The Way to Begin: Get your story out of your head

The Way To Begin is a concise, revealing guide to getting that story idea out of your head and onto paper or screen. It's a small book with a big, focused purpose -- to get your story's first words out of your head and on to paper or screen. Ideas are easy, words are hard, especially for beginning and new writers. The approach begins with an overview of why 'beginning' can be difficult for writers of any level, the difference between a story idea and a story, explains the key factors in story and character development, explains the formula writers can follow to understand the story they're trying to create, and reveals how to elevate creative writing to author-worthy prose.

Michael W. Harkins is an author, screenwriter, artist, and occasional media consultant. His 2016 book, Move to Fire - A family's tragedy, a lone attorney, and a teenager's victory over a corrupt gunmaker, was the culmination of a ten-year project documenting the true story of a boy accidentally shot and paralyzed by a defective gun, and the attorney who won a $25,000,000 product liability judgment for the boy a decade later. The book received acclaim in 2016 as one of only nine independently published nonfiction titles to receive a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which also included the title on its 2016 Independent All Stars list. It has been optioned and is in development as a feature film.In 2023, an interview he wrote for his online magazine Story and Pictures (michaelwharkins.com) was also made available through Amazon. If Steve Then Steph, an exclusive, in-depth profile of Steve Jobs personal producer of 30 years, spent several weeks as an Amazon New No. 1 Top Seller.During his 40-year creative career his work has appeared in Real Simple magazine, Thrice Fiction magazine, and business publications. His commentary has aired on NPR's All Things Considered (Mom's Voice), and his music industry work included concert and video production for dozens of performing and recording artists including Journey, Bruce Springsteen, the Police, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, and Prince.He is a former adult literacy tutor, wildlife organization volunteer, and veteran of the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division.