: Re: When writing a novel where do you start? I have many abstract ideas for a novel, including characters, storyline etc.. I have found that writing my ideas down helps make them more real and

@Karen856

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So, I do not have a lot of experience writing novels (I have a little, I have been working on one a little at a time for ~5-6 years now, though I do it for fun with no end goal), I do however have a good bit experience writing D&D campaigns, short stories, and a some small novellas.

As some have already said, there is not a really a "standard writing process". We all go about it differently. There are some things you can do to help yourself feel more organized if you are feeling cluttered or disorganized.

The first thing I like to do is a super abstract high level story board kind of thing. This would list some of the major plot points I want and already have envisioned. This document will have very little detail, things like "dragon take treasure. x fights dragon, x gets treasure". When I start I generally want 2 or 3 of these kinds of mini plots.

Then I will make a map of the world they are in and mark on my story board where the location is on the map. The map I like to be fairly detailed, things like rivers, forests, mountains, major cities (though names are not needed at this point), and other things to make it feel more real are included. This way when I go to write a scene, I can better visualize the locations since I have already created a rough outline of the area in which a scene will take place.

Next, I like to write character descriptions and backstory. I don't mean like a complete story like something for your readers to read, I am still talking in a more "notes to yourself" kind of way. I usually tend to focus on personality, character traits, and backstory as those tend to be the most important parts in my opinion. I like to do this so that when I am writing down the road, if I ever have to ask myself "what would character x do at this point in the story?". I can just look at my character sheet and see the character as I want them to be and remind myself that my character and myself do not need to act the same. It helps me get into a characters mindset basically.

Once I have my storyboard, map, and character sheets (yes sometimes I use modified d&d style character sheets for simplicity), I then will start at the beginning of the story board and try to fill in minor plot points in between the major ones, adding more detail as I go. Then I will do another pass and try to add transitions from one plot point to another. These are things like, a journey from a city to a dungeon (basically the minor elements that are not super important, but are necessary for the story to make sense). While I do this I make sure to mark locations on my map, and update or create new character sheets as characters are added and the current events of the story get added to their backstory as they move through the story.

Once I get my story board to a point where it feels like it has a material in it to be a story, I start from the top of the board and start writing... Actually that's a lie. I like to think I work top down, all neat and tidy like, but in reality, I just write whatever scene catches my fancy at the moment. But because I have most of the story already planned out, I am able to do this and not have to worry about messing up the beginning because I started in the middle or something like that.

But again, this is MY process, not a standard procedure. You can use parts of it if you like them, or not. You should do what feels right and works for you.

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