[Kreschyboy]

In the construction of a novel, there are 3 main parts, as far as i see it. The calm before the storm (or the ideas surfacing, compilation of facts/histories, character building, world building, plotting, etc.) Then comes the Storm, or the actual writing bit. Then comes the salvaging, the fixing up, the tearing down of things damaged and the rebuilding, the polishing, and then you get your final product.

I'm just about done with the calm before the storm, and i'd like to know what some of you do in your respective calms? Some advocate the "snowflake method" or just basic plotting and characterization. Some like to have their entire world crafted with extensive histories written, some fill out character bio sheets.

For me, i have the Inspiration Phase, where i get the idea originally, or something to build off of. The chaotic torrent phase, or the few weeks when i'm assailed by ideas in the worst of places, and then the compilation phase.

I'm actually reading off the random tidbits of paper which comprise my notes and writing a big long list of what happens and the ground rules for different things in chronological order, not the order it's going to happen in the story. this helps me keep things straight and works as a sort of a rough plot sketch for the Storm, something to keep me above the water.

What do YOU do?
and how well does it work?

-Kreschyboy

[Dawnstorm]

To me, writing at all stages is like struggling with quicksand. Sometimes, it's like swimming. Those are moments to treasure. (Or, to stick with the original metaphor, the storm's not all that stormy, and the calm before's not all that calm.)

I've never finished a novel so far, and I'm not sure I'll finish one after my current project, so I may not have much to say about this. The story has incubated for a long time; the original setting idea may date back to when I was twelve. No outline necessary. Planning from scene to scene works well enough; after all I've lived with the story for years.

[James Carmack]

For me, it usually starts with some random bit of inspiration. This could be a single character, a scene, a line of dialog, or something as vague as a theme. Things tend to snowball pretty quickly after that. I build my cast and start envisioning a bunch of random scenes. If I green-light the idea for pre-production, I build the character database, biolgraphical entries, the timeline, etc. As a general rule, I like to have an outline of the story from start to finish before I begin writing, but that's not always the case. Once all the pre-production work is done, it's just a matter of comng up to bat. Unfortunately, I get ideas faster than I write actual stories, so I have a considerable (and ever-growing) backlog of projects in pre-production and an even larger pool of potential stories waiting in limbo.

If my pre-production work is thorough enough, the actual writing phase can flow rather smoothly. I've been busy reworking my first three novels (two done, one still needs to be wrapped up), so that hasn't left me much room for working on new material. There is another novel I'm currently working on and several projects that are in the early phases of production. If only the actual writing came as quickly as the ideas... ^_^;

I'm serializing my material online as a way to give me a little kick in the pants. Even so, I'm pretty weak on the deadlines with the novel I'm currently writing. (It's so much easier to meet your deadlines when you've already got the book written. ^_^; )

I definitely wouldn't say my system is the best in the world or anything, but it works for me. Now if I can only push myself to make it work better.

[Sticktator]

I've never completed a book, so I don't know what works and what doesn't, but here's what I'm doing:

Prologue: history of the rise of the main enemy.

Chapter 1: a couple of pages of the quiet before the storm. Mini climax number one.

Chapter 2: climax has ended.

[JamesL]

For my current project, I first had the original idea a few years ago. It was only more recently, after my last project imploded, that I had the idea of merging the two stories together. I let this idea stew in my head for several months. Little bits and pieces would come to me at irregular intervals - a character here, a scene there, etc. Two of the main characters just popped into my head one day on the train home from work.

After a while, when my hectic life had returned to normal I found myself itching to start writing again. I bought a small leather-bound notebook and trundled off to France for a couple of weeks. During this time, I wrote down the general history and background about the places and races that I would be writing about. It's not fully comprehensive, but it is a solid foundation.

The plot was a lot harder to figure out. I had decided this time around to work out as much of the plot as possible, as my last project suffered from a lack of planning - halfway through the novel, I realised it just wasn't working for a number of reasons, which I hoped to avoid this time. I spent several weeks wrestling with the plot, trying to tie the different threads together. I've finally got there. I've not worked out every detail, but what I've got is enough to start working on and the rest will sort itself out. Writing is an organic process after all.

