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Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work
What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?
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I'm wondering whether or not I ought to skip over the first act & work from Act II to the end, so I don't get too bored? But... that kind of goes against the way my mind works. Yet, at the same time, I shouldn't be missing anything important. If anything, Act I is cemented too deep in my imagination, since I keep trying to overwrite so damn much & it seems like the only way to stop myself from wanting to do that is not know exactly what I'm doing...
Why is this one, singular, last major issue with my writing ability so much harder to figure out than the others were?
Why is this one, singular, last major issue with my writing ability so much harder to figure out than the others were?
My nagging inner voice is telling me I need to start on my next novel. I have tons of research materials waiting to be read.
The other part of my brain is say, "Whoa. You just turned in your final ms. for The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte yesterday. You deserve a weekend off."
I have no idea yet which voice will win.
The other part of my brain is say, "Whoa. You just turned in your final ms. for The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte yesterday. You deserve a weekend off."
I have no idea yet which voice will win.
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Well, I decided to take a little break from my writing to work on my plot. It was a good move for me. I've ironed out most of the problems that got me frustrated and stuck, and now I have a solid ending. I still have some pondering to do over some of the secondary character's roles, but I should have that sorted out before the weekend's over. Hopefully I'll have this thing finished by Thanksgiving. After that I'll have finals and I won't be able to do much for a while.
The second draft is DONE! As far as I know, all the holes in the chronology are filled. It's a complete book. Now to give it a couple read throughs to get it ready for beta readers (hint hint: I'm hiring!)
Good for you!!!
I've taken a break from my WIP because I had way too much stress at work and couldn't hack it for a while.
I'm also on my second draft, and it is KILLING me!
I feel like all the threads are there, I just have to tie them together. And it still sucks.
I need permission for my second draft to still suck. Otherwise I will never move on.
Also, what do you do when most of the people close to you don't believe in you and your work? What if none of them have read any of it and they still don't believe in it? Specifically a significant other... I mean, could it possibly be SO bad that people know it without even having to read it?
Good for you!!!
Also, what do you do when most of the people close to you don't believe in you and your work? What if none of them have read any of it and they still don't believe in it? Specifically a significant other... I mean, could it possibly be SO bad that people know it without even having to read it?
No one in real life reads my stuff. No one ion real life knows what my series is about. And it is okay. That's what this lovely forum is for.
I should amend this. My dad recently read an 800 word flash I did, but it had space and zombies in it.
Most stories sound either bland or a bit odd when you try to (casually) talk about them to somebody you know. If they're not a writer themselves, it'll likely sound all the more terrible to them - they aren't used to seeing the potential in ideas.
Remember - it's not what the story is about, so much as how you write it. Try summarising some famous novels and see (I often go with Stephen King's, as many of his ideas are quite basic when stripped to the bare bones).
One of the things about being a writer is that, until you hit success (and sometimes even afterwards), you'll likely be seen as a bit odd or flaky. People aren't neccessarily going to believe in your goals straight off. "I'm going to be a writer" is the adult equvialent of a small child announcing they're going to be an astronaut - it's possible, but a lot of people are going to doubt you. Let them.
I find the key is accepting writing is like anything else - the more you do it, the better you get. When I feel particularly down on my stuff, I take a deep breath and sit my butt back in my computer chair and write. Every word counts, and by getting moving I'm showing myself I have the persistence to be one of those who make it (even if from time to time I wobble).
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Oh my, well, it can suck for as many drafts as it takes. I don't really go through solid "draft" stages (I mean, I call the first draft done when I hit "the end," but after that it's just a big mess of revision) so I don't keep track of numbers, but I'd suspect my first novel went through maybe...seventeen drafts? Depending on how you count them? I dunno. Some double-digit number...
My second novel...I'm on another draft of it right now. I'd estimate about the ninth or so.
I really don't know. But after I do this one, I'll probably give it to another beta or two, after which I suspect more revision will be in order. Not because I'll intentionally hand them a crappy manuscript or anything, but because the betas always find revisions. I don't think my third novel will take that many, because I think I'm getting better at this. (I'm still on the first draft for that one.) But still, who knows...
