Write Your Own Story

Have you ever thought of a storyline over and over again till you thought you would start dreaming about it? ... Did you actually dream about it? ... How about a scene that plays in your head like you've actually seen a scene on a movie? ... There is no wrong way to start writing your story. If you have a thought to write and aren't sure how to get started...keep reading for a few ideas.

Outline

Okay, so outlines might make you think of school...at least if you went to my high school. Outlines are pretty formal, but if all those indents help you organize I say go for it! A story outline, though, doesn't have to be super structured if that doesn't work for you. In fact, you don't necessarily need an outline, per se. Here's what I mean...When I started writing The Mystery of M Series, I didn't think, okay I'm going to have such and such number of chapters, such and such number of pages, such and such characters...well, I think you get the ideas. I just started writing. My outline in later books took on a bit more structure. I decided I wanted all the novels to be about the same length (18 Chapters). I also decided, for the length of the actual books, that I wanted the chapters about 7-8 full pages single spaced. Beyond that my books are mysteries, but they are quite different and I definitely don't have a limited list of characters!

Vision

What is your vision for the book. Are you targeting people who only have a few minutes and want to make an easy home cooked meal? How about the young child who wants to read that one favorite bedtime story every night? Or like me, want to provide clean and wholesome entertainment with just the right amount of adventure? In order to reach the people, you need to decide who those people are.

Timeline

What I mean here, is what timeline do you have to work with? Are you writing an article every week for the periodical? Are you journaling your latest trip for your social media followers? Are you in no rush, but just want to get your notes in a "finished" format? Do you have a traditional publisher breathing down your neck?

Writing Style

Here is a big one that probably will change for you, like it did me, with the different seasons you find yourself in. How do you find time to write? Right when you get up? Just before bed? When you get home from work before you start school work? After your homework before dinner? And what is your time like? Are you constantly interrupted? Is the whole house quiet and it's just you and your thoughts? Is the talking in the background at the coffee shop just the thing to keep you in your writing mood?

Final Thoughts

I am writing this entry as a way to get myself back into the writing spirit! I'm currently working on writing my 9th novel and it's a super fun one. How about I jump back on here soon and give you some further details and thoughts about each of these topics? Let me know of any other writing topics you want to know about. Comment below or email me: mysteryofm@gmail.com.