Beginning

The starting line can be the hardest part of the race.
(Photo by tableatny).

Alright, we've gone over some basics, and now it's time for you to actually write this thing.  You sit down at your desk, turn on your computer, and put your fingers on the keys.

And you have no idea where to begin.

Okay, calm down, I'm going to help you.  The start of any story is often the hardest.  Here's what helps me: first, don't worry about how terrible your rough draft is.  You won't get anywhere if you're afraid of writing something horrible.  Just accept that this draft is not going to be good, and that you can fix it later.

Second, think of just one thing to talk about.  Anne Lamott calls this a one-inch picture frame.  You just have to write enough to fill up that tiny frame.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the task ahead, but if I can think of one little thing to talk about (what the character is thinking about, what the character looks like, what she sees out the window), I get on a roll and write for hours.

Third, write dribble.  Often I can't figure out what to say and nothing comes to me, so I just type words that come to my mind.  Usually I start with something like, "Lilly ate the dog.  There was no particualr reason."  I don't know why, but this helps.  Either I eventually think of something sensible and delete the meaningless paragraphs, or my dribble actually turns onto an interesting plotline and I follow it.

That's really what helps me the most.  If you can power through your mini writer's block and get at least a couple of sentences down (whether or not they make any sense) you can usually think of more.  Maybe there's a creative part of our brains that gets kinked up and we just need to write for a while to get it straightened out. 

If you're in the middle of a book and you're not sure what to say next, some people recommend skipping ahead to a part you do know.  Personally, I have never found this helpful.  For one, I prefer discovery writing; that is, while I have some idea of the basic plot, I let things come as they want to.  If I move ahead and then later return to the chapter I skipped, I have to force it to lead into the next section I already wrote instead of letting it come naturally.  For another, if I found the earlier section hard to write before, I'll certainly still find it hard after I do the other sections, and I may never return to it.  It's better to just make myself put something down in the first place and then fix it later if I don't like it rather than skipping.  But that's a personal preference.

Last thing: if you're just starting a book or story, you have to figure out where to begin.  In other words, how should you introduce your audience to your story?  You've probably heard of in medias res, or in the midst of things.  You should treat every scene, including the first, like a party: show up fashionably late, leave just a little early.  That's what my professor, Cheri Earl, said.  Start in the middle of the action, and then end the scene in a way that is conclusive, but leaves the reader wanting more. 

Honestly, start whereever you want to, but don't be surprised if during the second draft you cut paragraphs and even pages of text from the beginning in order to get into the action faster.  We'll talk about this some more next time when we discuss story arcs.