Begin at the Beginning … Or Not

Since this is my first post for the FWA blog, it seemed appropriate that I talk about beginning a novel, or any piece of writing, really. Now, I’m not going to get into plotting vs. pantsing vs. plantsing. That will need its own post. So let’s assume that you’ve already done the planning work, in whichever way you do it, and you’ve already completed any research necessary to write your piece. Great! You’re all set to start writing, right? Hmm … maybe not.

Granted, some of us just jump right in and let the pen/pencil sweep along each line of the paper or our fingers dance over the computer keyboard. Confession: I’m that total writing geek who literally gets EXCITED when I see an empty notebook — oh, the possibilities! I squee inside (and sometimes outside, to the great embarrassment of my spouse and children) when I step into an office supply store.

But this isn’t everyone’s experience. You’ve got this great character and an entertaining plot that may or may not be thoroughly fleshed out. You’ve chosen a setting. You might even have the title ready to go. Then you sit down in front of the blank page or the blank screen and .… nothing. Nothing comes to you. How do you start this massive undertaking? It might even go beyond not knowing. You might feel intimidated by the prospect of the task.

So, what to do? Well, plotting can help, but that isn’t for everyone. I’m not a plotter. However, when I first began writing, I often found it easier to get into the flow by starting … in the middle. Or at the end. Or anywhere in the storyline other than the beginning. But why would this help?

Let’s face it. Although we strive for it, every section of our novels will not be equally compelling, suspenseful, emotionally charged. Some parts are inevitably more exciting than others. My advice? Write the scene that started this whole idea for you. Write it FIRST. We all have one, that powerful moment of the story that sticks in our brains. Maybe it’s the inciting incident. Maybe it’s a character’s emotional outpouring. Maybe it’s a conversation between two characters that changes the direction of the plot. Maybe it’s that cool plot twist you’ve had in mind, or an awesome action sequence you’ve envisioned, or a sex scene that’s too hot to wait to write. Regardless, there is likely one TYPE of scene that you’re either stuck on in your imagination, OR, that’s an easier kind of scene for you to get on the page.

Start. With. That.

Before you know it, you’ll be in the flow and won’t realize you’ve moved forward (or backward) to other scenes that connect to the first one you’ve written. And if you still aren’t flowing after writing that one scene, find another that compels you and write that, no matter where it fits into the overall story. I wrote several full manuscripts in pieces and parts, and let me tell you, sometimes it’s a lot easier to join the scenes into a coherent whole than to write them in order with all the connections from beginning to end.

What? Are you going to say that’s just not how it’s done?

Okay. One thing I will repeat over and over again in many of my posts is this — there is NO ONE WAY to do ANYTHING in writing. Writing is trial and error. It’s being openminded and taking suggestions and testing out new methods until you find the ones that WORK FOR YOU. If this out-of-order technique sounds insane to you, I’d still say give it a shot, because if starting a project is an issue, then without it, you’ve got nothing. If starting in the middle doesn’t work, discard it and try something else. But any writing process that actually gets you writing is a good method, whether it sounds crazy or not. And anyone who tells you their way is the ONLY way for REAL writers to write is probably trying to sell you a book on the subject.

My experience with this was very positive. And after two manuscripts, I no longer had to write in pieces and parts in order to produce a complete work. I now write from beginning to end, in chronological order. This was the tool I needed at the time to teach myself how to finish a novel. So give it a try. Maybe once you’ve done it a few times, the blank page or screen won’t seem quite so frightening or overwhelming.