Where Do I Begin?

Have you ever wanted to write a story, novel or movie script, but never took the task seriously because it seemed monumental? It's true, working on a project as such as a novel or movie script can be difficult, but it may not be as hard as you think.

When writing a story, or novel, or script, where you start writing in terms of story line is not very important. Following a story line can put restrictions on what you can and can't write, which can halt your writing to a standstill before it even gets started. Furthermore, what you intended to be the ending or the middle of a story can turn out to be something entirely different.

So where should you begin to write? The answer is simple: start with the very thought, feeling, or question that made you want to write the story in the first place and then continue to write from there.

When I began writing a novel code named "Ceremony," which I still have in progress, I started with this thought: "Marriage. You find the love of your life, get married, and live happily ever after, right?" I'm sure you'd like to know what follows, and so did I at the time of writing, which spurred me to write page upon page of material.

By starting out with the thought that interested me the most, I was motivated to write the next line, which only continued as I wrote. If I had begun elsewhere and tried to work my way up to that point, I can't say that I would have had the same interest and motivation to write.

Is that all there is to writing a novel? Certainly not. There are many more elements to consider once you start writing, but if you don't get off to a good start, there is no point in speaking of them.