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What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

Tepelus

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Will I ever finish this thing? The more I write, the longer it gets, and my idea for a trilogy is looking more and more like a series instead. But until I finish it, I won't know. Will I ever finish this thing?
 
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Elwolf

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Well, right now, I'm not sure. I have a maybe outline. But, the only problem is, I have never outlined before. Honestly. I have written a few books--none published, since I haven't looked around--and I have never outlined. To say the least, the outlining helps immensely, but I am sort of stuck on the story. It doesn't flow the way I wish it would, and now I am having trouble with it. There are places that I need to fix, and parts that I need to add. It's driving me insane! And I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I have to fix it right then, or I can't move on.

So, yeah, that's where I am, and what's on my mind. Now, all I'm doing is writing stuff and hoping that some of it will give me good ideas. Thankfully, I have the story pretty much worked out, and I like it, I just am having problems getting it on the page the way I want it to be. It always comes out differently on the page than it does in my head. It's maddening. Sigh. But, I shall get through this. Maybe.
 
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Isilya

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Will there ever be an end to the research? Will this story ever congeal? Will the holes go away?
I hope so.
 
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WriteMinded

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Will I ever finish this thing? The more I write, the longer it gets, and my idea for a trilogy is looking more and more like a series instead. But until I finish it, I won't know. Will I ever finish this thing?
I relate. I sympathize. I understand. :Hug2:
 
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Zelenka

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Trying to figure out how to make my character 'zing' a bit more without going over the top with flaws and quirks. Trouble is he's fairly reserved and quiet, which isn't really helping...
 
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robjvargas

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I'm struggling with less and more. The work's too long at 150,000 words. I'm in a rewrite that looks good for getting under 120K. But something's missing from the characters. I read the first version, and I see it there, too.

So I'm balancing less and more. And more or less failing. :D

So far.
 
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Leanna

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Trying to decide whether to temporarily trunk this odd amalgamation of genres (a memoir that reads more like a fantasy) and instead write my second book - the account of my adventures in India similar to Three Cups of Tea.

Reason: It's very important that the other one be successful, but I really don't care if the one on India goes far and wide, and I understand it's harder to get recognition on your debut book than if you've published something already...
 
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Cannelle

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I could get so much more writing done if I weren't wasting my time memorizing the grand Things I Will Never Use for my biology class...and if these people who live in my house would stop wanting selfish things like food and clean clothes and a house that doesn't look like something off of Hoarders.
 
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joeyc

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I think I'm at the point where my mind is going full on negative.

At first, my mind was going "This novel is awesome! It's going to be huge and the best thing ever!"

Now, my mind is going "This novel is terrible and the worst thing you've written. This one story arc needs work and your writing style sucks."

Maybe it's time for a break.
 

ExplodingRunes

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I keep wanting this prequel to be done so I can get it out of my head. I feel like I've been working on it forever and that it should have been done in December like I had wanted.

I also wonder if I'm going way over my head since I have about five other books either in progress or in my head. Such is the way of a series I suppose.
 

AutumnWrite

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At first, my mind was going "This novel is awesome! It's going to be huge and the best thing ever!"

Now, my mind is going "This novel is terrible and the worst thing you've written. This one story arc needs work and your writing style sucks."

I can relate, on a scale of 1-10, ten being "this is great" I'm somewhere around a 2 today. Sometimes looking at good writing by others makes me feel hopeless.

A break sounds good, problem is, I'm too obsessed to stop.
 

flapperphilosopher

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I think I'm at the point where my mind is going full on negative.

At first, my mind was going "This novel is awesome! It's going to be huge and the best thing ever!"

Now, my mind is going "This novel is terrible and the worst thing you've written. This one story arc needs work and your writing style sucks."

Maybe it's time for a break.

Ah, yes, that point is fun. While I was working on my novel I was totally like, YEAH, IT'S AWESOME, I'M AWESOME!!... then I put it away for a bit and the writer's depression kicked in. I couldn't even look at it for a couple months-- I'd read a page and fall into despair about how short it fell of my expectations, how it really wasn't awesome at all. At some point I got over that (I don't know how, it just clicked over one day) and got more realistic, thinking yes, it is good, some of it is very good, but it does need a bit more work. So I embarked on a final round of work on it and I love it again. Remember why you believe in it and why you feel it's important to write it, and soon you'll be 'on again''. :)

As for me.... welllll, I am halfway through this final revision, which isn't oh so very major but is making it MUCH better... some scenes needed a bit more tension, a couple had to be cut because they were too tangential (very importat to be aware of in a short novel like mine!), a couple needed to be exanded for their full potential... plus I've been re-typing even the scenes that are pretty fine, making sure every line is okay. A few kinda sucked, hehe. I want to be done (it's been over a year now, and over 250,000 words written total! [despite the novel itself only being about 54,000]) but I also want it to be the best it can be, and I can't seem to start anything else till this is done. Almost...!
 

ExplodingRunes

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Yeeeaaahhh I hear that.

I'm working on a prequel and it has been brought to my attention that I'll have to re-read my first book in order to make sure there aren't any continuity errors, and I am dreading every single minute of it because I don't want to find some glaring error, or learn that it is absolute trash. *sigh*
 

MoLoLu

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:gaah nuff said.

Oh dear, my sympathy. I think we all know the feeling.

