Question for authors: How do you usually go about writing a story?

[Rolly_J_McGee]

I'm curious about author's methods when writing stories, particularly when it comes to longer, multiple chapter sagas. Do you just open up a blank document and start typing? Do you create a map of sorts?

Not looking for "right" or "wrong" approaches to writing, just curious about different story telling methods you authors find helpful.

I've got a pile of story ideas I plan to actually write to completion, but with my brain doing it's ADHD thing I'm more than a little hesitant to attempt the longer ones without first getting a few pointers from those who have experience in that department.

Thanks!

 

[Imstillfun]

I come up with a germ of a picture, pretty much a sex scene, characters, venue, relationship of the characters. Then the whole story is getting the characters to the sex scene.

 

[KeithD]

When my muse has delivered enough "hooks" and "points" that I think there's a story there, I do most of what research I need to do on names and story points that not having those won't bog me down while writing, and then, yes, I open a blank file and start keying. Often I wake up with my muse having delivered something as I was waking up and I have at least a big chunk written by bedtime. And, yes, everything I've started writing has been finished.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm a "pantser" writer. I have a glimmer of an idea and start writing. I don't write outlines or plans, nor do I have a pre-conceived plot. Characters can arrive within the length of a paragraph, and sometimes take over a story. It's mostly stream of consciousness which luckily comes pretty much fully formed. I don't edit much. It works for me.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

If I have an idea that I know I’m not going to start for awhile, I might make a few bullet points worth of notes just to get the basics down. Otherwise I just start writing. And once I’m in a story, I go start to finish. I don’t jump around.

 

[Imstillfun]

If I have an idea that I know I’m not going to start for awhile, I might make a few bullet points with of notes just to get the basics down. Otherwise I just start writing. And once I’m in a story, I go start to finish. I don’t jump around.

Me too

 

[DarkRaven13]

In general I am the opposite of most here, as I plan a lot. I normally have an idea of a story, and then I:

- take notes on things I want to write about

- start an outline and sequence my notes in a first draft order I want them to occur

- research a lot of things

- update notes and sequencing if need be

- start to write.

Note: I am newer and I haven't written the longer types of stories A the others here.

 

[Rolly_J_McGee]

I spent an hour or so searching this forum for conversations about this subject. I mean, I figured it would be a common topic considering the nature of the forum and Lit's popularity, ya know? But, it seems I chose all the wrong keywords, 'cause I got nothing, lol. Then I posted this.

I dunno if my browser glitched, or I simply wasn't paying attention; but, immediately after posting, "Similar threads" shows up below with several threads talking about exactly what I was looking for... *smacks forhead*

Feel free to keep posting though, I need all the help I can get!

 

[TheRedChamber]

I'm curious about author's methods when writing stories, particularly when it comes to longer, multiple chapter sagas. Do you just open up a blank document and start typing? Do you create a map of sorts?

Not looking for "right" or "wrong" approaches to writing, just curious about different story telling methods you authors find helpful.

I've got a pile of story ideas I plan to actually write to completion, but with my brain doing it's ADHD thing I'm more than a little hesitant to attempt the longer ones without first getting a few pointers from those who have experience in that department.

Thanks!

I dunno if my browser glitched, or I simply wasn't paying attention; but, immediately after posting, "Similar threads" shows up below with several threads talking about exactly what I was looking for... *smacks forhead*

Yes, this gets discussed a lot. I've participated and even started a number of threads about planning/pantsing writing. It may be more helpful to focus this thread on specifically what we can do to help you get started. I'm not sure if you are saying you are clinically diagnosed with ADHD or just have trouble focusing more generally. Assuming it's the former then not everything I suggest might work - you'll know better than I - but this is how I'd approach it.

First open a spreadsheet file and write down a list of all your story ideas. They're presumably in your brain as well, so you probably just need a one sentence aid to memory. Next think about the following three criteria.

1) How much do you already know about the story? Do you have an opening scene? Can you step through the story by asking the question 'And then?' repeatedly until you get to the end? Do you know roughly how many scenes there will be? How much do you know about the characters? If you had to pitch the story to a film producer, how confident would you be about being able to answer any and all questions? Call this development criteria.
2) How long is the story likely to be? How ambitious is it? Is there anything likely to make it more difficult to write? (e.g. it is set in a historical period that needs research, the main character is actually the murderer but the audience doesn't know that etc) Call this the ease criteria. If your story isn't developed, you probably don't know the answers to this, in which case give it a lower ease score.
3) How much do you actually want to sit down and write this right now? Call this the excitement criteria. If there's a story which you're excited for but doesn't have much development, think about it for twenty four hours and see if you can raise the development score higher.

