Step 3
Welcome to Step 3 of Your Fret Free Writing Method!
You’ve put in a lot of hard work and now it’s time to get started writing!
Don’t worry if you haven’t done all the journaling in Step 1, completed a lot of writing prompts, or honed all your technical writing skills in Step 2. The whole idea behind this story, this site, and this community is to prove to you that you can write! And, in your own unique style and voice!
No longer let fear and fretting stop you from accomplishing your dreams!
Yes, keep working on Step 1 and Step 2, but go ahead and jump feet first into writing - Step 3! After all, that is the reason we're here.
The best way to become a better writer is to read AND write!
So, Let's Go!
Writing fanfiction and having fun!
In the story, Divine War Games of Whimsy and Wile, questions are left unanswered, a few characters are introduced and not yet fully developed, and arc twists begin, but remain open-ended all with the intention of being expanded upon by you, the writer.
The one thing I hear the most often is...
How do I get started?
Divine War Games of Whimsy and Wile does this for you! Think of it in the sense of one long writing prompt.
The concept is to have an intriguing and exciting story that also inspires!
The universe - from the gods to the planet to the city to the characters to the subplots – has all been established and is just waiting for your creative input. You’re encouraged to add to, continue, or develop completely new story lines for any one of the characters or your own.
Getting started is easy! Just begin to read Book 1: The Angels of Chessman Bishop then feel free to stop at any point and begin to write on your own even if it’s in the middle of chapter one.
Build a store, restaurant, hotel, apartment complex, or park into any of the districts of the city of Chessman Bishop. Add your own characters and have them interact with the number of characters already residing in the city. Design your own part of town and start up your own denomination, church, or resistance movement.
Maybe you’re thinking of building a character who has dreams of being the mayor, wants to head a crime family, run a business, or even just have a family experiencing what it’s like to live in a city like Chessman Bishop. Adults, children, animals, and even aliens are welcome here!
Now is a great time to look back on your journals. What have you written that might incorporate well into the story, or even make a good story on its own? Have you had any interesting dreams or even personal experiences that you could turn into an intriguing story?
Personal experience is one of the best sources for writing material that is often overlooked!
I've heard this so many times before, "I'm boring! No one wants to listen to me talk about my life."
If you experienced something in your life that you enjoyed, the odds are that others will enjoy it, too. You might need to embellish a little bit or get colorful with your language but that is all part of being creative.
Maybe you're feeling even more daring and want to insert yourself right smack dab in the middle of the story line.
Go for it!
Who is your favorite character? Whom would you like to interact with? Have a favorite site that you'd like to visit? Really want to make someplace your own?
Let yourself go!
Let your creativity flow!
Now is the time to take a risk!
Science and the supernatural also have their place as do the questions of good and evil. In this story, the world’s your oyster!
Just about everything is acceptable with the exception of mature explicit erotica. While erotica is a very popular genre and your welcome to write as much as you’d like, it just won’t be considered or accepted as appropriate for review on the site’s discussion boards. Let’s keep it “R” rated for sharing in the community forums.
Looking for an example outside of your regular fanfiction science-fiction and fantasy sites?
Check out the Thieves' World series created by Robert Lynn Aspirin and Lynn Abbey. The series consists of a set of twelve anthologies comprised of stories written by popular science fiction fantasy writers from 1979 through 1989. They're available as used paperbacks through several Amazon resellers.
Each author created their own characters and subplots and incorporated them into the town of Sanctuary where they could meet and interact with each other. While not quite the same as fanfiction, the Thieves World series is a perfect way of seeing how the stories connect and interact with each other.
Yes, you are encouraged to share your work on the site!
The FTP app is available for uploading and downloading member's material. As a community, we’re creating an entire universe together. With fanfiction, we can build off each other’s writing and even collaborate with each other.
And, while criticism is sometimes requested, for the most part, we are here to build each other up, to help each other grow in confidence, and encourage each other to learn to express ourselves in our own unique style and voice.
One of the most important aspects of writing is that you enjoy yourself!
Writing fanfiction can relieve some of the stress of coming up with a brand-new idea while also complimenting an existing work with the addition of a new and unique – yours - point of view. Now is also the time to practice using newly learned vocabulary words or technical skills.
As mentioned in Step 2 of Your Fret Free Writing Method, if you’re not finding Divine War Games of Whimsy and Wile to your liking? Then change it!
Fanfiction is about your personal take on the characters and story. Here at Christiane Howards, you are encouraged to explore and take risks. I learned a long time ago that not everyone will like what I do, and I’m okay with it.
So, write without worrying about my feelings! I am open to all ideas, suggestions, and questions.
Feel free to address any topic with me on the discussion boards. My only requirement is that we treat each other with the respect and civility that each of us deserves.
I’m so excited to see everyone’s work!
I can’t wait to see the various takes on the story and characters!
So, get to writing and then share!
Need a little bit of review on the basics of writing?
Check out the “Writing the One” section of Step 3 of Your Fret Free Writing Method in the column to the right.
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Writing the one!
