A question about writing...?

Question

This may or may not be a stupid question but I am kind of stuck. I would love to write a book or something but I don't know what to write about. I think I want to write about a life event that has happened to me in my life but I'm not sure how to orginize it. So that's basically two questions there but oh well. What to write about and how to orginize what I'm going to write?

Answer 1

If you want to write a book just to have written a book then a good way to go is a diary. Make it juicy or tragic and you can't go wrong. Be sure you actually lived the juicy bits and haven't over played the tragedy in terms of what actually happened.

Start small. Write down a page of information that tells an anecdote about something that happened to you. Have your organization be a reflection of the story you are writing. If it is a loose and flowing narrative that relates to the reader like someone sharing a secret, then don't use any other voice but your own to do just that. Think of how you are sharing the story. Begin writing down whatever flows from your mind once you have picked your topic. Don't stop. Once you have a mass to play with, then edit and pare down.

When editing a mass of free-flowed story, just do an outline. Read what you wrote. Take the opening details, Roman numeral the opening paragraphs of each chapter or major story shift. Inside each Roman numeral is a count of sequential steps. This happened before this and led to this...that kind of thing.

Then take your outline and edit against that as your guide for focus and level of detail.

That is my strategy. You could also develop your own. Once you have practiced...keep practicing. Having an end product that is good is nice but if you are going to get better and better, you need to make a process you love to go through. Once that is in place, you'll be a very prolific writer. Have something to say that others want to read helps to.

Answer 2

Write about what you know. If that's your life, so be it.

How to organize it is totally up to you. Some authors do flashback, others do linear, still others do abstract time lines. It all depends on what you're good at.

I would suggest before you write anything you take a Creative Writing class at a local college/university. They will be able to help you find which style you have natural talent in and would best fit you.

Answer 3

I know this is unlikely to be the answer you seek, but it's the best and most honest/truthful answer anyone could ever give you:

Find a way that works for you... You simply have to write.. Realize, it may take a while before you have a finished product that you are completely satisfied with. Someone once told me, "The art of writing is best began by mastering the art of applying one's seat to one's chair." In other words, sit down, and write..!! Through time, you will discover what works best for you.

Answer 4

Well, write about anything you want to write about. Sometimes I write about what's on my mind. An idea usually pops into your head when you're not stressing over it. And about how to organize it, well, do you read books? Then just model after the books you read.

Answer 5

A true writer writes and knows what s/he wants to write about. A true writer doesn't ask others what to write about.

You write about what you know, what inspires you. You write often, daily.

What do you mean by organize? (And it's spelled O R G A N I Z E)? Why are you even worrying about organizing your writing if you haven't figured out what to even write?

Answer 6

If it is a life event it already has an organization.

Start at the beginning and work towards the end.

But the thing you need to do most is START.

The next thing to do is FINISH what you START.

The one thing you do not want to do is NOT DO IT.

Go ahead, sit down, start writing.

Answer 7

What is your passion?there are so many stories out there ....you could write a biogrophy or you could write about something funny.you could write something piontless or you could write a drama...(i personally have always wanted to write a drama,with so much action)so just let it come out of you.....thats what authors do and so should you.