writing a fiction book. do you start with an outline?
I figured I would start with an outline of how the book is going to go. It is a murder mystery book btw. I also figured I would make a list of the characters and jot down things about them like looks, personality, and so on. If anyone has any ideas on where/how to start this process I would be forever grateful. Thanks in advance.
- myraxellenxamos
Tags: Fiction Book, Grateful Thanks, Jot Down, Murder Mystery, Thanks In Advance
May 26th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Everyone writes with a different method. Some writers are as shocked when he/she reaches the conclusion of the book as a reader would be. Some does not start writing unless he/she has finished the indepth layout of the story. So you can start anyway you want. You can start with the protagonist, and the people who will be killed and a list of suspects. However you do not have to necessarily come down with the murderer or motive from the beginning :] The fun of it is to figure it out along the way.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
It is smart to start with a story line.
(i have yet to do so though)
May 31st, 2009 at 2:09 am
Defenetly i would start with the characters, if you don’t have strong characters, you don’t have a strong book.
Yes, i would write a background on each character, not just what they look like, more like major “events” that happen in their lives. Your characters will seem real if you force yourself to believe they are real.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:04 pm
A good outline will serve you well in two respects. You will know where you are going and you will need a good outline to approach an agent or publisher anyway. So why not start with an outline and use it yourself.
As far as tips… just enjoy your life and when an idea comes, just write it down. Then from time to time, organize those ideas… and it time you will have your book and your outline…
You may want to think about your query letter as well… since if you approach a publisher or agent… that is the ONLY thing that is going to open the door for you. So don’t wait until the last minute to think about that… because it is the most important aspect of your writing if you want to be published.
The industry standard is now online… Strunks “Elements of Style.” Find it here….. and good luck.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I like jess’s answer the best. Writing is really about what works for you. I wrote my first novel and never outlined it just wrote and let it go where the writing took me. It was more instinctive than planned out although I had general ideas where the story was headed. I will say this if you are writing something heavily plot oriented you are probably better off outlining. It is all personal preference and what works for you.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Since writing is such an intensely personal process, nobody does it the same way. I personally start with an outline. I tend to lose track of characters and events because I am busy and my memory is not as good as it could and/or should be. Some writers don’t start with any planning at all.
Two great ways of outlining is to use the essay form or the notecard form. With the notecard form, you can shuffle scenes around if you think something should go somewhere else. Simply plot a scene or two on one notecard a piece and make sure you number them! I remember the first time I used the notecard method I failed to do so. After several hours of trying to piece together my precious outline, I had to give up.
The essay outline is the best, I think (your mileage may vary). Start with a Roman numeral, which will be your main idea for that chapter/scene–it works especially well with chapters. Then go to an Arabic number and add a major detail. A lower case letter can denote any extra details you want to add. The major flaw in an essay outline is that if you’re not careful, your work can become episodic or you can expand too much from the original outline and end up with a book many times more vast than you originally had in mind.
Making a list of characters is also a good idea. Write basic profiles for them, too. Cover their physical, mental, emotional, and (if applicable), spiritual aspects. Some writers cover their characters’ political leanings, too, if the book has politics in it. What you put in your outline will vary depending on what your story is about. With that said, it’s a good idea to write your outline first, to see what characters you have.
Good luck!