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I've been reading about many approaches to writing fiction but I'm curious what the others here do.
Do you brainstorm ahead of time about the characters and then create the story based on them?
Do you create the characters as you go?
How about the plot, mapped out ahead of time or figured out as you go?
Thanks for your input. I don't post much but I really enjoy the collective insight on this forum.
I actually just wrote my first piece of fiction. I had been reading a book (Faulkner's If I Forget Thee, Jerusalem) and I was suddenly extremely inspired. The scene that came to me was based on actual people but fictional events and the telling of it only took me about a page and a half. While writing it I realised it could be both a short story and the middle of a larger piece of fiction (novella, or even a full-blown novel). So yeah, that's the way I went about it. Looking at it today I realise it's not such a great piece of writing but the ideas are really great and extremely funny.
Hope this helped. I think I'll start planing things before I start writing next time I intend to write something.
Do you brainstorm ahead of time about the characters and then create the story based on them? Yes, periodically this is ok to do. But only if the characters play a very mild role. You can't can't go shoving main characters here and there where you see it fitting. Side characters always augment the story and can spice up the main plot, but never extend the story too much in their favor. (Note that this does not mean you can't meld side characters into the conclusion, like in a mystery or thriller. This simply means that you should never embellish too much in detail on a side character, or the reader will begin wondering what has occurred with the main character, and then eventually the story line will just be mundane. Focusing on the MAIN PLOT is the key!)
Do you create the characters as you go? In my book I create side characters as I go sometimes, but it is essential to create an outline. You can't just shove characters in the process of writing your book and slide away from the actual plotline. Always keep your mind on the prominent plot and never trail too far off to the side with smaller plot lines which don't really influence the main story as a whole. Know that if you are going to make a new character, ALWAYS have an outline carved out for him/her so that either he disappears eventually from the main story or melds into it. Don't leave their story hanging because it gets very annoying for the reader...
How about the plot, mapped out ahead of time or figured out as you go? Most authors write out an outline... I've never heard of anyone building as they go on. I guess it could be done, but for the most part you have to be generally aware of what you are starting and continuing with. In writing, everything needs to have a strong point which can be ended in even stronger conclusions. Take To Kill A Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities and The Count of Monte Cristo for examples... Each one starts out powerfully but they are truly admirable for their endings. An outline for your book strengthens your story's outcome because you are completely "OPEN". When you're in the process of writing your book you aren't "open" because you are concentrating too much on the way you construct your grammatical sentences, spelling... details... etc. But when you are writing your outline, you needn't worry about the trivial grammatical details and can clear your thoughts for an adequate story line and conclusion.
I hope this helped.