start help: hey, I want to write a book where do I start other than recording or jotting? - Help.com

Thanks for the input.

Hey, I just wrote a book myself. Getting it published is another story, but I used something called the snowflake method. (It’s called this because it helps grow the story and flush out ideas for plot.) It is kind of random, but it really helped my organize my thoughts.

Try to do this over a week or two before you start writing:

1. Write a paragraph about what the story is going to be about.
2. Then write a paragraph about each character you mentioned in your short outline.
3. Let this sink in and then write a one page summary of your story (expounding on details and new twists you might think of.)
4. You’ll undoubtedly have a few new characters. Write a page on each main character and a paragraph or so on more minor characters.
5. Do this one more time until you have a five page summary and a few one-page character studies.
6. With this make an outline of possible chapters and then write the book. It is sort of like painting by numbers.

This might sound tedious, but it does help you organize your thoughts. This isn’t setting the story in stone, it is just a way of forcing yourself to focus on details and getting out where you want the story to go. Solid base from which to write, but mind the story will change enormously as you write.

i am trying to work on a book also, but i always get so distracted because there are a lot of other things to do. but, i make lists to tell me who my characters are, and what they look like and what they do, and the main places in the story, and etc.
hang in there!

When I’m developing stories I use an mp3 tape recorder to get my thoughts out, since I am much more comfortable with speaking my thoughts than in writing them. Plus they sell them in small sizes which are very easy to take with you wherever you go. I don’t like having to search for a pen in the car if I have a great idea. I also like that you can upload the sound files to your computer, and if you want to get fancy with it you could get some speech conversion software that will type it up for you.
I think the first step is to not be afraid to let your ideas come out.