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When you have an idea or inspiration and you want to start make sure you have your characters (stating the obvious). Then you can do one of two things. Classic authors started before the action begins, Stephen King does this to. he doesnt (usually) jump right into the action, he starts and builds to it. Or, you can start with the action rolling, if you want a character to rob a bank, you can start just as they walk through the bank doors. Etc. It usually depends on your situation and style. I usually get my story idea and just get a clear picture of my characters doing something in my mind, not even a scene but one picture. Like i started a short story earlier from my character (rebecca) sitting on the porch watching the storm. When i started i didnt even have a plot idea (hehe makes it more fun to just see where it goes.).
Remember that you have seperate characters, they are individuals not a group. And each has (or should have) a distinct personality. I keep a character and story notebook. I sometimes write down something my character says that clearly defines his personality. Like for example.
"Let's race them!" Jimmy said, he looked at the blue camaro in the lane next to them.
"No, i dont want to," Chris replied. I would write down What jimmy said because it defines him as adventerous and daring. Sometimes if you feel your characters are becoming monotonous and melding together just go back over your notes and look at the dialogue, it will give you a clear picture of the kind of things your character would say as apposed to what he has been saying. Keep a note section for each character so you dont get them mixed together.
Chapter length:
It doesnt really matter how long your chapters are, i've seen scenes that are no longer than a paragraph and chapters fifty pages long. It depends on what you want to be IN your chapter. If all you want is a simple conversation while they are in the car going somewhere it should be short, but, if you really are that concerned about the chapter length, try this, often times scenes in a chapter are broken up by a *. Ex:
Lizz ran down the hall and slammed the door. The man would be here any minute, banging on her door and eventually pushing it open.
*
Charles looked down at his cell phone, she should have called him already...
See? I do it sometimes if i want to get multiple scenes in a chapter, its good for keeping up a fast pace and keeping up with where the characters are at the same time.
its also good for slower scenes, just break them up like normal chapters, but use a * instead.
I usually use a * when i want to keep the action moving fast, but i've done it both ways.
by the time i'm finishing the chapter i'm currently on i already know what i want to happen next ( most of the time) and i usually have a mental image, (not a scene, because i'm not certain of whats gong to happen.) and i pick up from the image. Like if i'm finishing one chapter, on the next chapter i'll have a mental image of two people fishing on a boat, one man is baiting his hook, the other is reeling in a fish, that would be where i would pick up my story in the next chapter.
Anyway, i hope this helped.
-Riv
__________________
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
- Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)
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