How to Start Writing

As we know our love for story writing, we also accept the bitter fact that writing is not a piece of cake. It takes a lot of guts to write exactly what you think about the subject matter. Literature is a form of expressing feelings on a bare paper but sometimes it stops us from achieving what we are looking for in the form of its writing fundamentals and boring story structures.

As I love the quotes of an unknown artist who challenges the idea that writers must strictly follow grammatical rules and traditional literary structures, said:

“A writer is not bound by the rules of grammar or punctuation any more than a painter is bound to the laws of perspective.”

However, there is another incredible writer who emphasizes the importance of researching, learning, and practicing, saying:

“Read a thousand books and your words will flow like a river.”

Virginia Woolf

Well, both perspectives hold truth. Literature is both a pattern and an art—one must first learn the rules before breaking them so that they would know what they are breaking. Just as a painter studies the difference between a canvas and an object forms before distorting it. True mastery comes from balancing structure with freedom, and knowledge with intuition. So, we have to practice writing as well as we can, to let our thoughts and words flow together without even realizing we’re breaking any rules and patterns.

Today’s Topic Introduction: How to Start Writing

If you are my daily reader, I have covered many writing lessons and tips before. How to start writing is perhaps the most generic question amongst new artists and writers. But why did I not cover this topic before any other? Well, the answer is simple: if you don’t know that you actually need to learn rules and structures, how would you know how to break them? I mean, if you don’t have any idea about the concept of the story beginning how would you decide if you are more comfortable writing a story ending first?

It’s important to know the importance of other things first to choose how you are going to start writing!

In this blog, you are going to cover:

• How to start writing?
• Different ways to start writing
• Two types of Novelists
• What path is good for me?
• Good practices to start writing.
• Bad practices to start writing.
• Famous authors and their writing approaches.
• Is starting to write and writing the start of a story the same thing?

How to Start Writing?

How to start writing totally depends on the writer and how he wants to move the story. But remember, how to start writing is not how your story should go. This blog is about the writer but not the story. It’s about where you want to start, not about story plotting and its climax and narratives.

When it comes to writing the story, you can possibly make your comfort style to follow and write the rest of your stories. However, it majorly depends on the story as well. It’s possible that you might not have any story concept or idea but you still want to write something and it is also possible that you don’t need any story idea because you are about to document your friend’s life in the form of a novel. Right? I told you in art anything is possible! 😃

But in the usual scenario, writers do get some ideas about their future stories, but they really don’t know where to start. They got stuck between either thinking about the story’s characters first or deciding on the story’s settings.

And what is more common than that is getting stuck in between writing. It usually happens more when you have some.

Different Ways to Start Writing a Story

In all the case scenarios, you can find different ways to make your path a longer journey, no matter whether you are stuck or not.

Brain Dumping Method

The brain-dumping writing method is to write down all your ideas without worrying about perfect structure, multiple characters, or several conflicts in the story. All you need to do is grab your pen and start writing what is coming into your mind at first thought: an old-looking house, an aged man with grey hairs digging potatoes from the yard, or a cat walking by the railing of a house. Just make sure to make sure to write it perfectly as little as you need to understand it later.

Example of Brain Dumping

After you just finished writing 6 to 7 sentences or details, now try to align them or connect them. For suppose you’ve written:

1. A black building with a signboard of “old folks’ old age home”  2. A white cat waking on the railing 3. An aged man with grey hairs digging potatoes from the yard 4. In blurry weather, it is hard to see around anything.

Now you can make these discrete thoughts into something meaningful:

The dark building loomed in the mist, its faded sign was barely readable to me: “Old Folks’ Old Age Home”. A beautiful white cat walked along the rusted railing, its tail flicking in the damp muddy air. In front of a building, there was a yard.

An old man with grey hair dug potatoes from the rainy soil, his hands slow but steady by dint of his age. The fog thickened, blurring the world around him. Somewhere in the distance, footsteps echoed.

