Michael Diamond

Yes.

The first story I really invested my time and energy into, was based on characters from some of my tabletop gaming experiences. I began writing that series between my 8th and 9th grade years in school. I kept it in a large purple spiral, which became tattered and worn over the months I scribbled into it.

The characters were caught up in illegal activities, in hopes of getting enough money to pay the people they owed. Sadly, I lost the spiral near the end of 9th grade when someone broke into my locker and dumped all the contents of it as part of a prank. It was a big loss for me and I almost didn't go back to writing because of the pain.

I start with a basic idea. An inception point where the rest of the story will circle around. After that I usually let the idea roll around for a day or so, and I make notes. The big reason I do this is to make sure an idea is worth the time I could invest in it. Not all of my ideas are worth that time, and it took me time to understand that.

Once I come to the point where I commit to writing a story, I sit down and outline it from beginning to end. I need the structure that an outline provides me, because as a writer, 've found its easy to get off the path once the feel of a piece hits me.