• Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work

What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
I've been brainstorming ways to plot. The way I've figured it out is: First I write a premise sentence or statement of objective, Brainstorm 15 major points in the plot, and then Write down an ending for each major point in the plot.
 

Almondjoy

Keep moving forward <3
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 24, 2012
Messages
243
Reaction score
21
Location
In my magical muse
I've been thinking about if it's actually worth writing. I don't know if I'm good, and I don't know where it'll take me, and I don't know if I'll ever get better.
 

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
15,472
Reaction score
767
Location
Missouri
I've been cutting words like crazy. I'm not terribly wordy, but I do find a lot I can cut out. Hopefully I'll get my book down to an acceptable word count.
 

triceretops

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
14,060
Reaction score
2,755
Location
In a van down by the river
Website
guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com
I've been thinking about if it's actually worth writing. I don't know if I'm good, and I don't know where it'll take me, and I don't know if I'll ever get better.

You'll know better when you come to the end. And you'll be better when you get to the end, and it will take you on a worthwhile journey which you will begin to enjoy. You haven't caught the fever yet. But you will. Push on. And remember your eyes are the wrong eyes for how good it is. It looks much different from other reader's perspectives.

tri
 

phantasy

I write weird stories.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Messages
1,895
Reaction score
259
Location
The Moon
I've been thinking about if it's actually worth writing. I don't know if I'm good, and I don't know where it'll take me, and I don't know if I'll ever get better.

I feel the same. That's why getting people to read some of it is so needed. I also am not sure if what I'm saying makes any sense. I always feel like I forgot something.
 

janischa

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
160
Reaction score
15
I've been thinking about if it's actually worth writing. I don't know if I'm good, and I don't know where it'll take me, and I don't know if I'll ever get better.

I often ask myself the exact same questions and I think most writers do.... but here's the thing, if you keep finding yourself doing new attempts at writing time and time again (even if there are lapses of years in between), it may be a sign that you need to take your writing seriously. Join a writersgroup... they're worth gold! Make writers friends... they're gold too!

Writing is hard, but sometimes you just need to keep your eyes on that one short term goal: finishing draft x. If people were to know that to write a book, you won't simply first need to write one book, but multiple of them, most people would already give up... But you need to take it step by step. Finish that one draft first. Then put it aside for months; read other work and then look back at your own work. You'll see ways to improve it... and that my dear, is a miracle in itself.... just the mere fact that you see how you yourself can do better means nothing less than that you've made one step to becoming a better writer!

Good luck!! don't give up!
 

JustSarah

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2012
Messages
1,980
Reaction score
35
Website
about.me
I've been toying around with a different way of looking at word count. Instead of having my manuscript having to meet a certain amount of words, word count could be considered the manuscripts budget.

You have a specific amount of words to spend, my typical word budget might be 100,000 words. But if I can tell the same story in 84,000, great! A lot of my issue with me only being able to get to 4,000 words is, I gave my stories an ultra low word budget.
 

KawaiiTimes

Sentient Being
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
185
Reaction score
7
Location
Oregon
Website
www.KawaiiTimes.wordpress.com
I got an order through my author site for a signed copy of my book today - ordered by my dad. I haven't seen him in over a decade. We haven't spoken on the phone in years, and can't even e-mail back and forth without running across serious disagreements.

So... not sure how I feel about that.
 

Maze Runner

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 11, 2012
Messages
5,489
Reaction score
609
I got an order through my author site for a signed copy of my book today - ordered by my dad. I haven't seen him in over a decade. We haven't spoken on the phone in years, and can't even e-mail back and forth without running across serious disagreements.

So... not sure how I feel about that.

Interesting, to say the least.
 

Sam Argent

Rygel XVI
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
828
Reaction score
70
KawaiiTimes, that is a complicated situation and I hope you figure out how you want to handle it.

It will be a few more weeks before I finish my fairy tale stories and then I go back to editing wip1. The final changes were making my eyes bleed so I trunked it for a couple months, and I'm nervous about working on it again.
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
That's awful, Kawaii. I don't know from experience how awkward that is but I can imagine it's quite so. I hope you can work that out.
 

