Starting to Write (beginning writer)

Starting to Write

 

 

         So, the thing that really slowed me down in the beginning was thinking of names.  For me, this was very hard to do and I felt like I couldn't start writing until I had the names of my characters.  Eventually, this bothered me so much, that I just started writing, calling my charcaters A, B, C...

After I started writing, the names quickly came to me and I was happy with the ones I ended up with.  Another thing that I found was that when I started writing, I started thinking of more ideas and writing more. 

 

Thus I found that one of the best ways to write is to write. 

 

 

        Once getting past the name hurtle, I thought my book would just spew forth onto the pages and I would be done within a month.  I mean, I had the book planned in my head and knew how the trilogy was going to end, so it should be easy.  Not really.  I fund that, on a very good day, I could maybe get 20 pages written.  (very very good day).  On average, I would say that I did somewhere between five and ten pages a day.  My ideas were there, but I wanted to make sure my writing did them justice.  Also, the more I wrote, the more ideas came to me. 

 

         While writing I discovered a good way to organize my ideas.  I would write them down on sketch paper, each character getting his own section. 

 

   

               As you can see I used different colors for each character.  It helped me while writing, because an organized, color coded outline makes me feel happy.  

 

           I didn't set out to write a certain number of pages, I merely had a story in my head that I wanted to share.  Thus, I just kept writing until I got to the ending. 

 

           Sometimes when I was writing I would get really excited.  I believe that these are the best parts in my book and I hope the reader feels the same.

 

      Sometimes I hit a wall while writing.  Occassionally I would try to break through this wall by clenching my teeth and continuing to type, though I often edited those parts later on.  I found that a good thing to do when you come to a hiatus in your imagination is to print out what you wrote thus far and read over it, OUTLOUD.  You will catch mistakes, get into the flow of your story once again, and will hopefully jump over the wall of writer's block.      

 

         Another thing that I found to be very helpful was constantly sharing my ideas with my wife.  She was always excited and supportive and this really helped motivate me to continue writing.  If you have a loved one that is close by, they are a captive audience that has to listen and respond.  They can't run away or avoid you.  :)

 

        Other things include:

 

                  Setting aside a good amount of time to write.  I currently teach English, thus only write on weekends or vacation.  I find that writing a little here and a little there is difficult.  When I sit down for a while and go at it, that's when things come to me.

 

                  Finding a good place to write.  While writing my first book I was in a tiny studio apartment with boxes of stuff everywhere (I'm a pack rat).  When my wife moved in things got even more cramped (she's a pack rat too).  Thus, I would go to a coffee shop to write.  It gave me a quiet place away from home where I could think better.  Now I live in a two room place and usually sleep in the living room.  (avoiding noise from the street).  I often use a folding table and sit on my bed to write.  But, just finding a place that you can say is "your writing place" is a good idea.  That way, when you get there, you start writing.  Pavlov's dogs.

 

             Sharing Ideas.  I assume that sharing ideas with friends is a good plan.  I tried to do this, but I've been abroad for so long, that I've lost contact with many people.  Some of the people I got in touch with got back to me, but most did not.  The thing you have to know is that everyone has their own life.  You want them to get back to you the next week with a review about what they thought of your whole book.  The one friend review I got came about 6 months or so after I sent the copy, and I think that was after I pestered him a little.  If your waiting for responses, calm down and take a breath.  Also know that you won't always get them. 

 

             You can try sharing ideas with strangers on the internet, writing forums and what not.  I thought about but was honestly scared that someone would steal my ideas or write something very similar.  The reason I felt this way is not because I think I'm so wonderful, but because you see many books that are very similar to each other...i.e. big super powerful enemy, blacksmith, magic schools (especially after Harry Potter), the list goes on.  You might not be as paranoid as I am, but do watch out and know that the world isn't all gumdrops and lollipops.