I don't even wanna try getting up there - I wandered into level 2 by accident and got lost today. I can only imagine the chaos all those floors would bring.
I got B Arts in Communications (Writing and Cultural Studies)/ B Law @ UTS! My first choice, but I very nearly did your course, though! Congrats to all!
I just start writing with a bit of a foggy idea of a character in mind, and as I go along, I change things, refine it, and give them their own distinctly different personalities. It's sorta difficult to explain... I generally come up with a storyline first, though.
Interview people involved in your life experiences and transcript the interviews. We asked our teacher the same qquestion when I first started the class - she said to concentrate on things most people take for granted, like the way people talk and that sort of thing.