Where should you start?
This post is for you if you have an idea for a story but don't know where to begin
We were recently asked by a member of the Words and Pictures community what you should do when you have an idea but aren’t sure how to get it down on paper.
It can be so hard to know how to take that kernel of inspiration and turn it into something tangible.
The completely honest answer is there isn’t a correct one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
But there are some steps that we follow when faced with this, which will help you if you don’t know where to begin either:
Just start
We realise this sounds easier in theory than practice. We’re just as guilty of waiting for there to be a ‘right’ time to start something, for all the jobs to be done, for the kids to be asleep.
But you only ever really have now, so put everything else to one side, don’t over think it and just start.
Embrace imperfection
Just starting is easier when you stop worrying about making mistakes. Your first draft might be messy, but that’s ok, it’s a first draft, it’s not supposed to be perfect. You might start one draft only to change your mind and start another. That’s ok too.
Sometimes you will have to have a play to see what form a story wants to take and that’s fine as well. The unfinished, messy work that no one sees is just part of the process. Without it you will never get to the other side where you have a finished story.
Make notes
We find a notebook/sketchbook is a great place to start when you first have an idea. You can be as neat or scrappy in it as you like but getting all the ideas down somewhere, even if it’s in the notes section of your phone, is super important.
Making notes is the daydreaming stage where you jot down half formed thoughts. Doing this will allow you to…
Develop your idea
Think about your story and your characters, explore who they are and what could happen to them. Make more notes.
We’ve written more about how to develop your characters in this post here and why knowing what your character wants is so important here.
Prepare
Once you've figured out what your idea is and who your characters are, it’s time to do your homework. Market research is really, really important and is totally essential for the next step…
Make a plan
Some writers love to plan every single detail, others don’t plan anything and just start writing.
Naomi falls somewhere in the middle - she likes to plan what will happen spread by spread, or chapter by chapter in bullet points so she knows what parts of the story she needs to hit on every page. But the exact details often only show up when she’s actually writing.
We know some writers who like to use post it notes so they can visually ‘see’ their plan and move it around.
It can be helpful to have a separate document with all the information about your characters and the world they live in too.
There are lots of things to consider at this stage from the practical - like the age range and genre to the technical - will you write in first or third person, in prose or rhyme? We covered this in more detail here.
Write
So. Now you’ve daydreamed, researched and planned it’s time to sit down and begin. Leave your phone in another room, turn your emails off and just start.
Embrace the good days when writing/illustrating comes easily, when you enter a flow state and it just feels effortless.
Equally don’t stress about the days where nothing comes out right and you feel like a failure. Everyone has them.
Don’t give up and keep going.
That’s what sets apart the people who actually finish the first draft of a book from those who say they’d like to write/illustrate one.
Take a break
Congratulations! You’ve finished the first draft of a book. It might not be perfect but that’s ok, it’s done. Step away from your story and take a break for a while. Maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. This time is important because without it, it will be much harder to…
Edit
You’re now at the point where you need to revise your story. We recommend reading the whole thing through in one go and focusing on the bigger issues first like the structure and character arcs.
Once you’ve addressed them you can focus in on the nitty gritty of line edits and tweak individual words and phrases.
It can be really hard to look at your own work critically which is why getting feedback from a first reader, critique partner or mentor can be invaluable.
If you aren’t sure when you should share your work with someone else then this post here is for you.
We hope this post was helpful. If there are any other questions you’d like answered please do join us for our next monthly zoom chat. It’s open to all paid subscribers (it costs just £5 a month or £50 a year.)
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