jvj

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I hear ya. Stupid as this sounds...stick with it.

I have a friend who is writing her first novel, and she is sticking to a rule whereby she doesn't allow herself to re-read anything she's written prior, until the whole book is at least written in draft. Otherwise she finds herself in constant edit-mode, writing and re-writing old sections instead of writing new stuff, which makes her feel discouraged about the overall progress.

She also doesn't allow anyone else to offer comments, good or bad, until she's ready. So while I have read the book she's working on, I am under strict embargo to not offer any suggestions, or else she will go bananas.

Sumigo, I understand your frustration! I’m constantly flip-flopping on ideas of what to write -- should I write a post-apocalyptic story about such and such; or should it be a fairy setting, with the cartoon like characters trying to kill one another. I know, I know, it sounds weird (without going into too much detail), but that’s seriously what I’m debating between right now. I envy you; at least you have written something. Incidentally Sumigo, if you want to share a snippet I’d happily read what you’ve got.

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Sumigo, sounds like you're brewing up a great story. I wholeheartedly support your “radical” approach to fantasy writing. The genre has too many doppelgangers to count, and each of them has a new take on the same ‘ol thing. (Which is one reason I like Tad Williams so much. The guy is willing to take a chance, or exercise his cerebral muscles, and write stories that explore the edge of creativity.)

Anyway, keep up the perseverance, and I’ll look forward to the day you post that snippet.

Sumigo, that sounds excellent! Not bizarre at all!

Don't worry about disliking what you've written before. Everyone has a tiny little bit of perfectionism inside and this is usually how it shows itself. The thing to do - and I'm having trouble with this - is to just sit down and write it, ignoring your concerns about how *good* it is, and focusing on how good a *framework* you're setting up for the story. Or just focus on enjoying the world. Or anything like that. Just don't think about how you as a reader would feel about it - and names can be changed at any time, so that can be sorted later. Think NaNoWriMo method. Although I think it's good to get friends/allies to read it (knowing that it's a very rough draft, obv) so you get outside tips and ideas.

Beginnings are always the worst bit for me, personally. I understand the hardship. Tips like "begin as near the end as possible" almost help but don't quite - and I always end up wanting to begin in the manner of my favourite authors. Which gets confusing. Do you have a plan for what you want your first chapter to be like?