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How does a story start? What comes first - characters, plot, both? In my case, I'd say all of the above. Helpful, aren't I?
The heroine in Invitation To The Boss's Ball, my September release was the starting point for that book. I wanted an atypical romance heroine, someone not gorgeous, totally ordinary. Someone who had no confidence about her appearance, and no knowledge of how beautiful she was.
When I get an a character-based idea for a story, I then have to work out what events are going to push them to learn their lessons, to develop into the person they are meant to be.
The book I'm working on now, however, is all back-to-front. In Alice's book there is a secondary character called Jennie. She's the hero's stepsister, and an event planner. To push Alice and her hero, Cameron, together, I decided she needed to disappear, and then Alice would have to fill her shoes planning a ball for Cameron. I decided she had done something crazy, like elope to Vegas with a man she hardly knew.
While writing Invitation To The Boss's Ball, I kept thinking about Jennie and what an intriguing plot idea her story was, and I decided to write her story. What if, I thought, she comes home without a man by her side and pretends she'd just gone on holiday? What could possibly have happened to split a bride and groom up on honeymoon?
Starting with plot is harder, I think. At least it is for me. I have to start digging and work out why these people acted this way. Who are they? What drives them? All I can say is I'm a quarter of the way through the book and I'm still not sure!
So what about everyone else? What comes first - plot or character? And which do you find easiest to write?
INVITATION TO THE BOSS'S BALL - Harlequin Romance - Sept 09
Romantic Times Top Pick!
My website: www.fionaharper.com
My blog: www.fionaharper.blogspot.com
?
I'm not a writer so I just don't know. I think if I was I would probably think out the plot first, then figure out what kind of characters I needed for it. Since I'm not a writer I don't know if that would work or not.
Linda Henderson
Not a writer either
but it will be interesting to hear how it works for others. I know I read some books and secondary characters just scream at me. I want to know how they end up.
February 2009 Member of the Month
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Writing
I write, more for myself than anything else. The way I write is...well...anal, lol. For me, every sentence has to be perfect first time around, my characters are formed in my head as well as the theme of what will happen to them, but other than that, I sit and write.
When I write, I format the way I'm responding to this. And I'm wondering, something I'm working on, I'm formatting into chapters as I write it, usually it's just one long story. This particular piece has got a fifteen page, 5,813 word Chapter One.
I can't help but wonder, is this normal? I excpect it to be fairly long. Chapter One is first person perspective from the heroine's point of view. Chapter Two is only two sentences long and third person from hero's point of view. The story will continue to be written in this fashion, alternating points of view between the two in alternating chapters.
Shelli
Head scratching...
Fi, ever since you've posted this I've been trying to decide what side of the line I fall on... and have simply decided to straddle it. Sometimes it is a character - usually half-formed, mind you - that comes to me. Other times it's an opening scene (that usually changes but is the catalyst for a book). At yet other times I play the 'what-if' game -- what if I wrote a marriage of convenience story, how would I go about it? Ditto a royal story or a sheikh story.
I agree that starting with plot is harder. It's not until the characters are fully formed in my mind that the story starts to sing. Thanks for the post -- it's been fun trying to find rhyme and meaning to my process
The Cattleman, The Baby and Me - Harlequin Romance May 2010
http://www.michelle-douglas.com
Which comes first
I'm not a writer, either, but I have had ideas that have flitted into my head, sometimes of a character that I already feel I know and sometimes of a story line that I think would be interesting. Usually, though, it's a character.
As to which is harder to develop, I can't say since I've never fully developed one. However, since I want to read stories that make me feel invested in the H & h as if I know them, I'd think it would be easier to write when you already "know" the main characters than it would be when you have to create them to match the story. But I could be wrong. (Heaven knows it wouldn't be the first time!)
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July 2009 Member of the Month