Hello folks! I've had the idea to write for a very long time, mostly all my life. I'm mid-forties now and remember attempting to write as a teenager. Decades later I've once again, started on my first piece. I'd like to call it a novel but I am so green to the concept of putting an actual novel together, for now, I'll refer to it as my "piece" of work. Perhaps this forum will get me past more than one chapter. In fact, I have just completed my first chapter so before I move on, or waste precious time, I'd like to gain more knowledge. It's time. I'm not sure what to ask and I know someone probably already has asked it somewhere within this forum so for now I will explore the posts and learn as I go. Funny thing is I enjoy writing, but not so much reading. How does that work? Good to be here.
Hello from AZ! Funny thing I like both (reading and writing). Though I have taken a break to draw, instead of writing/editing. It takes work and making your characters 'real' (well real to you), and dedication to what they do and so forth. I am green too though I am a younger person, age is just a thing any way. Plenty of people on here will steer you in the right direction. Lots of lovely people here to get you on your way, and give you decent advice. (Hence why I am in editing hell ). Oh well. Well, welcome to the community, and best of luck to you.
I think what gripes me most about writing is the thought of having to stick to particular rules. I don't want rules, I just want to write! If people like my writing fine, if they don't, who cares. lol If I can get past that concept of having to do this, or do that, I may actually get further than one chapter some day. For instance, I find reading Stephen King very annoying because he's all over the place in some of his novels. It's hard to follow so to speak. I'd rather read something that flows but that's just me. Another thing that is hard to get past is the millions and millions of writers out there. How can I possibly compete with all that? It gets discouraging if I let it get to me. I guess my goal is to just write, get it out there and see what happens and quit worrying about others right now.
You don't have to stick to any rules. Well, you should probably stick to spelling and grammar rules because that's what enables readers to understand your writing, but apart from that it's all up to you. I have the same opinion of Stephen King's writing as you, but some on the forum love him and he certainly doesn't struggle to sell books. Just shows you that many different style choices can lead to success. As for the number of authors out there, just remember how many more readers there are, all of them looking for their next favourite author. The demand is there so forget about the competition. And welcome!
Yeah, I know the feeling. I remember standing in the middle of the third floor of Borders (back when it still existed in Glasgow) and thinking ...great, just what the world needs, ANOTHER book! There are very few rules to creative writing. In fact there are none, if you just write to please yourself. However, as @Tenderiser pointed out, if you want others to enjoy your writing you do have to find a way to communicate with them—which means a knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. That's our common language, and if you don't use these 'rules' then people may struggle to follow what you're writing. However, beyond that, more or less anything goes. I am a little bit worried that you don't like to read. There are lots more authors out there besides Stephen King. If you read a lot from authors you do like, you'll find you develop a 'feel' for what works and what doesn't. Imagine a TV producer who doesn't ever watch TV, or a movie producer who has only seen one or two movies in his/her lifetime. They probably won't make it in their chosen profession, because they don't understand their chosen medium very well. However, I would never say 'never.' I sat down and wrote my novel cold. Cold, as in I didn't study creative writing beforehand, or buy any how-to books. I have always been a voracious reader, and I do have a background (and a degree) in English, so SPAG issues weren't a problem for me. But I had no idea if I could write or not. In fact, I didn't even tell anybody I was writing at all till it was more than halfway done, and I realised I DID have something worth pursuing. Boy, I made every mistake possible, as far as story construction goes. Tons of adjectives, adverbs, unnecessary scenes, overwriting, melodrama, etc. It's taken years of learning and editing to get it cut back to where I am now ready to publish it. But I have also never had so much self-created fun. Both the original writing AND the editing are fun. Just keep going, don't worry overmuch about making mistakes, and get it all finished. Then you can start shaping it and polishing it to perfection. And never forget to enjoy the journey. When you get it finished you will have created something unique. Another book to add to bookshelves everywhere.
Thanks for the advice. It's not that I don't like to read, the issue is reading makes me sleepy. The motion of it can put me to sleep after a few pages, no matter how interesting the content. I use to rent audio books from the library but it wasn't the same for me. I have always envied those avid readers out there who seem to finish a book a week. I've tried reading sitting up, bright light, middle of day, doesn't matter. Any ideas what causes this?
I prefer traditional paper books, large print cause my eyes are going. lol Getting old, what can I say. I can't stand reading on those gadgets like an iPad, Kindle, etc. Again, that's just me. I love the smell of books though, and going into book stores and soaking up the scents. Yeah, I'm crazy...I know. Just wish I could get past a few pages without getting groggy all the time.
You say you can't stand it, but have you tried it? Kindles (and probably other e-readers) are specially designed to be easy on your eyes. The way they are lit, the way you can adjust the text as large as you like, the fonts... all of it is made to stop the kind of issues we get with paper books. I understand your resistance. I was the same, my mother was the same, many book lovers are the same. But I don't know a single person who hasn't been converted after giving it a fair chance. It doesn't mean you have to give up paper books though, in your case, you would be no worse off anyway
I'll look into it again. Thanks for the advice. I may swing by a book store today in fact and check them out. In order to write I understand I also need to read more to get a better feel for it.
