How to connect the fingers and the imagination

I don't have any tricks to offer, just a little commiseration. I've finished now eight full manuscripts, two of which are contracted, but each and every time I start a new one I feel like a beginner. I'm staring at a blank computer screen, daunted by the task of filling four hundred pages with readable prose and telling a story worth caring about.

You're not alone.

If I knew the answer to your question, maybe I'd be a better writer. I know how you feel. Sometimes you just need to allow yourself to write crap, as long as you get something written.

Good luck.

I agree. We truly need not be so hard on ourselves. I liken writing crap to excavation; you have to haul a lot of dirt and debris out of the way before you hit the motherload Even diamonds are ugly until they're cut and polished.

When I came off my first series, I had been writing in that world for about five years, putting a bunch of great ideas on hold along the way. Now I've just started a new series, but I'm also floundering over 3 more ideas that I want to write sort of in my 'down' time from the series.

What I've decided to do is just keep plugging away on these 3 other books until one grabs hold and won't let me go. The next book in my series has to come first though Truly, deadlines don't make it any easier!

Warmly,
Jenny

While this might sound trite, your problem is why writing is so hard. So many people have great ideas, can see things in their heads. How many authors get approached by someone saying, "I've got a great idea and you can write it for me!"? A lot. The act of trying to get what we see in our mind's eye onto the page, THAT is the real challenge. It's the physical act of writing that people find so challenging and that so few can actually do.

Now this might not seem very useful to know, "Yes I get that, that's the problem!" But really I find it very comforting that writing is meant to be hard. That it is difficult not only for the newbies, but for the seasoned pros (you yourself have already published 3 books as you said). I have read interviews with bestselling authors who say that they actively hate writing. And it just seems to get harder and harder. As we learn more, as we understand the finer nuances and skills associated with writing, as we desire to challenge ourselves to excellence, it just seems to get more impossible doesn't it? I know my third book was far harder than my second than my first. I have no doubt it will continue in this vein until my last book is only one word long, and that word takes three years to uncover.

At any rate, advice really in that at least you are in good company. And I guess the only practical thing I can say is, you just have to get over that hump. Understand that in the end you do wind up finishing a product, that this is just your writing habit, you have to go through this stress whenever you start a project. And that, yes, this too will pass.

It isn't easy. No one said it would be easy. Embrace the fact that what you do is very very difficult, and that not everyone can do it.

You could consider that this means you are growing. When I wrote my very first story, it flew from my fingers and I managed 60000 words in a very short period of time. Later I went back and read it over, after having done many critiques of other people's stories, and read a lot about writing, and practiced with shorter stories and a lot of poetry, I thought it was terrible. So I decided to write a new, better story. And it took me forever, because where before I was just trying to get the story down, now I had this barrier in front of me telling me that what little I was putting out was terrible, and I was quite disappointed. Instead of getting it down, I wanted to get it right. I had higher standards for how the work on paper should compare to what was in my head, and so I felt terrible, like I had gotten worse, not better. Even though on direct comparison, my writing was much better, I felt like it had gotten worse, like it was harder to write the story.

I find that when I focus a lot on HOW things are said, that takes away all the brain space I use to process my imagination.

So perhaps, for the first draft, the trick might be for your to quickly jot down all the ideas first, and THEN start fleshing them out afterwards?

This is something that happens to me every time I start something new. Whether it's a short story, a novel, whatever. For me, I just look down at the keyboard and type what I want to say.

After doing this for about fifteen minutes, I've found that I have a page full of words. While they may be absolute crap, it's still a beginning. That's what first drafts are for.

I've also found that this occurs most often (for me, at least) when the idea isn't fully fleshed out in my head. For example, if I have an idea and am not exactly sure what's going to happen, I just stare at the screen waiting for that blinking cursor to tell me what to say.

It can be tough, but nobody said that writing is easy.

Good luck, niratisaya.

Sometimes it helps for me to write on paper. It doesn't feel as daunting for some reason. There's also space for casual doodling in the margins as I try to get my ideas in order.

MumblingSage said:

Sometimes it helps for me to write on paper. It doesn't feel as daunting for some reason. There's also space for casual doodling in the margins as I try to get my ideas in order.

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It's much easier to write on paper than on the screen for me, but it's so inconvenient sometimes.

I know what you mean. I much better at writing my story and getting a good rough draft becaus as I type I watch out for all the trash and junk I don't want in my writing, but when it's time to write that first word of the next book you're like can I do this all over again? Can I get to the end of this? I was ready to write one book and I sat on the computer and stared at the empty document for ten minutes and then walked away. I put off writing it for two weeks before I forced myself to start. Once I start, I'm alright, because I don't usually quit writing a novel.

Just force yourself through or walk away from it and prepare your mind. It works for me.

Liosse de Velishaf said:

It's much easier to write on paper than on the screen for me, but it's so inconvenient sometimes.

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Absolutely. Inkstains and loose papers everywhere. And the extra work of typing up what I've written--but at least this way I have something written, and I generally do small edits turning the typing to make a draft 1.5 or such.