Thread: Need some advice

Here is my introduction, in case you have no idea who I am It will give you a better idea of what I'm up to.

The advice I need is pretty basic for those of you that are old hats at this, but I'm a newbie, and scared out of my mind! I am working on writing and finishing my debut novel. I am hoping to keep it at around 85,000 words, give or take, as to not overwhelm publishers and such when I send it out. Here is my problem: I write in my own way. It has no rhyme or reason, I just write when I feel it and get lost in it, and don't come up for air until someone or something snaps me out of it I love that about myself, that I can get lost in my work. But I am concerned that this process may be the reason I have yet to finish a book? So how does everyone else do it? Do you make charts or lists with your characters and plot points? Do you make an outline before you write a draft? What is the most efficient way to keep a story moving and not lose steam, while still staying on top of the plot?

I hope this makes some kind of sense. I am worried that I am not "organized" enough to finish a book, and that that is the reason I have yet to do so. I have really good feelings about my current work, and I am afraid of squashing the whole thing with my disorganized process

Well, I'm not a published author or anything, but I'm the "let the idea ferment" kind of guy. I spend months thinking, and then when the spark of brilliance hits, I write like a madman. I've been gathering ideas little by little in the past year, and my plot just got an outline a while ago. During this process I wrote lots of things that went to the trash, but all the ideas remained and now I'm putting them all into practice.

As for how I do my actual writing, I just write scenes. I'm a software developer, so I do things in a fairly organized fashion. If I can't create order out of chaos, I simply can't move on.

However, there are just as many people that just write and write until they are done. I admire those who can, really, because I'm unable to pull that off myself. But don't concern yourself too much about how you write, just do it in a way you can keep track of your own ideas. Try organizing yourself a little if you feel like you are getting lost in your own mess, but if you can handle it just fine I see no reason to be overly concerned with that.

My sense is that most people in this forum write in spurts, when the muse is upon them. I would not worry about writing more on some days and less on others or even about going through periods lasting several weeks when the words just do not come. Your muse will return. Some people, including me, will work on several projects simultaneously. I will pickup one manuscript, advance the plot by several chapters over the course of a few weeks or months, then hit a brick wall, set it aside, and pick up with another manuscript, then go back to the first story later. When I started writing 20 years ago I found it impossible to finish anything. I even considered giving up on novels and doing short stories or screen plays instead, but I kept at it and over time learned to write more and more. Now I can write very long novels. That seems to be a typical experience for many writers here, too. Early on, I never outlined and my stories tended to ramble. My current project is outlined start to finish. I know what I have to do in each chapter to advance the plot, but I still have the freedom to get there as the story takes me.

I have notebooks everywhere. In my car, diaper bag, my writing bag. I keep write down all the random thoughts, conversations, descriptions that randomly explode in the black hole that can be my brain. Then I will sit down organize them by book, and chronology. If I don’t do that then I start to lose great moments. It's a bit unorganized and can create flow issues when I am putting everything together since I don’t have the attention span to write very long on anyone thing. But so long as I keep my notes, it works out.
I think we all have our own process. I think I would personally fail as a writer if I tried to be organize. But I know there are other people out there that have to be organized and put together.
Side note. I find that real life can be better than what I can create. So if I see something happen, or an outrageous outfit. I whip out my notebook and write everything down, then form a character out of what I saw or experienced. It's been very helpful for me.
Keep writing and push through. It will happen. I actually wrote a completed version of my book beginning to end then scrapped the entire thing and started over eight more times before I found the right tone, voice and direction. But I would never have found what my novel was supposed to be if I didn’t go through all of that. It will be worth it in the end. Good luck!

Your way of writing is probably good for the first draft, but when it's time to do rewrites you probably have to become more organised to make sense of it all. Unless you're aiming to become a stream–of–conscience author, but it seems very few manage to pull that off successfully.

I'd hate to disagree with everyone here, but I write with a weekly deadline. Every day for five days a week (like a regular work week), I have to write at least four pages. At the end of the week, if I have seventeen instead of twenty, that's okay, but the majority of the volume required is still there. If I hadn't taken that approach, it would have taken me ten times as long to have gotten my novels and short stories written.

As to journals, I'd refer you to this article:

The Writer's Notebook | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

And for the way towards getting your novel written:

Don't get it right the first time | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

I'd highly recommend looking at the rest of the website as well.

Okay so I read the article. And yeah it was interesting. Here’s my thing. I am not journaling. And I do write down the short bursts of creative energy. I write the words, conversations and whatever else happens to pop in my brain and I do it for a very specific reason.
I have the attention span of an ADD two year old. I know this because my daughter is almost two and we are too alike.
If I don’t write what pops into my head down I will lose it, and being a working mom I may not get to sit down and write for days.
When I do get the chance to sit down and let the fingers flow I like to read my notebook and put everything together.
My process works for me. I say whatever helps get you going.

BandanaBunny: it's just advice! Don't take it too seriously! If what you're doing works for you, its works for you. I didn't mean any offense. It's just that I knew someone who did kept books full of notes on several different projects. Did you know what he ended up writing once it came to his novel? Nothing! That's been my experience with people who keep journals, notebooks, etc. BUT, there is always an exception to the rule.

Originally Posted by powerskris

As to journals, I'd refer you to this article:

The Writer's Notebook | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

And for the way towards getting your novel written:

Don't get it right the first time | Writing | Caro Clarke - writer

I'd highly recommend looking at the rest of the website as well.

these articles are awesome, i've been reading his site for the past hour. thanks for posting them.

Nothing seriously taken. Advice all around.