Wednesday, 6 May 2009
How do you approach your short story?
What do you start with? With characters, a setting, an event? There is no method to my madness. If I am writing a short story for an assignment then I may have a particular criteria to meet, like a character or a setting. But if I am starting a story completely for myself then I usually start with whatever comes into my head.
Character - often I have started with a name, or simply a situation a character is in. For example, a man who has lost the love of his life. Then from then, I brainstorm and story develops.
Setting - this I almost never do by choice, because for me it is the hardest. I create stories from people, to start with setting and find people to fit in it is like buying a house then forcing yourself to adjust to its style.
Event - this also works for me. Something happens ...like someone dies. There is the major event, then characters are created who can react to it.
How do you start yours? Have you already started it for the short story challenge?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Allmost tne same way.I don't like to make myself ready for writing,the story just coming up into my brain and I'm writing,that is all.The rulls are for those who has no inspiration.ok,there is a tricks, but generaly the talent is on the first place,if God gave you this gift you are writer,if not then be somebody else.Nice blog.Tanks
ReplyDeleteFor me, the first thing to establish is the voice. Who is telling this story, to whom, and why? If the voice is purely authorial, then what is the author's take on the action? Dispassionate? Ironic? Detached? Or right inside the head of one or more of the characters? I find that if I can answer these questions, if only provisionally, that usually tells me where the story should begin, and how it should be framed.
ReplyDeletehttp://thiswriterstale.blogspot.com/
Honestly, I'm weird in that I just start writing. I don't really come up with a location, a voice, a person. I start with one sentence and somehow it works its way out. Usually when I hit about one full chapter, I've started to get a good idea of where I'm going and then I can imagine the end result. But in the beginning, I have no idea where I'm going nor who is coming along for the ride.
ReplyDeleteAll of my writing normally starts with an event of some sort, though I've been known to start with just a character name too. I like action right from the start, so I generally have a picture in my head of "someone" doing "something", and the story grows from there.
ReplyDeleteI was going to try to work off an outline this time, but it's not really "working" for me, so back to the tried and true (sit down and write). Like Eric, I can usually "see" more of the story after I've written a few chapters.
I'm off work this afternoon, and plan to write out that first scene, and then just see where it takes me.
I'm like you. Anything can trigger a short story. Sometimes a really stupid thing triggers a story, which can lead to a really stupid story. But, I do sincerely believe that if you put enough thought and heart into it, you can turn any bit of inspiration into a good story.
ReplyDeleteI take a phrase or an expression like "here today and gone tomorrow" and then go to town on it. The characters are "Here", the setting is "today", "gone" is the event and "tomorrow" is the cliffhanger!
ReplyDeleteThis is the beginning of the end (of my short story):
“This anecdote will only exist for a short time, save for long enough for the tale to be told. “
It's really interesting to find out how other people write and get their ideas! I myself have just written, although not fully finished, a short story for a magazine. The magazine stated the theme for the story. However I often have ideas that pop up in the shower (I don't mean literally up the plug hole!), as this is often the time when my brain is allowed to wander from the more mundane things in life, like what to make for tea!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it can start from a photo of a place or person I've seen; or sometimes it's just from overhearing a conversation. I just now need to start writing the stories!
Thanks guys for all your comments. It is fascinating to see different ways/processes people use for their writing.
ReplyDelete