Some people who know might know that I enjoy creative writing, and have actually managed to complete the first draft of a novel (five years after I came up with the idea, but still). Sure it's a complete mess and needs a lot of work before it can even be considered a coherent story, but it's still an accomplishment, and I learned a lot from the experience. I personally feel that if someone has an idea that they think could be turned into a story, that they should go for it. Many people are put off by the writing process, or find they start and then get stuck. I think this is a real shame, since there must be thousands of potential stories out there that never get told. I really want to encourage people to give writing a go, so have decided to write a series of blog posts in which I share my experiences in novel writing. This first part will go through the basics; how to put together and plan a story, how to start putting your ideas into prose, and how to see your creation through to a conclusion.
First of all, a little disclaimer in case you hadn't already figured it out: I am an amateur writer at best. I have never had anything published, so these blog posts will not teach you how to write a best-seller. There are probably far better writers out there who have given advice, so it's down to your own judgement to decide whose advice best fits your style of writing. The purpose of these blog posts is to encourage people to give novel writing a go. It really is an amazing experience, and I think people can learn a lot from the process. I'm not trying to act pretentious or superior, so if I come across that way, I'm sorry. With all that out of the way, let's begin.
The first thing you need is some form of starting point; a premise, a character, a scene, a conversation, something that can be built upon to create a full story. Sometimes these will just come to you, but other times you will have to search for them. J.K Rowling came up with the character of Harry Potter while she was at a train station, and the idea gradually grew into the seven part series. I've come up with various plot ideas while working on the till at my old job. This isn't always the case though, sometimes you will need to look for an idea. They don't always come from nowhere, so you might want to start by thinking about what sort of story you want to tell: a tragic love story? A crime thriller? A fantasy adventure? Take a look at the stories you enjoy, in any medium, and think on what makes them good, or what you enjoy about them the most. Or, think about things that disappointed you about a story; plot points that could have been expanded, characters with wasted potential, how would you have told the story? How will you tell the story?
So now comes the next step: can your premise be turned into a full-length story? Take your premise, and try to branch ideas from it. Think up possible characters and story events, get an idea of its direction, its themes, its tone, its narrative style and your potential audience. I tend to list everything on a word document, but you might prefer pencil and paper, or a spider diagram. When you've got down these ideas, try your hand at writing a synopsis. Describe the rough events for the beginning, middle and end, trying to link up all your ideas. This is where things will get difficult. You may find gaps in the story that need to be filled, or certain story events that just don't fit. Some plots will have to be dropped, and some events will have to be added. It's best to try to fill as many of these gaps as you can, or you will find yourself stuck later down the line. The synopsis is not necessarily set in stone; it should serve as a guideline to keep you on track, and prevent you from running dry halfway through. If you find that you cannot come up with enough material, you might be better off turning your premise into a short story; it's probably better to tell a short story well than a novel badly. Hopefully this won't be the case, but you want to know now rather than later.
So now you have your synopsis, it's time begin. I have found getting started was the hardest part (why do you think it took me so long to put something on this blog?), but others have disagreed with me. If you are like me, the best advice I can offer is not to worry about it being any good. Just get the events down and try to establish your characters. Remember that this is a first draft, and not the finished piece. Your style will improve over time as you get into the story, and you start to figure out exactly how you are going to write these characters, and what sort of narrative voice you want. The next thing to remember is quantity over quality; the first draft is about getting everything established so you have material to work with for your second draft. You should also avoid editing as you go; there is no point writing and re-writing your opening chapter if you never carry on with the rest of the story. If you think of changes that need making, it's best to make a note of them separately, and go through them at the end when you are planning your second draft.
If you have never tried writing a story, you will probably think I am crazy for this next bit. I can promise you, however, that this is true. Stories have a mind of their own, and can often go in directions that you never imagined. There is a chance you will surprise yourself with what you write. It could be something like a character reacting differently to a situation than you had down in your synopsis, or someone who was supposed to be a one-shot character getting a much bigger role. To give an example, the writers of Friends have stated that they didn't originally plan for Ross and Rachel to get together. The main couple of the series was going to be Monica and Joey. As they wrote the story, it turned out that the Ross/Rachel pairing just worked a lot better. I find it difficult to imagine what the show would be like if they had gone with their original idea. If you find that this happens to you, and you think it improves the story, don't be afraid to run with it. You might need to revisit your synopsis to make sure everything fits together, and edit future events if they don't. Be careful about how you do this though. You could end up with a complete mess if you don't put a lot of thought into the changes. The best thing to do is remember what inspired you in the first place. What sort of story did you want to tell, and what sort of story are you telling now? Which is better? Just make sure you think things through, and try to find a balance between what you want to do and what the story wants to do.
If you persevere, you will eventually find that your story is drawing to a close. The ending is really important, and you should try to put some effort into it and try not to rush it to get to the next draft. It's a funny feeling to finish a novel, to close the final chapter and step away from your creation. I think it's important to wait a bit before writing the second draft, you will want to look over the first draft with a clear head, and decide what needs to be improved. It will most likely be quite messy, so now you want to tidy everything up. Make a note of all the changes you want to make, rewrite your synopsis to reflect this, and try to make everything a lot more solid this time around. But again, remember your roots. Don't try to change too much, or you will lose sight of what you originally set out to do.
You can get a lot out of writing a novel; it can teach you a lot about yourself, and really change the way you think about stories. It can also be a cathartic process. By following your creations through their trials, you experience them too, and watch them grow from each experience that you write them into. My intention with this blog post was to encourage people with an idea to give it a try, and not to be put off by the writing process. I really hope that somebody who reads this is able to find the drive to tell a story, and gets a great experience from it. I do wonder how other people approach the planning and drafting process, so if you have a way that varies drastically from the advice I have given here, leave a comment or a response.
No comments:
Post a Comment