Becoming a Writer

 So... you want to become a writer, you have an idea and a story to put out there but you're not sure where to start. The first thing you should do? Don't give up your day job! No seriously, I'm not saying this to discourage anyone merely just to remind you that initially writing isn't the best paid profession and a normal day to day job can be one of the best sources of material or ideas. That is to say that by no means am I a profession writer, I'm in the same boat as most of you, but it allows me to give out some advice and what works for me.

I'm going to set this out into a few sections, What do I need?, Story, Background and Theology, and Research.

What do I Need?

First off, a really good question. What do I need to get me started on the way to becoming an author and writer? Sometimes its different for everyone, but there are a few essential things that you will definitely need. I myself am a bit of a list maker. I think in terms of lists like if I am going camping, what am I sleeping in, on and under, which for me would be sleeping bag, air bed, tent. So in terms of writing,

What am I writing? - My story/idea
What am I writing on/with? - Computer, pen & paper
Storage? - Folders/Files, backups, Dropbox/Google drive

So, you need to know what you are going to write or at least an inkling of what you want your story to be about. Secondly what are you going to write it on. For me I'm mostly using my computer to write as you have the added benefit of spelling and grammar checkers (which can be a pain at times) and it is less messy in terms of mistakes and edits than paper. However saying that, I also use pen/pencil and paper when I don't have access to my computer. Sometimes this can be better as you have a physical object you can interact with, but I will always transcribe it on to my computer at a later date. Storage is very important, we've all seen at one time or another, a writer sat at their typewriter, passing completed pages to a pile beside them. Suddenly someone opens a door or window and there's a big gust of wind and bye bye manuscript. Some people store written pages in files and folders, some leave them stored on their computer and I have to say I'm with the latter. I have my chapters in separate files, and a combined file which are backed up on internal and external hard drives and also stored on Dropbox so I have a rather large safety net and access anywhere I have mobile/cell signal.

There is one more thing I couldn't live without as an aspiring author and that is my Journal. It is an A6 Moleskine Plain Paper Journal with a paperback cover which cost me about £10. There are alternatives out there, but I felt that this was the one for me and there are lined and ruled options too. Wherever I go, this goes with me whether its to work, holiday, a day trip or just out and about to the shops. But why do I have it?

Like the grail diary from Indiana Jones, this journal is full of every idea, thought, quotes and images that have come to me while thinking about what I want my story to be about. Maybe it's something I've seen on TV, in a movie, in another book I've read, a situation I have witnessed or been part of or even a new concept I've just discovered. It all goes in. Even pictures, timelines and research all go in. Essentially this journal becomes my go to book, when I get stuck or need help defining a scene or situation.

Story

What makes a best-seller? A great story! Do you need to know what you're going to write straight from the get-go? No of course you don't. Every great story initially starts off quite different from the end product, the entire process evolves over time. The original idea I had for my story started about 10 years ago with a basic storyline and that is where it sat. a couple of years ago I picked it back up and using that basic framework, started on something a lot grander.  When I am writing, I tend to write in scenes, like a movie script. I think of a situation or an idea and then build a scene around it or pull out key elements or event I want to see in the story and build it up. How do you build a scene? Again think of it like a movie, create your set and scenery and plot how you want events to unfold within it. I doodle, use a 3D modelling package to create my "set" and then work out positions, surroundings and such. Once I'm happy with my scene or chapter its then time to work on the connecting passages or chapters to link it altogether into a cohesive story. It's not always easy and you can go through revision after revision but one day it will click and fit perfectly. People say the best way to write is to write what you know, in my case I love science fiction and fantasy but also technology and history, so when my story is complete it will contain elements of all of them.


 

Death of Thomas and Martha Wayne

Backstory and Theology

A story without a background or underlying ideology is exeactly like the stories you would write in school. A series of events one after another, we did this, then this, then that happened, and then everything was good. The End. All in all good when you are young but that won't reach the wider market or reader base. My original story has evolved to a point where I realised I wasn't actually creating the story I though I was. Adding more and more ideas, characters and events I discovered that I was starting to write the entire backstory and creating an alternative theology to give reason or origins to our current belief systems. And that is even before writing the main storyline. In fact the majority of my journal is concerned with ideas for the backstory and recreating the ideology and origins of our major theologies.
Where would we be without Bruce Wayne's backstory or Anakin Skywalker's? They give reason as to why characters are the way they are, why they chose to do the things they do. Backstory helps enrich our experience of a character and is the reason they become our favourite characters. But on the other hand, backstory is also a way to expand your story universe with new stories and books where you can delve into new areas already prepared but now you can go into more detail. One tip though, never give away too much backstory as it means you can turn a 3 book story into 6.

Research

Research is always important. It's the difference between people loving your story and people picking it apart for the inaccuracies. However saying that it really depends upon the area you're writing about. Non-fiction, crime, and historical pieces require a lot of research into correct clothing for the time period, correct procedures for crime scenes, architecture and more. With Sci-fi and Fantasy you have more leeway, you can be more inventive and creative with the "truth",but if you're going to base it in our reality and history, a lot of details and history will help.
You can gather research from other books and see how other authors dealt with situations, movie adaptation are useful as you can physically see period feature clothing and other details. The Internet is of course an invaluable resourse! You can find civilisation and empire timelines, history of jewellery designs, mythology and more. I have found, images that have inspired me to change ideas, add elements into chapters. Even a music video from the 00's inspired me to write a scene. To be honest once you know what you're writing about and you have you're technical details, the best research is to read as much and as varied as possible. I'm a sci-fi and fantasy person, but I also read adventure and thrillers and have read some romance to get a better insight to these areas. On another note is the difference in the point of view. Will it be a first person; the whole story seen from the point of view of the main character, which may restrict some storytelling but leave you open to rewrite the same story from another characters view, or a third person point of view where the story can flit back and fort between the characters and you can expend on thoughts, emotions and experience. Ultimately that is up to you and the type of story you want to tell.


Ok with that I think I'm done. As I said earlier, I'm no profession writer, I'm just an aspiring author waiting to happen and develop my story. I'm not trying to give advice from false experience, but from what makes sense to me and how I've made use of my time with developing my own story. Life is the best experience and fountain of inspiration you can get so don't just stay in, get out there, go on an adventure, take a walk, talk to a colleague you don't talk to often, spring up conversation with a peculiar topic just to see the reaction and response you get. Take a trip but don't forget your journal!!

Have fun!