[Ain't_It_Just_]

So I have some ideas for a story. Little pieces, floating around here and there. Now, how do I form that into a cohesive beginning? What do you start with? Setting, characters, etc. Suppose what I'm looking for here is tips for beginners.

Any and all help is muchos appreciado.

[Silencer]

Write everything down. Everything. Even if it's just the general gist of things. Otherwise you're liable to lose ideas - I've heard authors say that if you forget something it probably wasn't worth it, but that's bullshit, imo. You can forget even the best idea.

Ideas, potential characters, places, plot arcs, encounters, towns, names, and so on. Even if, say, a character doesn't turn out the way you write it down (or when you write it down it sounds crap) you can merge and rearrange and so on.
I can have 20 ideas for 20 different characters, and I end up with 2 who have pieces of backstory and personality traits from the 18 others.

I think you can basically start anywhere. As a writing exercise, the Modcraft Inn roleplaying section is great - we had nothing but an Inn with a door that opens anywhere, bring forth your characters, all welcome. And it's just gone from there - people's characters and their backstories, origins and so forth.
Alternatively, you can start with a plot arc - this is probably the best thing for having a cohesive narrative, but you do need to fill in the blanks, and it can go horribly wrong when you realise you needed an extra character in from the start. But mix'n'match is still my preferred method of operation.

Do what comes natural. If you've got a flair for joining the dots once you have a start and finish, go for a story start, but make sure to keep characters and places in mind, as well as noting some more detailed encounters. If you prefer to work from characters, invent away, and see what happens when you throw them in a room together in your head - where would they go, what would they do, and what conflicts/bonds would occur between them? Then just write that. Some of the best writing I've come up with has been hypothetical conversations between two characters sitting at a table in that gods-forsaken Inn, lol. Not hard to transplant that to a camp on a trail on their way to whatever goal comes to mind.

Anyway, that's just me. I'm sure others on here have a much more formalised, sophisticated style...

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Thanks for the advice Silencer, the writing it all down part makes a lot of sense.
Doing that now

[Use Of Weapons]

I would say: just start anywhere. The important thing is to start writing, not where you begin. When you've built up a head of steam, you can then decide if the start you started with is actually the start you want. You may choose to cut out the initial waffle before you got a proper handle on what was happening. You may choose to throw it all out and start again from a different POV. But you will have started, and that is the crucial hurdle to overcome.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Damnit, both are good ideas...

I'm wondering: is it OK for me to use the name Gemerra? I'm not sure if it's an official name in a piece of fiction somewhere. Can someone clarify?

[Battalion]

Not sure about that name but I've got a few quick writing tips.

When writing, remember, it doesn't need to be perfect first time round. You can flesh things out and edit mistakes and continuity problems on your second and third drafts.

The first novel I tried to write was just a collection of people that I wanted to write about. After thousands of hours I realised that my 'story' wasn't really going anywhere. Since then I've chosen to start with a solid plot and build my personel around that. If you cut your plot down into three sections -- start, middle, and end -- it might be easier to manage.

[Silencer]

Regards the name...Google is your friend. If it crops up on some fan-forum somewhere that isn't a fan-fic site, it's probably best to rethink. Especially with weird names. With common names, don't sweat it too much, unless you have the same name for a similar character, ofc.

And I'll also second Battalion's point about not having things perfect first go. Heck, even second and third times through with the editing pen can leave mistakes and wonky plot arcs - it's an intensive process that most people don't spend enough time on (probably because it's one of the most tedious parts of the process, and very hard to look at your work objectively sometimes). The key is not to get down about it, just do it. And run it past others, too. Just because it sounds bad/tacky to you doesn't mean it will to other people (after all, some folk are notorious for reading between the lines when there is in fact nothing to be read, and you can have fun with that, too).

And I think jitsukerr's advice ties into my own and Battalion's - if you start writing, you'll find which method works for you. And getting ideas down is crucial in hammering out a plot, as well.

[Use Of Weapons]

Ain, on 14 July 2010 - 09:47 AM, said:

I'm wondering: is it OK for me to use the name Gemerra? I'm not sure if it's an official name in a piece of fiction somewhere. Can someone clarify?

A quick Google shows that 'Gemerra' is a real word. In Judaism, it's a compendium of rabbinical commentaries and elaborations on the Mishnah (the Oral Torah).