So, how will Your Fret Free Writing Method lead to you writing the one book or story you’ve been fretting over?
By helping you build confidence, growing your imagination, improving technical writing skills, building vocabulary, correcting grammar, getting to know your own style and voice, and inspiring creativity – all of which help you get into the flow.
But, Your Fret Free Writing Method also assumes that you have general knowledge about writing a story, developing characters, plots, and tropes. So, I will not spend a whole lot of time teaching the elements of storytelling.
However, just in case you need a bit of a refresher, included below are a few basic writing techniques that can help you when it comes to creating your own work and writing the one.
A little bit of review…
Knowing what your story is about along with the basic theme and then developing these components into a simple premise are all you need to get started!
You do not need to know the beginning, middle, and end of your story to begin writing. In fact, I started Divine War Games of Whimsy and Wile: The Angels of Chessman Bishop only knowing the final climax which had come to me in a dream. I had several different attempts at beginning the story before settling on something that worked.
I’ve read numerous articles about famous writers, including Hemingway, not knowing how to end their books. So, if you don’t have the whole plot figured out yet you’re in good company.
So, what is a ‘premise’?
A premise is simply an explanation in advance that gives the basis for the work. However, the best premises can be written in 25 words or less.
For example, the premise of Divine War Games of Whimsy and Wile: The Angels of Chessman Bishop is:
“A woman falls victim to the operations of seemingly human alien factions vying for control of the Universe on behalf of competitive game playing gods.”
I could have written this in several different ways but this one sums it up clearly in 25 words. Included in the premise is the protagonist – woman, the theme – control, and the antagonist – the gods. Keep in mind that a story can have more than one of any of these elements and it isn’t necessary to name them all in the premise. Your premise is kind of like your two-minute elevator pitch but in 30 seconds or less.
Getting the premise down precisely will take some practice but with some tweaking you can make it happen and then you’re on your way!
Forget about the Rules of Writing! Act as if there are none.
But do include literary elements such as metaphor, foreshadowing, allusion, and symbolism. The story needs to be intriguing but also comprehensible. Utilize logic but do it in your own tone.
And, don’t forget the hook!
The hook is what is going to keep your readers flipping pages. It’s the action or story element that hooks your reader into continuing with the story. You should have one in the beginning of your book, preferably the first chapter, possibly even the first sentence.
There is no need to prepare complicated act and chapter outlines, although some writers do prefer that approach. As long as your story has a beginning, middle, and end, you’re welcome to make up the story as you go along.
I do suggest that you keep notes about characters and other story particulars to ensure consistency in your story line. You might find keeping a glossary of your unique words to be helpful or maybe even a map and list of the businesses in your story’s location beneficial in the long run. Trying to remember these kinds of details in your mind isn’t easy and can lead to all sorts problems down the road in storytelling reliability.
I work in sort of a hybrid form between writing by the seat of my pants, also known as a pantser, and utilizing some of the skills of what is known as a plotter. The plotter in me makes all the lists of characters, their descriptions, and relationships to each other, as well as a vocabulary list of the terms I created for the story, a list of businesses, and particulars of the town and surrounding areas which has saved me from making some big plot mistakes on more than on occasion. But, as a pantser I create and edit these lists as I go along writing.
This may seem counterproductive to being in a creative flow but believe me, this little bit of order keeping can save you from extensive hours of edits and rewrites.
Remember, this is your story, written in the method that works best for you to express yourself! Your unique style and voice will become clearer the more that you write.
There are a couple of things to keep handy while writing besides your journals. I always have a dictionary, grammar reference book, and my favorite… The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale. It’s easy to find with a quick internet search. These sources can also be found in online versions, but I find reference books to be more comprehensive and easier to peruse.
Also, utilize a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs or go with Adobe .pdf. Setup your headers and footers properly from the start so that you don’t have to go back and edit or reset later.
You may also find using available word processing software like Scrivener to be helpful as it guides you through every step of the writing process. Also, check out Grammarly for help with grammar and sentence structure.
There are a couple of publishing standards I do go ahead and implement when writing the manuscript. For example, I use a 1” margin on all sides and double space for ease of reading. However, you may find that your storytelling style calls for a different format.
You are not bound by any of these rules!
It’s easy to get caught up in rules, so, again, act like there aren’t any rules, especially if you find yourself struggling creatively. All this formatting can be done later in editing.
The most important thing is to go with your creative flow!
The more you write the more you will know what works for you. You will become more comfortable expressing yourself in your own style and voice with practice.
Still feeling stuck?
Finding your style and voice takes practice and perseverance. Even getting into the creative flow can be difficult from time to time. When you’re feeling stifled, take a break. Maybe try a new form of writing such as poetry or a different kind of self-expression such as drawing or painting. Go for a walk, listen to some music, meditate, anything that can help you relax.
Write from your personal experience, write about what you know, and read more. Look to your dream journal or even your gratitude lists. Find your favorite author and figure out what it is about their style that you like. Incorporate what you like about their style into your writing and soon you will find you’re developing your own personal style!