How do you tell the story?

[RubyJewelStone]

I'm not really a writer type, but I find myself dabbling in a lot of things - writing being no exception. So not being all that proficient in this, I have a few questions. Mind that these are concerning the creation of fictional stories.

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
Inspiration? Random prompts? Sitting down and making a story on the fly? Cuz plopping down and looking at a blank screen/paper is just not cutting it.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
It's hard for me to get super-descriptive. Then it's hard to even get past the introduction. So, I often end up not finishing what I started...which ironically leads me to...

3. How do you finish?
Really, where do you finally rip yourself away and finally stop? All good things must come to an end, ne? When is it time to quit? Somehow, if by some rare event I make it that far, I don't think many people will appreciate ten epilogues.
I wouldn't want to be the one with the denouements that make you go blah...please end it...

So yeah, help?

[Linksquest]

Wow! Writing is awesome I love it... let's see..

1. Errr... It just comes to me at random times. Things that happen to me mat trigger a memory of something or may begin the wheels in my mind to churning out a tale. I don't think you can force creativity... it comes when I usually don't expect it. The problem is making sure I write them down when I get ideas... cause although I think I will always remember them... most of the time I don't.

2. Ok. This is something that is different for different people. Some people like to start with the ending and then work their way there from the beginning. Others like to start at the beginning of the story and just let their imaginations and pens take them where they will (which is something I often let happen!). I think that as soon as you get an idea, write down as many aspects of it that are in your mind at the time. Let your mind overflow with ideas... doesn't matter how stupid it may sound... you may decide later that you really like it! Then... flesh it out with added details, etc... first get down the basic idea of what is happening. When I do this I will sometimes write a random quote that I can imagine a character saying in the situation which I have just summarized.

3. Heheh... <_< well... I haven't really gotten to the finishing part to many of my pieces. Many of them are half done waiting for me to attend to them. Sometimes... if i'm near the "end" of a story... it just feels like the end... the completion of what you want to say. Good endings usually will either do 1 of 2 things: Reveal some astonishing thing/or Concept that will leave the reader thinking about it some time after... it's a final thrust upward out of the storybook which should leave the reader thinking "WHOA! What a great journey!" The second thing that it could be is somesort of openend where it causes the reader to want to know more about the story (thus sequels) or imagine what "really happened" "bad endings" are subjective as well as most other aspects of writing.

Find your voice... be true to yourself in your writing. That's my 10 cents.

[ShiroiHikari]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
Inspiration? Random prompts? Sitting down and making a story on the fly? Cuz plopping down and looking at a blank screen/paper is just not cutting it.

Inspiration is a toughie. The way it seems to work for me is through my characters-- they inspire me. (Sitting in front of a blank screen does nothing for me. >_<) Anyway, I usually create some characters first and then their story fleshes itself out to a certain extent.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
It's hard for me to get super-descriptive. Then it's hard to even get past the introduction. So, I often end up not finishing what I started...which ironically leads me to...

I have a hard time with description too, but I think a good way to improve is to find some random things around and take the time to describe them in as much detail as you can, and try to think of creative ways to do so. Practice, practice, practice is the key.

3. How do you finish?
Really, where do you finally rip yourself away and finally stop? All good things must come to an end, ne? When is it time to quit? Somehow, if by some rare event I make it that far, I don't think many people will appreciate ten epilogues.
I wouldn't want to be the one with the denouements that make you go blah...please end it...

I can end a chapter, but I cannot seem to end a story for the life of me. So I don't really have a good answer for this question. >_>;

I hope I at least helped a little. @_@;

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?

Life in general. Mainly movies, books, music - things I surround myself with. Games, friends, situations, events - all of these help gather inspiration. There's no hard and fast rule though.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?

Being superdescriptive is not a good idea. Add more characters maybe, flesh them out a bit. Also showing and not telling improves the length of a story. Some stories only work as short stories and some as novel length. Don't try to pad out a story with meaningless information to add length, just see how it goes. Also practise brainstorming. Try outlining your story and then add situations/events that help to tell the story and tie it together.

3. How do you finish?

Can't say I've finished all that many.


Hope this helps you mate!

[Kaori]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?

It's hard to say. Sometimes an event in my life prompts me to write something, but in the case of fiction, it's more usual for me to admire something that I have read and want to imitate it in some fashion. Do you know the Emily Dickinson poem "After great pain, a formal feeling comes"? I really admire the last line ("First--Chill--then Stupor--then the letting go--") and have often wished to be able to express grief as eloquently as she does. No stories have come from that desire, but some vignettes have.

Cuz plopping down and looking at a blank screen/paper is just not cutting it.

