Starting a novel

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by Miercing, Jun 15, 2021.

  1. Miercing

    Miercing deep crimson shall descend from heaven

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    I'm stuck in a loop where I say "I'm going to start writing tomorrow!" every day

    I'm here to ask how to make a unique character, and also how to write an opening sentence:cry:

    If anyone with writing experience accidentally opens this, I'm asking if you can maybe spare a little time to write some tips:sushi_sorry:
     
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  2. UndyingSLIME10295

    UndyingSLIME10295 [•Figment of your Imagination•]

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    Best Opening Sentence of all Times : "Once upon a time, in a land far faaar away."
     
  3. Juju48

    Juju48 Well-Known Member

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    Skip the beginning if it’s to hard. Once you’ve got some other scenes down it will be easier.
     
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  4. hansora

    hansora Someone Who Seeks Fluff & Heartwarming Stories

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    Don't worry about the opening. Just write them because along the way, you'd find your style and what you want to convey

    When writing a chapter is hard for me, I'd just write the dialogues between the characters. Only after that would I re-read it and insert/delete any parts
     
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  5. Miercing

    Miercing deep crimson shall descend from heaven

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    Thank you for the advice
     
  6. Lazy Bookworm

    Lazy Bookworm Well-Known Member

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    Have a character with desires/dislikes. Don't have only external motivation. (Can also provide conflict if what they want clashes with what they need.) Also need room for growth. Character development needs imperfections.

    For professional advice, I'd recommend reading "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit" by Lawrence Block.
     
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  7. SylviaViolet

    SylviaViolet Toast to the ones that we lost on the way⚓️

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    I don't have much writing experience in terms of longer novels at least, but, as a reader when I read a novel, I don't expect the author to perform a magical trick to pull me in at the very first chapter. Offer me a decent scenario, normal characters and good grammar and I'm a happy reader.

    Give me a taste of the tone you are going to set for the rest of the novel and it's sufficient.
     
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  8. Miercing

    Miercing deep crimson shall descend from heaven

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    Thank you for the advice

    hoo, I seem to have just had an epiphany
     
  9. Darius Drake

    Darius Drake A poster of verbose posts

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    This is a complicated question to completely answer, for numerous reasons. The first question is what type of story is attempting to be written, with a second being how you, as the author, wish to present the story. Murder Mystery Stories, for example, often start with some details about the person who was initially murdered or who discovers the body, followed by an implied murder or the discovery of the body of the deceased in question, as a prologue before the investigation is started in chapter 1. Isekai stories, meanwhile, usually start either with some details about the person's life in their initial world (typically Earth), or with the person in question awakening to the new world. This awakening could simply be regaining their memories, or it can be them literally awakening to discover that they're "not in Kansas any more, Toto" (though, admittedly, the Wizard Of Oz does start following Dorothy on Earth before she's in Oz).

    All that written, and no answer as of yet. Okay, when trying to write an initial sentence to start your story with, try to set a scene. Don't bother with trying to hook a reader immediately, you can do that throughout the first three to five chapters. Instead, describe where your story is starting, and start giving details about the setting. We know nothing about what's happening, excusing what you give us, so you have to give us everything. Let's say that your story starts in a world of magic, where people utilise magic as if it's a part of their body, in an adventurer's guild, with the MC applying to get an adventure's licence. There's still a lot of room to showcase what setting and environment the MC's in, just with the initial sentence here.

    Example 1: "The marble and opal decorating the walls and pillars of the capital's Adventurer Guild shimmered in the magical light filling the room, as MC walked nervously up to the front reception desk to apply."

    Example 2: "MC walked up to the desk of the Adventurer's Guild, picking up an application form from it before sitting down at one of the tables near the walls, both of which were cheaply and hastily made from compressing earth into stone, just like the chair MC sat upon."