Outline the Plot Method

Outlining the Plot is one of the easiest writing methods to start with. Pick a plot you want to outline and give them contexts. I mean, there are a lot of plot structures,and yes, not every one of them is easy to follow, but you can choose the plot you are comfortable with and give this method a try. I have the entire blog on story structures and even plot types you can check or pick your favorite one there. Let’s just assume you have picked one and your plot is “The Fichtean Curve”

So, The Fichtean Curve definitely have a proper story structure:

• Exposition
• Crisis 1
• New Cycle 1
• Crisis 2
• New Cycle 2
• Crisis 3
• New Cycle 3
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution

Write this structure or sequence and start thinking about the idea of every term of the structure. It would be easy if you start from the beginning (exposition) in this method but even if you get the idea of crisis before the exposition of a story it’s not a crime here 🙂

Example of a Plot Outlining Method

The Fichtean Curve Story Structure

• Exposition
• Crisis 1
• New Cycle 1
• Crisis 2
• New Cycle 2
• Crisis 3
• New Cycle 3
• Climax
• Falling Action
• Resolution

The Story Concept is based on the Structure.

• Exposition: A sickly hero born with hidden powers.
• Crisis 1: His uncontrollable powers endanger his village.
• New Cycle 1: He leaves his hometown to find a mentor who can help him with his powers.
• Crisis 2: During his training, his mentor got attacked by demonic powers, forcing him to use his powers and face his fear.
• New Cycle 2: He learned how to manage his illness and powers.
• Crisis 3: he learns his illness is rare and tied to an ancient curse on his family.
• New Cycle: He embarks on a new journey to break that curse for his future generation.
• Climax: He faces the curse source, other hurdles, and powerful enemies, at personal cost.
• Falling Action: He succeeds in this monumental war for his life but is gravely weekend and the illness worsens as a consequence of a victory.
• Resolution: He manages to recover and return to his beloved village with a victory by saving his future and village from endanger and live happily after.

Rewrite the Famous Novel

I used this writing method when I was in my learning era. It’s basically a good idea to study famous written novels, they’re not only to entertain you and teach you life morals but they can be highly helpful in terms to learn story writing. Well, it’s another topic how to train yourself through another novel here we’re discussing how to use another novel to write an entirely new novel.

So basically, in this method, you’ve to pick a famous novel you can choose your favorite one too and then read it and observe how the author moves that story from start to end. Sketch that pattern with small sentences and then try to write something unique like the already written story.

When I started using this method, I chose ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ by H. Rider Haggard, an amazing adventurous book you should read too. I outlined the entire book into bullets, how Haggard starts the story, how he ends it, and I remember I googled details about him as well, to find out more about the story and what Haggard was thinking when he started it, etc. You can do that too, by paying attention to details.

Example of Rewrite the Famous Novel Method

Obviously, I can not mention the entire synopsis or story-lining here but here you can get some idea of what I’m trying to explain:

Note: Use this method only for learning or practice purposes. If you plan to create a new story, make sure to change it entirely so it doesn’t resemble someone else’s work. Failing to do so could lead to serious issues and unwanted trouble.

Create Character Profiles

The most common method is character profile. Well, it’s something that I don’t like and prefer because amongst all this is the most boring method I’ve ever found. In my opinion, creating characters before having any idea about the story makes it a bizarre idea but anyway, writers use this method and especially new writers, this method is their favorite.

In this method, you have to create all (or most of) characters for your story. Define your protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters with complete profiles. Now, what I don’t like about this method is that you don’t even know what type of story you are going to write so you would not have any idea how your characters are. In general, if you are not aware that you are going to write a story around robbery how would you know you need the detective character? But still, it’s a great method if you just create unknown characters and move the story around them.

Write a One-Sentence Summary

One-sentence summary is a little tricky in my view because when we first get into writing we don’t have any ideas in the first place. Actually, we write to make our mini-broken ideas into major ones. But still, this method is useful because once you write the entire sentence you don’t need to face more hurdles for your story idea formation.

Write 1 or 2 sentences that cover the concept of a story and then keep working on that sentence. This method is the little brother of Snowflake story structure you can say.

Example of One-Sentence Summary Method

One-sentence Summary: A lonely detective must solve a series of mysterious disappearance cases before he becomes the next victim of a policeman.

In this sentence, you got your main character “Mr. Detective,” you got your story crisis as “series of disappearance cases,” then you got your major conflict as “Mr. detective being the next victim” and your antagonist “a policeman.”

