I have an entire universe planned out for a science fiction series of books I want to write. But the problem is: I don't write! I never had the patience to sit down and read entire books, either. I probably read like 5 or 6 fiction books cover-to-cover in my whole life. How do I start the writing process? I want this series to be so freaking huge and epic, and I want readers to be like, "Holy effing eff I could live inside this book it's so magnificently huge and excellent!" HELP MEHHHH!!

All Answers To Questions

Well, you can't write a book if you don't write. The only way to write a book is to sit down and start typing.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...just start and don't delete anything just pick the best and save the culls for the sequil.

I would recommend the book Stein on Writing by Sol Stein. Read it and you'll see you wheels start turning.

You are obviously interested, I mean, you have a dream. Now get off this Yahoo site and start putting your thoughts on paper. You can make an outline of your ideas and then detail them. Now GO!

Collect your thoughts in a presentable manner. If you can't get them on paper, draw them, make notes, an outline, or something. Take your something to any local colleges, post on craigslist, put up flyers in or around schools. Seek out a co-writer, perhaps an American Lit or Creative Writing student. Go to the department head or advisors and have them reccommend someone. Present your idea in an attractive way, see if you click with your potential writer. Meet a set amount of times a week, get your book written, published, email me and tell me thank you for the wonderful idea, pay me a very handsome royalty for the wisdon and inspiration to get you going and live happily after.

Your best bet is to start with drawing a special "macro" map of your universe or "galaxy." Then provide the vital stats on invidual sheets for your known "player" worlds & the alien race(s) for each. Next, get some postnotes and a big whiteboard... then lay out some of the "dynamics" involved in your first books. You're "character development" could also have its beginnings here. The important thing is to capture the readers' imaginations with your first paragraph and keep it throughout the first book... This first book needs to be your "signature" book so it is "all important." It is from this novel that the jumping board to your sequels will take life. You my want to bone up on certain common literary "devises" that will allow to keep the reader's attention. In short, when you consider your "storyline," will the reader be reluctant to put it down and anxious to resume at a later time when life allows renewed "escape" into your universe? If not, you'll fall into the vast wanna-be bestsellers that will never be... the competition is intense, so you must realize that little if anything at all should be familiar to the reader... you're gonna have to grab 'em by the proverbial "short 'n' curlies" from the "get go!" As you begin your novel's dialogue, keep in mind, that people want to be able suspend their "disbelief" so the prose that comes out of your characters' mouths should be believable & true-to-life, not in any way (ever) giving a sense of the "contrived" you're gonna have to ask yourself constantly if a dialogue is "true to form" or if it needs "tweeking." That's all I got to say>

well, my friend, it is not something that happens overnight. it will take a long time and you will need patience. and reading comes before writing. if you don't read there is no way you can ever be a writer. try starting with Stephen King's non-fiction book "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft". it's fantastic. He talks about how he got started, where he gets his ideas, and what he actually does on a daily basis. It's very inspirational. I am not a fan of his fiction work, but On Writing is great and it gave me a whole new respect for what that guy is about. It doesn't matter if you don't read books cover to cover. Take from them whatever you are able to get, as long as you use them in some way. Just as long as you read and write, you will progress towards your objective.