It takes as many drafts as it takes, and there isn't anything wrong with that, particularly for a first novel.
No--if they haven't read it, they can't really know. (Well, I guess there could be exceptions, like "It's about a minnow who contemplates life in stream-of-consciousness Sanskrit" or something?)
What do you mean by not believing in it? I mean, if they're saying "you'll never make any money with this," they could be right. If they're saying "you're wasting time with this," that's really not up to them. If they're saying "this particular book won't be any good because it's your first novel" then you say "well, no, it's not great now, but I'm going to work on it until it is." If they're saying "this is a stupid idea" then you say "your FACE is a stupid idea" and shoot them with a marshmallow gun--cause, well, that's not really up to them either. If they don't like the idea, maybe it's not the book for them. Which is fine. No one likes everything.
Or if you just mean their eyes glaze over when you talk about your book...I think that's totally normal. I think talking about your book is kind of like talking about your dreams. In the moment, when you're actually reading it or experiencing the dream, it can be really exciting and interesting, but when you're trying to narrate to someone who hasn't experienced or read it, it's just a bunch of blahblahblah. I mean, *I* generally think summaries of books are boring. I hate reading synopses because I almost always get bored, even if the story is actually great. I'd rather just read the book, know what I mean?
Is your SO generally not supportive of your writing? I mean, if you say "you don't have to like my book, just please understand that this is something I want to do and be supportive of it" will they understand that? I mean, I wouldn't ask the SO to read it--I'd feel like I'm putting a tremendous obligation on them and I wouldn't want that. I'd just want SO to understand that it's important to me, is all. Can you get that far?
Granted. It will be provisionally granted for the third draft, too
I'm very protective of my work until it's done. I don't even tell many people I'm writing. Kind of makes things odd when I suddenly announce "Hey! My latest work is out!" when nobody knows I was working on anything. My exwife didn't care for my stories, and just gave me a "that's great, baby" whenever something of mine got published. I wish I had great encouraging words of wisdom, except to stick to your own guns. Better to have published something I know is my best despite the doubts of others than to try to please everyone else and always wonder if it could have been better.
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Having small fish in big pond syndrome. I mean, a big pond is nice and all, there's more room to swim and stretch my fins, see other fish doin stuff and think 'cool! I wanna do that too!' But... all the other fish are so much better than me. I thought I was good at stuff, and now I know I suck.
I wanna be 10 again. I was the best in my pond when I was 10.
I wanna be 10 again. I was the best in my pond when I was 10.
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Oh man, I was the smartest most promising fucking fish in the pond when I was about six. From there, it was a slow, steady decline...
Actually, things got sharply worse around puberty. Puberty, as I've said before, ruins everything.
I dunno if you suck or not, because your book is always Neverdone
, but I find it's better to compare yourself to krill. Krill are lewsers! ...I'm sure you're doing fine.
Oh man, I was the smartest most promising fucking fish in the pond when I was about six. From there, it was a slow, steady decline...
*raises fin tentatively* Can I join you in this corner of the pond?
It's been a long, hard life journey (god that sounds pretentious, but I honestly mean that about it being difficult, this fucked me up something royal in college) to make myself accept that it's okay just to be "good" at something instead of being OMG THE BEST EVER. Because my stoopid brain always insists on comparing myself to the most amazing people who ever amazinged, like I'll pick up an Octavia Butler and be all, "whyyyyy!!!! I am wooooorthlesssss writer poop I should just burn all my blargy words nooooow!" (Or I'll read Buz in SYW and go hide in a corner.
)I try to give myself permission to be a medium-sized fish and not let the fact that I'm not a sperm whale keep me from, like, pushing forward and whatever. But it's hard, because on one side there's self-doubt and on the other side there's Dunning-Kruger, and I don't want to be that person either. It's really hard to know where the line is to say, "It's okay if this isn't the greatest book ever written, because it's Good Enuff for me to put out there, and maybe other people will like it too."