Now all you have to do is to keep this story focused.

Start with Freewriting

Freewriting is the most fun writing method, especially for newbie writers to practice. Pick a random story scene or moment from any movie or book and start writing without overthinking. But make sure to go with only one scene you like because having multiple scenes can be confusing. You are allowed to pick any scene from the middle, start, or end; it doesn’t matter. Make that scene your story beginning and then go with the flow but do not pick the half scene, subplot or scene. Ensure that the scene you picked gives the complete idea of what is going on as that scene is going to be your story starting and it might not make any sense.

Example of Freewriting

For example, you select the scene from the book “Wuthering Heights”

Example of Wuthering Heights

 “WHILE leading the way upstairs, she recommended that I should hide the candle, and not make a noise; for her master had an odd notion about the chamber she would put me in, and never let anybody lodge there willingly. I asked the reason. She did not know, she answered: she had only lived there a year or two; and they had so many queer goings on, she could not begin to be curious.

Too stupefied to be curious myself, I fastened my door and glanced round for the bed. The whole furniture consisted of a chair, a clothes press, and a large oak case, with squares cut out near the top resembling coach windows. Having approached this structure, I looked inside, and perceived it to be a singular sort of old-fashioned couch, very conveniently designed to obviate the necessity for every member of the family to have a room to himself. In fact, it formed a little closet, and the ledge of a window, which it enclosed, served as a table. I slid back the paneled sides, got in with my light, pulled them together again, and felt secure against the vigilance of Heathcliff, and everyone else.

The ledge, where I placed my candle, had a few mildewed books piled up in one corner; and it was covered with writing scratched on the paint. This writing, however, was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters, large and small – CATHERINE EARNSHAW, here and there varied to CATHERINE HEATHCLIFF, and then again to CATHERINE LINTON.”

Chapter number 3

How You Can Achieve It

As she led me through the dimly lit corridors of the abandoned lighthouse, she whispered, “Keep your flashlight low and don’t make a sound. The keeper had strange beliefs about this room—never let anyone stay here, not willingly.”

I hesitated at the threshold. “Why that?”

She shivered. “I’ve only been on this island for a year, but strange things happen in this place—things you don’t want answers to.”

Too exhausted to care, I stepped inside and shut the heavy iron door. The room was small, its furniture sparse—a single rusted furniture, a battered chest, and, tucked into the curved wall, a peculiar alcove with sliding metal panels, almost like the sleeping berths on an old ship.

Curious, I pried them open and found a tiny cot built into the wall, its mattress brittle with age. A narrow porthole above it let in the sound of the restless waves. On the wooden ledge beneath, something was scratched into the peeling paint—deep, uneven carvings, made over and over.

Margaret Holloway. The name repeated in desperate strokes sometimes altered—Margaret Hale. Margaret Turner. As if someone had tried to rewrite their existence, only to be pulled back into something they could never escape.

I ran my fingers over the letters, a cold dread creeping into my chest. Outside, the wind howled through the hollow tower, a sound almost like a voice calling from the sea.

Two Types of Novelists

When it comes to writing, “How to start writing” the first question comes in “What type of writer do you want to be.” In general, you can take any start for your writing start but you should be aware of your writing style.

These two writing types are widely famous amongst writers, based on their writing process, the two main types of novelists are “plotters” who meticulously plan out their story and characters before writing, and “pantsters” who are more spontaneous and write by the seat of their pants, developing the story as they go along. 

Plotters:

The novelists or writers typically create detailed outlines, character arcs, and plot points before starting to write, ensuring a structured narrative with a clear direction. 

Pantsters:

In contrast, pantsters prefer to explore their story organically, allowing characters and plot elements to evolve as they write, often relying on improvisation and intuition. 

What Writing Path Is Good for Me?

This question’s answer depends on your comfort. Choose the most comfortable method you feel. But I always recommend trying every method before selecting your type. Exploring different approaches allows you to understand what truly works for you, rather than settling too quickly. The more methods you experiment with, the better you’ll refine your own unique style.

