[CONTENTID1]Writing Help 101[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Step Three: Getting Organized,

Part Two: Tools of the Trade[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Whether you're a fan of writing digitally (straight onto the computer) or you prefer more traditional methods (pen and paper), there's no right or wrong here. I prefer to write things out on paper first and then transfer it to the computer. It’s time consuming, but I find that it helps me think better if I can feel the glide of pen across paper. Do what works for you!

One thing you may think you need (but probably don't) is novel writing software.

Software that claims to virtually write your story for you is best avoided. Computers can't think like humans can, which means they can only produce very formulaic plots at best.

One type of software that could be useful, particularly if things like grammar and punctuation aren't your strong suit, is proofreading and editing software. Please see the RESOURCES chapter for more information on writing software.

Before you can begin to write, you must have a feeling for a story — though you may not know much of the story yet. This is the starting point for all writers and must be handled with care. This section shows you how to organize what you have, how to capture new characters, images, and ideas, and how to develop your story in the process of writing.

The Notebook, Your Best Friend

It’s happened to every writer at one time or another: You are hit unexpectedly by the best idea you’ve ever had, but when it comes time to make use of that idea, it is forever lost in the crevices of your mind. Invest in a small notebook to carry around with you at all times. You never know when a great idea for a story, a character, or even a character’s name, will strike you; if you are prepared, you can jot it down and not have to worry about trying to remember it.

Jot down everything that catches your interest. Don’t worry about trying to piece together an entire story from one observation. Just write it down and move on to the next thing that pops into your head or attracts your eye. If you harp on one idea, you might miss out on other, more useful observations and ideas for your fanfic.

Before you can begin to write, you must have a feeling for a story — though you may not know much of the story yet. This is the starting point for all writers and must be handled with care. This section shows you how to organize what you have, how to capture new characters, images, and ideas, and how to develop your story in the process of writing.

PROTIP: It's a good idea to attach a pen or pencil to your notebook by clipping it or tying it with a piece of string. If you have to constantly search for something to write with, you may lose the idea before you have time to write it down. Worse, you may tell yourself that you will remember your thought until you get home to your computer. You won't! If you are a pen addict like me, check out this blog post with helpful recommendations: The Pen Addict's Top 5 Pens

There’s no right and wrong way to write down your ideas. You can use abbreviations, pictures, full phrases, quotes, or fragments - whatever helps you capture the thought and retain its relevance to your work. No one is going to be reading these notes but you, so feel free to use any kind of shorthand you want. The key is to make each note something you understand and can use.

Because you are ultimately going to organize these ideas, it is a good idea to separate them by story. For instance, you may come up with a strong title for your story but no other ideas. For now, write just the title on one page of your notebook and leave the rest of the page blank. If you later come up with character descriptions to go along with your title, flip back to that page and fill them in. If you capture feelings, descriptions, names, incidents, and bits of dialogue, add them to the page as well. Later on, when it comes time to actually write your story, consider how to connect these fragments. The richer your notes, the more cross-connections you'll think of.

Use outside sources to expand and grow your idea notebooks. Clip stories from newspapers, and write down web links, maps, drawings, and questions about your characters. Treat your notebooks as mini-scrapbooks of reference material.

PROTIP: Use sturdy notebooks that will stand up to use. Don't use pads that allow pages to curl, rip, and disappear. Use notebooks with covers, date them, and shelve them near your workstation.

You may find that you fill up notebooks quickly. In that case, you should start thinking about actually writing. It is easy to put off writing by using the excuse that you are still gathering material. But if you have several notebooks full, chances are you have a great story in there waiting to be written. Not every writer, not even every best-selling writer, is bursting with story ideas all the time. The next few sections explore different ways to rouse ideas and help you start filling up those notebooks.

Personal Experiences

Write what you know. How many times have you heard that? It can mean two things, each of which will be an important component of your work: write about experiences you have had, and write about things you have researched.

Create a timeline of significant events from your childhood. If you aren’t sure where to start, use this to begin your journey. Recalling your own childhood is a great way to get your creative juices flowing. While significant events can certainly inspire plots, try to remember the insignificant things as well. One small detail has the power to shape an entire story.

Setting

Ideas for settings will be easy to come across if you consider your own childhood settings. Where did you grow up? Think about everything that surrounded you, from the items in your house to the geography of your location. Did you live in the country surrounded by forests and fields? Did you live in the city and play games in the streets with neighborhood kids? Were you landlocked or did you live on the water? Maybe you had a place you visited just to be by yourself - your own “secret garden.” Think about why you chose that place, what elements it had that appealed to you.

What was the weather like? Maybe you grew up in tornado country. Maybe you lived on the coast and know what it’s like to prepare for a hurricane. Did you have traditional activities relating to the seasons? Maybe you didn’t even have seasons.

Try to recall everything you can about the setting in which you grew up. Can you create an atmosphere for a story from the background you knew so well as a child? While the setting in which you live now would be quite fine to work with, you won’t know it from a child’s perspective - unless of course you currently live where you grew up. Even more important than physical details of your childhood setting are the emotions you felt. When you write fiction the story may have little to do with your life, but the details and emotions you recall will make that story believable. More on creating setting can be found here.

Emotions and Ideas

Try to recall specific emotions you had as a child and what actions triggered those emotions. For instance, perhaps you felt lonely when your big sister started school and you found yourself at home with no playmate. Maybe the death of a family member left you sad and confused. Can you remember the tingles of excitement as you tried to settle down for sleep on Christmas Eve?

PROTIP: To help spark your memory, ask family members what you were like as a child. It will be fun and informative to hear their versions of events and compare them to your own. Another good idea is to take a look at photo albums of your younger years. The pictures may help you remember and piece together events.

Often children will build up an attachment to a particular item or habit. Maybe you had a blanket that you carried around with you constantly. Or perhaps you liked to twist your hair as a form of relaxation. How easy was it for you to give up your pacifier? Think about something you had an emotional attachment to and what it took to break you of the habit (that is, if you were able to br