LJ Idol 11 - Week 11

[sunouttomorrow]

I’ve tried, though admittedly not very hard, to write something. Something complete. Something I could submit to an editor. Something that might earn me some sort of income. I’ve come up empty. Every. Single. Time.

There were Ahndrea and…shit, I can’t even remember his name. She was traveling cross country to start a new life and new career,

Comments

[halfshellvenus]

Ahndrea....
Might be worth rethinking that spelling...

There are a lot of possibles here (and I remember reading about your orphans in dystophia, and really enjoying it). I have several started or stalled-out stories-- nothing close to actual novels!

So you're still way ahead of me there. :D

[sunouttomorrow]

Yeah, that spelling. I remember doing it on purpose because I don't like when it's pronounced "Anndrea" I wanted her name to be pronounced "Ondrea". I was young. ;)

These all may just be stories, but I think there's more there, if I can just find it. It's worth dusting them off and poking around a bit I think.

You're stories are wonderful! You could probably pull together a pretty awesome short story anthology.

[rayaso]

Never give up. I've been reading your writing for several years now and you can do it. Never having tried to write a novel, I offer the following expert advice. Just bull your way through the first draft, then go back and make revisions. Can't write a passionate love scene? Even if it sounds like something from a 6th grader, get it out, move on, and rewrite it. Nothing will be perfect the first time through -- that's why it's a first draft.

[sunouttomorrow]

Thank you for the expert advice and pep talk! I appreciate it.

I've heard before that plodding through the first draft is the way to go. My plodding through sometimes consists of "[insert idea here for what happens next and come back to fill it in]". :)

[banana_galaxy]

I've dealt with this sort of thing too, although I probably don't have quite as many unfinished worlds I've started building. It took having someone else who wanted to read the completed product for me to actually finish working on a novel. I found working on different parts of it at different times, rather than chronologically, helped a bit as well.

[sunouttomorrow]

I know a big part of my problem is just finding the quiet time to plod through the rough parts. I need to devote more time to it if I really want to get serious about it.

[karmasoup]

I can relate to this on a lesser scale... I don't write fiction quite as often, I don't think... I hadn't ever really tried too much of it before Idol, and I haven't done any this season at all, which I think is the longest I've gone without straying from telling my own stories, but that's why I'm really here, so I'm trying to stick to it. The thing that hangs me up about trying to make characters come across as real is the research is a killer project that takes about 4 times as long as actually writing the story, and I just can't always afford that kind of time suck. I've got one recurring character I really want to have a future, but it will take a gigantic commitment. So I really feel you on this, and I like the way you've pulled together this contemplation on characters who mostly live in your mind.

[sunouttomorrow]

Research throws me for a loop sometimes too. I never really tried non-fiction pieces before Idol, mostly because I don’t think mine are very interesting at all. It’s much easier for me to make something up that sounds better.

[static_abyss]

I feel this entry in my soul. It's always the in between that gets me too. Much luck to you in future writing.

[sunouttomorrow]

Much luck to you as well. I love your stories.