Story writing troubles... hrm...

[LS-Jebus]

It has always been difficult for me and I feel the need to write something down about writing. Right now my issue is perspective. I have tons of ideas, some very detailed plots and worlds. But I can't write. Its not that I literally can't, its that I have trouble finding a style that I can stick with. The styles that everyone is used to just doesn't work for me - it always seems to cheesey and forced. I have never gone very far with a story.

My style is first person. I can write a nice story from the view of a severely psychologically f'd murderer, or whatever I choose. I find it easy to write things as people would think them, and I apparently have a "knack" for understanding thought processes and emotion, and creating realistic dialogue and reactions.

But for the fantasy story I have developed, I need to tell it from multiple people's views. The only way I can get past chapter one is by going first person. But I think it will work out, because it allows me to leave out certain details, and this is not a story of fighting like those of Drizzt. Only a few characters kill, and they don't kill often - they have others to do that.

I'm sure I'll have many more problems once I start writing again. I am always overcritical.

[Aval Penworth]

Are the ideas still in your head? Or have you written a plot line / synopsis?

I have observed that it is often easier to edit, and add to something you have already written, than it is to craft that important first sentence.

Get the whole story down and then start moving it around till you get a good feel. Sure it might be time consuming, but the time is passing anyway

Voice recorders and speech to text tools can be good for just getting your ideas on the page.

[Iapetus]

I agree with Aval - get the story down first. The first draft's purpose is to get something to work with - something you can hold in your hands and look at and start to craft.

I'm writing a story right now where I've switched tenses, POVs, and even if it's 1st or 3rd person. Not all my characters have names yet. There is still a lot left to be desired with the technology in the story. However, that doesn't matter, because the important thing is to get the story down. I'm going to pick a style that will fit the story later when I have the whole thing to look at and get a better idea of what my story needs.

So, don't worry right now *how* you're writing it - just write it! No one ever said you have to show people your first draft.

[Juggernaut1981]

Structure the sucker.

If you're going to write this story as a sequence of first-person narratives, then feel free. As long as the existence of each narrator is valid, makes sense and there is a reason for why they know about the story... then go for gold.

I can imagine a story where chapters 1 -3 were "written" by Finnius the Court Jester, Chapters 4-6 were "written" by Lord Pompou-sprick, Chapters 7-9 were written by... you get the point.

Possibly making the last of the story be written by a "victim" or a "protagonist" but not a Narrator. The classic "book written with narrators away from the 'protagonist'" is the Great Gatsby. Gatsby's voice is only heard indirectly, you view Gatsby through the narrator and view events through that narrator. Even though the 'hero' of the book is Gatsby.

[Diamond]

I don't think there's anything wrong with writing from multiple first-person POVs. To cite one brilliant example (well, it combines first and third person), Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap series.

[Jaxilon]

If you are just working with a notebook you might benefit from some of the nice tools available for writers as well.
Some time back I poked around a while and found a couple that I have used for putting together my game world scenes and such but I can see they would be helpful for keeping things organized. They also have POV tags and stuff to help you keep track of what you are doing.

The first is Freemind <-- this is great for brainstorming up whatever you want and you can add new things all the time.
The 2nd is yWriter5 <-- this was developed by a coder who became a writer and he's got tutorials and stuff you can learn from.

Both of these are free so if you don't have anything you might want to check them out.

[tilt]

nice finds Jax, I believe I seen yWriter before some time ago but never got around to getting it.... cause that book is still in there somewhere... inside... my mind...

[Greason Wolfe]

Orson Scott Card wrote a book for the Writer's Digest Elements of Fiction Writing entitled Characters & Viewpoint. If I remember correctly, he does deal with multiple first person viewpoints and it is probably available in your local book store. ISBN # 13: 978-0-89879-927-9. It might be of some help. There is another book that I know deals with the subject of multiple first person viewpoints, but I can't remember which one it is off the top of my head. I'll go through my library and try to list it here as well, when I have a chance.

GW

[LS-Jebus]

If you are just working with a notebook you might benefit from some of the nice tools available for writers as well.
Some time back I poked around a while and found a couple that I have used for putting together my game world scenes and such but I can see they would be helpful for keeping things organized. They also have POV tags and stuff to help you keep track of what you are doing.

The first is Freemind <-- this is great for brainstorming up whatever you want and you can add new things all the time.
The 2nd is yWriter5 <-- this was developed by a coder who became a writer and he's got tutorials and stuff you can learn from.

Both of these are free so if you don't have anything you might want to check them out.

Danke! Sometimes shifting around events can make a story much better. I never paid much thought to software for writing, but it might be very helpful.

edit: after testing out the programs, they definitely will be useful.