KawaiiTimes

Sentient Being
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
185
Reaction score
7
Location
Oregon
Website
www.KawaiiTimes.wordpress.com
Thanks guys. I know it'll work itself out one way or another. My work is out there for anyone to find, and maybe it's a way for him to try to connect with me without the back-and-forth. /shrugs.

I have the next week off of my day job to focus on finishing my wip. I plan on hitting it hard tomorrow - just have to figure out where the story needs to go to get from point X to point Z.
 

WendyN

8-armed cyborg tree
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
1,904
Reaction score
181
Location
in the mountain's shadow
Trying NOT to think about writing stuff (and failing!). My latest draft is complete, my story is out to my current beta readers, and I've promised myself I won't open the file again until the new year
 

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
15,472
Reaction score
767
Location
Missouri
I'm wondering if I'll ever manage to commit to another idea. I've had two ideas that I've worked on for the last eight years. If I want to make a career out of this, I'll need to come up with more. I can think of plenty ideas, but I can't choose. So frustrating.
 

kkbe

Huh.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
5,773
Reaction score
1,687
Location
Left of center
Website
kkelliewriteme.wordpress.com
Slow going but every time I get back to my little Albert, I remember how much I love the kid. He's so sweet. As for my other stuff, it's out there, still waiting to hear something. I may be s.o.l., I don't know.
 

EMaree

a demon for tea
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Messages
4,655
Reaction score
839
Location
Scotland
Website
www.emmamaree.com
I've got a 13-page editorial letter from the local Art Council to process, which has just arrived. Deadline for agent revisions is January. I can't bring myself to read the editorial notes because I'm afraid I won't have time to revise as much as this story needs.
 

WriteMinded

Derailed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
6,209
Reaction score
775
Location
Paradise Lost
I got an order through my author site for a signed copy of my book today - ordered by my dad. I haven't seen him in over a decade. We haven't spoken on the phone in years, and can't even e-mail back and forth without running across serious disagreements.

So... not sure how I feel about that.
Lucky you. Both my parents are gone, so I'll never get to decide how I feel about one of them purchasing my book.
 

triceretops

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
14,060
Reaction score
2,755
Location
In a van down by the river
Website
guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com
Lucky you. Both my parents are gone, so I'll never get to decide how I feel about one of them purchasing my book.

Mine are too. They would be proud, I'm sure. My family is very, very small and none of them read. I think that's why my sales were always low from the beginning. I had to kick start any interest.

I'm forging ahead right now on my second Planet Janitor book, trying to make this into a true sequel. The regular doubts and apprehensions are attacking me full force. I need my publisher to give me some plot direction at this 5,000-word mark. He's the one that championed this afterall.

tri
 

KawaiiTimes

Sentient Being
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
185
Reaction score
7
Location
Oregon
Website
www.KawaiiTimes.wordpress.com
Lucky you. Both my parents are gone, so I'll never get to decide how I feel about one of them purchasing my book.

It is unfair that those who love their parents lose them, and those who have suffered abuse & neglect have to continue to navigate life with them.

I am truly sorry for your loss.
 

WordCount

You don't have coffee? Go away.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
707
Reaction score
52
Location
Charlottesville, VA
I've been wondering about why I chose to set this mystery in the fifties. Makes the dialog much harder to write, given I come from today's slang and such. It's definitely a more challenging piece in dialog, but I find it coming together much better than anything else I've ever written.

I've been wondering if my villain is too cliche.

I've been wondering why this SF piece won't come together like the hardboiled mystery piece.

And most importantly, I've been wondering how to balance my time practicing for symphony and writing at the same time. :D

Maybe I'll just practice another day...
 
Last edited:

HapiSofi

Hagiographically Advantaged
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
2,093
Reaction score
676
What I'm thinking is that "What's on your mind?" isn't a basic writing question, and tossing every subject together like this means other writers won't be able to find whatever information is being exchanged.

Maybe we should consider wrapping this up sometime soon?