Just sitting down in front of a computer screen doesn't work well for me, either. Oddly enough, I find that it is less intimidating if I am looking at paper rather than a monitor, so I almost always do some sort of outlining, summarizing, or drafting on lined paper--enough that I have a good idea of the general plot--before sitting down at my computer. When I do start writing on the computer, I will write some specific scene, but not necessarily one at the very beginning of the story.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?

For one thing, I tend to try to let the story itself dictate how long it will take to tell rather than deciding "I want to write a novel-length story" and trying to come up with a story to fit that length. I'm not sure that it's a good idea to try to make a story long just for the sake of meeting a certain length. (If you're writing something for class, of course, there will naturally be certain constraints.) So, basically, for stories that I write for pleasure, I try to write in such a way that I do justice to the story and don't worry about how long it will be.

Don't try to pad out a story with meaningless information to add length, just see how it goes.

That's excellent advice. Everyone has their own style, and perhaps you just tend to naturally not be very heavy with your descriptions. Hemmingway is like that: the details that he does give are significant because there usually aren't very many of them. On the other hand, it is possible to bore your readers by rushing through events too quickly (as opposed to getting bogged down in details). If your writing seems hasty, your readers will get a feeling that you don't really care about the events that you're describing. In short: whatever you choose to spend time describing should be of some significance to the story.

3. How do you finish?

I have finished some short stories, but have yet to finish any longer works. With the short pieces, I go through a few different stages of revision, starting with broad issues and working my way down to smaller ones. When I get to the point where I am exclusively playing around with word choice, that is typically when something is close to being done.

[Esoteric]

Inspirations are as diferent as writers. Some stories are inspired by a theme or message that writer wants to convey. Other by characters they create and wish to write a story for. Or sometimes, an entire story is written for a single scene envisioned by the author. Truly, inspirations vary. What inspires you?

As far a taking the idea from there, some writers can just start on page one and write clear to the end. Many others develope a synopsis first. They will write biographies for their characters. They decide the entire structure of the story before they even begin writing, for example... 1: characters A and B meet on train. 2: character A wants character B's seat. 3: characters A and B fight until character C arrives to stop them...etc.

Concerning endings, perserverense is key. I have many unfinished projects as well and I'm not proud of them. When inspiration dwindles, willpower must take over. But, you can also take it as slow as you want, page a day, paragraph a day, you'll get there eventually. I find it helps greatly if you plan out the ending before you start. After all, a good ending is crucial, just as crucial as a good beginning, so make sure you know where you're going and it'll be easier to get there.

[RubyJewelStone]

Thanks for the wonderful words of wisdom.
I suppose my main problem is really just putting empahsis on the wrong thing. I especially find it hard when there is just a single sentence that I didn't put correctly grammtically or something or when I am typing and something looks really short it just irks me so much that I end up going back and forgetting all my ideas that I was supposed to be getting out in the first place. Writing+forgetfulness+perfectionist=300 word file that's deleted a year later.

I need to get my ideas out first and then see what I'm working with.
Afterwards, I need to set down my characters a little more solid. I suppose switching them from a bartender to a waiter is not so bad but going from a sad little girl to a carefree college boy is a bit much (exagerated, but you get the idea).
If I don't know my characters then I obviously cannot think for them properly.

So I think those are my 2 main problems.

Again, thanks for that really useful advice there are a lot of good ideas.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Yes, getting your ideas splashed out on the page is great to start with. Write up your first draft and do not edit it. Editing on the fly often stops imagination and the creative flow in its tracks. Once you've finished the draft go back and edit it heavily. Edit it as many times as is needed to make it great.

[Maledicte]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
Honestly, it depends. Most of my stories come from seeing bad movies/reading bad books (writing-wise) and telling myself I could do better than that. Hey, it worked for Octavia Butler. Another is the Marion Zimmer-Bradley method: write a fanfiction. Then, change the names of everything. Continue to change until it no longer resembles fanfiction.
A lot of it starts as a seed, then I'll be really excited about a new plot and simmer on it for a while, then put it aside. I come back to it eventually and simmer it some more until it seems ready to be written.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
As I said, I simmer. I have a bad habit of writing too little, as you do--I'm trying a new tactic now, laying down all the words thick until editing time, then trimming the excess off. It's like Michelangelo's sculpture--just take away whatever doesn't look like what you want it to look like.

3. How do you finish?
I haven't. Yet.
Only piece of fiction I finished was a piece in high-school that I no longer remember. My sister had to tell me about it

[Bobtheduck]

My inspiration comes like this. I'm in a situation. I think of an exaggerated situation that's similar, sometimes a really twisted version of what i'm experiencing or a twisted outcome. I start writing, and I discover the story as it happens in the writing.