If it helps to give everything a literal score from 1-10 do so, otherwise just move the stories into a rough order of those that are most developed, easiest and most exciting to write. Whatever you find at the top is now the story you are writing. Try not to think about any of the other stories until at least you've finished the first draft of your current story.

Regarding longer, multichapter stories, the general advice is don't until you've written a number of shorter one-off stories. Feel free to ignore this, some people just want to write epics and that's fine, but it may be a good idea to work out the kinks in your mental processes, the submission processes and get some feedback on a smaller story first.

Once you've decided on a story, try to find a period of at least two hours free (four if possible) open up a word document and start to write. If you find you can write fairly easily, you're probably a pantser writer - I can't help you any further. If you can't write much with out your mind constantly skipping ahead to other scenes or find that it doesn't make sense to write the first paragraph before you know how it ends you're probably a planner writer. If that happens, you can start to think about what outlining process suits you best. A lot of people also end up somewhere in the middle - whatever it may take you a while to figure things out, but the important thing is to make a start.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm curious about author's methods when writing stories, particularly when it comes to longer, multiple chapter sagas. Do you just open up a blank document and start typing? Do you create a map of sorts?

Not looking for "right" or "wrong" approaches to writing, just curious about different story telling methods you authors find helpful.

I've got a pile of story ideas I plan to actually write to completion, but with my brain doing it's ADHD thing I'm more than a little hesitant to attempt the longer ones without first getting a few pointers from those who have experience in that department.

Thanks!

For a long story, I work out some sort of plan, but not necessarily a detailed plot. The "plan" consists of working out what I want to do in the story e.g. "a story about two people who end a relationship but remain friends" and the major arcs in it e.g. "younger partner gains self-confidence and independence, older partner adapts to unwanted change, the balance of their relationship shifts as the power gap between them narrows".

When I'm partway through the story, it will usually look something like this:

View attachment 2182543

There's the finalised, polished content that I've already written; the section I'm currently writing, where I have a good idea of the detail; and then the remainder of the story where I have a rough idea what's going to happen but the details aren't yet figured out. As I go along, the remainder of the story gradually firms up, and occasionally changes.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Yes, this gets discussed a lot. I've participated and even started a number of threads about planning/pantsing writing. It may be more helpful to focus this thread on specifically what we can do to help you get started. I'm not sure if you are saying you are clinically diagnosed with ADHD or just have trouble focusing more generally. Assuming it's the former then not everything I suggest might work - you'll know better than I - but this is how I'd approach it.

First open a spreadsheet file and write down a list of all your story ideas. They're presumably in your brain as well, so you probably just need a one sentence aid to memory. Next think about the following three criteria.

1) How much do you already know about the story? Do you have an opening scene? Can you step through the story by asking the question 'And then?' repeatedly until you get to the end? Do you know roughly how many scenes there will be? How much do you know about the characters? If you had to pitch the story to a film producer, how confident would you be about being able to answer any and all questions? Call this development criteria.
2) How long is the story likely to be? How ambitious is it? Is there anything likely to make it more difficult to write? (e.g. it is set in a historical period that needs research, the main character is actually the murderer but the audience doesn't know that etc) Call this the ease criteria. If your story isn't developed, you probably don't know the answers to this, in which case give it a lower ease score.
3) How much do you actually want to sit down and write this right now? Call this the excitement criteria. If there's a story which you're excited for but doesn't have much development, think about it for twenty four hours and see if you can raise the development score higher.

If it helps to give everything a literal score from 1-10 do so, otherwise just move the stories into a rough order of those that are most developed, easiest and most exciting to write. Whatever you find at the top is now the story you are writing. Try not to think about any of the other stories until at least you've finished the first draft of your current story.

Regarding longer, multichapter stories, the general advice is don't until you've written a number of shorter one-off stories. Feel free to ignore this, some people just want to write epics and that's fine, but it may be a good idea to work out the kinks in your mental processes, the submission processes and get some feedback on a smaller story first.

