I want to start writing

As said in the title, I want to start writing something. I have ideas for characters and world building but I don't find any plot I'm satisfied with and I'm not even sure wether I want it to be sci-fi or fantasy.
I think I'm trying to do something to hard for me at my current level and maybe that I'm too ambitious with what I wish I could write.

Considering that, I tought that I should get experience first, since to write well you need to write a lot. Since I'm currently lacking 'something' to start my very own story and I am stuck at the start, I wanted to ask you guys if it's worth it to leave my 'future original story' alone for now in order to write a more common story (isekai, transmigrator... Things like that).

It feels like I could gain some nice experience that way and maybe have some inspiration for a more ambitious story.
Even if it's a common template, I think I could still have fun writing it since I still like reading this kind of stories.

Opinions would be appreciated since I'm still inexperimented.

Thanks for reading this mini-wall.

 

Start writing fanfic, its the better way.

 

start what the prev one said, a fanfiction. Or a short story or even oneshot. Write down all ur ideas for the future

 

That depends on what you want. Is this story super important to you emotionally? If so, you should probably spend a few years writing first before getting to it.

If not, you could just go with it. Got nothing to lose in that case right

 

I can't say I'm particularly motivated by a fanfic since it's litterally using someone else world, but I might try a short story. Can you develop why a fanfic is a good choice? If it's because that way I wouldn't have to focus on world building, then isn't it good enough to use a common template? Thanks for the advice.

 

When your having doubts before starting, my advice is write down the plot points you already have in mind, (your characters, and the world).
Maybe set a plain new book for it. In a long run whenever you get more ideas you can add on.
Once you feel you got enough info start putting them in order and start writing the story.

Isekai and other common tropes can be easier, as u just got to tick all the essentials. But you won't learn much from it.

If you want to practice, try going for more unique stories, like mashups between horror and comedy, cooking and mystery.


These will get you thinking more out of the box, so when it comes to your dream story, your ready. Anyways these are for practice, even if there are some plot holes you will learn, and get stronger on basics

 

as far as gaining experience, the main thing is to keep writing consistently every day. even if its just a half page description of the dream you had last night or a fun conversation between you and your friends, a short, memorable event or moment in time from your own life, or randomly pick a subject and write a short story about it (i had to write a two page short story about peanut butter once for a writing class). fan fiction is easier, since you're playing in someone else's world and everything's already established from characters to world building, which is why i think everyone is suggesting it. it's up to you.

 

I'd say that the act of writing itself is more important. The thing is I was starting with several main characters so several points of view, and the characters have little in common so I'm not sure how to make them met each other. That's why I'm thinking of making something more 'conventional' to start.

 

That's what I started with, but I'm not sure of what kind of story I want to write. Sci-fi, fantasy, funny, horrific, some kind of mix... And because of that I'm having a hard time deciding.

 

I will try it, thanks.

 

To gain confidence in your own writing:
The way I was taught in my creative writing course (in high school) was to have a daily writing prompt/challenge. There was a time limit---5-10 minutes to write and then we had to stop. It gets you in the habit of writing daily and the different prompts challenge your imagination. Or, maybe start with one paragraph a day. You can always take what you wrote in that challenge and expand it later.

Or to build up your world, start writing short stories about it. Character A's childhood trauma. Character B's first date. It lets you get more familiar with the characters and builds your understanding of the world.

 

This is debatable as everyone's different, but I think starting with a simple idea is a good way to look sometimes. Ex: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, when stripped down of everything, comes down to the simple idea of mixing magic and technology. That simple idea alone already makes world building potential real high, then you can add in characters what-not. I don't believe that's where the author started, but it can certainly help kick things off imo.

 

To clarify, it's not a problem of confidence but more a problem of indecision about what I want to write and how I want to go about it. But writing daily and short stories does seem like the way to go. Thanks for the advice.

 

Go to https://www.scribblehub.com (NU's sister site) and do some writing prompts in the forum, see how that comes out when people give you a theme to practice. Then participate in the short story contest and afterwards when you feel comfortable, write your story.

 

Read Couer Al'Aran's fanfics. They are based on RWBY, I don't know if you've heard of the anime - consider it shounen genre. But the fics written by him develops the characters in a way shounen doesn't, the plot he creates are new but follow the rules set by the original anime. Just read a serious story of his, if you want to know why fanfics can be good.

 

Most people will tell you to "write a lot" to improve which isn't true. There are lots of people who do stuff for ages but aren't good at it (e.g. cooking).
Lots of people write and you don't have to be good at it. You can just write for fun. If you want to git' gud' it takes considerable time and effort. If you're serious about it I could point you in the direction of some good people who help writers of all levels. I don't mean to be condescending just it's a lot of typing to do and you'd be surprised how many people say "I want to write" but never even try.

 

Sounds legit. I already started trying with a bit of world building an close to 900 words of actual text, it's just that I don't know where to go. Thanks.

 

So, to put everyone's answers together, I should regularly write short stories, and to start it is a good idea to take an existing world, and use it for myself. A way to go about it is to strip it from his characters and original plot and replace them by mine, just keeping the 'rules' and context of this world. Am I right?

I can also go to scribblehub and write things based on the forum's writing pront.

 

Horror & comedy- A girl, who's out of the norm, instead of being scared of ghosts and devil's, she readily wants to meet them.
She runs off to all the neighborhood graveyards, barges in too all the haunted houses her friends were terrified of.
One day she comes across a real ghost, and the ghost tries scaring her, but end up making her follow it like a tail.

---You can turn it however you want.

Cooking &sci-fi-
When 3d printing as become the latest necessary good. Food is just a printer away.

In a world where cutting vegetables are looked down upon, growing spices considered backwater class. A young ambitious man sets on a journey to become a conventional chef, who adores his late grandmothers cooking. And dreams to show the whole world, it's spectacular taste.

-- maybe you should research some recipes, decide on wt country cuisine you will base it on. And try to incorporate the atmosphere of alienation, hopes, determined persona.


Many more mix ups... If you want any others, I can cook up more

 

Before starting a story, write down everything you want in it. Plot it down, the characters, the world, their thoughts, etc. That way you won't get lost. Do it something you feel strongly about. It could be something you hate, or you love but as long as you feel strongly about it, you'll be able to channel that into your writing.