Underground Writers Network Forum Beginnings, Middles, and Ends

Hello Group,

Recently i have been reading an article that was published in The Readers Digest on How-To Write Fiction Stories. I feel as though I knew more before I started reading it.

I know that each writer has their own prefered method of getting the idea from their head to paper. Currently, I am of the method of, write down a bunch of ideas and extract anything that fits together in the story I am trying to tell. The characters are the easiest part. They introduce themselves to me. I am also having issues with beginning stories. This article says that the beginning is the most critical part of the story. Of course that is true, but now I am focusing on just the beginning and having trouble moving on to the rest of the story. I am currious:

1. How do you initally get the idea on to paper, in an outline form, or do you just start writing?

2. How much focus do you give on the beginning of the story when you first start writing?

3. Do you edit yourself during the writing process or go back over afterward?

4. Do you find that you add more thechnical details in to a story or that you focus more on the human element?

I appreciate your interest in this and any input that you can offer.

-MDK

I am not much of a story writer since my focus is mainly in poetry, but I've experimented with this and thought I'd throw in my two cents ;)

1. How do you initally get the idea on to paper, in an outline form, or do you just start writing?
Normally I first do a sorts of diagram/sketch of the characters and the main idea, so that I don't lose focus when I start writing.

2. How much focus do you give on the beginning of the story when you first start writing?
It depends how I want to guide the story, there are different styles that could either have a very concise or a very vague opening according to how the story will be lead.

3. Do you edit yourself during the writing process or go back over afterward?
At first after I have my train of thought set, I just let it run freely ;) Then I check for "mess ups" :p

4. Do you find that you add more thechnical details in to a story or that you focus more on the human element?
This also depends on the main idea, but I usually focus on the human element more.

I'd love to read more responses about this, I am sure we'll all be able to come up with great ideas out of this exchange :)

1. How do you initally get the idea on to paper, in an outline form, or do you just start writing?
I get my idea on paper by writing down whatever comes out of my head. It depends on what I am writing if I write an outline or not. If I am writing any type of prose, I will create an outline because it is easier for me. If I am writing poetry, I'll just start writing.

2. How much focus do you give on the beginning of the story when you first start writing?
I like prologues or little flashbacks in my stories (if and when I write them).

3. Do you edit yourself during the writing process or go back over afterward?
I edit myself everytime I save (which is about every ten minutes). And then I edit when I am done with it... I am a fast typer and very much error prone.

4. Do you find that you add more thechnical details in to a story or that you focus more on the human element?
I like the human element. If I were to write a story, I think that I would actually give a lot of description to the characters versus the technical details. But I do like the technical details, too.

1. How do you initally get the idea on to paper, in an outline form, or do you just start writing?
I am a just dive in sort of guy. I write the piece, then go back an add.. cut out, re-arrange, and and re-write the stuff that no longer fits. It's like an evolutionary process. The useless things.. like the tail.. fall away as new features, and specialized organs begin to appear.

2. How much focus do you give on the beginning of the story when you first start writing?
I often avoid reading prologues.. I find them to usually be fruitless to the story, and merely take up space and reading time. The beginning of the story is extremely important. It's where you set the hook that will make the reader stick with the story. If I'm not impressed by the end of the first chapter, I'm reading something else.. it also sets the tone for the whole piece.

3. Do you edit yourself during the writing process or go back over afterward?
I only edit the things that I notice as I go. Other than that, I don't really edit.. I finish, read, and re-write as I go.

4. Do you find that you add more thechnical details in to a story or that you focus more on the human element?
For me it truly depends on the piece. If I'm writing something like "My Duty Dance With Death, Mr. Vonnegut" I tend to be technical to a certain degree.. the mood of the piece sort of depends on it, but other pieces like my poetry, or "The Legend of Sawyer Bean" I rely on the reader's sense of humanity, and the human element to drive home the story. It really depends on the effect I'm seeking.

My primary focus has always been on fiction and nonfiction, however I've been dabbling more in poetry lately. I'll answer these questions in reference to my fiction and nonfiction work.

1. How do you initally get the idea on to paper, in an outline form, or do you just start writing?
I never use outlines. They stifle my thought process and make me think too hard about the subject. I just see something or hear something, or even grab a memory and start writing.

2. How much focus do you give on the beginning of the story when you first start writing?
My beginnings are usually just an expansion of the thought itself. There's not really a lot of focusing going on I just spill it out.

3. Do you edit yourself during the writing process or go back over afterward?
Never, never, never. As soon as I start editing it kills the flow and I lose the groove I'm in when I'm writing. I always do my first edit when the rough draft is done.

4. Do you find that you add more thechnical details in to a story or that you focus more on the human element?
I'm more about the human element, lots of emotions. Technical would probably be more of an issue if one is writing Scifi stuff to make it more believable.

Hope this helps.

M