McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Where to Start; Plot, Characters, or Setting?

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Wordmaker:
You'll find your own technique as you go on, but for now, as already suggested, start small and simple.

Think up your hero. What is it you'd like your hero to do a lot of? Is he really good at fighting? Then decide why he's going to fight. Say, maybe he's a rookie knight eager to prove himself to his king. Okay, so now he needs an enemy, maybe a duke who wants to assassinate the king and take over the kingdom? This is good because it both lets the knight show off his strengths (when he fights the duke in a final showdown), but also plays to his weaknesses, because as a young knight he might not be any good at politics or figuring out the best way to uncover a conspiracy.

And right there you've got yourself a main character, a villain, and a plot.

From there you can develop certain elements of character and story as you need them, like why the duke wants to rule the kingdom, and how the knight finds out what's happening.

Alablast:
I would suggest... starting with what you like.  Do you like making up ideas of characters?  Do you like to think up plots, or certain events that would happen in a story?  Do you like coming up with all the details for a world?  You can always go back and work on the other two- but if one's more fun for you, or if you naturally come up with one, I would start with that and go from there.  You'll probably enjoy it more that way, and your story will probably mesh better- you'll be able to fill the other two (the details, or the characters, or the plot) in around a point you're sure of, rather than trying to start from an 'iffy' position.

When I write things I like starting with the plot- coming up with a neat idea that might happen in a story, and then going from there.  From there I know where everything's going to eventually go, so I can think about what type of person would be involved in that situation, or how they get there, what made them do it that way, those kinds of things.  You might not like that at all though; you might enjoy thinking up a type of character, and then thinking up all the situations and problems they would get into- so it would probably be better to try starting with making characters for you, etc.

meg_evonne:
As many answers as postings, but all say the same thing. Simply write. Enjoy writing. Enjoy creating your world. Enjoy finding your own way and have fun. Plan on taking whatever classes you can. Go to hear authors speak at book signings. Then learn, learn, learn by studying and experimenting. Start 'critically' reading the books you like, but more importantly the ones you don't like. A great writer, Connie Willis, said, "Figure out where a movie went bad. You'll learn a great deal fixing them in your head."  She also says, "Keep your butterfly net open and in the sky to scoop up ideas!"

As to characters, give them flaws, as well as strengths!  (Set up an excel sheet to record physical/character traits.)
As to worlds, eventually (not necessarily now) write up the rules for your world. I use a spiral secretary flip pad.
As to plots, begin with your major plot, and then weave in the subplots (at least three). (Set up time line excel sheet.)
As to villains, give them background and motivation. Give them good as well as bad traits.

Your reading list is an exact mirror of my own, but you might try adding the Sazi series by C.T. Adams and the Sentinel Series or Edge Series by Jim's wife, Shannon Butcher. Finally, for a mature reader there are the Brotherhood books by Ward. Also there are people who post in here that have some great reads too!

May your fingers fly on the key pad, Aliased. Do not seek perfection, seek completion. Perfection can come later.

OZ:

--- Quote ---Do not seek perfection, seek completion. Perfection can come later.
--- End quote ---

You have found my fatal flaw.

DominicJ:
Just START
Once you're going, you can always change stuff.

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