I'm curious what some of you do before writing a book? How much preparation do you lay out before you start writing?

I've heard of authors doing all kinds of sketches about their characters, even finding clipouts in magazines to represent the characters, and so forth.

I have about 7,000 words laying out the events and actions of the story, enough that I should easily fill 90,000+ words. The emotion and character development I figure I can do along the way. It'll be easier that way, I think.

Now the actual book happened when I decided to sit down and write a character based story. It very literally started as the story of three guys walking into the woods. It was kind of cool, and I thought it could go places. So I wrote an outline, and pitifully worked on it and abandoned it pretty much in the first year. I took that time to read a lot about writing, both of Orson Scott Cards books on the subject, the World Building book thats edited by Ben Bova, and this other, like Everything there is to know about writing a novel. Then I came back to it when I felt passionate about it. (And other people were like, "Wow, you're writing a book!")

The characters I based on three friends of mine, so it was easy to visualize them and give them a voice... Though it was my interpretation of them experiencing these events, so they became their own characters. A friend of mine who is proofing the book for me has done a few sketches, I've not been completely pleased with the people, but he has drawn some incredible vehicle sketches that gave me some great ideas. Some of them only got hinted at in this book, but I gotta revisit the Hatchetball concept in the second, it's too good... Anyway, I'm off my rant.

She is a mystery writer, not a sci-fi or fantasy writer, but I believe all of her method applies. (Although setting is more challenging.)

The thing I like most about it is that it is straight forward, and it does not go overboard on things like character development - however, it does not skimp on it, either.

I have used her basic approach in preparation of several works, and I know of others who have made progress using it, too.

As for method...well, I'm all over the charts there, too, a real chameleon as far as writing methods go. I've done lengthy note-writing and outlining, and also flown without guidance while keeping my notes in my head. My current novel attempt, for example, hovers at seventy-five thousand words right now, but which I only know what will happen about two chapters ahead.

With an importnat character, I have his/her whole life history in my head - parents, childhood, friends, the little things that may have happened to them in their past. I may not always use it, but they are there if I need them, and it can help to sturcture their personality.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- the only rule of writing is this: A WRITER MUST FIND HIS OWN WAY.

Here's my advice.

Since you've done some work already, spend a day or two writing down everything you know about the story, then organize it.

Then start writing. Tell yourself you're going to write X-amount of pages a day, and do it.

One of two things will happen -- you'll either write until you finish it, or you won't.

If you write until you've finished it, good job! You've either discovered the way you write novels, or you just got lucky.

If you don't finish it, then stop, take a few days off, then go for long walks and try to figure out why you stopped.

You might realize that you need to have more of a map. If that's the case, then work on an outline.

You might decide that your story isn't very strong. If that's the case, then read a book or two on plot and storytelling.

Chances are, you won't be able to figure it out -- at least not right away. If that's the case, put your half-finished novel on the shelf and start on a new project. Maybe a short story or ten.

But keep writing.

Because the only way to find your own way in the writing gig is by writing until your fingers break.

I have yet to finish a novel. I quit writing for a year because I was so frustrated with it. After a year away from the keyboard, I finally started to see some of my mistakes. One was that I thought I was ready to write novels before mastering the short story. I won't say that everyone needs to write short fiction before writing novels, but I do.

I dont like ploting but I see it's use. I'll still just sit, I think, and pound out what is happening in my head, then revise it, using a outline then. I write better in an unstuctured and unpushed/unforced enviroment.