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

What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

WriteMinded

Derailed
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
6,209
Reaction score
774
Location
Paradise Lost
My mind is a bag of clutter. The first chapter of a finished (so I thought) manuscript is clamoring to be fixed, but I'm not sure how to fix it without upping my overly high word count. My WIP is begging me to get the two different timelines down in an understandable sequence. There's also my troubles with getting a POV character right after just having written 143K in another POV. I never dreamed that would be hard, but it is. That's the writing part of my mind.

There's a whole lot of other stuff, unrelated to writing, bouncing around in there, too, and I only have so much room.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Todd Young

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 19, 2011
Messages
185
Reaction score
14
I'm in the middle of a 4 month block. I have a draft of a new novel, but just can't seem to sit down and work on it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

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 just started editing my last YA distopian, The Girl They Sold to the Moon. I'm at chapter 5 at the moment, and it's a struggle to keep me at it. I'm promoting my latest release, using a ton of time and energy, trying to keep those Amazon numbers where I like them--making sales.

My client and content writing has dried up so much that I'm making very little money at all now. Have a bunch saved, but it will be gone in a year or so. I'm depressed a lot. My agent has three of my best books out on the sub trail, and that gives me some amount of stress and anticipation.

Just very tired, lately.

tri (just going through one of those dips)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Nina_20

C.J. Eller
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
155
Reaction score
8
Location
Okinawa, Japan
My mind is on finding the will to finish. I keep going on and on about this but, it seems like I have been working on these novels for so long and still not done. I need to be done! :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

GFanthome

At the computer, opening a vein
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 7, 2011
Messages
506
Reaction score
15
Location
Canada
Website
bit.ly
When the *&@# am I going to get this damned novel published - LOL!
 

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
Messages
4,453
Reaction score
215
Location
supernebragilistic expialidocious
Right now, I have four novella's I'm currently revising. The roughs are done, and I'm juggling. I have to figure out which one is most important. Think I'll go with the contemporary, though I really really want to mess with the urban fantasy one instead.

LOL

I have a wealth of ideas springing up in my head all the time, so I'm trying to finish 2 of the the above wip's and get at least one of them subbed first before writing anything else longer than short story length aka <10,000k

Mom thinks I'll burn out... I call it conditioning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

cara

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Messages
116
Reaction score
4
Location
England
Just wondering if I'll be one of those writers that goes way over the word count...darn low word count MG novels!
 

EnitaMeadows

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 25, 2011
Messages
154
Reaction score
8
Location
Washington, USA
I'm trying my best to finish all my promised (to the publisher) work by my birthday (April 14) so that I can commit myself to a new project. I have two novels and two novellas to finish by then, and I have at least 98k words to go. I feel like I can make it, and I really want to. But at the same time, that leaves a good 4k to write on average each day. And then on top of that, there's doing the edits of the work that's already been accepted and is prepping for release. -headdesk- I guess, overall, I'm overwhelmed. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

owlion

Absorbing inspiration from the moon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
2,482
Reaction score
2,387
Location
United Kingdom
I want my 'finished' novel to go away... Maybe it can go sell itself to agents?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

ExplodingRunes

Registered
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
20
Reaction score
1
Location
Washington State
Website
explodingrunes6d6.blogspot.com
As self-published I am almost constantly trying to work on something so that I can get works out there at some form of consistency. (All of you who managed to get Agents, I'm so happy for you! That's so awesome!)

Currently I'm wondering if I may have jumped in a little too far. I have a major series that I'm working on, and like the 'brilliant' person I am, they are not being worked on in order (trying to fix that now though!) I'm currently working on a prequel (about 85% done with the writing portion), then I have finished the handwriting portion of something else, but that won't be published until at least 2 other books are done before it, then I have started the handwriting portion to that story's sequel. I have 3 others living in my head. Seems like quite a mess I've given myself. Hopefully I'll be able to sort through it all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

ClimbingMountains

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 23, 2011
Messages
79
Reaction score
3
Location
CT
What is on my mind currently about writing?

This is your character...not you. This is what you know, so write dammit! Or is it...allow that eager ink pen to pour your heart out?
--------------------------
I have a shitload of pain to write about and it hurts to open those wounds. I fidget in my seat, get up to make a cup of coffee, to return to my seat before my laptop.

All it takes is one word and the floodgates open. Here's a few: trickery, betrayal, hope.