Once you've decided on a story, try to find a period of at least two hours free (four if possible) open up a word document and start to write. If you find you can write fairly easily, you're probably a pantser writer - I can't help you any further. If you can't write much with out your mind constantly skipping ahead to other scenes or find that it doesn't make sense to write the first paragraph before you know how it ends you're probably a planner writer. If that happens, you can start to think about what outlining process suits you best. A lot of people also end up somewhere in the middle - whatever it may take you a while to figure things out, but the important thing is to make a start.

I tend to write stories in excess of 100,000 words, and like RC, I start out with a new sheet in my Excel spreadsheet where all my stories are "story-boarded" before I ever begin the actual writing.

I don't plot out or outline the entire concept, but track my characters and major plot ideas as they come to me while writing, as well as my research, timelines, and other continuity-critical components of the story.

For my shorter works, the story-boarding is much less involved, but it still gets done so I have something to refer back to later should I decide to use parts or characters from one story in another.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

For a long story, I work out some sort of plan, but not necessarily a detailed plot. The "plan" consists of working out what I want to do in the story e.g. "a story about two people who end a relationship but remain friends" and the major arcs in it e.g. "younger partner gains self-confidence and independence, older partner adapts to unwanted change, the balance of their relationship shifts as the power gap between them narrows".

When I'm partway through the story, it will usually look something like this:

View attachment 2182543

There's the finalised, polished content that I've already written; the section I'm currently writing, where I have a good idea of the detail; and then the remainder of the story where I have a rough idea what's going to happen but the details aren't yet figured out. As I go along, the remainder of the story gradually firms up, and occasionally changes.

I’ve seen that image in so many memes. I never thought I’d see it here but it’s perfect for the topic.

 

[davion2308]

I create a story inefficiently, to be sure.

I start with a single scene. Maybe it comes from seeing something on tv, maybe it's a snapshot of a fantasy in my head, and it's almost always cutting right to the sex scene. I'll play the sex scene out in my mind and think about it, both what turns me on and how would those characters get there?

I find I have significantly more red "H" icons when I take the time to figure out how they got there.

Then, I start writing. And I write fractured. I'll put all the notes down and write ideas, snippets, and phrases to scratch out points in the story start to finish.

After that, I fill in the blanks and play a writer's version of connect-the-dots so I can fill out the scenes and add realism, stronger dialogue, descriptions, and so on.

I'll have streaky writing too, like you, and I have maybe 10 stories that are partially written with another 15 ideas that are just floating around. It's a mix of being a father of three with a full time job and all my other responsibilities that takes me away from really committing emotionally and just FINISHING THE DAMNED STORIES!

 

[oggbashan]

The answer is "Whatever works for you". Some methods can work for some authors, but others might fill them with horror.

I am a modifed pantser. I know the start and the expected ending before I start writing. As I write, the interaction between the characters leads me to think about incidents that could get to the pre-set ending.

Very rarely do the characters change the ending but only in about one out of 100 stories.

 

[Duleigh]

For me it depends on the story, some flow organically, I let the story go where it wants to go and I let the characters do what they want to do, which makes me... pantser? Other stories are rigidly planned and stick to the script with no deviation allowed which makes me... Anal retentive? Don't get hung up on titles that people use. YOU need to figure out what works for you. Use this rule of thumb:

If it's not fun, you're doing it wrong.

 

[yowser]

Plantser. Accent on the first syllable.

 

[CiaoSteve]

So it depends on the type of story:

The longer single submission (containing multiple chapters / sections)
I usually have a view of how the story will end (the climax so to say) and then I work backwards to map out what will happen on the way (maybe the foreplay to get to the climax). I then mark these out as chapter headings or section headings which gives me the bones of the story, upon which I add the meat.

The multi-chapter submission
These tend to evolve as I go. I have an idea for each chapter, and by the end of one chapter I normally position it to lead into what comes next. I don't normally though have a plan for the entire submission as the work tends to be more organic in nature.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Depends on the story. Unless it’s a bespoke tale, using somebody else’s ideas and details, then the seed can be almost anything - a chance thought, a photo, whatever. There’s something intriguing about it. That becomes a scene in my mind. I wrote that out and figure out what’s going to precede or follow it to make it work. More typing, like ink blots expanding to meet. I rarely have a full plot, but do have a general idea.

Once I get a character in my mind, I tend to search the web for a photo matching my initial mental image. That gets copied and pasted (I write in Word) as I go, to keep my character fresh in my mind.

