What do you do to get ready to write a story?

[Expired delta 76]

Sooooo I'm writing my(A story for THE GODS) an iv come opon a wall in my path I'm writing the story an it's just getting so good that Im runing out of idios for it now iv been remaking it sometime an the story has took a 180 turn on how it looked from spelling misspelled words bad story plotting an just a bad starting story at most I think it was my grandfathers death durining the story that just crushed the story...... But I want to know what you all do to get your a game going I personally listen to music it's a pashon I adore an love

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

I just sit down and start typing. I also tend to use handy things like Spellchecker, and punctuation marks.

[Prince Lightning Da Cute 616]

Listen to music.

 

I started listening to new York by BoB and now I have a great idea for a story!

[~Sugar Sprinkles~ 637]

I sit there, think, relax then whatever pops up, i write, I mostly think of dreams that ive had

[ZomBrony 346]

I don't really do anything, I've only actually ever attempted writing twice.

 

The first time was waaay back in grade 4 or 5, I was in the office (you don't need to know why) and got bored so I asked if I could use the computer, I think I had written 5 chapters, but there was a power surge or something and the computer crashed before I had a chance to save it.

 

The other time was much more recently just 2 monthes ago I think, it was a choose your own adventure story but I ran out of ideas and have abandoned it.

 

The only think I think I can really say helps me write, is having inspiration.

 

My inspiration for The Curse of Zombie Forest (the grade 4/5 story) was I had recently moved into the area and there is a creepy old forest (technically not big enough to be considered a forest) where everything inside seems to be dead during all seasons, and it's always eerily quiet so every sound (or at least to me) scares me a bit, and my brother and I had started calling it Zombie Forest.

 

My inspiration for the Choose Your Adventure Story (I don't think I ever even named it) was actually the forums own Choose your Adventure story, I don't remember who made it or where it is, but I played it a while ago and just wanted to try it myself.

 

I hope this helped you in some way, I'm not too good at helping people, or anything really

[Ice Storm 1,020]

When I started writing The Dragons of Worloch: Rise of the Dragon Empire, I was literally watching television, in my room, and the idea came to me, 'I'm going to write a book" Then I started. I had the story almost immediately in place because it was something that just came to me. Now, My MLP Fanfic that I'm getting ready to start on, I'm actually thinking out because although I have the concept down I want to use, I don't know how I want to present it. Mainly, if comes down to how I feel and what inspiration I have.

[Coco Pommel 669]

I make up a summary in my head and I write it.

 

Analyzing what you will write too much will cause writer's block. You need to write your story one word at a time, and never look back until you're finished with the first draft.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Axis

[Coffee 4,320]

I just think of an idea I feel would be interesting for a story and start typing it, I might take a break and if I do think of anything interesting and different to the story, then I might add it.

Edited June 15, 2020 by StarrySkyDash

[Splashee 28,537]

I never write stories, but I do program, and that requires me to prepare mentally. Just sitting down to begin without being prepared can result in getting nowhere. But I have no ritual. I just like to think beforehand to prepare my mind.

[TBD 17,228]

Well I don't really think about it too much, ideas just comes up to me based what I see or feel. First I write it off by trying to get it all out as much as I could without bothering to make it sound nice. If you focus too much in tying to sound nice, you won't be able to express everything you want to put out and it will lose it authenticity. Once done, I would go back and edit things I need or don't need. Then polish it by checking any errors for grammar. 

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,411]

Might try making a summary of it first. Figure out what the plot is and condense it to a few sentences. Afterwards, break plot points up into separate chapters (some plot lines take multiple chapters to cover), and outline the work.

[dead account 2,703]

It takes a while before I actually start to write the first sentence of the story. At least a week. First I have the idea and the desire. I write down a lot of ideas. Then I have a rough idea about the main plot and some twists, I start world-building. Each character and every place has it's own file with all the important informations. I prefer to create something entirely new, but sometimes I learn things from real life. Like the meaning of the weekdays, how the ocean works and all that. My worlds have their own solar system and other rules. Authenticity is very important to me, everything must make sense. In the past I would hire artists, but I'm doing everything myself now. Doing sketches and concepts also pretty early. The variety makes it even more fun! It takes a while to "get ready", haha.

[Dreambiscuit 8,024]

When I get an idea for a story I want to write, I start scribbling out the basic synopsis and let the characters flow from what’s needed to move the story forward. When I have enough info to work on, I make a Scene Map, which is a list of what scenes are necessary and in what order. I add minimal details to these scenes so I know what’s supposed to happen, but I save most of the details until I start typing out the story in earnest. Then I make a rough draft with loose dialog and scene descriptions in script/screenplay form. This allows me to pound out the fine details without committing too much work to scenes that may get cut anyway. When the story takes on its basic shape, I polish the dialog and refine all the details to finish it. I always plan to re-write it into novel form after I’m done with it as a script, but I inevitably get a new story idea before I get a chance to refine the previous work so they usually remain in the format they’re initially written in. I never just start writing unless I know where I’m going with the plot because my stories are ridiculously intricate and can’t be written that way, at least not by me.