Now that I'm in beta (*hugs betas really squishy tightly*) it's becoming more real that I'm going to put this Out There, and I ping pong between determination and self-doubt on pretty much a daily basis . . .
(ugh, I don't know if this post made sense *barfs words onto the Internet*)
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NO YOU'RE TOO SMART GO AWAY *claws at face in shame*
Well, look at it this way...the more you suck, the more you make other people feel good about themselves.
Naw, srsly, you're good. You don't have too much to worry about.
(Or I'll read Buz in SYW and go hide in a corner.
You want to read something of mine that sucks? It'll make you feelllll beeetttterrr
*snnrrk* sperm
Nothing is the greatest book ever written.
I liked yours
*poops on your barf*
You guys.... GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY CORNER OF THE POND!!! You're stinking up the place with your poop and barf and the krill are getting away and now i gotta go down the store and get some frozen krill before big daddy sperm *smirk* whale comes home and asks why his krill's not on the frickin table already and beats me with his 47 foot-
(Sorry everyone - things get weird pretty quick when Buz and Lisa get involved)
Meanwhile, back on the ranch...
I feel better now. mainly because i had some pie. my novel still sucks. and is still languishing in unfinishedness. but at least there's pie
(Sorry everyone - things get weird pretty quick when Buz and Lisa get involved)
Meanwhile, back on the ranch...
I feel better now. mainly because i had some pie. my novel still sucks. and is still languishing in unfinishedness. but at least there's pie
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony
It's like . . . a charitable contribution to the world?Well, look at it this way...the more you suck, the more you make other people feel good about themselves.
I always want to read something of yours. So, uh, don't offer if you don't want to follow up!You want to read something of mine that sucks? It'll make you feelllll beeetttterrr
That was just for you, Buz. I had a shark there first, since whales aren't actually fish and all. But I changed it. Fooooor yoooou. (And Kalli.
)aaaaaa stoppit stoppit! (*goes back to working on all the changes you suggested*) (erm, the fact that my betas like it does help though, because I respect you guys, so I can't poop on your good opinion the way I can on my own. If you guys hadn't liked it I'd probably bury the ms six feet down in the backyard. Except I'd need a backyard first. I guess I could bulldoze the building behind mine. But then I'd need a bulldozer . . . *note to self: acquire bulldozer just in case)I liked yours
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*poops and barfs some more*
Dildo?
See, when it comes to you, I just imagine the word "dildo" everywhere. Not sure why.
Yup, you're totally innocent.
Pie makes everything better. Krill pie? *ducks*I feel better now. mainly because i had some pie. my novel still sucks. and is still languishing in unfinishedness. but at least there's pie
To get back to what's on my mind about writing, here's what's on mine:
Whyyyyy am I such a slow editor???? (The answer isn't that I'm dicking around on AW instead of actually editing. That would be too easy. Shuddup.)
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I visited a pretty big bookstore (Waterstones) at my local shopping centre last week - haven't been to one in ages - and left feeling a little dejected. There were literally thousands of books, besides from having a promoted display, how is it possible to stand out from the crowd??
As a customer, I felt as if there were almost too many books to choose from, it was a little overwhelming!
As a customer, I felt as if there were almost too many books to choose from, it was a little overwhelming!
Actually, this should be encouraging to you (and to all of us). If all those different authors, with their varying writing styles, subject matter and, frankly, degrees of talent, can get published, then surely we can too!
Chin up!
I'm kind of down on my ability today. I learned I have been making an elementary mistake the entire time I have been writing. No one has ever (until I found you guys on AW) ever pointed it out. I've shared my work on other forums, won writing contests, been through college, did journalism, shared my work to another writer friend who's published, and NO ONE EVER SAID A WORD! Now, I not only have to fix it in my brain so I don't keep making it but in all the stuff I've written.
. I'll stop whining now.
. I'll stop whining now.
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