need help writing a story any ideas how I can start writing this?

Question

The story will be about a guy who has a mean past but moves to a new town and school and is seen as a hero but his past catches up to him and people start finding out how he really is.

Answer 1

Sounds like the movie, A History of Violence. It was a good movie, btw.



Anyhow, you've got a good base plot: Man against Society.



Most, if not all, stories have the same sort of breakdown. Things seem to be going good, then something happens that throws everything out of whack (inciting incident/catalyst). The protagonist (main character reader is rooting for) tries and tries to make things right, to no avail. He encounters obstacle after obstacle, and just when it seems he might see the light of day, it only gets worse. After it seems it can't get any worse, the crap really hits the fan. And just when the protagonist is about to lose everything, the light shines from the heavens.



Not all stories go like this, but typically, this is what it breaks down to: Conflict, conflict and more conflict.



Then you throw in a subplot or two. Perhaps a romance, or perhaps a drug problem. Whatever you want.



I could go on and on, but like i've told others, what has helped me was purchasing the following books:



The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Elements of Style

The Elements of Fiction Writing Series

The Story Structure Architect



You can purchase these books for just a buck or two used on Amazon.com



I highly suggest you gets some writing resources because writing a compelling story takes a lot of practice and there are many rules.



Good luck.

Answer 2

Wellllll, first of all I like this direction a lot! This is a good start here already. :)



I would start his out with first figuring out how the entire arc of your story is going to go, and then outline it.



Here's what I've randomly thought of for your story :)



Ok, so he's got a mean past, but he moves and is now the new mysterious guy that nobody knows anything about. Now he can become a hero by any number of ways. He can save someone from a burning building (that perhaps he himself started by flicking a still burning cigarette of his...) or maybe he saves someone from a robbery by making the robbers leave them alone (because maybe he personally knows them or something from his old town) and people all think he's hero, when really, he sort of initiated the bad things to happen in the first place.



Or the other route you could take is that he's trying to actually change his ways, and be a "good guy" and people embrace it, but when word leaks out that he was from a bad background, they start to resent him for it, instead of being uncomfortable with unexpected fame (as in the first scenario) he embraces this hero-ness and goes into a rut when people start to dislike him for having a bad past.



I guess either way, and I don't know if any of that made particular sense or not, sometimes I ramble my thoughts... lol, but whatever way you go, you just have to make it flow with whatever else is happening. I really like this idea you have though!



Maybe start by having him arrive in this new town, nobody knows him, not even the audience. The audience finds out he used to be bad whenever other characters find out in the story, so like later on in the story after he has become the "hero." because then the audience will feel the same way the supporting characters do about him.



lol... i'm not sure if any of this makes sense, but i hope so... lol



gOoD LuCk :D

Answer 3

I don't get to know my characters in the traditional sense of most writers. I am my characters. When they come to me they are like a friend and with friends I don't know everything about them but as I'm writing and learning about the situations they get themselves into and what things they like and how they react I learn about what makes them tick, I learn their foibles it is then I write down notes about them, not before I know them and the only way to know someone is out in the world, or in a setting of some kind. You see them in their pajamas and the next thing you know they are answering the door to you their creator and giving you the finger because to them one in the afternoon is way to early despite the fact that you the writer has been trying to get started since six AM. My characters are little secret pieces of my brain and personality, sometimes they are tiny idiosyncracies my friends possess but don't acknowledge or celebrate. It is the story for me, the setting these pieces of myself down in a body one of my creation that then grows and becomes a completely separate entity. A bigger larger sense of me, and usually she dresses better and the guy she meets is usually 'perfect' for her in some way and always gorgeous and she lives in a cottage, or loft, or mansion, or apartment, or condo, places I don't live but have seen on television or magazines and how did she get this place and why did I or she choose it or why did I place her there. When writing I am the story creator and some of my enthusiam for the story is in the design. I never ask for ideas or help because I'm drowning in them. I can't believe I'll ever be done writing I probably will have writer's block, I probably get it all the time but I don't notice because I've always got some other character/scene/setting/plot formulating in my subconcious, in my dreams, while I'm smoking a cigarette suddenly the greatest line will pop into my head and by the time I get to paper and pen either it has evolved into something resembling a chapter or it has transformed into a conversation or I bang my head on the table because I can't recall the EXACT phrasing that made it so unbelievably perfect to me three minutes before.

How do you start? At the beginning. When is it done? At the end. Keep writing from that start until you reach that end and you'll have a story in no time.



SG

Answer 4

i am not a professional and i have only written a few fan fictions and fictions online, i know i am not the best person to give you advice but as an avid reader, i would have to agree with the answer above about character development...



maybe you can first start off with the idea of the characters and then work your way through. write what ever comes in your mind and heart at then after finishing with one or two chapter reread it and edit it a little. edit only the idea though. then after everything is done you should give someone to proof read it and find the mistakes you might have missed and then you can see and edit where ever you think is fit...

Answer 5

I always start with character development. Really get to know your characters before you start writing. Think about (and freewrite about) what this guy is like and what any other characters are like. Think about what foods do they like to eat, what was their childhood like, what habits do they have, how do they move and talk, what is their family like, what are their dreams, etc. You don't have to include all of these details, but it will lend a certain richness to your writing. And you'll notice that a lot of these little details pop out as you write the story.



Once I develop the characters and get to know them, a plot generally starts emerging. But, it's really hard to write a believable plot when you're working with characters you don't know so well. This sounds corny, but it's true: when you really get into a story, the characters seem to take over and decide what they're going to do. Sometimes, your plot takes completely different directions than you planned. But, that's the best kind of writing. Your readers care a lot about your characters; they want to relate to them and feel comfortable with them.



Good luck!

Answer 6

Thanks for asking your question,



Just state what kind of story you want to create, and start writing what you think to get the 'Writing Engine' running than after a while summarise/organise and continue till your story starts to get shape.

You can read more about writing at: http://hpshappywriting.blogspot.com



All the Best,

To your Happy - Writing - Inspiration,

HP

Answer 7

Just start anywhere. Its best to just start and work your way to the end. At least you know where your going. Try not to over think it. Blast it out at your own pace. I would try for at least 3-5 pages a day. Don't edit don't go back. Blast it out rough, then when your done with the whole of the story, and only then. Do you then go back and start to re work it.



Best of luck.