On Writing

Here's the thing - this whole blogging experiment which I have gone through several times and then quit when I got bored of it is more to get me to write more than to actually interact with people.
Do not get me wrong, it tickles my fancy to no end when I see that someone has actually taken the time out of their day to not only stop by and read what I have to say, but to comment on it in some way as well.
I've always fancied myself as being the creative type in some manner, but I have never been able to harness the power so to speak.  I generally have ideas floating around in my head but I always feel that it comes off horrible when I try to put it to paper.
I used to write a lot in high-school, short stories and what not. Then college I found myself taking some creative writing courses just so that I could write more.  I enjoyed them a lot but when they were done so was I.

This past Xmas (I know, it was so long ago) I found myself gifted with a Kindle Fire which has really started putting me back into the reading mood.  I have gone through 2 novels by C.S. Splitter, a collection of short stories by S.J. Moyer and A short story by Stephen King and am now working my way through The Dark Tower Part 7.

The more I read the more I have this desire to write which explains the frequency of which I update this little corner of my internet universe. However, what I would really like to do is get to the point where I can take the demons in my head and craft them into honest-to-goodness short stories to share with my friends (and potentially have them not suck).

So, I think that I'm going to have to start looking for books on the craft of writing.  I'd like to read about how others approach the idea of a story.  It has to start somewhere (that is after your original idea).  How do people do it though?  Do you map out your ideas in a time line?  Do you make a flow chart of different characters and idea's and plot devices and then just somehow connect them all?  Do you just sit down and type and see what comes out and then figure out a way to work it all together after the fact?

If anyone has any advice or can point me to something that they think would be a good read on the subject I'd love to hear about it.

Now, back to The Dark Tower so that Very Josie and Tricia Kristufek don't continue to brow beat me about not having finished it.  :)