When And How To Begin Your Story
Many writers struggle to figure out when to begin their story. I know I have—I still do. I never know the best way to approach a book I want to write, and trust me, there are hundreds of ideas swirling around in my head weekly.
And because of being a perfectionist or—insert some other writer excuse here—I don’t get much on paper besides ideas, questions, and short snippets of scenes.
So, let’s dive in and figure out when (and how) to begin your story.
How Do You Know If You’re Ready to Start Your Book?
Have you had a story idea in your head for days, weeks, months, or even years and have yet to sit down and write a single sentence of it?
Many writers will begin writing when:
They know what’s going to happen in the middle and end of their book.
They have a partial or full outline.
They have the character’s voices in their head.
But if you’re unable to sit down and write, there may be some things going on:
Perfectionism: you want everything you do to be perfect and polished.
Fear: you could be afraid our writing is going to suck, but all first drafts suck. And you can quote Hemingway on that.
Need-A-Finished Outline Syndrome: you want your outline to be finished with each beat we need to hit.
World Builders Disease: you’ve built a world and continue to build a world with little thought for what sort of characters fit into your world.
“The first draft of anything is shit.” – Ernest Hemingway
I’ve been all of these ‘things’ and more. And the best advice I can give is to start writing anyway.
Break the Rules
One of the cardinal rules of fiction writing, especially when it comes to hooking your readers and pacing your novel, is in late and out early. Of course, once we get to our later drafts, we can (and likely should) follow this rule.
But, when you’re drafting and telling the story to yourself first, let it be messy. Some writers need to write themselves into their story. This means that the first handful of chapters may be slower-paced because you’re figuring it out for yourself.
And that’s okay. Remember what Hemingway said?
On Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Excuses podcast, he and his co-hosts talk about how they also need to write themselves into their book. But these early chapters often don’t see the light of day (or the eyes of readers).
It might be shit. Let it be shit.
Outliner or Multi-Drafter: Which Type of Writer Are You?
If you identify with one or the other, that’s fine. However, some writers need to experiment with both ways of drafting before they truly know.
Outliners may outline into perpetuity because they’re worried their story might not shine as brightly as the outline. But they won’t discover if that’s true until they begin writing.
Multi-drafters are often called discovery writers. This type of writer discovers the story as they go along and often rewrites draft after draft until it finally becomes a fully fleshed-out book.
Again, not everyone fits perfectly into these two categories. You may favor one over the other, or you may produce your first draft in some other way.
Whatever your story idea is, practice. You start by practicing.
Brandon Sanderson says, “Practice writing some bad books.”
5 Ways to Start Your Book
Here’s a list of options for you to choose from when you finally decide to sit down and write your book. Use the ones that speak to you the most. Leave the ones that don’t.
Find the ending and work backward.
Establish your character’s voice.
Write ‘throw away’ chapters to help write yourself into the story.
Can you identify a ‘purpose’ for writing your book or book series?
Is there a promise you’d like to make to your readers that will be fulfilled by the end of the book or book series?
Remember, first drafts never have to see the light of day. They’re for you, you are telling yourself the story first. Write, rewrite, and eventually you’ll get there!
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