Afreek
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
English as my second language i am not very good at writing, but i have stories i want to put out in the world. Where do i start? How should map out the story i hold so dear to me?
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Afreek,
I'm always glad to meet authors who are just starting out. In general writers fall into one of three categories: discovery, outliners, or hybrid (who do a bit of both). It's impossible for me to tell you which way to go, as every other is different. My suggestions.
First, write in your native language, as that'll give you one less thing to worry about. You (or someone else) can always have it translated into English later on.
Second, because you mentioned "mapping out" I suggest you do lean more toward outliner than discovery writing. I'd do some "tent pole" writing where you decide your beginning and ending, and then have a few key points in the story that you are going to hit. Then just start writing! The important thing is to develop some discipline and write everyday (even if it's only for a small amount of time. The more you write, the more you'll understand what works well for you personally. So just dive in and see how it goes! I wish you great success.
I'm always glad to meet authors who are just starting out. In general writers fall into one of three categories: discovery, outliners, or hybrid (who do a bit of both). It's impossible for me to tell you which way to go, as every other is different. My suggestions.
First, write in your native language, as that'll give you one less thing to worry about. You (or someone else) can always have it translated into English later on.
Second, because you mentioned "mapping out" I suggest you do lean more toward outliner than discovery writing. I'd do some "tent pole" writing where you decide your beginning and ending, and then have a few key points in the story that you are going to hit. Then just start writing! The important thing is to develop some discipline and write everyday (even if it's only for a small amount of time. The more you write, the more you'll understand what works well for you personally. So just dive in and see how it goes! I wish you great success.
More Answered Questions
William
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hi Michael. Excited for the 6th Book in the First Empire Series to come out soon. I wanted to ask, with the Empire series wrapping up would you ever write a History of Elan/Atlas like "The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern" or "The Compleat Discworld Atlas" to share some of your notes/world-building for the world of Elan?
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more




