In what order do you build up your ideas?

[Aines445]

Hmm.....I guess I start with this undevelopped plot for the beggining, then I create characters, then I make a developped plot, after that I develop the character psychologically, since the first time I create the characters, they're stereotypes or faint ideas, the actual backstory or developement sometimes comes to me in the middle of the story, so does the design. I literally have to place placeholders to progress with the story until I got a general idea of the design, same for names, they might be unamed for the whole story XD. Then I make the setting, how the world works (For some reason, the setting is the last thing that I think about) and all that. Then I just go and take out plot holes and such and hope that I don't forget it (Since I literally do all this in my head because I'm too lazy to write XD).

[Amorphous]

I want to make this cool thing happen in a story. How can I set up a story so that this thing will happen?

That pretty much sums up my entire process, at least the beginning. After that, I don't really care what order ideas come about, so long as I get to throw in that scene I had originally envisioned. Of course, I do the research needed to make sure I know how the scene is going to happen, and then create everything else just to get up to that climactic moment (...or if the scene is definitely NOT supposed to be the climax, then what happens after / before it becomes the story).

Usually, though, characters come before world, and themes tend to be saved for last (mainly because I don't know what message a story sends until I actually figure out what the story is).

For Invisible Paths, the plot came about entirely because I wanted to write a motorcycle accident, and the entire ghost thing kind of spiraled out of that.

[TheGuraGuraMan]

First get the basic idea and importants "checkpoints" in the story, then details come randomly while doing it.

[SHiNKiROU]

I come up with the setting and artistic vision first, until I can generate the plot from the current details of the setting. Artistic vision is the big picture of my work and some of the aspects are: genre, demographics, trope checklist and themes. Sometimes I define the artistic vision in terms of other works.

Then, I come up with the plot and characters. I plot by choosing endpoints and finding paths toward the endpoints. Sometimes I follow the philosophy of "The character serves the setting" and make a character IQ 125 because that is required to deliver the exposition. Art assets are developed concurrently. Worldbuilding is a neverending process but I know time management matters: Focus on the parts relevant to the plot.

[Greeny]

When I start up a project, I generally don't need to "start" with anything;

You see, every once in a while, a Lightbulb will appear above my head. I'll play with it for a while, and then just toss it into the Box.
When I decide to start up a project, I'll first examine the size of my Canvas: What skills do I have? What's my budget? Where can I get help?
Then, I just go rummaging around in the Box, or doing that will be what triggers wanting to start something, and I'll take out complete , ready-to-serve ideas for Characters, Setting, Theme and Plot.

And then I hammer down hard at those ideas until what's left is just the Core, or perhaps nothing more than a part of the Shell, all so that they'll both fit onto my Canvas and fit into each other.

Then I'll have a set of very limited elements, Chatacters, Setting, Theme and Plot, reduced to something rather vague, but fitting together nicely. And from there, I work on growing them out as a whole.

[HalYac17]

I normally come up with a very rough plot/setting first, which gives me rough ideas for characters, which give me more specific ideas for plot setting and so on. Basically the point I'm trying to make is, for me, they both come hand in hand and influence each other greatly. I mean, I even make last minute changes to the plot and characters of my work even while I'm coding it!

[Endorphin]

Hmmm... for me, things start pretty airy.
I normally have a scene in my head, which is usually inspired by music, or some flickering images which probably belong to a scene too.
But some stories find their inspiration in weird places--I think I found a number symbolism site and thus 1plus3 was created. :'D
^ In this cases, I normally mix it with old ideas and I accept that it'll become something completely different than I expected.
Since the scene comes with characters I "only" need to flesh them out and create the surrounding circumstances. In case that the scene isn't a key scene but rather gives of the feeing I want to archive I at least know what to keep in mind and still have the basic character traits right there.

And a lot of things just happen, I guess.
If you'd have told me 1plus3 would have become this one year ago, I wouldn't be able to see the connection.

- En.

[Semienigma]

Well, as I am working on my first game, I actually came up with the characters first, then the setting that they will be in. Then I thought up the story and finally the theme XD Kinda wacky there. Okay Theme is kind of thrown around loosely. I like making worlds so I actually have several games that would be out of the same setting planned.

