Part Four of One Way to Write Your Story

 You've studied, read, and found authors you like; now, it's time to get busy and start.

I've found it helpful to produce a single word or sentence about the theme/question/issue before I get started. Some people decide what the story is about after they finish. It works either way, and the only way to find out what works for you is to try different methods.

James Patterson, a very successful and productive best-selling author, claims that making a detailed outline for your novel is the best way to organize your thoughts and story. So do J.K. Rowling, E.L. Stein, and John Grisham. They're Plotters.

Best-selling novelists Margaret Atwood, Pierce Brown, and Stephen King are writers who plop down in front of their keyboards and start typing. They're Pantsers, writing by the seat of their pants.

Obviously, either method works, but only trial and error will determine what you like best. Also, if you're writing screenplays or television, it's vital that you work from an outline. Usually, time constraints preclude being a Pantser, and you'll hand off your drafts to producers, directors, and studio development people at various stages for notes.

Now, getting started. Several practical and efficient word processing programs can help you organize your work. I don't use them, but I've heard they're excellent.

I use Microsoft Word for prose. There are novel and story templates that work very well for a draft that you could show to an editor or agent. I use Final Draft for screenplays.

I sometimes have sticky notes or 3 x 5 cards with ideas for scenes on them for screenplays and novels. They're easy to rearrange and help me visualize the story's shape.

In the last couple of novels, I've tried being a Pantser, and while it's sometimes frustrating and terrifying when I paint myself into a corner, the reaction from readers is more positive.

Again, whatever works for you, works for you.

Now that you've decided on your characters, some of their dominant traits, and what you think the issue or question will be about, it's time to start with Chapter 1, page 1.

I like to introduce the main character first unless it's a horror story. In those stories, most writers introduce the villain/monster first. But, again, no rules is the rule.

I try to put the characters in a situation where the reader can relate to their problem/mission/issue/question and give them a visual cue that helps the reader understand the question/issue/mission/problem.

The first scene is important, but you'll rewrite it a dozen times before you're satisfied, so type and don't overthink. Next, you need silence, music playing, coffee, a drink, or whatever works. It doesn't matter as long as it's legal and it works for you.

I believe each scene should begin in the middle, In Medias Res, and you work out from there. Some writers think it's important to set the stage with descriptions of the weather, the room, and the house, or wherever, but I think placing the reader in the middle of the action grabs the reader's attention and holds it until you're at the end of the scene/chapter.

Do this from the beginning to the end, and you have a story.

Make sure the scope of your story will carry the action for the prescribed number of words that most publishers are looking for in the genre for which you're writing.

Most novels these days fall between 60,000 and 120,000 words. Genres have different target counts because of the reader's expectations. Thrillers are usually shorter than fantasy novels. Romances fall somewhere in the middle.

Stephen King has a daily goal of writing 2,000 Words each day when working. That's approximately eight typewritten pages. Let's say each chapter in your story is about 2,000 words. Let's also say you meet the same goal as Stephen. In 30 days, you'd have a finished manuscript of 60,000 words. That's the first draft.

Once you've finished, celebrate. It's a huge accomplishment, and you deserve it. Put the manuscript away, and don't look at it again for several days, weeks, months, whatever amount of time it takes to objectively look at your work and see where you might make improvements. It's a bit short at 60,000 words, so you may be hesitant to cut scenes/chapters. Here's the weird part. Every time I cut something; the manuscript gets longer. This is because there's always some different setup or payoff that needs to be added that will help the scene before or after clarifying the cut.

Once you have a draft, you're comfortable with someone else reading, find an impartial fan of the genre and ask them to look. Some readers are better than others. Relatives are okay if they will be brutally honest with you. Writing groups can also be great readers because they know the struggle and will have helpful insights.

In the next installment, I’ll go over setup and payoffs.