Maybe you've already tried, and have been floundering between pages ever since. Maybe you're new to writing, and you haven't screwed up the courage to start yet. Let's take it step by step, and maybe we'll come out with a book.
Getting started. The first step in nearly everything.
Beginning a book is definitely not as simple as it sounds. Do you hop into the car and start driving with no clue where you want to go? (the right answer is no). First, we have to have a map. We have to figure out our destination, and plot our route along the way.
I find outlines extremely helpful...but other people don't. I thought I was a 'panster' (a seat-of-the-pants writer, which means you don't use an outline) until I outlined a really awesome book idea that I couldn't wait to get down on paper. Then I realized why I had never gotten very far with a book...I never gave much thought to where I was going. You may insist you're a 'panster' and not an outliner, but don't do that until you've tried to outline. If it really doesn't work for you, then that's fine. If it does, then it's good that you tried it!
Good things about outlines:
1. They make you think where you're going and what will happen next. It's a lot easier to find out your idea has no promise while outlining instead of writing.
2. They're not set in stone. You may not want to stick with what you outlined exactly, and that's perfectly okay.
3. They're a great way to remember a super cool idea. If you have a really great climax, you would have to wait until you got past the beginning of your book to write it. By then, you might have forgotten your awesome idea.
4. You can realize you have a plot hole and fix it with hardly any work at all.
Okay, you say. You've got me convinced. But how do I write an outline?
I suggest starting with the simple, bare bones. I was going to make up my own story as an example, but that's really not very realistic with my schedule. So instead, for my example I will be using 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' by Brothers Grimm
Point A. The introduction.
This will contain stuff like the character's name, the current situation, and just basic stuff you and your reader will need to know.
Point B: The rising situation.
This is the point where the problem is realized and things begin to look like trouble.
Point C: The climax.
Everything comes to a boiling point.
Point D: The solution and the aftermath.
The problem is solved (unless your story is a tragedy, that is), we see whether or not the characters makes it through, and we see what happens afterward.
Here is a basic outline of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'
1. Snow White is a prince's daughter growing up in a castle.
2. Her jealous stepmother wants Snow White dead.
3. The huntsman ordered to kill Snow White doesn't do his job, and she wanders in the forest.
4. She finds the house of the Seven Dwarfs, and they agree to hide her from her stepmother.
B: Rising Situation
1. The stepmother is furious when she realizes Snow White has escaped.
2. She wants to kill her stepdaughter.
3. The stepmother disguises herself as a peasant woman selling apples.
4. She sneaks to the dwarfs house as they are leaving for work and warning Snow White not to let strangers in.
C: Climax
1. The stepmother tempts Snow White with the apples.
2. She takes a bite of an apple and is poisoned.
3. The stepmother runs away and drowns in quicksand, and the dwarfs come home.
4. The dwarfs find Snow White fast asleep, and they lay her in a coffin in the forest.
D: The Solution and the Aftermath
1. A prince discovers Snow White's coffin.
2. He suggests to the dwarfs that he takes Snow White back to his castle, and there he can find a doctor who could wake her up.
3. The prince kisses her, breaking the spell, and Snow White wakes up.
4. She marries the prince and goes to live in his castle, but once in a while she still visits the dwarfs.
(I found this story off of this site)
After I've outlined the skeleton of the story, I like to go back and flesh out some in the outline. However, don't get into too much detail, unless you have a brilliant idea for detail that you think you won't be able to remember. Outlines can get from just a quarter of a page to nearly a novel in itself.
Once you've figured out what's going to happen, there are other things to do. If you're writing historical fiction, research as much as you can so that you don't have to interrupt your writing flow to verify a historic point.
Another part of beginning is your characters, the people who will actually be living in your story! Once again, I suggest an outline. A character outline can be very simple or extremely complicated. It should contain general information (name, age, gender) as well as things you find important but hard to remember (like eye color). Basically, it's a reference sheet to help you keep your characters straight.
Here's an example of a very simple character outline (some of the information in this isn't specifically laid out in the fairy tale, so I'm just speculating. Things that I made up/guessed are marked with an asterisk):
Name: Snow White
Age: 16*
Gender: F
Build: slim, petite*
Height: 5'3"*
Hair color: Black
Eye color: blue
Skin color: very fair
Role in book: main character (MC)
Occupation: princess (or prince's daughter, at least)
Personality Quality(ies): innocent, hopeful, capable
Personality Fault(s): naive
Family: Father (prince) and stepmother
Notes: none
If I can't remember a certain thing about my character, I can just look at my handy-dandy character outline and remember, instead of skimming back over my book trying to find that pesky particle of information. Also, they're very good in deciding how to portray your characters in various situations. I find character outlines very helpful.
All of this, and we haven't even started writing yet! Check back soon for How To Write A Book...Step 2.
Yours without wax,
Izori
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