[dramspringfeald]

I have near crippling ADHD so My ideas are kind of like a Roulette Wheel that when it hits a number it jumps to another wheel then another. Each wheel is an idea for a different game, Different character and Different Project all together. My room has 6 notepads each filled with 8 or 9 games as does my bathroom and my living room. They also have 1 or 2 clipboards and a lighter or two (for my pipe) (While I was writing this I was looking up Natural treatments. To no avail, I'll probably go back to Roleplaying and drawing while writing replies on here, and deciding whether or not to just get it over with and add Story to a random comic training comic I've been working on called Search for a Plot, It should be in my profile. that, WHILE I'm working on I'll jump to working on the code because I have STILL yet figured out Word Press. (any pointers would be WONDERFUL BTW) and probably update my facebook with VERY anti Religious posts alienating myself from more of my friends. Also I'm going to watch some movies on my laptop while watching the news and what ever the Thursday lineup is atm. Of course I could also go out to the garden with my tape recorder and spout off ideas for said comic I'm not wanting a plot for but whatever... I'm not kidding that's what my day is going to look like.)

OH! I also tend to write non-sequential and random orders usually requiring an Edit of my posts, storage, Writing or gaming. It also does not help that I remember about 85% of everything I do and in what order... usually.

[unknown5]

When I start up a project, I generally don't need to "start" with anything;

You see, every once in a while, a Lightbulb will appear above my head. I'll play with it for a while, and then just toss it into the Box.
When I decide to start up a project, I'll first examine the size of my Canvas: What skills do I have? What's my budget? Where can I get help?
Then, I just go rummaging around in the Box, or doing that will be what triggers wanting to start something, and I'll take out complete , ready-to-serve ideas for Characters, Setting, Theme and Plot.

And then I hammer down hard at those ideas until what's left is just the Core, or perhaps nothing more than a part of the Shell, all so that they'll both fit onto my Canvas and fit into each other.

Then I'll have a set of very limited elements, Chatacters, Setting, Theme and Plot, reduced to something rather vague, but fitting together nicely. And from there, I work on growing them out as a whole.

mee too.

[Boomsickle]

1.Theme- This is what i revolve the plot and the characters around.
2.Characters - I tend to create the character around the theme. To give me a better representation of what i want to happen in the story.
3.Flow Chart - A general plot of what i want to happen.
4.Start Writing.

I tend to create a few ideas and than i begin to doubt myself for days before i can set what i want to do. It's rather depressing.

[ShojiAmasawa]

Sometimes, I come up with an image (or see one online), then I get to thinking "I wonder what the story behind this picture is?" Then I have another addition to the Idea Box.

My current project started out about two years ago while listening to The Decemberists' song Why We Fight. At that point, it was just an idea for a setting I wanted to use. Skip to one night in late 2012. I felt like drawing a girl wearing thigh-high stockings. The next thing I knew, I just had to come up with a reason for why she was sitting on that sofa in a dominant position. And not only that, but what is her name, backstory, and personality? Why did I decide to draw her with a sword?!

That's how it works for me.

[Obscura]

I write short stories by the seat of my pants. I can also do this with longer things like books and screenplays, but it requires a lot of lost sleep, backtracking, and isn't healthy.

But in general, I like to:

Start with concept that keeps bugging me to do something with it.
Think of a scene I'd like to see, if any. Usually there are one or two that I'll build the story around.
Characters. There should be something likable about them. If they're unlikable, they should still be the kind of people whose Facebook updates I'd check.
Outline of shame.
Draft of shame.
Longer outline. Read it out loud to someone. Carefully calibrate how excited they are when I go over the story. Do they seem like they're doing me a favor, or that I'm doing them a favor? If it's the former, go back to an earlier step.
Embarrassing draft.
Less embarrassing draft.
Mildly embarrassing draft...
[fast forward to]
Something that only makes me lightly cringe.
Keep editing until I run out of time, whatever it is, and submit.

I always try to give myself a deadline.
No deadline? It will be a WIP. FOREVER.