How I Write a Story

**Jassy Melson** · 07-29-2012, 03:47 PM

First of all, an urge will come over me to write a story in a certain genre or with a certain subject matter. Then I let my imagination go and see if I can come up with a story that is not a repeat of any story I've written or that I've read. I work out a general outline in my head. Then I visualize and audiolize each scene in my head before I write it. That means that I actually picture the scene in my mind and say the words audibly before I write. Only then will I begin writing. I try to include only enough description and dialogue to enable the reader to visualize and “hear” the story. I try to be as realistic as possible, avoiding cliches and over-used phrases and words. I strive for variety in both the characters and the story. I try to make each character distinct and different than any other character. I try to follow the classical format of an introduction and/or beginning, a middle and/or body, and an ending and/or conclusion. I always try to have a resolution in the story. I also try to leave as much as I can to the reader's imagination, and to avoid over-description. I attempt to stay away from exaggeration and incongruity. All my characters and the story itself are grounded in concrete reality—unless I am writing a supernatural, sci-fi or fantasy story. I revise each story I write four or five times before I submit it. I am always on the lookout for grammatical mistakes and run-on sentences. I'll let the story set for a few days, or weeks, or even months, and then I'll read it objectively—putting myself in the reader's place. Lastly, I will submit the story to publications that only pay a goodly sum for publication of stories. And that's it. That's how I write a story.

**Mutatis-Mutandis** · 07-29-2012, 05:07 PM

Cool story, bro.

**Buh4Bee** · 07-30-2012, 10:54 PM

I agree that this is probably how most amateur writer's approach a story. Do you do anything unusual that makes your writing stylistically your own? Personally, I do not currently write enough to answer the question myself.

**Darcy88** · 07-30-2012, 11:29 PM

I begin with a vision of a climactic scene and then try to get my character there, making the road as interesting as possible. That's how I write a story. I begin with the ending and then make it up as I go. If its a really long story or my novel I come to know the characters like I know my family and friends. I live with them. I know them to their cores. I make them as interesting as possible. I like writing about artists and adventurers. I try to make their thoughts unorthodox.

I am all about character and style. My writing is grounded in character and style. Now I am working hard at mastering dialogue and it is a lot of fun.

**Jassy Melson** · 07-31-2012, 10:24 AM

I'd say most serious writers amateur or professional write with the same approach I do.

**Charles Darnay** · 07-31-2012, 10:44 AM

I'm a lot like Darcy, except for starting at the end. I cannot do that. In fact, endings tend to be my weak point. I start with a character and a problem, throw him/her/them in a time/place and like watching lab rats run around, see what happens. My stories as well tend to be grounded in character.

**The Truth** · 07-31-2012, 06:03 PM

I take various scenes I have written down over a period of time and patch them together to make something cohesive and beautiful.

**Red Hot Soho** · 08-02-2012, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by The Truth

I take various scenes I have written down over a period of time and patch them together to make something cohesive and beautiful.

Let's see the beauty.

**The Truth** · 08-05-2012, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Red Hot Soho

Let's see the beauty.

I've posted some of my poetry on here.

http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=70322

**Darcy88** · 08-08-2012, 11:56 AM

Now I am having immense difficulty with keeping my own life, my own experiences out of my novel. I want this novel to be somewhat more feel-good than my last long story. I want my character to be stronger than I am and my more autobiographical character was. I do this by introducing minor characters who have my same struggles.

I am also having a lot of fun putting into my novel my ideal woman - strong, independent, almost rugged and butch. The main female character of my novel lives in the middle of nowhere by herself with her dog and hunts with a 22 for small game and fetches water from a river nearby her cabin.

I need to introduce a really depressed and anxious character. My main character is very human, he has moments of freaking out, but I do not label him with any psychological disorders. He is strong. His struggles are with love and with the passionless and judgmental nature of society.

Writing a novel is much different than a short story. I feel like I have more freedom. The scope is simply vast, amazingly vast in comparison. And each part, each story within the overall story is simply what before the writing of this novel would have been a short story.

**Bonsai Ent** · 08-08-2012, 06:11 PM

I usually feed a dictionary, some local papers, a porn DVD and six jugs of coffee to a pig. Leave for 4 hours, cut it open, retrieve the resulting sludge from its stomach and paint myself with it.
Then I climb a tree, drink a quart of scotch, and shout threatening things at the moon or any passer by who gets too close. When I fall out of the tree I phone up a few ex girlfriends, throw up, have a crap and solve a crossword puzzle. Then I usually break into Salmon Rushdie's place and roll in the grass until the ex-military bodyguards catch me and chuck me out.
I sleep it off in a police cell, wake up, smoke a cigarette and write a story.

I've got an MA in creative writing so I can assure you that this is the technique most pro writers use.

**Delta40** · 08-08-2012, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Bonsai Ent

I usually feed a dictionary, some local papers, a porn DVD and six jugs of coffee to a pig. Leave for 4 hours, cut it open, retrieve the resulting sludge from its stomach and paint myself with it.
Then I climb a tree, drink a quart of scotch, and shout threatening things at the moon or any passer by who gets too close. When I fall out of the tree I phone up a few ex girlfriends, throw up, have a crap and solve a crossword puzzle. Then I usually break into Salmon Rushdie's place and roll in the grass until the ex-military bodyguards catch me and chuck me out.
I sleep it off in a police cell, wake up, smoke a cigarette and write a story.

I've got an MA in creative writing so I can assure you that this is the technique most pro writers use.

Is it a quick crossword or a cryptic because I find the cryptic works best for me. If I just do a quick crossword then the inspiration isn't quite as forthcoming and the pigsludge doesn't resonate as well as it could

**Bonsai Ent** · 08-08-2012, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Delta40

Is it a quick crossword or a cryptic because I find the cryptic works best for me. If I just do a quick crossword then the inspiration isn't quite as forthcoming and the pigsludge doesn't resonate as well as it could

I usually fill it in with any words that fit so it doesn't matter too much.

Though I heard Hemingway preferred the cryptic.

Toni Morrison uses a Sodoku

**Jassy Melson** · 08-12-2012, 05:15 PM

I started this thread on a serious note, hoping that it would inspire writers to relate how they actually go about writing a story. But I see that it degenerated into a gag thread, with people trying to be cute. So I suggest closing this thread.

**Delta40** · 08-12-2012, 05:25 PM

I think a sense of humour goes a long way. I'm yet to seriously document The Way I Write because to be honest, I'm open to anything that improves that process Jassy and I certainly don't want to snatch some routine, clip its wings, cage it and state unequivocally that this is the prescribed method that works for me and no doubt for others.