It's a little strange to learn what I have is an actual 'condition', but probably helpful in the long run. I already established (as stated in my second post) that if I can just get beyond that initial bout of 'avoidance' the words will, more often than not, start flowing, if only for a short time. What I fail to understand, then, is that if I know this, why can't I keep on applying it? Anyway, thanks for those tips. I shall give them serious consideration.
This is just my opinion, but I think that writing should be a habit, not a job. Even if it pays the bills. I just started writing again after a very long hiatus and I faced some of the same challenges as you. What I did was just scheduled some time to write. I didn't set a duration or anything, just a starting time. Some times I would do a writing exercise, others I would fiddle around with an idea I had, but I tried to start writing at the same time every day. I was just trying to form the habit. With the habit firmly established you won't have to worry about things like worrying about if you'll keep at it, you just will. I can't promise you'll stay with the same project, but once a habit is formed you'll keep writing. Once the habit is formed it'll relax you and make you feel better to sit down and write every day.
I've been working on my first novel now for way over a year. I thought I was making good progress until recently.... I bought a number of "How To..." style books on a range of topics including grammar, punctuation, word usage and editing. Since starting to work my way through them, I've come to the realisation that I know next to nothing on what I should be taking on-board when working on my book. I find all this quite depressing, and it's making me doubt my ability to actually finish my novel. Has anyone else had similar experiences? How did you overcome it and get your mojo back? Sam
Hi Raven, Reading your post above, there's nothing wrong with your SPaG, so why would you want to seek help? As far as writing style, as has been said on many a different thread, it's your style that makes you the writer that YOU are. And there are planners and pantsers. How-to books are all well and good, as long as you take them with a pinch of salt.
Can you provide an example? I can't follow the "taking on-board" bit of your post? As @Shadowfax rightly points out, your SpaG looks perfectly fine.
To answer your questions, yes, once or twice I have doubted my caliber as an author. I got over it eventually. I simply edited what I thought was sucky. Easy enough. Just keep writing.
I've learnt more from getting to the end of writing a short story/novel/poem than I ever have from 'how to' books. They were useful at the start to point me in the right direction, but after a while they became repetitive and obstructive to actually writing my stories. Remember, they are not the answer, they are one of many tools available to help you write. Trust your own judgement and use them when you think they will assist you. I go back to mine sometimes when I'm stuck or bored or having trouble with a particular form, for example.
@Aaron DC Can you provide an example? I can't follow the "taking on-board" bit of your post? Just the basic stuff that I hadn't given much thought of prior to picking up these books: The whole show and tell thing Character development Voice / points of view Beats Thanks for acknowledging my SPaG, this is one of my stronger skills. Sam
Yeah it's nuts right? I am hitting the same thing over here. Beats is something I read about in Story by McKee, but need to go back and wrap my head around it. I have a bunch of new books to read for all the other bits and pieces. You'll see in another thread the opening line for my WIP is blank. I haven't even started. Coz I have ideas but am discovering as you have that I know nothing (John Snow) about the mechanics of writing; consciously. That may be the difference between our levels of depression, as I have not started and have nothing to rework or redo. So my hope is still up, and I love learning, and doing things "properly", so that's the order I am doing it. Despite all that, and no matter how badly you may feel you have put something together, if the story is good, it's good. Regardless of all that other stuff. How far into the novel are you?
I'm making reasonable progress. I have an outline of the whole book, including a few sub-plots drafted out, the main characters and their traits, a few scenes that I really want to include, the cover is done (rear cover could do with some more work), a synopsis of the book, several pages of scrawled notes of other ideas I may include, a reasonable draft of the first few chapters. I've set myself a deadline for the end of October to have it all done and edited (by me). Probably being over optimistic on the time frame, but still aiming for that date. I think the biggest hurdle at the moment is the perspective/voice that I want. I keep changing my outlook on a daily basis. I just need to sort this and just go for it.
Sounds like you have a solid foundation there. I am lucky (?) in that I have a full-time job and can afford to take my time with the learning and plotting and writing which will come later. Any reason for the deadline? POV is a tough one for me also.
