My first blog entry, and certainly not the last of its kind. I'm basically writing a set of blogs over the coming months detailing my personal struggle as I slug my way through a novel that I'm writing.
Why post a blog then, Bluemouth?
Because I've observed many comments from people stating they have trouble finishing a novel. It happens to everybody - the writer's block, the sheer laziness to even start writing, and then there's the occasional slip in confidence. These factors can often build up to ruin a person's chance at finishing their novel. It is my aim with these blogs to help aspring authors achieve their maximum potential and get that first draft out of the mind and onto the page.
If anyone reads this and they pick up on a tip I may have left (even accidentally) then this will all be worth it.
So, this counts as my first entry. To update on my progress:
I'm writing a sci-fi/horror novel that I don't intend to be exceptionally long. A very vague plot outline can be this: the main character, Elliot, dies suddenly one morning only to find himself coming back to life on another planet. Elliot finds himself in the middle of the Still Plains, a place where there is no wind, no sound, only complete, perfect silence. There is electric-blue light radiating down from above, creating a shiny gloss across the savanna vegetation that stretches for miles into the distance. Elliot meets with other humans, only to discover that everyone on this planet has died on Earth and, amongst a diverse range of extinct wildlife that roam the wilderness as they once did Earth, Elliot begins to unravel the mysteries of why these humans have come back to life, and the eerie truth about what is really going on in the universe.
There, it's a basic plotline. You may care for it, you may not. That is besides the point. The key thing once I had this idea down was start writing, which I managed to do. The first page is often the hardest, and then the excitement of a new story helps everything flow along nicely. I'm into Chapter 1, after completing a prologue, and sit at 3,765 words. I've been extremely slack over the past week and really haven't added much to the draft, which is disappointing considering I'm full of ideas. So already there's a hurdle. I plan to overcome it by writing a little more once I post this blog.
Anyway, for now that is all. Look out for Part 2 for a progress report and to see if you're facing similar problems. Perhaps I can offer you some insight. I'm sure I'll have much more interesting things to say next time. Till then, power on writing,
Bluemouth
Tip of the Day: when writing a first draft, do your best to avoid going back to make early edits. If you read your unedited work it may dishearten you and damage your confidence. Just forget about it - keep writing and worry about it all once you've finished.
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