I have many ideas rolling around in my mind 24/7 (I'm an avid daydreamer) and I want to write so badly. I usually begin, and then after a couple of pages I give up. I'm unsure as to whether I am afraid that I won't achieve any success or if it's something else. Even now, I'm trying to think about how I can write my main idea down to form the basis of a plot for the story, but I don't know how. Any tips appreciated
I too go through this all the time. I have notebooks full of starts and nothing more. I think that it might be fear. I feel like I don't know what I am doing and is anyone going to like it let alone read it. That is one of the reasons I registered here is because I want to learn where to start, and once we start then what. I think in order to get past our first few pages we have to just push through and keep going and maybe it will turn into something we were not intending and it will find itself. Keep going and if you figure out what works, let me know !
Star with writing 5-14k shorts to get a good feel for writing story structure. When you feel comfortable with that, move on to bigger projects like novellas (50-60k), and novels (80-150k). Good luck, have fun, and don't be shy to ask what you like. There are plenty of lovely people here to help you (and a few of us mad ones).
Haha yeah, the struggle is real, isn't it. I have so many documents on my laptop of things that I was so excited about, started, and then just... nothing. I agree with pushing through. I'll keep you updated
I was the same. I have documents spanning years that contain bits and pieces, odds and ends, usually amounting to no more than a few formatted pages at best. I would always lose interest by the following day and start writing something new, but eventually I started writing half a dozen pages, then fifteen. Now, I'm working on a piece which is over thirty pages long. I still have a long way to go, but I feel that persistence is key; keep at it until something sticks. I find it useful to print out the new pages I've written each day and add them to the pile, watching the manuscript grow. It's keeps me motivated and serves as a physical reminder of my goal - it's easier to avoid something saved on a computer.
Welcome to the forum, jenthebookworm. You've gotten some good advice and I'm sure you'll find your way soon enough. We're a helpful bunch, even if we don't always agree. Take what helps you and ignore what doesn't.
That's actually a really great idea! I definitely need motivation constantly to keep me going, I like the idea of watching a manuscript grow. Then I'm sure you feel like you're actually making progress. Well done on pushing through - and thanks for the advice.
I do it by setting up a time. It's hard to stick to it but making it a habit will have it become like second nature. Try setting an amount of words you want to write a day. This goal doesn't have to be great writing just write what comes to mind and orry about editing later.