For me: Gtting time off writing and speeding into a big story scene tomorrow. Can't wait. I will suspend all suspension of disbelief =X
 

Silver-Midnight

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Well, because I spent a lot of energy worrying about my writing, I think I've gotten Writer's Block again. What makes it worse? I can't remember how I got rid of it the last time. And my Writer's Block is on two levels: one level from a somewhat lack of ideas--I still get some, not many and the other, my inner critic, who prevents me from getting past a few hundred words and then prevents me from saving what I do write.

EDIT: Another reason why I think that this happened was because I've been trying to write in a different genre, just to see if I would like it better or as much as my first genre. So, that has been another worry that came along with it. And so now, I don't know what I want to write although I do feel like writing; I just can't figure out what.

And I would try using a plot generator to see if I could think up anything, but I'm quite sure I'd just end up deleting it. On top of that, I'm trying to prevent myself from relying on generators too much if I could. I still like them, but I don't want to get dependent on them.

Ack! I don't know what to do.
 
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ExplodingRunes

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Well, because I spent a lot of energy worrying about my writing, I think I've gotten Writer's Block again. What makes it worse? I can't remember how I got rid of it the last time. And my Writer's Block is on two levels: one level from a somewhat lack of ideas--I still get some, not many and the other, my inner critic, who prevents me from getting past a few hundred words and then prevents me from saving what I do write.

EDIT: Another reason why I think that this happened was because I've been trying to write in a different genre, just to see if I would like it better or as much as my first genre. So, that has been another worry that came along with it. And so now, I don't know what I want to write although I do feel like writing; I just can't figure out what.

And I would try using a plot generator to see if I could think up anything, but I'm quite sure I'd just end up deleting it. On top of that, I'm trying to prevent myself from relying on generators too much if I could. I still like them, but I don't want to get dependent on them.

Ack! I don't know what to do.

Keep at it! Sometimes writer's block is caused because you just need a break to let the ideas marinate. I totally understand trying a new genre, and that can seem intimidating and overwhelming as well.

No matter what, don't stop writing. Maybe try something something short or even unrelated to your current work, possibly in your normal genre to let you write something you're mot comfortable with, then hop back over to your major work.

I wish you good luck, just don't stop!
 

Nick Rolynd

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What's on my mind about writing?

-sigh- Right now?

Well, I need to get one of my novels started because I've been writing too much short fiction lately. Secondly, I'm desperately trying to get donations for my summer abroad at Cambridge, and I've gotten a couple so far, but I still have a long way to go...See, I pledged to write 100 words in dedication of every dollar received, but only a few people seem to think that's an adequate "reward." Unfortunately, I'm not sure what else to offer...

Anyway, in terms of my short fiction, I've started working on a piece to submit to an anthology contest, and I'm constantly worried the final product just won't be up to par. So I haven't actually written it yet because I refuse to force myself to write something I consider this important. I'll write it when I feel like it, else it won't be of optimal quality. Though there is the deadline to be concerned with, of course.
 

Rosethorn

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Hi everyone :)

I have two things on my mind about writing right now.

First, is my flash short for a contest I was writing. I got some positive feedback, but I'm still doubting whether I should submit it or not.

The other thing is my urban fantasy novel. I've got an editing partner - I'm reading through hers and offering critique and she's doing the same. We've only exchanged one chapter, but I think it went well so far. I'm working on editing and rewrites deeper in the book and I feel really good about the story I'm telling.

That's about it!
 

Silver-Midnight

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Keep at it! Sometimes writer's block is caused because you just need a break to let the ideas marinate. I totally understand trying a new genre, and that can seem intimidating and overwhelming as well.

No matter what, don't stop writing. Maybe try something something short or even unrelated to your current work, possibly in your normal genre to let you write something you're mot comfortable with, then hop back over to your major work.

I wish you good luck, just don't stop!

Thanks! Do you think writing a short for the genre I want to switch to will help?
 

fredXgeorge

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Thanks! Do you think writing a short for the genre I want to switch to will help?
There's absolutely no harm in trying. For some people, writing short stories does not work at all. For others, it does. It might be exactly what you need to kick start your writing again. Or, the answer could be taking a break for a while and coming back to it fresh and ready. I know sometimes I get burnt out and if I leave it for a few days or up to a couple of weeks, when I come back the words fly out of me and I enjoy it much more than if I forced myself earlier. I'd say if you are considering writing a short, try it and see how you go.
 

Undercover

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I'm in the revising stage and I'm having a really hard time with it. I am so damn sick of looking at it. It's got 25 chapters and I'm only on chapter 5. I went from loving it to this sucks mode.

I have two with an agent and the process is slow as expected. I just want everything done yesterday and it's not working...obviously. Don't get me wrong, I love writing, but there are a lot of stages in the writing process that's just a drag big time.
 

catian

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Writing makes me think.
And one of the best thinking I have was from writing.
I am always thinking how do I achieve originality in my stories and develop my own unique style.
It is unsatiable.
One of the reasons I enjoy writing is because it makes think about things and make me questions things otherwise I would never come across.
Hence the beauty of words language and literature.
 
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Shadow_Ferret

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What's on my mind about my writing? Well a lot. I can't seem to stop thinking about writing. Sometimes it sucks thinking about it so much and writing too on top of it! ha!
I don't think about writing. Honest. I either write or I'm doing something else: reading, watching television, listening to old time radio dramas, doing something with/for my kids and family, working.
Anyway, your turn...

What's on your mind about your writing?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
 

Chazevelt

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What's on my mind is trying to surgically remove enough from my finished story to bring a 467,000 word count down to something an editor or agent would actually consider. Ahh, the agony!