@Aaron DC Any reason for the deadline? A few reasons: If I set a goal for myself (not just in writing, but also other aspects of life), I tend to stick to it. I have a small media campaign set up for just after this date, not meeting it would be hassle. I've already written and published several other books (all educational), which I set a deadline for and managed to meet. I'm already starting to get ideas for a follow up book, the sooner I get the first one done, the sooner I can make a start on that.
Sounds perfectly reasonable. Except the timeline Does that include beta reading or just draft and first edit?
I've managed to line up a few people to give it a final read. Should there be any minor issues, I can just update my manuscript behind the scenes. As I'm self-publishing, any minor issues take just a few clicks to correct.
The more the merrier! I've dropped you a PM regarding this. Thanks for all on this thread for your feedback, feeling a bit more comfortable with my own abilities.
A good how-to book should help you find your style and voice, not be a recipe for writing a book. I'm working through a book that is more fixated on getting me to understand the impact that different styles and word combinations can have. The idea being that I can find my own voice. In my opinion, if the book is only teaching you the framework of a book(ie it should be around 110k words etc) then I am not suprised you aren't feeling inspired. My advice would be to read a good book, watch a good movie or play a good game for inspiration. Nothing inspires me to write more than when I see someone elses work, or a genius sentence I wish I had written.
i think there is way too much bashing and negativity going on here. writers block isn't just because you do not have anything to write about. most of the time i get writers block is because i have too many ideas and need to sift through to find the best one. sure, write SOMETHING everyday i agree with that. Don't force yourself to continue writing the piece your stuck on if you can't think of something up to par with what your trying to accomplish. That's why were swimming in thousand page novels of garbage. One beautiful piece that you spent a lifetime working on is better than a stack of sh** you were pressured to pump out.
I (wrongly, I'm sure) refuse to write a single line until I have at least an idea in my head. If I have an idea, I'm happy to start and see where it takes me, but until then I refuse to even open a blank document. That's where I am since my last idea turned to diarrhoea.
In the middle of a manuscript I got mad writers block. Finally I looked back and saw that I had written everyone into a corner with no way in sight to get them out of it. After months of being frustrated, I decided to cut the last 3 chapters and use them for scrap. It was painful but after writing a "What If" Outline (Where you basically just go crazy on the keyboard'what if this happened, or that, or if he took this path instead?') I managed to re-write those 3 chapters and 2 more in only a few days. Maybe you need to take a look at your favorite 'bad idea' and turn it into your favorite GREAT idea! Good luck
That's not a bad idea. Do a crazy 'what if' page where you brainstorm any and all possible things that could happen in the story and see what happens.
I bought a little college ruled green notebook that's WIP-only -- no personal journaling, notetaking for class -- and I've been keeping it with me wherever I go. I'm reading a book or something in my Kindle, and something inspires me to write in the notebook. I don't have a daily count, and I'm still working out my characters, the plot, the story... even the year. So on some level all of it is brainstorming for me, but I've noticed that for me, everything I write comes from that place. I just splatter words and look at them later and decide if it's worthy of keeping. Most of it isn't. Just today I didn't have any "good ideas" but I had the will to write after a strong cup of green tea, and went at it. A new character emerged, who may never make it into the finished product. I guess if you set low standards for yourself you don't expect it to be good, but over time you look at it and find that some of it is.
I work on several projects. If I hit a wall in one book, I move to another. I have 3 total that I am working on, all part of a series. I also keep my inner editor in check with one cocktail (generally blood orange vodka and pineapple juice) for every hour and a half I write.
A while ago I started to write my first novel (which is about a large modern military force invading a fantasy world) since I thought that it will be an interesting and unique topic to write. I pushed myself forward and kept writing…until I found a Japanese comic series online (it is called Gate: Thus the JSDF fought there) which's very similar to my novel even though I had no idea of its existence until about a week ago. I am worried that people may see my work as a rip off so part of me want to stop wrting. On the other hand part of me want to keep writting since I am infuriated by the sexist art style and right wing Japanese ideology in the comics and part of me want like to come up with a better product than the comic series. What should I do?