It's also a given name and a surname, seeming to originate around Austria.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

jitsukerr, on 14 July 2010 - 11:40 AM, said:

Ain, on 14 July 2010 - 09:47 AM, said:

I'm wondering: is it OK for me to use the name Gemerra? I'm not sure if it's an official name in a piece of fiction somewhere. Can someone clarify?

A quick Google shows that 'Gemerra' is a real word. In Judaism, it's a compendium of rabbinical commentaries and elaborations on the Mishnah (the Oral Torah).

It's also a given name and a surname, seeming to originate around Austria.

Rargh. And it's apparently a name in some book called Prelude to the Gods. Guess I better scrap that one.

[Slippery Jim]

Try and write at a regular time and place - it can help your brain become accustomed to being creative. Kind of like trying to deliberately form a habit.

[Fist Gamet]

As the guys have said, the important bit is to just write. Do not let yourself get too hung up on the million things that can stop you or slow you down. The name you mentioned is one small example: so there you are writing along with an idea, enjoying it, then you start to think "hmm, has anyone used this name before? Can I use it? I better check." And so now, you have broken from the writing and the idea and got tangled in details, I know it does not seem like much but this can happen with so many things.
You will find a way that suits you and this will evolve over the years.

It will not be perfect...but that's ok.

Don't try to make it perfect first time...that's what editing and editing and editing is for.

Write because you love to write, and know it is a skill to develop and hone like any other. Keep doing it and you will get better.

If you cant think of what to write, just do it anyway and see where it takes you. Everything can be amended, moved or deleted (that last part can be very difficult but again, you will learn to be ruthless)

The starting place does not matter. In my own writing I have chopped and changed starting points for stories more times than I can recall. In fact, it took me a good number of years and one and half entire books (about 650 pages) and a year long break before I truly found the story I wanted to write and the right place to start. So I keep the original as a kind of prequel.

So just write because you want to and need to. Good advice from the guys already, and writing everything down is a must. Keep a notebook with you as much as you can because i GUARANTEE that great idea you had will vanish like a fart in the wind at some time or other.

And read. Lots. Read good writers and try to see how they do what they do. Some write great prose, others develop terrific plots, characters, dialogue, emotion or action and so on. Check out the sci fi and fantasy writers websites for lots of great tips and ideas.

And learn the skill of writing - or perhaps, the art of writing might be more apt. You will do this over time as well as you write so don't stress too much.

Most important of all...

Have fun.

[Tatterdemalion]

Dude, go with Gemarra if you want.
You thought it up cleanly so it's not on your conscience.
Make it your job to OBLITERATE anyone caring about any Gemarra but YOURS.

For my video game / comic The Sword and the Fish OH, RIGHT HERE I named a character 'Zaknafien.' This is because I started working on this idea in high school and didn't trace my thoughts back as to where the name came from. It was all for fun so who cares, right? Naturally, "Zaknafein" is Drizzt's dad from the Icewind Dale trilogy etc. It was probably somewhere in the back of my head, but damn my Zaknafien kicks so much ass I could never go back! Another character, "Princess Headbutt" is a one-off joke used in the movie Mystery Men. Go figure.

This post has been edited by Tatterdemalion: 15 July 2010 - 04:10 AM

[Ain't_It_Just_]

Tatterdemalion, on 15 July 2010 - 04:09 AM, said:

Dude, go with Gemarra if you want.
You thought it up cleanly so it's not on your conscience.
Make it your job to OBLITERATE anyone caring about any Gemarra but YOURS.

For my video game / comic The Sword and the Fish OH, RIGHT HERE I named a character 'Zaknafien.' This is because I started working on this idea in high school and didn't trace my thoughts back as to where the name came from. It was all for fun so who cares, right? Naturally, "Zaknafein" is Drizzt's dad from the Icewind Dale trilogy etc. It was probably somewhere in the back of my head, but damn my Zaknafien kicks so much ass I could never go back! Another character, "Princess Headbutt" is a one-off joke used in the movie Mystery Men. Go figure.

I'll admit, it sounda a lot better than Kemerra...back to G it goes! Thanks Tat. And everybody else too, for their feedback

[goldmill]

I'd also suggest you do some sort of a basic outline. What you want your character to experience, how they grow, where the story ends (You don't need all the details worked out). You may end up changing your mind later but at least you have a direction to work towards.

[Abyss]

This: http://www.tor.com/s...readed-question


- Abyss, ...mwua ha hah...