So, I guess the short answer to your question is this: I like to let ideas ferment for a bit in the nether regions of my brain, before then writing down as much as I can about them. I like having a structure to work to, even if it is just a skeleton. Nonetheless, I understand that some things will just occur to you when you are writing, and sometimes these are the best ideas.

[Bethelamon]

I'm currently in the pre-writing stage.
It started off with me wanting to write a fantasy novel, and knowing what I wanted the feel of it to be like - in a nutshell, gritty and realistic, without overpowering magic and such things.
I then did a real brainstorm, and came up with some nice ideas. Not about the plot, but about the world and the mythology behind it.
I then took some of ideas I wanted to focus on - here the legend of the Saints of Ardenai - and developed them. I really began to like the idea I was working on, so decided that I wanted my story to be based around this idea.
So then I created the world. At long last I have a timeline for Ardenai, the continent my story is set on, dating back about 1400 years. It details the rise and fall of all the nations, all the major wars and conflicts, etc. I'm also in the process of compiling various quick-reference note systems. So for instance recently I needed to know what the situation in Darenarc was in the year 504... a quick glance of my notes told me that the empire was crumbling, and Teriegna had already gained independence.... useful information! This is gonna be very helpful down the line.
I've had the basic idea behind the mythology (which my present-day narrative is concerned with), and now the world is created, I have refined this mythology.
Now its come to the stage of asking how my present-day characters are going to be connected to this mythology?
I decided there would be some great hidden religious truth.... In the present day, someone discovers it, and sets the wheels in motion. So then I had to work out how this 'truth' would go through the ages and suddenly be discovered. I've just finished that now. It involves one of the Saints doing a good deed behind his brothers' backs, the exodus of a nation, a political uprising followed by assassination and flight, then the Church being massacred, a misunderstanding, something passing the years with people thinking it is something else, a robbery, etc etc..... it all leads up to the present day, when a workman from Teriegna brings an interesting document to Maran the historian, who on glancing through it finds something MOST interesting.... Thus begins my story! Things aren't so simple when religious fanatics, an inner circle of priests with something to hide, and a young man being in the wrong place at the wrong time get involved. A story is born.

And thats how its gone from a few random ideas to a story about to be written.

I still haven't worked out quite whats going to happen in the story though.

I have a vague idea, and a few random ideas which I really like and am going to fit in there somewhere, but I don't know how its all going to fit together yet!

So these are the stages I've gone through...
1. Brainstorming
2. Finding an idea and developing it
3. Creating a mythology for a world
4. Creating a world
5. Finding the plot basis for my narrative
6. Developing the chain which goes from the mythology to the story
All these ideas have been dominated by the overall concept of the feel and mood of the story I want to create. Because I've known from the outset that I want it to be gritty and realistic, and to have no dragons or wizards, etc... And new themes have developed as I've gone along. As I've been creating the world, I've realised that I want to focus on religion, and the truths and lies behind it.

And these are the next stages for me...
1. Refining and focusing the themes of my story, and whats going to happen
2. Working out the technicalities of how the different parties get involved and set the story off
3. Planning out the events of the story
4. Writing it!

[Michael B]

The only calm before the storm I have is deciding whether or not the idea I have is worth my while writing. If it is then I start even if I can't see the end. If the tale is abandoned then it is abandoned and pushed into the mothballed folder.

[Expendable]

I love how you used that phrase. Very well done.

In a lot of stories I critique, it seems like the writer is rushing to get to the good part. They want the storm (and I've felt that too) but don't realize they're shorting themselves by not building up a good foundation for the reader during the calm.

After all, how can the reader appreciate what the character's lost in the storm if they never knew about it? First impressions are important. You've got the whole rest of the book to tell the story in.

[magician2magici]

hello kres
how are you ?

well , good question of you indeed , but let's have another view of events , for me , i see differently things , for me , i see the whole story is the calm , and the whole story is the storm , there is exceptions ofcourse , but i don't like stright calm , nor straight exciting , i love mixing between them ..

also i make this mix like building a pyramide , i put my problem so that it can help to make the next one , which for sure will be bigger , so by going this way , having two problems uniting in one , so we'll find ourselves at the end stage with a massive storm , not normal one..
also i hate to be predictable by my readers , i'm unpredictable :D..

well , this is my view and i hope it can help

salam..
el-saher>>