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	Subtopic	Started By	Posts
	Archive through Aug 09, 2003 Last Post: Mar 28, 2004, 09:10 am		20

Posted By: ForeverZero Mar 24, 2004 - 01:58 pm

I like RongFo's suggestion, and I might try it. The thing is, I'm not having problems about beginning, I'm having problems about where to begin. Do you think writing a later-on scene will help me with that? It doens't seem like it will...

Posted By: Aldan Mar 25, 2004 - 01:19 pm

"Where to begin". Many writers will either start with a scene from the past, which sets up the current storyline. Others will start with the MC in a less important situation. Still others will use a "disposable" or less-important character to introduce the situation or the world (Is the world full of huge cities? How about monsters? Magic?). Really, each method has its own times and places for usage, and some authors will tend to rely more on a specific one at the cost of the others. What will fit your style? I dinnae knoo, and I don't know enough about where you're trying to go w/ the story to make a suggestion.

Posted By: ForeverZero Mar 27, 2004 - 06:57 pm

Okay, that should help. I've thought about using a lesser character to lay down the setting, but I'm afraid it will lessen the importanc eof our main character. We (me and my co-op author) NEED to start out our story with the main character, otherwise he will not have the impact we need.

We're currently trying to start out the story at various points in the early days of the "adventure", when the main character is already battle-hardened insteadof going through his training, But we just can't seem to think of a good intro. We're trying to get a serious impact with the intro, some scene that is completely astonishing to the reader. They'll get that "What the HELL?" feeling throughout the entire story from that hook, and later on it will be explained.

Posted By: Gnollslayer Mar 27, 2004 - 07:19 pm

I started my book with a brief history of events that have transpired to bring about the current situation. Of course, this works well for me because my main character is a historian on a space mission to re-unite the solr system with a lost segment of humanity that his ancestors banished in a war seven-hundred years before this story starts.

If you really want to know how to start your book, just go look at all your favorite books and see what they have on their first page. Then you'll know what works well. That's what I did. Good luck.

Posted By: ForeverZero Mar 28, 2004 - 09:10 am

Well, I finally have a plan for how the adventure starts and progresses. Now the only problem is writing it! Which shouldn't be much of a problem. I'll get to work on it later, after I finish this draft of my WWII essay... ugh, I hate school. Homework over Spring break. I mean, c'mon.

Posted By: Magus Mar 28, 2004 - 10:11 am

I'm not on spring break till the ninth.

Posted By: Aldan Mar 29, 2004 - 12:39 pm

Yes, but then on the 12th, Zero will have zero time left for spring break, so you'll be able to gloat.

Posted By: Magus Mar 30, 2004 - 01:13 pm

LOL Good point

Posted By: Queen Ehlana Apr 24, 2004 - 11:15 am

I've never had writer's block, except with poetry, but I don't like the term "writer's block" at all. My suggestion is to read non-fiction about things that interest you... If you love to learn, it's easier than you think to find interesting non-fiction books. I go to my school library all the time and just grab the first interesting book I see. I start reading, and I usually find some inspiration in the first page or two that I look at. These books are usually historical (Celts, WWII, Queen Mary of Someplace, Medieval Castles, etc...) or related to literature.

Posted By: Aldan Apr 25, 2004 - 09:05 am

I believe that when people speak of WRITER'S BLOCK they are talking about coming to a stall point in the novel they're creating. Often, it's near the mid-point of the story when this occurs, and part of what keeps good ideas from penetrating is STRESS, either self-induced or deadline-induced.
As well, some writers, especially perfectionists, will get stuck because some THING in the story isn't working right, and that THING is essential to the story in that incarnation of it. When I say "THING" I mean a plot device, an item, a character, or something like a magic system or other such thing which a perfectionist wants to have every jot and tittle spelled out for.

Posted By: ~Duckie~ May 11, 2004 - 03:43 pm

I barely ever get writers block, I am just way too lazy, so I take forever to get around to writing my idea. Except last night and the night before, when I couldn't come up with anything till I took a peek in my dreamjournal...

Posted By: Krastakin Jul 11, 2004 - 05:59 am

Hey guys...ltns...

I'm sorta like ~Duckie~, I'm lazy...and when I have a good idea, I never have the insight to write it down. I've been trying to get back my spark by reading things that I wouldn't have read back when I was a solely fantasy reader...I'm trying to write new things, and seeing how they go, before returning to my novel to ruin it.

I'm hoping to get back into writing on the forum, so you guys can tell me what you think of my latest works...if that's what you want to call them

Posted By: Bmat Jul 11, 2004 - 06:03 am

Krastakin! Glad to see you! It has been a long time! How have you been?

Posted By: Krastakin Jul 11, 2004 - 02:23 pm

Not writing unfortunately...or minimally writing

Good to see you too Bmat, you stopped chatting on msn

Posted By: Aldan Jul 12, 2004 - 06:02 pm

Well, we could at least call them a "piece of work"...

Posted By: Aslan Jul 15, 2004 - 01:16 pm

I'll watch for them, Krastakin! Good to see you back.