Authors, Writers, Publishers, and Book Readers

Preparing to write a book or a story

Whenever I think of a new book, I always imagine how it would play out. Sort of like a movie in my head. However, when I try to put that into words, I find that it's very hard to describe what had been going on and my story feels weak. There's never a very complex plot. How do all of you visualize or prepare for writing? I'm sure there are plenty of methods better than mine!

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Permalink Reply by Pritha Chattopadhyay on July 22, 2011 at 10:17am

For me, I just have 'that' thing knocking inside me. It develops from a small incident, and grows inside me...until I feel full to the brim and I feel the need to write. It's like a call from inside...a hunger, a thirst...that I need to fill up, quench if I got to live...and then the words come out themselves...they just flow...

That's why, writing is my passion, my oxygen...but I can never make it my profession as I can't write if I sit down to write. I write only when I feel like I have to!

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Permalink Reply by Donna Montrose Porter on July 22, 2011 at 11:52pm

Hello,

Once I have an idea for a new book, I write the basic outline down, then I write down any particular idea's I feel will make it better, (this may not be at the same time) then I work out the best place to start and just start writing, and once the first chapter is done, I play about with it for a while until I am happy with what I have. At that point, I work out points within the plot, and at what point I want them to appear, the rest just flows, but if I am out and about and i get an idea, i write it down on a piece of paper, and add it later.

I hope this helps,

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Permalink Reply by Cassidy A. Young on July 23, 2011 at 7:19pm

Thank you! That helps a lot! Passion is definitely what drives us. An author came to my school a long time ago. He said that he kept a box full of ideas on notecards. Then, when he gets a basic plot, he dumps out the cards and sees what he gets!

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Permalink Reply by Callie Leah on July 24, 2011 at 4:28am

Well for me, I sort of imagine myself in the character's shoes. (Even when the main character is a guy, it still helps!) I visualize how I would feel and react in that situation. (That in no way means however that all of my characters react as I would, but it still helps!)

I don't know if it works for everyone, but it helps me a lot! :)