Start From The Beginning

As a writer I get asked a lot of questions. Some of those questions are even about writing. It’s the usual questions: Where do you come up with your ideas? How do you develop a character? Do you start with a setting first or a character? My answer depends on who I am conversing with about the topic. If it is somebody who is not a writer I just say I’m awesome and move on. They usually drool. If it is another writer I give them the real answer: it depends.

It may seem like a non-answer, but it is absolutely true. I have created and published a comic book in my life. Where did inspiration strike? I was sleeping. I literally dreamt it. Now to ask me if I dreamt the character first or the setting or the actual dialogue I couldn’t begin to decipher all the information that was thrown at me while I slept. However, when I sat down to write my first two issues, I started with a main character and a story simultaneously.

When pressed further about the issue, I try not to be too specific. Some people think it makes me an asshole. In reality, I’m trying very hard not to tell somebody how to write, but I will tell them the basic direction to take. Why do I do this? Well, what works for me may not work for others. I love strong characters. I always flow every story I write through one or two central characters. In order to do this you have to create a character that is interesting, engaging, and entertaining all at the same time.

Writers vary in their approach to developing a story. Just because I use a strong central character doesn’t mean everybody should follow suit. I’ve seen writers who use the setting as a dominant theme in everything they do. Does it make them wrong? Does it make me right?

I asked a handful of writing friends about their approach. As I suspected, they all had different takes. They also had some centralized themes of writing strong stories that I found interesting. Here is a few of them.

1. Strong characters matter: Even if you are a writer who can fill four pages with your description of a table, at some point you will need to introduce a character in your story. My recommendation is to always take time with your character.

“I’ve read countless stories where I felt the character was rushed in order to tell an interesting story,” said David Brown, a retired creative writing professor. “No matter how big the story is or how many plot points you have, if you’re character is flat and not interesting the reader will never connect to the story.”

My main approach is to work on the character’s back story. I try to get a rough outline of where the character has come from and why he/she feels the way they do about the given situation. In the world of comic books you don’t have to get too deep into the back story in the beginning (because it’s likely to change anyway), but the reader needs to see some tension in their dialogue or happiness or restraint. Whatever the tone is for the story you are trying to tell.

1. Keep an open mind: Let’s face it, we live in a soap opera society. I have always said comic books are like soap operas for guys. We have to know what happens next. We stew for months at a time until the next piece of the story comes out. As a writer, this can be fuel for your idea. A great way to draw things out is to write about it a little at a time. Don’t reveal too much too fast, but also make sure you leave yourself a little wiggle room. If you close off your possibilities as a writer, you are also closing off your character’s possibilities of re-inventing himself.

“I find myself writing my characters into a corner all the time,” said Micah Dambrowski, an English-Lit major at the University of Missouri. “It is very frustrating.”

Dambrowski says the best thing to do when this happens is to go back and make the correction.

“It is difficult to re-read what you’ve already finished before you are done telling your story, but if you find you have backed yourself into a corner, you don’t have a choice. The story won’t go another step forward until you address the problem,” said Dambrowski.

Every writer makes choices. Whenever you are stuck on a story or a character’s advancement within the story, sometimes the best solution is to go back and look at the choices already made. Question whether or not it was the correct choice. In essence, become your own critic. It has solved many problems for me in the past.

1. Take a rational approach to the setting: We’ve all read stories where the character conflicts with the setting or the character creates the setting or the character is ambivalent to the setting. All of these make great stories. What doesn’t make a great story is when you have a character getting drowned out by the surrounding or is placed in a surrounding that simply doesn’t fit the character. I’ll use Spider-Man as an example. I really don’t see Spider-Man thriving as a crime fighter on a deserted island. Yes, this would drastically conflict with who Spider-Man is, but does it make sense?

“I’ve seen a lot of writers create the wrong setting for a character just to be different,” said Caroline Yukon, an editor for several publishing companies. “I’ve always felt if a writer has to place a character in an oddball setting then they likely don’t have an interesting character from the start.”

Yukon says being daring is always great, but she feels writers need to stop and question what they are doing. If they are simply doing it to be different, then stop and start over. If it does make sense, then keep going. I couldn’t agree more. I’ve wasted countless hours trying to build a diverse setting for a character only to realize the character and the setting clashed. If the two were meant to clash it can work. If not, it will fail miserably.

Writing is a talent. It is also a craft. One well-though out character does not a story make. Most naturally talented writers I’ve ever met still have to find a way to hone their craft. Some I’ve met who struggle with inspiring characters, know the technical end of the deal, but need help with the development. Writing is like anything else; you can be damn good at it and still fail. The trick is to keep learning and growing. Don’t be afraid to listen to an idea or a different perspective. In the end, you will know if your story is solid. You will simply feel it. At that point, finish it up and take yourself out for a steak. Your creation was worth the reward.