But...eventually I gets the work done : )

Very therapeutic. Absolutely can't wait to complete my mcs story.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

BlossomQueen

Playing the Waiting Game
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
56
Reaction score
2
Location
All Over the Place
Outlining yet hesitating on the sequels. I love my first book and I have an entire universe I'm going to expand on in my head, but I feel like if I don't sell this book I'm going to get my hopes up about nothing. Not necessarily waste my time, because I don't think any time writing is a waste of time, but I don't want to funnel all my emotion into this one project only to have it not received well or not published at all.

Oh, and I should actually get off my butt (or stop procrastinating by looking at petty movie websites) and actually start writing said sequels. LOL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,373
Reaction score
521
Location
The Coffee Shop
Is this like a giant group therapy thread? :D Because it sort of feels that way.

I look at this book and I'm thinking of a ceramics project--in the messy middle, where you can just as well loathe the thing as love it. And I'm sure it will turn out good. I am. But all the work ahead is exhausting even to contemplate.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

soullesshuman

Through a Child's Eyes
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Messages
142
Reaction score
21
Location
A White Room
Website
eventideenvisions.blogspot.com
I'm so frustrated I could break my laptop with my rage, melt the pieces with my hate, and carve 'write' into my skin with the resulting molded knife.

I may have to just flip the table and begin rewriting my entire novel. Starting with a very thorough outline.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Silver-Midnight

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
4,910
Reaction score
279
Location
rising from the depths of a cup of coffee
I'm seriously considering taking a break from writing for a bit just to let my brain recharge. I've become so frustrated with it; I mean it's not even funny; I can't seem to really start anything now. I think I'll just read a bit, relax, and try to come back to the point where I enjoyed it again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

RLV

Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
12
Reaction score
2
Location
Fullerton, CA
Alright. I am going to jump on the "I'm so stressed out," writing train. So...what is on my mind about my writing??

I'm thinking, holy crap if I have to look at this manuscript one more time and complete anymore revisions/edits I am going to go absolutely crazy.

I'm thinking, is that damn agent ever going to get back to me about the sample chapters I sent. Or, why do I feel so completely confident about my work one moment, and the next, not so much.

I'm thinking...that's the problem. I just need to breathe, or maybe just drink... ha!;-)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

MoLoLu

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
540
Reaction score
47
I'm seriously considering taking a break from writing for a bit just to let my brain recharge. I've become so frustrated with it; I mean it's not even funny; I can't seem to really start anything now. I think I'll just read a bit, relax, and try to come back to the point where I enjoyed it again.

I can only advocate this, maybe even do it regularly. Allow your mind a chance to rest. I have a simmilar problem where I get fanatical about a story and, well, in the end always run into a brick wall.

Currently wondering what I need to do to make the plot compelling and worthy of something resembling a novel.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Coco82

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
393
Reaction score
11
Location
Olympia, WA
I'm working on a....scifi-ish novel (a mix of military & social scifi). I'm doing well, but am working on where to go from here. I'm not up against a brick wall, but I do am reaching a point where I need to untroduce some new characters & am wondering how best to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Ivi942

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
Messages
205
Reaction score
5
Location
Lithuania
I'm currently trying to write( well, doodle pages actually) some sort of short comic for a contest that's in two months. After two years of entering these types of contests, I'm still no good at shorts xD Though the one I'm writing right now is showing some promise... I just need to keep at it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

Guerrien

Fire Bad, Tree Pretty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 15, 2011
Messages
287
Reaction score
59
Location
England
Currently about 16,000 words into my second YA novel. First one got put to one side until I can figure out a way to make a plot with that few characters and locations actually interesting (four characters--maybe more like three and a half--in most of it, stuck in one place the entire time. Why did I think that would be easier?)

Already worried about the second act of this one. If it has enough meat. I think I'm just fretting. I outline first, and the synopsis looks fairly good. On paper, at least.

Got a giant university project due in relatively soon, though, so my brain's being eaten up by that, which is actually kind of a weird feeling. Usually, there's part of my brain constantly whirring through plot lines and characters and themes. Now it's just unnervingly quiet, or all about statistics--I think I saw tumbleweed the other day. Is this how non-writers feel the entire time?

...I don't like it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell

CrastersBabies

Burninator!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
5,641
Reaction score
666
Location
USA
Writing a sex scene here as well. I don't know how all you lovely erotica folks do it. (sigh)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gail Harrell