Good Practices to Start Writing

1. Freely brain-dumping writing – Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind without worrying about structure or grammar. This helps overcome writer’s block.
2. Set a Routine to write – Establish a dedicated time and place for writing daily. Consistency is key to developing a habit. Even if you don’t feel like writing just sit and think about your story and writing but try to give your time to your writing.
3. Read Regularly – As I mentioned, reading other novels are not only for entertainment but trainings too. Reading different genres and styles enhances vocabulary, creativity, and storytelling skills plus gives you free ideas.
4. Write in Small Sections – Instead of trying to complete a full story draft at first draft, focus on writing one paragraph or scene at a time.
5. Don’t Edit While Writing – This is a mistake I have almost seen every student make. Let ideas flow first; you can refine and polish them later. Even if you feel like correcting write that correction in a separate space.
6. Use Writing Prompts – If you’re stuck, use prompts or random words to spark creativity.
7. Keep a Journal – Jotting down thoughts, ideas, or observations daily improves writing fluency. Take that journal at cafes, school, or even your friend’s place. Ideas can pop into your mind at any time.

Bad Practices to Start Writing

1. Waiting for Inspiration – If you wait for the “perfect idea” or the “right mood,” you might never start. Writing is a habit, not just a moment of inspiration.
2. Overthinking the First Sentence – Many writers get stuck trying to craft the perfect opening. Don’t worry you can edit your very first line after writing your entire novel. Make mistakes, correct them, and just start writing—perfection comes in editing.
3. Editing While Writing – Constantly tweaking sentences as you write can kill the momentum of both you and your story. Write first, edit later.
4. Forcing a Long Writing Session – Trying to write for hours without a break can drain creativity. Start small and build up. (Remember: there should be a consistent routine to write not a long time to complete your writing)
5. Writing Without a Plan – While some writers can “discovery write,” most benefit from a loose outline to prevent getting lost mid-story.
6. Focusing Too Much on Rules – Grammar and structure are important and I think too much important, but obsessing over them at the start can stifle creativity.
7. Writing Only When “Motivated” – Motivation is temporary; discipline gets the work done. Set a schedule and stick to it. Even if you don’t want to work on your story, do something that still relates to writing. For suppose you can give a try new concepts like an Inverted Plot or Mid-point climax.
8. Fear of Bad Writing – The first draft will never be perfect, and that’s okay. Write badly, but write!

Famous Authors and Their Writing Approaches

Writing approaches are many (if you want to know more you can visit here: Different approaches to start writing), And I think, that’s the most beautiful thing about literature, that even if it’s a bunch of words from any language it still has a vivid space for others to create their unique taste and styles. And no doubt that’s another thing “writing style” that makes authors shine with different colors. Here are some famous author’s writing styles and preferences that you can adapt for your future writing journey.

J.K. Rowling – Planning & World-Building

• Writes extensive plot outlines (Plot grids) before drafting.
• Created a detailed spreadsheet for Harry Potter, tracking character developments and story subplots with prophecy.
• Prefers writing by hand first, then transferring to digital format.

Ernest Hemingway – Concise & Minimalist Style

• Believed in short sentences and active voice.
• Hemingway avoided excessive description and backstory. Instead, he used simple, direct language that hinted at deeper meaning.
• Is famous for his “Iceberg Theory of writing”

F. Scott Fitzgerald – Revising Extensively

• Constantly rewrote and revised his drafts.
• Believed that “all good writing is rewriting.”
• Had an intense, poetic style that required multiple drafts.

Haruki Murakami – Discipline & Routine

• Writes for 4-6 hours every morning, then runs or swims in the afternoon.
• Believes in a strict, repetitive routine for mental and physical endurance.
• Says, “The repetition itself becomes the important thing.”

Is Starting to Write and Writing the Start of a Story the Same Thing?

So, I hope from now on, this last question will no longer remain a question for you. But still the answer is, Not necessarily!

“Starting to write” refers to the act of beginning the writing process. It can mean brainstorming, outlining, freewriting, or even writing a scene that isn’t the actual start of the story. Many writers begin in the middle or with a key moment rather than the first scene. Whereas, Writing the beginning of a story specifically means writing the opening scene or first paragraph of the story narrative. The start of a story is crucial because it sets the tone, introduces key elements, and hooks the reader.