Need pointers for starting

[Liquid_awesomes]

Im finaly getting round to writing a short story about my Gaurdians, but im faced with rather a large wall when it comes to starting. I was wondering, how do people here keep track of things like names/wargear, plot, past events etc? also, do you ind it is better to bgin at the end and work backwards (as a freind does) or work in chronological order.

 

Can i please have some general pointers as to how to go about doing this, and i will post the story as i finish the chapters.

Many thanks

[Ferrus Manus]

Personally, when I write a piece of fiction I make two files on Word: one for the actual piece and one for notes, so things such as Character notes, weapons and wargear - maybe even a few ideas about the plot. But generally, I have a plot in mind before I start.

[calgar101]

Have a pad of paper and make lists. Its what i do, also if you're starting out it is best to not have so many characters, wargear pieces and an overly complicated plot.

[Liquid_awesomes]

im thinking of a simple, attack and liberate story on a tau position, with a captain and a 10 man squad. most of them will die :), so i wont go into too much background detail about them. sound like too many for a 1st go?

[Ferrus Manus]

Sounds fine, good luck :)

[DarKnight]

Pick a topic you're very passionate about and use resources like the codices and the lexicanum website. And I know its longer and more tedious but writing the story down then typing it will allow you to write your story clearer and with better detail.

[Ferrus Manus]

Pick a topic you're very passionate about and use resources like the codices and the lexicanum website.

And the Librarium...

[Brother Nihm]

Also don't put too much trust in the Lexicanum because it is rife with errors.

Personally I'd stick to the IA articles and codices.

[Liquid_awesomes]

Prologue

 

Carvonis II; located in the farthest reaches of the Eastern Fringe, a simple agri world, home to a modest 3 billion Imperial Citizens and 300’000 PDF troops. In most case, this should be plenty to hold of any force for sufficient time to allow re-enforcements to arrive. However, The Tau Empire plays a dirty game when it comes to invasions, and it is hard to defend a planet when the Command structure is half bought out by the diplomats of the Water Caste.

 

Carvonis II is the kind of planet which slips through the Administration, it is neither important, nor big, nor hiding an ancient and terrifying secret, so had it not been for Lt. Hellion of the PDF core force and the mere 300 loyalist troops who remained, who fought to a man against their own forces to allow for a final plea for help to be sent, the planet would have never been heard of again.

 

Yet that last ditch attempt for aid, that spear of hope which leapt into the night sky almost two years ago, was intercepted by a lone strike ship. Normally, a single ship would be helpless against an entire planet of xenos, but this was no ordinary ship. It was the cruiser Redemption, of the Night Guardians, refitted and re-armed, carrying Captain Rajek, of the 1st Company, and his 8 strong squad of marines, and no one liked a challenge like Captain Rajek.

 

How does that sound as a start?

[Skirax]

Make it up as you go along! It's how I started, now I have a plot formed and I'm fleshing it out as I go! See sig for details :P

[calgar101]

Haha Skirax you are a guy after my own heart. Although i too just make things up(with the occasional thought process) for a newby i would advise to plan some things out.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

To keep track of characters I generally have a character sketch of each of them (in text form; I'm not as good at drawing things as I'd like), varying in detail based on how central to the story they are. Joe Blow Guardsman may not even have one, because he dies when he's introduced; the protagonists will often have a pretty heavy paragraph, as will the main antagonists; the guys in the middle for sideplots have somewhere between those two levels.

 

I find it's easiest to keep track of such things by having a pretty solid idea of what's going on in the first place. Seems obvious, I know, but easy to mess up. Generally, to start a plot, I do the whole web brainstorm: start in the center with the basic idea I want to do a plot on. From there, I pick out basic facets of the story as they come to me. This process can take a while. After I've got it pretty well fleshed out and crisscrossed with lines of import and connection I'll go ahead and make it linear (i.e., an outline). From there, I will start writing, referring back to the character sketches and what I think the character is in my head to make sure they're acting rationally from their own perspective, that I've got all the details thus far correct, etc.

 

From rough draft onwards it's simply a process of refinement, I find.

 

And, as if this can be reiterated enough, research. I read more about 40k and discuss stuff about 40k at least every few days if not daily. This helps me refine my picture of the universe and discover anything else in my story (I take the Stephen King view in that a story is more discovered than created). In addition, I try to read stuff that doesn't include bolters and chainswords (or even lasguns and flak armor), which often provides inspiration as well. Keep paper and pen handy so you can knock out anything that comes to you before you forget it (I find this happens to me a lot if I don't write something down immediately).