a joint story where all the writers shape the universe and write, rather than a thing where each person is in charge of their characters and build the story together from their interactions.

That's more difficult to do in my personal opinion, this is simply because most people have different styles of writing and voice - this is only natural. This can be readily seen from works such as The Wheel of Time, where Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Robert Jordan's editor and wife to complete the series after Jordan's passing. Reading the first 11 books in Jordan's complete control and then reading the last three in a mixture of Jordan's notes, completed chapters, and Sanderson's filling in tend to be jarring throughout (though there is a much more quickly paced and less nuanced read of the last three books, as Jordan was wont to go into a myriad of details much as Tolkien would).

Unless each person uses a different character for PoV purposes, or they pay attention to each other and keep to a certain script writing-style wise, a story like that can fall apart should the tone of voice or writing style shift without a cue towards the reader (note Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and its use of stream of consciousness and shift of PoV alongside it, which on first reading can be jarring and turn some readers away).

TL;DR: It can work, it just requires more communication regarding everything world/character-wise on the part of the co-authors (any minor mistake is a gross sin and must be avoided if you're a picky pickle like me), whereas as a single author you wouldn't be bound by another brain intruding on your cookie jar.

 

[MegaWallflower]

So in a case like that, it'd be best for everyone to develop ideas together, but relegate actually writing to one person to keep the tone and voice consistent?

 

[Professor Ven]

So in a case like that, it'd be best for everyone to develop ideas together, but relegate actually writing to one person to keep the tone and voice consistent?

Th't's som'fin' choo got'ta figgir owt fo' ya'self, Tulip.

 

[MegaWallflower]

Th't's som'fin' choo got'ta figgir owt fo' ya'self, Tulip.

Understood! I guess for now I should focus on my solo stories to develop my own voice when I write, right? Does that come naturally?

 

[Annoyance]

Understood! I guess for now I should focus on my solo stories to develop my own voice when I write, right? Does that come naturally?

Kind of. You sort of notice that your writing becomes somewhat influenced by things you read. Read a lot more, you'll see what I mean. Read a bunch of different books.

Don't force it, just do what feels comfortable to you and accept feedback.

 

[MegaWallflower]

So reading is also an important part of the writing process. I'll keep that in mind!