Getting an idea from concept to paper

Whether it's a book, television show, movie, or even a song, I've found many people have an idea for some kind of story in their heads. The problem is getting that story out of your head and on to paper. Aside from being very daunting, people either put off or never write down these stories for many reasons: There's not enough time, I've never written anything like this before, no one would even bother reading it if I did finish. While these are all valid points, they shouldn't stop you from at least writing the ideas down. Before a story is actually on paper, you have no idea whether it will be a flop or a massive hit. Only once the story is in writing can you tell what adjustments have to be made. The best part of writing your own story is that no one ever has to see it if you don't want them to. For me, at least, writing is a very fun and relaxing process. I had the idea for my first book in my head for four years before I finally got it on to paper and I'd always wished I'd done it sooner. Hopefully I can walk you through some important steps in the writing process and get your idea one step closer to fruition.

Starting Your Project

If you've finally convinced yourself to start writing, you might find that you instantly regret it after half a page. This is normal. If you've never written anything before, you probably won't be an expert off the bat. There will be plenty of typos, formatting issues, and plot holes but the important thing is to keep writing and get to the end of your story. Remember, no one has to read this until you want them to, so any technical issues aren't immediate problems.

Write As Often As You Can

Once you start a story, you tend to gain momentum. When lack of confidence is no longer an issue, story ideas flow. The way to keep up this momentum is by writing as often as possible. Though it might be difficult to write every day, it is ultimately the quickest way to finish. If it's impossible to write every day, try to carve out some kind of regularly scheduled time to write instead. Writing in random intervals can hurt story consistency and your personal flow but if it's all you can manage, that's okay.

Don't Celebrate Too Soon After You Finish

Finally finishing your project is a huge achievement. While it's tempting to close your laptop or start another project, it's very important to read what you just wrote in its entirety. Most likely, your writing style improved as you progressed through your story, meaning the writing at the end of your story will actually be more refined than at the beginning. It's important to clean up these inconsistencies before going further. Additionally, you might want to double check that your story has remained consistent. As you were writing, you may have found the ideas in your head needed adjustments and it's important to make sure these adjustments are reflected throughout the story and that there are no plot holes.

Congratulations! You Did It!

Once you've read, re-read, and rewritten your story again and again (and again), you're done! So long as you're happy with your work and have done the best you can, that's all you really have to do. If you feel confident enough to try to publish your work, I highly recommend you have as many people as possible read it for feedback. On a technical note, typos are nearly impossible to completely expunge on your own so another reader's eye is always helpful. If you do decide to publish your work, I recommend a self-publishing site to start with, but more on that in another post!