It has been a while since I posted, mostly because I have been working for a job I just lost with no reason. So beyond that and playing The Sims 3, I have been training for another job, which was suppose to be my second job, at JC Pennies. I have done little writing, but that’s good gives me time to post some of what I have already posted. Before I start that, I decided I would post on my writing style. This will be the first of a series of a 5 posts, which I will go over my process of writing. I could do it in one post, but where is the fun in that. The five areas I am going to go are from the Idea, Developing, Computer, Writing, and I’ll end with Rethink/Merge. Most have subtopics that fill in the whole, but you will see those as each post appears, so lets get started with Idea.
Idea:
To start writing you need to have an idea, but everyone has ideas one of the most common phrases heard is you know I have a great idea for a novel, someday maybe I’ll write it. I have read this in many books on writing fiction, and always that follows from the authors mouth is someone who says this is not a writer and will most likely never write the story they have the idea for. Writer have to write, they don’t wait to write the will start. That is one way I know I am a writer I have to write, but again it all starts with the idea.
For me, an idea can come to me at any time from a dream from something someone said or I over heard. A great example of this is I was at a hockey game with my dad this year, the song: Down with the Sickness by Disturbed, was playing and a verse said this:
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes
I have listen to this song several times years ago, as well heard it several times at earlier hockey games. However this time something clicked, I have been working on a idea for a TV series since last February, not to give much away I could not get much of the story mapped out. That line of the song clicked on something I already knew was going to happen but somehow it allowed all these other ideas to fit together. I ran back to my seat since I was walking around, quickly mapped out the beginning and ending of all six seasons.
Idea Doc:
So, my ideas come at the most random times, but just because I get an idea does not mean I will use it. I have a word document called idea doc, where all ideas for stories go so I will not forget them. You could say this is where ideas go to die, because I have yet to work on one of the ideas in this document, but it is not fully true I have an idea for a 12 book series that I would do after my Marks of Eilira series is done, that I am still gathering ideas in my head. I jot them all down in a special notebook for that series, so I have them all so when I do work on it I have them and can read through it and pick the ideas I will use, or not or rethink. However, most of the ideas in my idea doc will most likely never be used in a huge project.
With my start up of short stories again, some of these ideas might be used finally, but most of the ideas I do not see being used in a big project unless maybe I used them in short stories, as I write I like the story so much I decided to do something with it. Only time will tell.
Pondering:
Once I have an idea that I like it usually just stays in my head for a while or maybe I’ll start something with it and it will get rethought, see last post for this. I will do nothing with the idea, just that I like the idea so I let it be remembering it and keeping it there so I know exactly what it is. Over time more ideas will come up, maybe I know right off they work with that first idea, other times not. I group ideas together over time, usually when I am bored I do this. Usually during this time I will think of new idea that will link all the ideas together or allow other ideas I was think from another possible story fit in. I group them all together in my head, which is around the time I come up with some kind of title or name for it just to know what to call it.
Once the group has a name the story will never be confused with anything else, this does not stop it from getting rethought or merged. Just I will not confuse ideas from one story I am actually working on with this possible story.
That concludes this post, next post will be on Developing, hoped you enjoyed this post. Feel free to post any of your thoughts or questions.
Tim
