Everyone has a book in them?

[slayer]

ill have to give that a try, at mo ive got loads of different snippets of storys they ive done off top of my head.

[Tony]

Treat it like playing the guitar.

We all know someone who picked up the guitar and just managed to nearly play it straight away and then with an hour or so messing around, they're already half decent. That person has natural talent, and if they have within them some creativity they'll be a good musician and can work at becoming great.

We all know people who pick up the guitar and have no clue where to start, but they're keen. They work hard and put in lots of practice and they develop the skills and become half decent. Then it's a case of getting the creativity and whole lot more practice and they're at the same stage as the person above.

There's every possible variation in between and some in front and after those two.

Writing is no different. Also, how people write is as individual as writers themselves. Some authors plot everything out, some just write front-to-back and then edit, some write scenes and stitch them together. How you are comfortable doing it is the key, but for most people you won't know unless you practice and practice and practice.

The only way to write, is to actually sit down and just write, a lot, all the time. It doesn't necessarily matter what you write, just write.

Practice and work at it, and while doing that, develop the story as well.

Writing is a combination of technical skills and creativity, just like any art. The former can be improved and developed and taught, the latter is just (IMO) something you either have or don't have.

[Eddy]

I have always read that you start with a character and move from there.

There's a danger that if you start with a plot that you'll shoe horn characters into it which then wont be terribly believable.

Ok, if you have a historical novel like Iggulden or Cornwell then you have plot and characters there for you to a large extent. When you effectively make it all up yourself I think you have to start with a character. First your protagonist, work out who they are then see who or what the antagonist is.

I don't suppose DG decided to write a story about Dros Delnoch and decided to plonk Rek and Druss inside the walls?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's impossible to do it that way, I just think it's a bit more dangerous. Characters drive stories not plot lines. The plot lines follow how the characters react to the situations you've put them in.

Have Druss witness an attempted rape - there's only one plot line open to you there - dead rapist. That's how Druss would react. Other characters may react differently.

[Tony]

I have always read that you start with a character and move from there.

But it doesn't work like that for everyone.

There is no one true way, IMO. The risk is that if you are taught that the only way to write is to start with a character, but you have this amazing world and story and don't really have a feel for a character yet, and you find you can't write because of that block, then you're shooting yourself in the foot.

If you just *write* and find that a character comes through and shines out of the story, then at least you made some progress.

If doing it 'the right way' prevents you from doing it at all, it's not right.

[Eddy]

I have always read that you start with a character and move from there.

But it doesn't work like that for everyone.

There is no one true way, IMO. The risk is that if you are taught that the only way to write is to start with a character, but you have this amazing world and story and don't really have a feel for a character yet, and you find you can't write because of that block, then you're shooting yourself in the foot.

If you just *write* and find that a character comes through and shines out of the story, then at least you made some progress.

If doing it 'the right way' prevents you from doing it at all, it's not right.

Yep, fair enough.

[Lanista]

Don't get it right. Get it written.

Best.Writing.Advice.Ever.

If you really want a formula for book writing, then forget about reading "how to write a book" books. They're helpful, mind, but they won't give you the "answer" that everyone seems to be looking for.

The quickest and dirtiest way to use the screenplay method.

Syd Fields is the don - check out the paradigm, and that will give you "the answer."

That's your formula. But reading all the books in the world won't actually get the work done. So whilst all these tools are helpful, they can ultimately become another tool for procrastination.

I know all about that, believe me!

Cheers

Russ

[wild_ice]

I believe everyone has a book in them. Like Lanista said, it's a case of writing it not theorizing about it.

[drosdelnoch]

I had a critics book land today (How Fiction Works - James Wood) that Im going to read as it will be interesting to see how the whole thing splits down from another angle however the best method for learning to write is to read.

After a while and a good amount of books you'll start to see the "architecture" underneath the book and you can learn just as much from a book that you dont like as one that you do. Writing is something that can be taught but there has to be a glimmer of talent there to begin with I suppose.

[Eddy]

I agree. As I have been 'learning', if I can claim that, over the last few years, my appreciation of the writing of others has taken off hugely. I can now spot the techniques they are using to create plot and characterisation.

Conn Iggulden seems to do it effortlessly but you can see the method in his writing. When you see how he does it, it may seem easy but doing it for yourself is another matter! You can watch a person ride a bike and think it's easy, jump on yourself and you'll fall off unless you practice a whole lot. From this point of view, writing can be taught and learned but a hhard slog, albeit perhaps an easier slog for those which some latent talent. Cornwell says he deconstructed the book of a favourite author before he started (i'm sure I have read that somewhere).

Obviously, someone with little education who can't spell etc is hardly likely to become a best selling author but that aside I recon there are many many people who can have a pretty good bash.

It's a hell of a task though to write a novel (as I'm slowly finding!). It huge fun too but a daunting prospect. Staying power and vision are essential components to having a fighting chance of producing something worthwhile.

[niall]

i think, hope, everyone has a book in them. I spent two hours last night getting into mine

[thomasofhookton]

I'm trying this to see if it works
1st prologue then i put down 16 chapters and next to this list I jot down what I want in each chapter like a title but a little more discriptive.
That way the books complete you just fill in the gaps
as the hardest thing is finishing i.e.
1dude kills momma
2 ghost of momma comes back
3 quest for killa
4 killa captures hero
5 hero escapes
6 raises rebellion
7 all live happily ever after Dude has an axe buried in his skull

[drosdelnoch]

LOL, they do say that the majority of books follow a set of basic themes laid down by a research paper based on fairytales. Was quite interesting reading and I can see the similarities. Im going to be getting on with writing my own tale shortly, but I keep finding stuff that needs doing so it goes back further on the burner.

Will get on with it shortly as Im taking a break from FT for a couple of months.

[firefist]

everybody has a book in them because evryone lives a life its putting it to papper thats hard

[Druss]

i started then my comp had to get wiped...taught me to back things up lol gonna try and start again