I’ve never used a spreadsheet, but have I do generally have a small set of notes somewhere with notes on each character as I develop them (bad idea to say she had brown eyes in one place and then have her batting her blue eyes two pages later). General build, height, hair and eye colour, occupation, etc. I once had to scratch out a map showing a city, with streets and locations, to keep things coherent.

I generally write by sections or chapters. Like Bramblethorn, I tend to have chunks pretty well finished, with the task becoming tying them all together into a coherent whole.

 

[CiaoSteve]

As an illustration, here is the outline for my current WIP (provisional title is "Three Dinner Dates")

Chapter One
Dinner Date #1 – Anna meets her sister… and an unexpected stranger

Chapter Two
A chance encounter brings Anna and Simon together again

Chapter Three
Coffee with her sister, Anna shares her despair at what happened

​

Chapter Four
A second encounter (not quite by chance) and Simon asks a most unexpected question

​

Chapter Five
Another coffee, and this time Anna is in a quandary… not sure how to respond

​

Chapter Six
Dinner Date #2 – Anna enjoys herself but leaves before the clock strikes twelve

Chapter Seven
Coffee time lecture from her sister… if you want something my girl, you better go and get it

Chapter Eight
Dinner Date #3 – will Anna pluck up the courage, and will all her dreams come true?

It gives me a structure to then start filling in the content. I also find it easier to work this way if a story is going to progress over several weeks as the chapters are a natural break in time. This one I would suspect will come out at somewhere between 15-20k words.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I like to have a form of structure idea in my head. For example my current story “Hot and Fuzzy” will be approximately 7 parts and I have a good idea how it will go, HOWEVER, I also leave room for the characters to change it as they see fit.

I might create the characters but once they have their own sets of behaviour and quirks they also move the stories in ways I can’t foresee, and boy, do I love it when they do that.

It’s what makes stories unpredictable even to those who write them.

 

[stickygirl]

I need my stories to have believable/rational plot, so I'll firm up my main character first then think of the reason why their story will be of interest, one plot idea leads to another, pieces fit together in my mind. Then I'll scribble down some notes if it's a complicated storyline and I don't have fixed in my head. The writing is the fun part, mostly, and ideas pop into my head as I go. Like going for a walk - you have a route in your mind but you can never be sure what will happen along the way.

 

[TadOverdon]

I'm curious about author's methods when writing stories, particularly when it comes to longer, multiple chapter sagas. Do you just open up a blank document and start typing?

Almost this.

I only write multi-chapter books. But they're not that long - the longest was 60,000+ words.

I usually have a premise and ideas for a couple of characters and sex scenarios. If the protagonist starts to become clear to me, I'll jot down notes, bits of dialogue or description, and copy-and-paste links to articles or other material online that can be used for research. Not necessarily just story research. I look at rooms and furnishings, buildings, clothing etc both all the time IRL but often seek such things out online so that I can make them handy for myself.

If I see or hear something during the day that seems like it might be useful, I type it into a document on my phone.

All of this material sometimes grows into a story and a book. It's like one of those EC Comics garbage-heap swamp monsters, right?

If I have about five or six sex scenarios that are promising, I figure those are enough to start writing.

But what I write is pretty simple, straight-on porn. At least one book developed from a single scenario (which wasn't my own idea, as such), which was "two women cuckold their husbands with a basketball team."

 

[lovecraft68]

The visual of a slot machine. Mind spins and an image of a couple about to have sex appears, the next spin locks on to who they are...taboo, older woman, younger guy, hot wife, etc....

I start writing and that's when the third cherry lines up when the how did they get here comes to me.

 

[Northstar4695]

I usually start with an idea for either a scenario, scene, or an idea for a character that pops into my head. Inspiration comes from anywhere. From there, I try to figure out how they fit into a broader story. I brainstorm while walking or driving long distances. I'll think out the plot without writing anything. Later, when I have leisure, I will make no more than a one-page outline of the arc. Then I get writing

By default, I start from the beginning and write straight through, although this is subject to modification. I jump around if I get stuck in one spot and have inspiration in another part of the story. While I am writing, new ideas can be woven in. Sometimes new ideas can take on a life of their own and drastically change the story. Usually, the "good idea fairy" results in more depth or emotion in a story that started from a fairly shallow sexual premise. It's the "how did we get to the sexy part" that takes thinking through.

 

[Duleigh]

I don't put much thought into it, I let the story write itself. I hammer out a very rough outline and don't worry about it when it goes off course. When you see my stories become a series it's generally not because I like the story, it's because I love the way the characters evolve.