How to start

If you want to write a story but you don't know how to start, consider about these things:

1. Get the idea

Writing without ideas is impossible. So try to get one before starting to write. You can do this in simple ways:

a. by 'brainstorming' : Write a list of things that come to your mind. Then choose one that interests you best.

b. by looking at glance things around you then pick one that attracts you best.

c. by interviewing people close to you. Ask them about their favorite stories and reasons why they like it. Their answer may give you ideas and you can take one that you like.

2. Make the outline or draft

When you have got something to write about, make the outline or draft or map of your story. There are so many techniques for doing this, but the simplest one is by asking questions about the topic. It is to find the element you are going to write.

For example :

Topic : Little poor mouse

• who is he? how is he like?

• where does he live?

• what's his problem ( the conflict )

• what happened with him at the beginning and at the end of the conflict

• how is the ending ? Sad or happy ?

3. Decide the supporting characters that may influence the story.

For short story, give 3 or four supporting characters. Too many characters would make your story complicated.

4. Decide the plot.

This is the most important part in story writing. The plot will bring your story getting through a path to follow from the beginning to the end. Making the plot is putting events happened in the story in a good order, one after another. Decide what happened first, next,.....

5. Decide your angle ( view of point ) :

Who told the story? The characters involved in the story or someone else outside the story?

6. Give additional information to decorate the story : by giving the detail description of a scene or a character when it is needed, but avoid giving unnecessary details.

7. Craft your language.

Writing is an art. So use the art of language if you want to write the artistic one.

Use some figurative expressions when necessary instead of using the plain one. For example :

figurative : "My eyes sticks like glue"

plain : "I am very sleepy"

8. Get start !

For a beginner, these tips are enough to help you start writing. So don't wait!