Where do you start? Make up characters first, do a broad outline of the story??? Help me out. Please
Normally, I start with one of two things:
1. A broad story idea, often a "what if..?" type proposition.
2. An intriguing character sketch (in my head, not a drawing.)
#1 is usually the way I go. I'll have a basic idea, something simple, like "a story about a man from a war-torn future who tries to change it in the past." Of course, just about any idea is going to be a cliche from such a vague description, so you start to flesh it out. Not necessarily by writing an outline, but you can look at it and ask, "What can I do with this? What would make this an interesting idea to explore? What kinds of characters would best fit into it?"
At a minimum, you need your idea and at least one character. From there, you can start writing. Just let the story flow from the character(s) and your premise. Up-front planning works for some people, but I find it takes the fun out of it.Instead, wait until you've made some progress writing the story before you get too deep into planning. You have your idea, you have characters, you should be able to get a good start just from that. As you go, start planning further and further ahead. Consider an act-based structure (3, 4, or 5 acts) to ensure you have a good flow and pace to your story.
The main things to keep in mind are, regardless of your initial premise, you need to have some kind of resolution or final exploration of it. The resolution may be entirely character-based, too--maybe the whole point of the story is that the exploration of the premise changes your protagonist's outlook. But you should definitely have both: a good story arc, and a good character arc. They can be one and the same, you just need to have them! A plot that goes nowhere is boring. A character who doesn't evolve isn't interesting.
All of these are just general guidelines. I strongly suggest taking notes before you start and as you go along. Keep track of character details, plot points, things like that. You don't have to be incredibly organized, just take some care and pay attention to details.
If you'd like some more information--like a really extensive character biography form, some planning tools, stuff like that--PM me and I'll be happy to help you out.
Wow, best of luck to you. I hope you survive us.
Please
But thank you!
