Hi everyone, I'm new here and just wanting some insight into others' work.
Time and time again, I have the "ah-ha!" moment, where I think I've got it, a fantastic idea for a book. But always, it can be 20,000 words in or before my fingers even touch the keyboard, I lose faith in the idea and cast it aside. The doubt can be because it's a fantasy theme and I think people will deem it ridiculous, or because my plot twists don't tie up convincingly, or because my characters develop issues and don't know where they're going.
It's so frustrating, I've wanted to be a writer all my life but apart from twice, I've never finished a full length piece of work.
I recently read Stephen King's On Writing and I loved it, he says he doesn't plan his books or write character references and this was music to me because I find that trying to plan it all out before I start just makes me completely fall out with the idea.
Does anyone else experience what I've detailed, or have you experienced it and managed to get past it?
Any advice much appreciated.
Sophie
The simple answer, Sophie? Keep the faith!
Every writer has their own way of working, and it's down to the individual to find what suits them; but what no-one ever seems to tell you is that however you do it, it is still hard graft. It's easy to write when the initial idea is there, and you know where you want it to go, but as soon as those pesky characters develop a life of their own, all your previous ideas fall down. Maybe what seemed like a really good plot-line at three o'clock in the morning turns out to be full of holes once you start to put it down on paper/screen. That's normal!
Some writers are plot-led, others character-led, some happy people are a mixture of the two; the first can write a map of what happens where and when, and by and large they will stick to it. Others have an idea of where they want the story to go, but find that their characters don't fit into the niches intended for them, and trying to shove them back is like trying to hold soup in a sieve.
The best advice I can give is to say that nothing is set in stone. It's your book; you can change it and shuffle it about and wrangle it into submission. The important thing is to keep writing. As in all things, the more you do it, the more you will understand about the process and about your own voice and style, and the better you will become.
So a story isn't going where you thought? Follow it and see what happens. If it is really wrong, you will soon know it, because it won't please you.
The first draft is there to gabble your way through. It's flawed and occasionally bonkers, but you've worked your way through it from start to finish. Then, when you've gone away and done something else for a few weeks, go back and read it with clear vision. You'll find a lot to discard, a bit that sounds brilliant, and parts that need tweaking.
I edit as I go along - some people won't, as it can be a way of undermining your confidence. Find what makes you happiest, and go for it. What have you got to lose?
Go on - go for it!
Sophie
That's okay! I wouldn't expect an iPhone to autocomplete my name correctly. :)
If you have completed two complete manuscripts in addition to your other work, I am probably not in a position to really be giving you any advice that you probably don't already know (I am still trying to write my elusive first novel!) I do relate to what you said having a perfect first draft, and that is what has kept me from getting very far in my own writing.
Hi
Have I got it right? You've set about writing in the same method for several years and you're thinking it's not working out as you'd like it to?
It sounds to me that it's a time to give another method a try, and really give an alternative a chance.
If you find at the initial planning stage that you fall out of love with your idea, then great! You have an opportunity to fix it straight away before you've spent 3 months on a first draft that you end up hating.
Also, don't expect a different way of doing things to feel as comfortable as the way you've got used to - you're learning a new skill after all and you wouldn't expect a tennis pro to switch to football and become David Beckham overnight.
Good luck with your writing - whatever way you find works for you.