First off, I'm sorry for being so inactive in May, I've been really busy with school and another project I started, but now I'm back, and I'll hopefully post more regularly in June. Now, the project I started with is a book. I haven't gotten all that far yet, but I'm really enjoying it, I've missed it since I took a break last year. So I decided to start posting updates on my writing, with some tips on how to get going and how to keep going when you're completely out of inspiration. Now, the last time I tried to write a book, I quit it at around 200 pages, because I had no idea how it was going to end (planning isn't my strong suit), so I'm not an expert, and this will be a journey for me, but I thought I'd go for it in this Writing Diary. Each part will be about a different part of writing, and then there will probably be some updates along the way as well, so here it goes. For the first post, I wanted to write about getting an idea.
One of the reasons why my first attempt at a book didn't work out was because I got tired of the idea. It was really boring and unoriginal, so this time, I wanted a better idea. So, I was sitting on the bus, when I suddenly wanted to write again. Problem was, I had no idea what to write. So I decided to come up with a great book idea.
I started with considering what I like to read about. They say to write about what you like to read about, so that's what I decided to do. My favourite thing to read about are the fey, so I decided to write a book about the fey. Then I started thinking about what it could be about. I knew I wanted the main character to already know she was fey. Then I started to think about how the world was going to look like. Would the humans know about the fey, what would be the fey courts, et cetera. Now, I knew I wanted it to be really different and original, so I decided to do something I hadn't seen yet. No classic Summer/Seelie and Winter/Unseelie for me.
After I had figured out some stuff about the world, I started to think about the plot. For me, it's easier to build the world and then see what kind of plot would fit into it, but I'm sure this can be done in different ways. Maybe some people prefer to figure out their plot and build the world to fit the plot, but this is what works for me. I still kept the same thoughts when I started planning for the plot, that I wanted it to be original, and then with the world in mind, I started thinking of problems that could occur in this world, and once I'd found one I liked that I haven't seen in another book, I started building the plot, and planning the details.
For me, when I was trying to come up with an idea, it was really important to keep it original but also something that I would like to read. Now, I know a lot of people just get their ideas like that, but I've been waiting for a new story idea for over a year, and I haven't gotten one yet, so I decided to make one that I would like. But, as a reminder, the stuff that works for me may not work for the next person, so my recommendation here is to do what you think will work for you. But something I think is really important, is that you like your idea, that you're writing something you'd want to read, because if you don't love your idea, it'll be impossible to write it. And make it something you won't get tired of.
Okay, that was it for today! The next part will be about planning the book, outlining and stuff like that. Hope you liked this first entry, and I'll see you next time! Tell me your best tips on finding an idea in the comments!
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