Work in progress.

[Masronyx]

Not sure if this question is for this forum, but here goes:

I've been working on a new world/concept for some time. It involves the invasion/subsequent settlement of an alien race on a foreign world and the humanoids affect on the aborigines of the planet. The humanoids conquer the planet and set up dynasties on each continent; effectively and systematically destroying/repressing any culture that had been there for eons before the invasion. The aborigines have their own spirit gods and rudiment form of religion. A humanoid ship crashes, and only two humanoid babies/children survive, to be raised by the "king" of a race of aborigines who worship a snake goddess, "Serpentwoman". This king is like a Catholic priest; he cannot marry nor have intercourse with human women (he is possible sterile). He is married to the Serpent. The boy humanoid in effect becomes the first Ceasare, or ruler of his people (more ships begin landing when he is an adult), but in the end abdicates his "destiny" because of his battle with his predecessor Ceasare (from another ship; this guy is the behind the ships and settlement of another world because of the ending of their own) and his battle with the Snake King who raised him. He then becomes champion for the aborigines he was brought up with.

This story leads into other novels I have planned that span over the course of at least 10,000 years. Another novel may be on another continent centuries later, with the humanoids establishing an empire, then another story of coups led by the repressed peoples of the planet. I am definitely starting with the boy humanoid (whom I have named Nathaniel).
There will also be conflicts with the 'pagan' religions vs. the religions the humanoids set up for themselves and their society.

My issue is this: when is the best time to stop the note taking, in a sense, and start the actual story? I am not sure where Nate's story begins. I had thought about starting with the ship crashing and the Serpent King's rescue of Nate and his sister, Trista, but then decided to start when they are adolescent/nearing adulthood.

By the way, this is my first posting in a long time. Been busy with work and college. Good to be back

Masronyx.

 

[Xaysai]

I'm a little new to writing and have just started work on what I hope to be my first novel, and I've found great success in starting to write with whatever I find most vivid or compelling!

Meaning: if you have something in your head which is AWESOME, start writing it now, don't wait for any kind of "planning phase" to end, because then you will miss out on some terrific work.

I also think that if you start writing before you have it all planned, something might surprise you and take you in a different direction which might be more fun! You can learn about your characters as they develop rather than develop your characters and try to plunk them into your world.

Start writing Nate's story, and let both you and he figure out where his tale ACTUALLY starts.

 

[Jabrosky]

I don't know if the planning and writing phases must stand separate without any interweaving. A large proportion, perhaps most, of my finished short stories started out with me knowing only the first moment in the first scene. Only after I wrote that first scene down did the remainder of the plot unfold in my head, and even then that mental outline wasn't necessarily set in stone. Could you find a way to weave your planning and writing together instead of putting all of one phase before the other?

That said, once I get going I have found it easier to finish a story if I develop a clear idea of where I want to take it.

 

[MadMadys]

Depends very much what kind of person and writer you are. Some will say you have to wait until you understand the story more before actually writing anything. Others, like myself, believe that you only really get to know a story by writing it. My suggestion- it can't hurt- would be to sit down and write a few pages within the story. They can be at the start, the middle, or anywhere else you feel you want to recount. Just so long as you write something, that's what counts.

All too often, people get stuck in the planning stages and with world building but never actually write anything. A plan isn't much good if you never put it into action. What you write doesn't need to make it into the final draft, if you ever reach that point and I hope you do, but getting something down can really help you put things into perspective.

 

[Masronyx]

Usually when I get an idea in my head, I write it down as quickly as possible when it can be formed into words. I've now got it down to short, incomplete sentences or key words that will help me remember later on.

One of my biggest problems with world building, and in general story building, is that I will dive head first into the drafting part, then get stuck. Then either I won't touch the draft for a long period of time, or I'll write notes and notes and notes, and write myself even further into a corner. I'm trying to change my habits enough that any world I build has some kind of foundation (i.e. religion, peoples, landscapes) before I head into it. I even started an outline of sorts with Nate, but the story now is not following it; which is kind of a good thing really.

Update of sorts: I actually started writing Nate's story last night (!) I love it,though, when something new pops up and the story takes a completely different direction.

I'm a little new to writing and have just started work on what I hope to be my first novel, and I've found great success in starting to write with whatever I find most vivid or compelling!

Meaning: if you have something in your head which is AWESOME, start writing it now, don't wait for any kind of "planning phase" to end, because then you will miss out on some terrific work.

I also think that if you start writing before you have it all planned, something might surprise you and take you in a different direction which might be more fun! You can learn about your characters as they develop rather than develop your characters and try to plunk them into your world.

Start writing Nate's story, and let both you and he figure out where his tale ACTUALLY starts.

 

[Saigonnus]

A general idea for a world is usually better than a "set in stone" world when it comes to writing, at least in my experience. The more you world build, the more rigid the rules are; especially if you are stubborn about changing things. I think if you make notes, consider them written in sand, easily wiped away should the need arise. If you have a general idea of the world, what's possible, what's not, the different cultures/critters roaming the land, the general landscape and magic system then you're probably good to go for the big beginning. If the characters are engaging and the story solid you shouldn't have much to worry about, you can fill the details of the world as you go.