    Both of the above gives us plenty of details about where the MC is, their environment, and some details about what the MC is currently acting like. Example 1 tells us that the Adventurer's Guild is either a rich, old, or rich and old institution, that the MC's in the capital, and can be continued with suggestions that the MC is nervous about being permitted to join, or being physically thrown outside of, the Adventurer's Guild, as it's an elite institution. Example 2 is likely out in the middle of nowhere, to the point of possibly being a temporary location, and is likely to take on anyone who's willing to join them. It also touches upon the MC's character, with Example 1 appearing uncertain as to whether they're even allowed to be where they are, while Example 2 appears quite confident with their actions. This being just the initial sentence, it is even still malleable.

    What do I mean by the character's still malleable? Well, in Example 1, MC "walked nervously up to the front reception desk to apply". Now this COULD be used to make MC a meek person, it COULD be used to suggest how difficult or important joining the Guild is to the MC, or it COULD be an active deception MC is using to manipulate people into thinking MC is meeker than they actually are, so to improve their odds of joining the Guild, or some team that operates out of the Guild. If you choose that last one, just make sure that it's either revealed quickly (as in, when leaving the guild after a successful application, MC straightens up, smiles to themselves, and walks off whistling a jaunty tune), or it's foreshadowed heavily (MC regularly stated to have a cheeky grin when something "unexpected" happens within a few days of MC disappearing on the supporting cast for a few days, which we know either because it's mentioned by said supporting cast, or the MC does so while we're following said supporting cast for a bit).

    Making the MC of Example 2 more malleable is similar, though in the opposite direction. The MC in this example seems confident, and you can run them as a confident person, sure. But you can also make it so that they were acting confident in order to keep others from accosting them while they were applying by having them have a small panic attack as soon as they're in private. Or the act is to hide the fact that they're actually underage, and thus not permitted to officially join the Guild at this time. Other options are available for both Examples, but those are the simple ones.
     
  10. YoanRoturier

    YoanRoturier Member

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    For the opening sentence:
    Try to make it as impactful as possible. If your story starts with the MC using the toilets (for example) during an apocalypse, you could start by describing the tension he feels, the sweat pouring out his pores, the feces half stuck in his intestine because the stress. All that in one sentence, then you could finish it by saying "Why am I in this situation during an apocalypse." Stuff like that.
     
  11. Xian Piete

    Xian Piete Author of many mediocre stories

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    Write the story you wanted to read. Everyone has read a story that made them go, "this is good, but I really hoped it would go ____." Just write that story. You don't need a unique original story, you just need to write -a- story. Then another, then another until the point it's a normal routine. Writers don't chase greatness every time they sit down to write, the greatness comes from readers who enjoy the style you build from that routine.
     
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  12. Deleted member 348269

    Deleted member 348269 Guest

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    i start off thinking of the scenes and the characters and how they'll react and what made them that way. then combo and string up bunch of ideas for related scenes then piece a general idea for a story together. than plan beginning and end - so like how beginning plot/scene in first ch is, and then so on.
    -from ur fellow amateur writer.
     
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  13. kkgoh

    kkgoh Well-Known Member

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    You'll need at least a general world setting before you can even develop a MC.

    After that's decided, rather than making a unique character, maybe just start with A CHARACTER and then decide how he/she will be developed through interactions with novel events. Start thinking about aspects of the character that would be interesting to you ... could be strengths, flaws or both. Doesn't have to be particularly unique. Maybe he's neurotic. Maybe he has a secret chuunibyou side. Eventually how these aspects interplay with the novel scenario is what propels the story.

    There are plenty of basic guides online. Here's a few.
    https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-novel#how-to-write-a-novel
    https://www.masterclass.com/article...opment#why-is-character-development-important

    Once you have a really good idea of your MC, it'll be easy enough to think up opening sentences and suitable scenes.
     
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  14. Silver Snake

    Silver Snake Magician of NUF|Show-off|Awkward|Genius

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    how to make a unique character
    Give them motivation, have a difference between what they want to do and what they can do.

    how to write an opening sentence
    Write something that you like. For me, I like for it to rhyme. Just make it sound nice and poetic, and somewhat purposeful. Because just as the last sentence matters a great deal, so does the first.
     
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  15. King without a throne

    King without a throne Member

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    Yo my friend from far far away if you have a story in mind then give some summary and prologue and free your mind and write your to give readers some bird view hope you have some insight ...