Hi all, I've written about 60 pages of two novels so far, and I feel a bit stuck on each one. I just keep getting new story ideas and writing short stories instead. I guess it's easier to start something new instead of reworking the stories I've written that seem so long already and tedious to manipulate and reorganize. How can I force myself to continue? Or should I just keep letting the creativity flow with all the short stories? I've started a blog recently to let my friends, colleagues and students read some of my work. Perhaps that may help. Does anyone have any tips for what I should focus on? I don't think (maybe I'm mistaken) that there's as much of a market for short stories as much as full novels. Am I right about this? Thanks!
if you WANT to finish those novels all you need is DISCIPLINE! that's what it all comes down to. if you keep letting your new undeveloped ideas distract yourself it's likely that you will never finish anything longer than a short story. maybe write down a sentence or two to catch the idea and then you go back to your novel. When it's ready, if you still think the ideas sound good, go for it. chances are you won't even feel the same about it now that the initial enthusiasm has gone.
Discipline, discipline, discipline. If you really want to make something of your novels, you need to feel it (as cheesy as that may sound). You need to have that hardened determination to not let yourself slip up and fall behind. It really helps if you set aside a certain amount of time daily to write, and then force yourself to sit there and write - even if nothing comes to mind. Working two novels at the same time may even be too much to handle for you at the moment, if you can hardly focus on them. I completely agree with what Tesoro said about jotting down new story ideas and then coming back to them later. If you hope to get anywhere with the novel(s) you're writing, you need to put all your focus and time into that project. If you really find yourself not being able to put all that time and effort into the novels, maybe short stories are your thing. It all depends on how you feel personally and what you seek to accomplish.
Discipline dude, discipline. I know exactly how you feel though, I used to have the same problem; I would start a novel, get around 50-60 pages in, and then I come up with a new idea. The novel would then basically get scrapped, and I'd start work on the next one. The one I'm working on now is 45 pages long, and what I decided to do is when I come up with a new idea, I just write it all down, and then leave it. That way, I have the idea ready to go when I finish the one I'm writing now. I hope that helps
When you started the novels, did you have the plot planned out, or are you writing more on the fly? If you are writing without a rigid plan/structure in place, it may be worth setting out a timeline for your novel so that at all times you know the next milestone of the story that you are working to get to. If you have got a plan in place, and still find you are losing interest, you probably need to set it aside and start something fresh. If it isn't holding your attention, it may not hold the readers either, and time away could give you a new perspective on it.
The most difficult part about a novel is the middle. It's not easy to write. I think many people give up after act I for this reason. I could link you to how to write act II if you wish.
I talked about this in my Craft of Fiction class in college. My teacher said that authors dont just write in a linear sense. You can write the first sixty pages and then jump to the last 60 if you are stuck. write the part of the books you want to and then naturally it will be easier to write through the hard parts.
Yeah, unfortunately the market for short stories seems pretty slim. Unless I guess you have had some type of success already. But if you enjoy writing them, do it. Even if for yourself. I've written a few over the last year, for the first time ever, and it's been a grand experience.
