1. I chew on an idea, a character, a feeling, a sentence, a word, for a while. Then I sit down and write from the moment that begins. The story doesn't start every time—not by a long shot. Often, the first scene I write gets set aside, and then I write the novel, but I have to jump in where it's the stickiest.
2. Nope. I just learn as I go, jotting notes about their favorite things or dislikes or quirks if they pop to mind (whether in the story or not).
3. I don't decide. They do. It comes down to who will tell the story from the most compelling angle. I usually have more than one narrator for that reason, as each one has insight into something another can't have. There have been times where I was wrong about who was most interesting and have to do some serious rewrites, though.
4. That depends on the idea. Sometimes it's years, other times it's days. I let the characters tell me when I should start writing. It's their story, so I just have to sit down and shut up, after all.
1. I chew on an idea, a character, a feeling, a sentence, a word, for a while. Then I sit down and write from the moment that begins. The story doesn't start every time—not by a long shot. Often, the first scene I write gets set aside, and then I write the novel, but I have to jump in where it's the stickiest.
2. Nope. I just learn as I go, jotting notes about their favorite things or dislikes or quirks if they pop to mind (whether in the story or not).
3. I don't decide. They do. It comes down to who will tell the story from the most compelling angle. I usually have more than one narrator for that reason, as each one has insight into something another can't have. There have been times where I was wrong about who was most interesting and have to do some serious rewrites, though.
4. That depends on the idea. Sometimes it's years, other times it's days. I let the characters tell me when I should start writing. It's their story, so I just have to sit down and shut up, after all.