Did you steam in Medias Res on the first page, or start somewhere in the middle? Perhaps you started at the end and worked backwards.
Did you steam in Medias Res on the first page, or start somewhere in the middle? Perhaps you started at the end and worked backwards.
I normally start at the start. If I try it any other way, I just get confused and it doesn't work for me. On the other hand, my prologue normally happens months before the events in chapter one and I use it as a scene setter.
Generally I will have been thinking on and off about the story idea for about 4 - 6 months (or longer) prior to starting writing.
At the moment, I am working on the final chapters and close of my second novel whilst also nursing the idea for the third novel into a more solid form and doing the preliminary research. (For "research" read: I'm browsing the Internet with endless cups of coffee reading about the Witch Hunts of the 15th and 16th centuries.) The next one has its preliminary opening scene written, but will probably have it scrapped by the time I actually start working on it properly (hopefully this winter, all being well.) I first got the idea for it about 5 months ago and its opening chapters will be my distraction from editing the second one. (I do sort of plan - I have to be writing whilst editing because editing has this habit of driving me mad at the best of times.)
My inspiration came from watching an episode of Spooks and awaking from a dream involving myself and Richard Armitage, with Patty and Selma from the Simpsons. It was so funny, I decided to write it down. This scenario originally would fit 2/3 of the way through the novel. I tried to imagine where it would start, how did the Richard character and my character meet. At work days later, I spilled coffee all over my white blouse, specifically the valley of attraction, and the opening scene came to me where the heroine would burn herself in a café. Then I had the beginning, and two minor antagonists involved in a subplot. Once the two main characters were solidified, I started from the beginning but changed the antagonists MO a few times. I am now in the process of submitting to agents.
Cheers.
Rae
First, I thought of the first line and the last line of the story and how they would connect. The middle parts are still coming along with much editing.