The length I flesh it out to isn't a problem... It's being able to connect two major ideas together coherently... I have all sorts of scattered ideas for my story, but fitting them together in a way that makes sense is waht's hard. So I have to rewrite my ideas until they all fit together, and allow for character growth hopefully. Once I bridge those gaps, i can fill up large novels with my ideas.

Generally the end is one of the first things I come up with for any project. For instance, I only have like 1/20 of "Circulo do abuso" (my Silent Hill 2 fanfiction) written, but I know how it's going to end. So, the end just sort of comes when I get the basic idea for the story... Once again, it's bridging those gaps to make it all fit together.

[islandjunky]

My inspiration comes from thinking about anything and then letting my mind trail off into more thought until I have an idea of something that would be cool and then I try to write my thoughts on paper (or computer).

I find that in order to make the story sound real, you can't add stuff just to make the story longer. I usually write the basics and then go and put in other stuff that pops into my head if I think that it will aid the main story.

Try to have the ending already planed before writing the book, I usually start with the ending, but that's just me. . .

[Dunedan]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
It usually starts with a basic gimmick or idea that I've been thinking about for awhile. I then start listening to certain songs that set the tone for what I want my story to be... basically I look at books as being movies without pictures. So I need a soundtrack to write it to.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
I go off on metaphysical tangents and have lots of random comedy. I find that making people laugh at/with your characters makes them bond with them, makes them care about them later on. Let me put it this way: If a loner that always seems depressed kills himself, is that more surprising than your best bud who was a real clown killing himself?
Not that suicide is the only drama, but there is an appeal to black comedy that sucks me in... or at least, I believe that comedy can emphasize tragedy in a powerful way.

3. How do you finish?
Hah ahahhaa. Well, the one book I did finish I finished because I gave up on getting the perfect ending. And for that book it worked well. Really, my only strengths are beginnings and endings. I have about 6 stories with the end and beginning written, but no middle.

[Aileen Kailum]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
From reading, listening to music, watching movies, etc. I'll see something I think is cool, take that idea, and run with it. For me, characters are much easier to find than an actual plot, so I have to work at getting an actual storyline out of my random bursts of inspiration.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
Since I lack the ability to just sit down and write whatever comes into my head, I outline the heck out of the story. I don't really like doing it, but it's been the only way I can keep my writing sticking to a coherent storyline.

3. How do you finish?
To be completely honest, I haven't finished very many of my stories. It's not that they don't have an ending, it's just that I haven't written it. A good way to make you actually write the ending is to find someone to be accountable to. Some friends of mine have kindly threatened to abduct me and force me to finish my story if I don't do it on my own.
As for actually coming up with an ending... Well, when in doubt, kill off the main character and have a building burst into flames. It always works for me.

[Kaligraphic]

1: Story begets characters, and characters beget story. It's a vicious creative cycle. Personally, I enjoy the approach of creating a world, and then creating the type of character that might exist in that world. Put him in an interesting position, and I can explore both the character and the world at the same time. Of course, this is more open-ended option, because it does not always have a full conclusion. The alternative is to start with a basic plot, elaborate on it a bit, and write the characters to fit. This can also be fun, and can produce stories of more predictable length.

It should be mentioned that these two approaches are not mutually exclusive, and character and plot can influence each other.

2: Just focus on making the story interesting. Make it easy and absorbing to read, and don't drag it out. There have been many good short stories written as terrible novels.

3: Finish at the end. Read through the story, and you should be able to get a sense of when things are over. Wrap it up from there. You will probably have some bad endings as you learn, but by reading well-written stories you should be able to get a feel for such things.

[Fish and Chips]

1. How do you get the inspiration to write in the first place?
I tend to think of myself as a character author. I usually never begin with a definite plot or story in mind, maybe just a premise, and a handful of characters of my own creation. These might spring from a simple concept, trait, or image that I have in mind, and then I develop them until I think they're believable and complete.

2. Once you have an idea, how do you flesh it out to a decent length?
I believe a good writer should be able to gauge for themselves how long a story should take. If it feels to constricted, it probably is, and if you think it's being drawn out, it probably is. So you write it just as long or short as feels right.

As for as fleshing it out, I point back to the character. When it comes to them, it becomes much easier to imagine them as real people, baring in mind all the aspects of their respective personalities. It makes them much easier to write for if I think I know how they'd realistically react to a situation, if they were alive. A character I came up with once enjoys swing/lounge music. This may never see the light of day in the actual telling, but that fact may help me define him as a person in other ways, such as temperment and mood, personal taste, and so forth.

