Saturday 24 October 2009

Feeling the Writing Blues

Yesterday, while attempting to work on my outline for NaNo, trying to figure out questions that I don't know the answers to, I felt the outline was rubbish. The story just doesn't seem as powerful as it does in my head. Then the despondency that it's all shit, and it's never going to get better, and even if I spend all the time writing the draft from the rubbish outline, it will still be flat. I am sure you know how it goes ...when one negative thought starts, the whole lot of them follow close behind. I still think the plot isn't good enough, and while a part of me is worried that I would never complete a book that is good enough, a logical part of me notes that I write much better now than the very draft I wrote many years ago. There is an improvement. It's just damned slow. Still hoping that I can make the plot good enough so that it won't ruin my excitement about writing the book for NaNo. I just wish I had picked a better time to get all frantic. Not long left now to change stuff, but let's see how it goes.

10 comments:

  1. Ok, stop.

    Take a deep breath, hold it for a count of three, then say "PFFFFFT!"

    It's not rubbish, sweetie. It's just your mind being stupid, probably because the 1st of Nov is close now. Ignore it. :-)

    Worrying about the quality can wait till the first edit. ;)

    *Hugs*

    Adam

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  2. Thanks Adam. You are right of course. I think along with that deep breath, some chocolate will be probably a good medicine. I'll go find some.

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  3. NaNo is all about going with the flow. Maybe things will clear up as you put pen to paper.

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  4. I always seem to think that way when I'm starting a new project. Cold feet, basically - suddenly, the plot I've put so much thought into just isn't good enough.

    Then I start writing, and think that maybe it isn't so bad. Until the middle, and then I think it sucks again. By the end, I'm usually feeling better about it (thank God).

    Maybe you just need to back away from all the planning for a bit, let it marinate while you go get that chocolate. Once you're writing, it will all come together somehow. :-)

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  5. Thank you all. I do feel better after all your wonderful comments.

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  6. Adam is right. Whatever the shade of your literary blues, just get on and get it down. The editing can be done in due course.

    As a general rule I find that editing yesterday's writing today is the best format. It's still fresh in your mind and you will often have slept on it and come up with a few tweaks to further improve what you will probably find is actually much better than you thought it was!

    Chris Warren
    Author and Freelance Writer
    Randolph's Challenge Book One - The Pendulum Swings

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  7. Chris,

    This is just the outline, so editing it every day wouldn't work. And this is my outline for NaNo, so I can't edit that daily either, otherwise finishing the first draft in a month would be impossible.

    I don't think editing daily would work for me to be honest, because I have had several stories previously where I had gone over beginning bits so many times that I never quite reached the end. I would just end up worrying too much about it, instead of finishing the whole novel.

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  8. Keep at it. Sometimes your book will blossom as it goes along. Also through editing. Hang in there and never, ever get discouraged (for very long).

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  9. I know what you mean- but you haven't written a word yet, right? So you have no idea how it will really play out. Give it some time, and I'm sure it will be great! We're all here too, if you need a nudge!

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