This might seem like an inconsequential question, but it’s well worth considering. How much time do you leave between the first spark of inspiration and the moment you actually start writing?
I find that it depends hugely on the idea. Sometimes, a writer will have a great idea for a story, but even after rigorous planning and plotting, find that they simply can’t write it. This, I believe, is usually a sign that either the idea isn’t ripe enough yet, or the writer isn’t ready to tackle it. A famous example of this is Stephen King’s book Under The Dome, which he first attempted to write in 1972 and then again under a different title in 1982, before it was finally published in 2009. When asked why he didn’t finish the book when he was first inspired to write it, King said: “the project was just too big for me”. This is a dramatic example (not all that many ideas require over 30 years to mature) but it’s important to know that this sort of thing can happen.
Some new writers, in their eagerness, make the deadly mistake of rushing into their story far too quickly. I did it myself many times. I urge you to resist the temptation. Dragging a fragile, light-sensitive idea into the blazing sun before it’s fully grown will, in most cases, kill it off.
In my experience, the best time to start writing is when both you and the idea are ready for each other. But how do you know when that is?
Like many things in writing, it’s instinctual. When I have an idea for a story, I usually let it build in my head for a few weeks. I keep my mind open, and let the plot and characters piece themselves roughly together. I certainly don’t attempt to start writing yet, though I do jot down the occasional half-coherent detail in a notebook. At this point, however, I am especially careful – I don’t want to write too much down, because I don’t want to set anything in stone. I want it to be fluid and changeable, at least for now. All I have are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and I don’t know what order they go in yet. If I try to glue them together, I might do it wrong and then I won’t be able to rearrange them again. So I just mull the idea over in my mind, until I’m confident that I have a fairly good understanding of how it’s going to work out. This doesn’t necessarily mean I know how my story will end – sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But I do know the characters involved, and what the beginning and middle will consist of (the latter often changes as I write, and that’s OK too).
So how long does it take for me to know those things? It depends. Usually between three weeks and two months, but every writer is different, so please don’t feel like you’ve gone wrong if this time frame doesn’t apply to you. When you’re finally ready to start writing, you’ll feel it. The author Nigel Watts suggested in his book Writing A Novel that most writers feel ready to start when their characters begin to feel three dimensional – in other words, when they begin to take on a life of their own. I agree, but again, this is not true for everybody.
So, to summarise: my advice is to let the idea simmer softly in your head for as long as it needs. Let it grow, let it flourish, and nurture it. Don’t try to start writing too soon, before the idea is ready, or you risk killing both it and your enthusiasm. Likewise, don’t start too late, or you might find that you’ve lost interest. When it’s the right time, when you can see a vague sketch of the jigsaw puzzle in your mind, you’ll know. And don’t worry if every piece isn’t in the right place straight away – you have plenty of time to rearrange them as you go along.
One Teen Writer To Another 