Just Do It. - Writers Forum

evadri · 12-02-2005, 11:19 PM

I just really want to announce that I've begun my next project - a novel. The thing is, I have half a dozen well developed ideas for novels, but I kept putting off actually writing them because I thought I was still too stupid to write them yet. So I planned to spend my summer writing short stories and plays. Well, I've been on holidays for a month, and not much writing has been done in that time.

So, I don't know what exactly, but something happened a few nights ago, and I thought, 'Tomorrow I'll write Seasons Estate'. The next day, I wandered around, thinking about doing it, until I came to the point where I thought in capitols, italics, bold and underlined, 'JUST DO IT.' So I did. I started writing it. I know the story inside out already, so I decided to type whatever I felt I needed to in the moment, and not look back, not edit, just keep going, even if I felt a certain sentence or description sucked. It seems to have worked.

You see, I still think I'm too stupid to write this novel. But some important things have occured to me.
1. The difference between me and published novelists is that they have written a novel and I haven't (various novellas don't count).
2. It's not so daunting once you get some prose and dialogue on the actual page. Once I started, I found I could keep going. I don't feel quite as stupid as I did three days ago. (The thing is, if you wait til you have a certain intelligence or age or income or amount of time, you'll never do it, because no one ever gets 'there'. If you did, what would there be to aim for? The bar always rises.)
3. If I write 1000 words a day (which I've found isn't too hard as long as you DO IT), I will have an 80 000 word first draft in 80 days. That's sooner than the end of February!

So I'm feeling quite excited and dedicated. And the more I write, the more ideas appear for later on, and the more excited I get. I know the essence of the story is great, even if the writing doesn't match it just yet. Because I know it will eventually.

So that's my little motivational talk. Hope you enjoyed it.

casperthesheet · 12-03-2005, 12:20 PM

First of all, your NOT TOO STUPID TO WRITE A NOVEL.
Second of all, 1000 words a day. I've read about that somewhere. I tried to do it yesterday but only made it to 285. How pathetic is that?
And finally third of all, good luck! Tackling a project like a novel is something I couldn't even dream of yet!

Ralizah · 12-03-2005, 01:06 PM

Yes, we tend to immortalize our stories in our minds to such a degree that we believe our puny writing skills unable to to be able to properly manifest what could be the next great american novel.
And then you wake up to two realizations:
1. Novelists got both skilled and famous by taking risks and writing what was in their heads.
2. All first drafts are shit -- they don't start looking sweet until the rewriting and editting. I compare it to mining. Your first draft is breaking off a huge chunk of rock with a diamond in it. You usually have to edit and rewrite quite a bit to get that damned diamond out of the rock. And then there's polishing the diamond (the final product). It's amusing, and most of us do this, that people go around thinking that if their first draft isn't the slick, sleek, brilliant piece they were dreaming of, then they're failures, when, in fact, I can respect deeply anyone who completes the undertaking of writing a novel -- it's a huge undertaking.

Soccah · 12-04-2005, 09:24 AM

Nike.

Stewart · 12-05-2005, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evadri

You see, I still think I'm too stupid to write this novel. But some important things have occured to me.

The difference between me and published novelists is that they have written a novel and I haven't (various novellas don't count).
It's not so daunting once you get some prose and dialogue on the actual page. Once I started, I found I could keep going. I don't feel quite as stupid as I did three days ago. (The thing is, if you wait til you have a certain intelligence or age or income or amount of time, you'll never do it, because no one ever gets 'there'. If you did, what would there be to aim for? The bar always rises.)
If I write 1000 words a day (which I've found isn't too hard as long as you DO IT), I will have an 80 000 word first draft in 80 days. That's sooner than the end of February!

The thing is, these novellists have probably written a few before being published. Unless you are really good then expect to use this novel you are writing as practice and, once finished, get started on the next one to improve upon your craft.
Yes, it's nothing to do with intelligence. Look at Dan Brown: he finished four books! But just look at each consecutive novel and short story as a learning experience and, the better at it you get, the better the likelihood of you being published.
Don't stop at 1,000 if you are "in the zone".

evadri · 12-05-2005, 10:42 PM

Yeh, the 1000 definately has an 'at least' in front of it.

Well, I guess I don't actually mean intelligence, I just felt that my ideas were beyond my skills, like Ralizah said.

It's true, the only way to get better is to practice. I am definately doing that with this one, and I won't stop writing once I've finished it. However, as it's one of my BIG ideas, I'm absolutely going to try to get it published eventually.

Sand · 12-06-2005, 10:32 AM

Thanks for the announcement and the motivational talk!

Keep up the writing and let us in on it when you feel ready.

Ciao