3. How do you finish?
...I haven't. Not so far.

[the_wolfs_howl]

1. Many things can be inspiration for a story. I have the most luck with a good movie, video game, book, or picture. I currently have two story ideas that came from a certain artist's pictures. Like...ALL the pictures, even if they had nothing to do with one another. I didn't know what they were of anyway, so I decided just for fun to try and make a story out of them. I'd look at a portrait of an old man in a military uniform and think, "Oh, he looks like this other guy in this other picture! Maybe that's his son."

Something I used to do when I first started getting interested in writing was take a bunch of things I liked in a bunch of different stories (a magical ring, an heir to a throne, a boy with long black hair), mash them together, and add a couple ideas of my own (someone who's scared of EVERYTHING, a party of four main characters), and then I'd have a story (a boy with long black hair who's scared of EVERYTHING, finds a magical ring, and is the heir to the throne). When I first started writing, it was excruciatingly obvious what I was copying, but I've been working on this story I've been describing for four years now and I'd venture to say that you wouldn't be able to recognize where things came from now.

I've found it helpful to think rather analytically about stories. When you watch a new movie or read a new book, think about what exactly you liked in it. Was there a character that you connected with? Did something happen that you thought could be a good premise for a story, but wasn't the focus? Maybe somebody said something that made you think.

2. Some of my ideas have stayed just that: ideas. I haven't fleshed them out beyond "a marriage between two people who hate each other". And maybe I never will. But I'll agree with the others who've said you should write down your ideas as soon as you've got them, or as soon as possible. For one of my stories, I was looking at a manga picture and I suddenly got hit with an idea for a group of magic-using people. So I sat down and wrote a rather poorly-written beginning of the story, explaining how the magic worked. Another time, I got inspired after reading "Theseus and the Minotaur" and sat down and wrote the beginning of "The Labyrinth of Aegean," which I've posted up here.

For one of my stories, I had only a vague idea of the beginning, end, and middle, so one day when I had an hour or two, I just lay down on my bed and thought it all through. I came up with some cool scenes and plotted out the whole journey, just by starting with what I knew and seeing where the characters would go. Usually if you have some kind of premise (for this story, it was that the main character was the heir to the throne. Thus, he had to go claim his birthright), the plot comes quite naturally.

And a helpful way I've found to work on style, or getting the feel for how a story should flow, is doing a novelisation (taking a movie, video game, etc. and writing the story as a novel). That way, you don't have to worry about coming up with ideas of your own, because the story's already there. You just have to concentrate on how to describe what's happening and to make it cohesive so the readers will understand the importance of the story.

If you feel like there's a humongous chunk of your story that is nothing but your characters trudging over cornfields to get to the important city beyond them, make something interesting happen along the way. Like, the cornfield gets caught on fire and they have to help the farmer put it out. For big long stretches like that, where nothing too exciting is happening to them, you could focus on thoughts or character development, or your characters getting to know one another better.

If you've hit a writer's block and have been there for quite a while, and feel that the story will never get done, it's probably a good idea to just WRITE IT. Madeleine L'Engle said, "The inspiration comes while you write," and I've found that to be true time and time again. Most of the time, my writer's blocks are self-induced. Another good idea if you're stuck is to interview your characters. If you know the characters well enough, if you know how they'll respond, then just pretend they're sitting down in front of you, and ask them about certain things you're not sure about. See what they think. Doing that has cleared some things up for me.

3. In my opinion, the ending is THE most important part of the story, and for me it's usually one of the easiest things to come up with. (For me, it's the getting there that's the problem.) When you've got an idea of what the story is, it's usually obvious what you want the ending to be. It'll be that the goal is reached, or the characters failed, or it's a checkpoint, a minor victory that's going to lead towards the final goal in a sequel. You have to be sure to make the ending worth the reader's while, because they've gone through the whole of your story to reach that point, after all. If it's not satisfactory, the whole story will sink with it. It's good not to have too long of a falling action, but make sure you wrap everything up before you write The End.

And it's probably a good idea to look at other stories, and see how they make their endings. I've found that the best beginnings and endings are a catchy or interesting sentence. Such as, "It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful." Or, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of Number Four, Privet Drive, were pleased to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." (incidentally, my favorite beginning to any book.) Endings are the same way, such as (not exact quote), "Rand looked around at the warriors kneeling around him, and he made his choice." Or, "A sailor...chooses the wind that takes the ship from safe port...but winds have a mind of their own."

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Those are my thoughts on story-making.