I Want to Write a Book

[Utopmk]

...but I have a bad understanding of syntax and zero experience.

I do, however, have alot of confidence in my imagination, which has been keeping me entertained for years.

I have a million ideas, but I don't know where to start...

I am seeking advice relative to writing fiction books or novels.

[gypseymothlee]

Best advice I have ever heard for those who want to write something: Just start writing.
I have zero experience as well, but have started writing recently. If I ever finish anything is up in the air at this point.
Usually I'll write something to get the idea out of my head, then go back and arrange it in a readable order. If you go back and read something, you can tell if it sounds awkward or goes off on a strange unrelated tangent.

[glassmoon]

...but I have a bad understanding of syntax and zero experience.
There are tons of books teaching how to write correctly, grammatically and literary.

gypseymothlee, good advice, but I think the only way to be able to write is to read a lot, nuch more than you write yourself.

[Eileen]

Best advice I have ever heard for those who want to write something: Just start writing.


I teach literature and writing!
This IS the best advice. People get very stuck worrying about grammar and spelling and syntax, but that's what the revision and editing stages are for! Just get it down on paper.

:)

[kuranes]

There is a book by Damon Knight ( I forget the title ) that is a great way to get started on general concepts, such as deciding on first person or third etc. You might look it up on Google by using key words like the author's name, and phrases like "On Writing" or "How to" etc.

One hint, that I found helpful. Stop a page or so short of saying everything you think is worth saying for the day in question, keeping the final page worth of words in your mind overnight, chewing them over, so to speak. Then the next time you sit down to write, there will not be the temptation to look at that awful empty page and say "my mind's gone blank". Instead you start right where you left off, and by writing, get back in the swing of things again.

This fits in with the earlier advice to "just write" and "you can always edit something out later."

I would suggest short pieces at first, as you learn. Too many people try a novel first, and get bogged down. It's true that there's more demand for novels than short stories, but I think it's a mistake to start out there.

Maybe begin with a non-fiction article, such as something about the INTP site, for example, written for people who have never heard of the Briggs test. Just a broad summary that lets the average citizen know the basics and what value you found in it, etc.

Or do a character study of someone you know, as an exercise. It's hard to discipline yourself to write every day, if you always think it's written for "the general public, if they ever get round to it", but if you pretend you are writing for someone you KNOW ( or actually ARE doing so ) than you may overcome this psychological hurdle.

Or try keeping a journal for yourself, summarizing what happened to you that day. You will be tempted to leave out intense parts because you'll think that you will "certainly remember THAT later,without assistance, when it's called for" but you'd be surprised how easy it is to forget things as the years go by.

These details of your life become the basic supply chest for your writing. Even science fiction, if written well, is generally character driven, and not simply hanging upon plot and imagination. Just like comedians get their material by noticing little quirks that we can all relate to.

K

[CoHo]

You could start with short stories. They aren't the greatest thing in the world but at least you will have an idea on how to build a story-line, keep it involved and end it.

There are plenty of websites that allow users to post short stories. You also need to find a place that will give you good criticism. Your first short story probably isn't going to be the best and you need people that are willing to tell you why they don't like it.

[glassmoon]

I know this isn't the thread's subject but it's related to it...
I find it very helpful to write down my ideas, as they usually come in an N form, which usually go away ere I can think them through and formulate them in a logical T manner. Writing, and to a lesser extent verbalizing, helps me to examine them more throughly.
Do you write essays, or just key ideas to help you develop your ideas further?

[kuranes]

I know this isn't the thread's subject but it's related to it...
I find it very helpful to write down my ideas, as they usually come in an N form, which usually go away ere I can think them through and formulate them in a logical T manner. Writing, and to a lesser extent verbalizing, helps me to examine them more throughly.
Do you write essays, or just key ideas to help you develop your ideas further?


When I'm writing for myself, vs. something I plan to show the world, I write in a short hand, about ideas, as you said. When I get around to "translating" that shorthand into a story or essay, then I have to get into the linearity and a whole lot more work. It's kind of like writing just the punchline of a joke down, in a way, so that you will presumably be able to use it as a touchstone later, to remember the whole thing if you need to. But if I wait too long to develop them, in the space of ten years sometimes, for example, the shorthand becomes hard for even me to translate. I'll think, "what was I getting at here?" or even "who cares?" This latter option, when exercised, shows that I have grown or matured into a completely different person than the original writer. It's good to hang on to even my "immature" stuff, though, because I might want to have a teenage character in a story, and I want him/her to be plausible. There was a great Raymond Carver story about a boy who faked being sick to stay home from school one day and go fishing after his Mom went to work. He captured what it was like to be a kid so perfectly.

K

[Rambler]

In high school, I received a great piece of advise on writing short stories. You either emphasize plot or character development and not both. If you do both, you end up cramming too much and a short story can quickly evolve into an epic. Usually one you'll never finish if you don't have your heart into it. This rule can be broken, but it would be best to follow it in the beginning so you get a writing style finalized in your mind.

Also, if you post online, you can start a blog. Don't get your hopes up of creating a following though. Rather, start a blog so this way you can access story ideas from any computer that has the internet. Good for random notes you can take at home, work or even while passing a library or internet cafe.

[Utopmk]

Thanks Everyone. This is excellent advice so far. Short stories yeah.. I was thinking about writing a children's series for starters. Not for extremley young children, but about on the same reading level and thickness of an R.L. Stine book.

[Avengardh]

You could start with short stories. They aren't the greatest thing in the world but at least you will have an idea on how to build a story-line, keep it involved and end it.

There are plenty of websites that allow users to post short stories. You also need to find a place that will give you good criticism. Your first short story probably isn't going to be the best and you need people that are willing to tell you why they don't like it.
What are you talking about? I loooove short stories ^_^.

[Utopmk]

What are you talking about? I loooove short stories ^_^.

Did you just volunteer to do the art for my book? :laser:

[FallenAngel]

I've been sooo close to finishing my first novel for about ...7 months now. I hate that I can't seem to finish my thoughts and ideas on paper... I will come up with something and not be able to write it down and completely forget it later.

Now I always have something to write on/with. I've been keeping journals for about 10 years now. I try to write every day. Even if it's just something boring about the day.. as long as I am writing.. it helps prevent me from getting blocked.

I've always just jotted down my ideas and the gone back to read them over and then fill in the details. *shrug* I worry about grammar/spelling/editing later.