Pen 2.0

Okay, I thank everyone who posted on my other thread, ESPECIALLY The kind person who told me to think of a real life thing and say it in funny ways.

But now. You are not goin to beleive it, and I REALLY Need help. I am afraid to write in note books. Yes. Its true.

HOW Do I organize a story? WHAT Is the first thing you do? For the last few years, I have bought brand new notebooks, wether it be 200 Pages down to 20 Pages, but tell me, I allways write in a book, ONE PAGE, and I feel that I have ruined it.

I get VERY confused when organizing a story, and Its the worst part for me. Can anyone tell me how they start a story? Do you start with a notebook? Or do you just move right to the computer and start typing?


HELP!!!

lordofhats

I use MS Word files. The only thing I use notebooks for is to quickly jot down ideas that come to mind when I'm not around my computer.

I just brainstorm ideas put them in a MS Word where I can easily cut, copy, and paste stuff easily. Just put up a vague idea for your outline.

So and So does This

Just ahve a nunch of simple easy to move around concepts. Then you can go into detail. Once you've got the outline make the story.

Even better jsut write. It can be complete trash. All you gotta do is write. Its not like you can't go back and change it right?

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Erik Buchanan

I use the computer to write my stories. I use notebooks for scraps, ideas, scenes, outlines, and other bits and pieces, but for the real writing, I use a computer.

May I suggest you might have a streak of perfectionism that is keeping you from writing? This is just based on your comments above, but could it be that you are worried about your work being less than perfect, so everytime you start your own fear stops you from continuing?

The only cure is to write.
Sit down, start writing. Use whatever means you feel are right, but write, and know you can fix it later.

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chadslink

I also use MS Word for all of my writing. As for notebooks, there is just all the papers that clutter my desk, a note here, a note there, mostly about what I should get at the grocery. I could never put it in a notebook so don't feel bad about that.
In order for me to write about a subject, I have to spend endless hours on the internet re-searching everything that I can find about it. That alone will give you all sorts of ideas. As an example, I wrote a World War 2 novel about the 8th Air Force in England during WW2. If you write about anything historical, the time line is already there for you. So now all you have to do is develope the characters you want and just dig right in and punch the keys.

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Andrew Carson

I use the computer for everything. Notes and the actual story, it is easier. If I had lots of note books i would lose them all the time. Also if you change your mind you can change it with ease. All the files can be backed up so nothing can go missing.

Foxee

Hey, Pen,

I can identify with how you feel - about ruining a fresh notebook by writing something imperfect in it. However, shifting your thinking to use a notebook for notes, as others have already said, is a good place to start.

Remember that when you are writing you are writing a draft, not a finished product!

It's like inventing something new everytime. Imagine if cars weren't invented yet and you had the brilliant idea to build an automated conveyance. It's a matter of trial and error. You have to assemble bits and pieces that will work, rejecting pieces that don't at different points in the process. You need to make a working engine or your invention is going nowhere. You'll finally want to make it pretty. Writing is pretty much like this:

You assemble your bits and pieces - Inspiration, ideas, research, notes

You get an engine and body built - First draft! Write the beginning, middle, and end of the story (even if it's ugly - have you ever seen an engine without the rest of the car? Looks a little weird and that's OK), outline it first if you're comfortable working that way. (Personally, I hate outlining and don't do it)

Make sure the engine works and tune it up, make adjustments to the body: You go back, re-read the story, strip out mistakes and things that don't work and add things that do. This is where some reader feedback is helpful, and where you need to be merciless to your own writing. I've often cut out large portions of my initial drafts because they were unnecessary.

Trick it out: Once it works, edit it again for beauty if need be. Polish it, tweak it, get the wording just the way you want. THIS is the stage for perfectionism - not the first draft stage.

The editing and revising stages can repeat for a while until you get the piece to where you want it.

Hope this helps.

~Foxee

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JohnN

Hmm, I got down ideas on a piece of A4 paper, that is a lot less daunting than a notebook. The A4 page serves as the skeleton. Then I move to the computer and use MS word etc.

As Foxee says above, remember this is the first draft, take it easy.

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Mike C

use a computer. Use scrap paper. Write it in sand using a stick. Scratch it into stone. Dictate it to a friend. Anything other than making excuses.

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