Question about novel writing...?

Question

I've pretty much got my story, my characters, my setting etc...
BUT I'm not sure if I'm ready to start the writing process,
how much do I have to know about my world?
where do I start?
Should I have a COMPLETE outline before starting? or let my plot "organically" grow?
When do I present my protagonist, and my antagonist?
What shouyd the first chapter be like? a hook? an introduction?
...
And that's only a few of the numerous questions I have, any help will gladly be accepted.

Answer 1

Try the hybrid approach to everything you just mentioned. Start with an outline/timeline, put the basics and the essentials in order and answer any questions you still have. Use an outline more as a guide than as an absolute. It's just there to keep you organized and point out any loose ends that exist in your story. It will actually help you be more creative. You can change it as you go getting more and more organized with each revision. You'll learn about your world as you go especially if its science fiction or fantasy and while those take the most work they easier in a way....because it's a made up world there's no historical fact checker with no life running around trying to point out the flaws in your work. Good Luck and let me know when you finish, I like to read all kinds of works and I'd love to read yours! Don't give up even if it takes you thirty years. If its what you want to do then do it, there's no such thing as "meant to do" when you get down to it, if you WANT to do then you will and you should, if you DON'T then you didn't want it bad enough or weren't too comitted in the first place or let someone convince you that you couldn't. Hang in there and don't give up until you've made it happen. Hey, even if its thirty years from now, those thirty years are still going to pass right? So why not have something to show for them! Peace, Brother!

Answer 2

Okay I don't want to accidentally give you any false info. here's the NUMBER ONE link to any writer, at any stage, anytime! http://www.hollylisle.com/fm/ Spend some free time checking out this site. On the right hand side theres a writer's index. click whatt amuses you (EVERYTHING!! MUAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! *clicks to you heart's content*) :P The one thing I recommend is to complete your outline no matter how long it takes. Better find out if the story is workable than WAY into the fiftteenth chapter *oops!*
~Moments Later~

Okay I can't stand it! I have to put in my two cents!!!
1) you are always ready, as long as you enjoy writing, go for it!
2) know enough about your world for the story (we don't need you to write a full length geography/religion/etc. documentary! just...enough.)
3) start at the beginning (sorry that was dumb...) start where the information is needed. Trust me you'll get a feel for it. As in: not five years before anything actually happens and its not important!
4) see WAY above (or find out through trial and error)
5) ...erm...not at the VERY end I should hope and not at the same time! (when they're needed)
6) well obviously its an introduction! its the beginning. some people like prologues. others just get in the mess. depends on you as a writer. What feels right? remember though, its the first thing people read. You want it to be catchy!
...
Regarding the other questions just seek help on the webbie! It is amazing!!! :P gooooood luck!
The rest is really up to you as a writer.

Answer 3

That's the hard part...or the easy part. For me, it's the hard part.

Actually, they're both hard. One is just more fun than the other.

I do think, though, that plotting requires the most technical knowledge. You need an intimate knowledge of structure before you can improvise on a professional level.

Although, you can settle for an INTUITIVE knowledge. That's what I recommend.

The problem, of course, is that writing a novel requires an enormous investment of time and energy. What if your intuitive knowledge doesn't pan out? What if you're writing a genre piece, for which intuitive structure is impractical?

I'd just try it. Try it at least once. You'll probably learn more by finishing a book than you would by reading several books on writing, and you'll have something to put the tips in context when you do get around to studying other people's advice.

If you do want to study before starting, though, read books on screenplay writing. Those people get right to business.

"How much do I have to know about my world?"

Enough that you can sit down and write about it for three hours without stopping. You can leave blanks and unanswered questions, but it shouldn't be such a contradictory mess that it will be impossible to rewrite.

Although, that could be your process. You could write two or three rough drafts, or one long one that you analyze like some opium dream for six months.

"Where do I start?"

Ideally, start at the beginning. Especially if you're winging it. It's easier to know where you're going when you know where you've already been--although many people would say the exact opposite. Eventually, you'll start bouncing back and forth as you plant foreshadowing, setups for jokes or scares, and so on.

"When do I present my protagonist, and my antagonist?"

In nine-act structure, you present the antagonist first--indirectly. You open with a broad overview of the setting (and atmosphere), and then you go into something terrible that's happening. Something that will seem unrelated to the main story until much later. This act will be carried out by a henchman or shadow character, not the final mastermind. You then show the hero in his/her normal world.

In the mythic journey structure, you present the hero in his/her ordinary world first. Then the villain is hinted at via the call to adventure, which could be someone delivering news of the terrible event that took place in Act II (if you're mixing structures).

Some structures will focus entirely on the hero in first person or subjective second person. Others switch point of view between the hero and villain (or multiple other characters).

A lot of writers only come up with one good structure. Once they have a good formula, they just plug new stories into it. Or they borrow an existing structure and use it. Or they adapt Shakespeare. I think you'll be better off in the long run, though, if you invent your own structure and keep it fresh. I don't think anybody wants to be a hack.

Structure is critical to success. No doubt. But you have an intuitive understanding of good structure: you know it when you see it. It's that sense which tells us whether a book is satisfying or not.

The formal study of structure is mainly good for getting yourself unstuck. When you've chosen a story in which--or drifted from a story to the point that--it's unclear what the characters should do next, then it is helpful to consult a formula.

You'll figure most of these things out on your own through trial and error. The writing books just come as relatives buy them for you or you look for something to procrastinate with that won't make you feel too guilty. (Although you could immerse yourself as if you're taking a college course. That's just a different approach. It depends on how technical you are.)

"What should the first chapter be like? a hook? an introduction?"

It depends on the structure. Most writing books will tell you to make it a strong hook--to establish a puzzle or problem that provides narrative drive. Basically, to raise the question that the rest of the book seeks to answer. Like, Who killed Laura Palmer?

Answer 4

I'll copy this answer I gave to a similar question a few days ago.

The art of writing, Kingsley Amis said, "is the art of applying the seat of one's trousers to the seat of one's chair."

I never plan my books in a chapter by chapter format, but that might work for you - it does for many authors. Jot down the events you want to happen in each chapter. Plan on 10-20 double-spaced A4 pages per chapter, sometimes less. Any more and it gets cumbersome. Each chapter should have a major event occur. Ending chapters well is always difficult to do without them being cheesy or cliched - but that's your problem. Avoid big paragraphs heavy with information about your setting or characters, especially in the first chapter. A publisher will spot an 'info dump' and dump your ms in the bin. They are one of the signatures of the amateur.

Write EVERY SINGLE DAY. I aim for 1000 words, but sometimes I get only half that.

Answer 5

One good general advise from many writers is "start writing now. After you have finished your first draft, you can edit or re-write it as many times as you like until you feel you get it right".

Try reading On Writing by Stephen King. The book has insight on how to begin writing.