Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsunami
[...]edit: with regard to the last question, I'd be inclined to go with the first approach. As I'm a software engineer by education and work, I have a feeling that designing and writing a story would (should?) be similar to designing and writing a computer program. Stating what you want, dividing into objects, tasks and subtasks, and so on...
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+1 for crich70 said: "First and foremost write it because you can't not write it."
As for how you do it: I'd say start and see what works. I, too, am a software developer so I do know about planning projects - but that doesn't work very well for my writing, I don't really know why. On the other hand, detailed planning is what works best for some. You'll only know which is for you once you sit down and try.
So sit down and start with the bits that are in your head and see where that takes you. You can write the lead-up bits later if they turn out to be necessary - you may find they aren't. (I can't remember who said it, but there's a quote to the effect that: there's nothing wrong with most first novels that dropping the first three or four chapters wouldn't fix.)
Write, and worry about the details of language later. You can get help with that if/when it comes time to share the result.
I think that once you sit down and make the start you will find that either the process "grabs you" and won't let go, and you can join the rest of us that write because it is compulsive. Or, you will get it out of your system and not decide that it's not for you.