How to Write: Starting from Step Zero

So, I was recently trawling through the How to Write Subreddit, and I saw a couple of posts there from folks asking how to get started with writing a novel. I posted my original reply there, and thought I would share it here.

All of the answers were great answers, but they referenced advanced topics or outside sources that might take hours to sift through. That was all well and good, but it begged the question: Where do you start if you’re not an experienced author or writer? Which advice do you take? How do you find out what the theme of your story is? How do you know what it is you want to write? How do you start creating a whole new world?

(Cue Aladdin music here.) 😉

I’m serious! Sometimes it seems darn near impossible to get started. I mean, seriously, like, sometimes I sit there and stare at my screen and just think, “ER MER GERD,” because what could I even write about? What do I want to write about? What is it inside of me that’s giving me this irresistible urge to string words together on a page when I don’t even know what I want to say? At times like these, the hardest part of a story is the process of just getting started.

My advice? Start from Step Zero. (Read to the end for a bit of bonus advice.)

Step Zero: Find your idea.

TL;DR: Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you’re starting from nothing:

1. What do you want to write about?
2. What interests you about this topic?
3. What is it that you want to accomplish with this story?
4. What is the theme or themes that you want to explore in your writing?
5. How do you want your character to grow during the story?
6. How do you get your character to that personal growth end-point?
7. What are the relationships that develop in your story?

Now, these are just some questions you can use to get you started. The good thing about these questions is that they will all help you find not only an idea, but will also help you figure out what the theme of your story is and what your motivation for writing is, if you don’t already know it.

Let’s break this down.

Step Zero: Find your idea.

• What do you want to write about?
  • Develop an idea that inspires you and write it down.
    • This could be anything: Soldiers on the battlefield, deforestation, spaceships, arranged marriages, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety, meeting someone in a coffee shop, et cetera.
  • Whatever interests you is what you should write about.

• What interests you about this topic?
  • What, specifically, is it about your plot idea that really makes you want to write it down?
    • Is it the way some characters react to their situations? Is it the items your characters get to use during the story? Is it the magic? Is it the world’s religion?

• What is it you want to accomplish with this story?
  • What is your goal in writing this story?
  • Are you writing to relieve stress or overcome trauma?
  • Are you writing because you want to tell a story about becoming a parent for the first time?
  • Do you want to show someone how to overcome racial tensions in a minority community?
  • Ask yourself: Why do I want to write this story?

• What is the theme or themes that you want to explore in your writing?
  • What is the message you want to convey?
  • Ask yourself, “What is the underlying motive for your character to be doing what she is doing?”
  • This is how you will discover what the theme of your story is.
    • Ex.: My main character takes on an impossible mission in order to save the life of his baby daughter and heal her fatal birth defect. His underlying motives are that he wants to do right by his daughter, he feels responsible for her, and he loves her. Thus, the theme here is that part of loving someone is doing the right thing for them even when it’s not an easy thing to do.
    • Ex.: My main character goes to war so that she won’t get drafted. Along the way, she makes friends and her motive changes from self-interest to helping the people around her even at the cost of her own safety. Thus, the theme here is that love can take many forms, and love can inspire great sacrifice.

• How do you want your character to grow during the story?
  • Character development is the currency that drives all great stories.
  • Once you know how your character will grow during your story, the plot will come to you much more easily.
    • Ex.: My character starts out as a self-centered machine, but by the end of my story she becomes a self-sacrificing woman who feels deeply and treasures the deep relationships she builds with others. How do I get her to that point?
    • Ex.: My character starts out as an apathetic, emotionally distant man without a purpose, but by the end of my story he becomes a man who feels things fully and has a passion he pursues every day. How do I get him to that point?

• How do you get your character to that personal growth end-point?
  • This stems directly from “How do you want your character to grow during the story” and is the question that, if you ponder it, will lead you to all of your major plot points.

• What are the relationships that develop in your story?
  • These relationships could be friendly, romantic, antagonistic, inimical, brotherly, hateful, loving, etc.
  • Characters grow and are defined by their relationships with others.
  • These relationships will also help your audience relate to your character as well as be intrigued by your character.

These are the seven questions I always ask myself when I’m just starting out with a new story.

Bonus Advice:

One other good piece of advice I heard was actually related to artist’s block, but I have found that it’s relatable to writing, as well: “Make a scribble on the first page of your new sketchbook. Doesn’t have to represent anything, just scribble all over the page. Once you’ve dirtied that first page, you’ll have an easier time getting stuff down on the next page.”

So open up a new notebook for your story, take out your pen or pencil, and just scribble words all over that first page. They don’t have to be related to each other or make any sense. Just get the words flowing. Then you’re ready to take Step Zero.

I know that this is very basic, but I hope that it comes in handy!

What do you think? Do you have any advice for getting started with a new story? How do you figure out what your theme is, or how your plot is going to go? Leave a comment in the box below- I love hearing what you think!