How do you plan/start a book?!

[t+vaughn]

I too have been mulling over ideas for a novel. The same question has had me stumped for quite some time now; where do I start?? All of the ideas that I have read on this forum so far are great ones.

[moderntimes]

vaughn, I'd recommend that you simply start writing random chapters. You say you have various "ideas" for the novel. I have exactly the same before I actually begin writing the book. And sometimes I take each idea and turn it into a 2 or 3 chapter segment. I write that unconnected segment and do not try to start "Chapter One" at all. I've found that if I start "in medias res" I clear all the blocks in my head and can get moving. Later on, I will tie the various segments together as I am further along in the book's writing.

So take those ideas you're mulling over and simply write a few short chapters containing each set of ideas. Later, as you build up energy, you'll easily be able to connect those "independent" sections.

The primary idea here is to START WRITING! The longer you delay actually doing some writing, the more blocks you'll subconsciously set up in your mind.