Starting of a series of several post about my experience of
writing and development I shall endeavour to divulge some of the ways I start
the creative process, but just before that….
I asked a writing friend of mine the following:
“If u had to teach someone what
creative writing is using your experience what would u teach them first? ”
After a lengthy delay (due to her in deep contemplation of
the question I had just thrown at her) her answer was as follows:
“I guess I’d teach them about free thinking.
Just opening their mind to possibilities of another realm of existence in which
they are able to craft anything they desire. To create characters who are
moulded by their will. To use writing to create something for themselves. An escapism”
(this is a direct quote from her. I am not kidding)
A profound and brilliant idea, but some things are hard to
‘teach’, yet she has stumbled upon some things I would say are important. Being able to freely explore one’s own
thoughts is the first important thing. The other important things will be
interwoven into my steps.
Following on from the previous post about a writer’s tool
kit, “No writer writes in a vacuum”. It is fair to say that all of us come up
with ideas based on stories that we have already experience. This is where I’m
gonna use a word that I was going to avoid…. But here goes…
FAN FICTION
Don’t deny it. You have all written one or thought about
writing one. I make it sound like it’s something shameful, when it is not. If
anything it is the best thing in the world….until you come across a really
horrible one. *shudder* I have read some really bad ones in my time. Either way
it’s a good way to start writing. So my suggested first step is:
1.
Write a bit of Fan fiction as a warm up. Warming
up your ‘flow’ is an important step. It’s kinda like pre-hearting the oven.
Most people don’t do it and it just takes longer for your food to cook. An
alternative to fan fiction is writing what you see and hear, a memory, and
poetry or music lyrics. The trick is to try something different things to start
the ‘flow’ going.
A work of art starts with an idea, concept, impression,
concern or a goal. My current project started with 2 threads. The first is
two-fold, I haven’t read a book that dealt with the image of angels and
demons and that I’ve been playing games that deals this
this theme, the second thread was that I wanted to explore my understanding of
religion and human’s innate disposition to developing figures like god to place
their faith in. Your reason to write a story doesn’t have to be as grand and
complex as mine but it can be something simple.
So my second suggested step is:
2.
Brain storm various things that interest or
concern you then develop a story around them. This step is best executed with a
friend or a group to which all of you start to build up ideas of the story, and
it always fun to bounce ideas off friends.
Once you have narrowed down the ideas and you mix of
concepts, conventions and the kind of story you want to have, I can start
working on the plot and the progression. Now, I have spoken to a few writer
buddies of mine and some of them have different ways of doing this. The way I
do it is develop the over arching plot, so where the story ends up, then where
it starts. Rather backwards. This prompts the creation of the main characters,
as they direct the story’s path. So step 3 is a hard step:
3.
Develop the main plot progression while start
designing the main characters (your protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) for a
start) also decide from the get go the perspective you want the narrative to be
told from. Of course you can experiment, but readers will find it more
comfortable to stick to a single narrative perspective.
The next stage is the longest, hardest and the most
immersive for writers. World building. Some writers take years developing
fantasy worlds, while others set their story within the real world with a few
tweeks which in its self can be fun. But don’t let this stage stop you from actually
writing the story you set out to. But of course take as long as you need to. As
part of your world building carry out research one the topics, places and
concepts your story uses. And when you feel you have done enough,
4.
Start
crafting your new world, and those that inhabit it. You can do this all in one
go or as you go alone. Do whatever suits your style. For this again, I suggest
doing world building with friends to bounce ideas off of them.
As my friend suggested above, the
world you craft is one of your own will, emotion and though, and should be
crafted with diligence and care. Writing like any art from has an element that
is for to creator but also for an audience. You need to consider what you write
for yourself or for a wider audience.
I will be back some point next week with my experience of world building.
Here is a link to my facebook group page "fields of thought": https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fields-of-thought-micro-community-publishing/1489007134689771
And a link to my pintrest: https://www.pinterest.com/lancelotnspence/
