Started writing & finding it hard to stop

[Stroller]

I've been thinking for a while that I ought to have a go at writing a story.  I've knocked a few ideas around in my head, and finally started putting some of it into the PC on Monday.  At the moment I've got a list of characters with a bit of a back-story for them.  Not enough, but all I need to get started.  I've got a summary of the story, or the key points anyway.  And I've started into writing a sample chapter, from somewhere in the middle.  I've got over 7000 words so far in total, and I'm surprised how quickly it's developing.  I'm already in love with three of the characters.  I suppose it's because I know the story I want to tell, in outline anyway, and big bits are coming from my own experience.  Still, I'm surprised how quickly it's happened, considering it's the first fiction I've tried to write since I was at school - and I hated it then.

Of course I've no idea whether it will end up being worth reading.  The story should be OK, but fleshing out characters?  Setting the scene?  Conveying the feelings and the body language?  I'm pretty hopeless at all this stuff in real life really, so why I think I might be able to put it in words from my imagination I've no idea.  Still, I'm having a go, and with luck I'll end up with having something I can post here.  It looks like being more of a novel than a short story though!  I can't see it coming out under 100,000 words.

Anyway I'm going to have to force myself to stop now for a bit & get on with other things.  Vacuuming the house and mowing the lawn come to mind...

[Cute_Kitten]

11 hours ago, Stroller said:

 

Of course I've no idea whether it will end up being worth reading.  The story should be OK, but fleshing out characters?  Setting the scene?  Conveying the feelings and the body language?  I'm pretty hopeless at all this stuff in real life really, so why I think I might be able to put it in words from my imagination I've no idea.  Still, I'm having a go, and with luck I'll end up with having something I can post here.  It looks like being more of a novel than a short story though!  I can't see it coming out under 100,000 words.

. 

Just remind yourself that writing is like any other skill, from basketball to drawing- the more you practice, the better/ easier it gets (as long as you put effort into it and want to improve).  For fleshing out characters- you show who your characters are by their words (the things they say, the way they say them, and what they think) and their actions. 

Setting the scene- just a few key details sprinkled here and there can go a long way. If you're just learning to write about scene, remember the 5 senses- sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. You don't have to use all 5 all the time, but occasionally touching on a sense or two can add vivid details and help immerse readers in the story. 

Conveying feelings and body language- this circles back to your characters and the scene.  Is a character angry? How would you show that? Hands on hips, a scowl on face?  Impatient- perhaps a lot of sighing and foot tapping.   Look at what's going on in your story, and think about how your characters feel about that. 

To see this in action, pick your favorite book or a favorite TV show and when you read/ watch it, pay close attention to how the characters react. Watching a TV show, it visually shows you how the characters express themselves- watch the body language. In a book, focus on how the characters react- their actions and their words.

A quick example-  "It's fine." She said in a flat voice, then slammed the door hard on her way out.    You can shave that down even more-   "It's fine." She said, then slammed the door on her way out.    Readers will infer from her action (slamming the door) that no, she really is not fine. She's upset. 

[Stroller]

8 hours ago, Cute_Kitten said:

Just remind yourself that writing is like any other skill, from basketball to drawing- the more you practice, the better/ easier it gets

Thanks Kitten!  I'll certainly use your tips to try to turn my initial drafts into "proper" writing.  I've done a lot of writing in the past, but it wasn't fiction.  I'm only too aware I've got a lot to learn.  Bits of what I've got look OK already - some bits of dialogue anyway.  That's encouraged me a lot - I just reread a bit I wrote yesterday.  I'll need to go back and add to my back story quite a bit I think, as it's making it easier when I do.  The scene I'm working on is in a house.  I've just reread some of it, and it's clear I need to know a lot more about the house before I can describe how people more round it, where they stand and sit, what they see etc.  I want to describe everyone's feelings all the way through every scene, because really that's the point of what I'm writing.  I'm certainly going to need to do some severe editing at some point!

[WBDaddy]

I'm a big believer in Stephen King methodology.  Don't attribute unless you need to clarify who's speaking.  If there are two people in a room, and the dialogue is back-and-forth, no attributions are necessary.  If you feel like you need to draw the reader's attention to who is speaking, do it with action.  Example (riffing off CK's example)

"Well what do you expect me to do?!" he asked, bewildered.

"It's fine!" she said in a flat voice, then slammed the door hard on her way out.

Or...

He threw his hands in the air. "Well what do you expect me to do?!" 

"It's fine!" She stormed out the door and slammed it behind her.

 

There's no question who is speaking in either example.  But there's more action in fewer words in the second version.