Here I am in a writer's forum! I always preferred to be writing than talking about writing but I have to say... Right now I'm freaking out because I just realized my current much-beloved piece is not likely to ever reach novel length. It's looking like a really solid novella and I'm upset. How am I ever supposed to get one of THOSE published? I know, I know, just write what's set before you. I am. But this is a little like being told at the doctor's office there's something wrong with your child!
Freakin' out
- Thread starter Tirtzah
- Start date
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You dont write a book, you rewrite a book. There's something wrong with everyone's child at first.
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Breath, Tirtzah, breath. We all have "children" in different stages of health and maturity, we just have to work hard to find the right audience that will love them as much as we do. Welcome and good luck! 
Greetings and welcome to the watercooler
Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Traditional Irish Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.
Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.
Take a wander around the various forums, there's lots to see and lots to learn, and even some fun threads too. Come along and pop on over to the Traditional Irish Pub (at the top of the Newbie forum) and say hi, there's plenty of friendly faces that you can chat with and lots of banter. There's also the Question of the Day threads at the top of the Newbie forum where you can answer random questions.
Don't forget to read the newbie guide, and if you want to know what all the buttons mean check out this thread.
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Hey and welcome from a fellow newbie!
Don't worry about the length right now. How long have you put your work away for? How many times have you come back to it? How many times have you gone over it?
In my works in progress after the first pass they're usually only 25,000 words. It's the skeleton of the story, the exciting stuff, the climax, the beginning etc. Then I put it away for few weeks and work on something else. The second time usually comes up to 50,000, that fills out the plot, starts developing sub plots. Then I put it away for another few weeks. The third usually brings me to 75,000 and....well, you get the idea.
Anyway, I'm not a published writer. I'm currently working on polishing a few manuscripts so I can get there. But my point is, don't obsess over the length. Obsess over whether the story is complete and polished. If it is, then the length will be appropriate. And take your time!
Don't worry about the length right now. How long have you put your work away for? How many times have you come back to it? How many times have you gone over it?
In my works in progress after the first pass they're usually only 25,000 words. It's the skeleton of the story, the exciting stuff, the climax, the beginning etc. Then I put it away for few weeks and work on something else. The second time usually comes up to 50,000, that fills out the plot, starts developing sub plots. Then I put it away for another few weeks. The third usually brings me to 75,000 and....well, you get the idea.
Anyway, I'm not a published writer. I'm currently working on polishing a few manuscripts so I can get there. But my point is, don't obsess over the length. Obsess over whether the story is complete and polished. If it is, then the length will be appropriate. And take your time!
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Hey there. I'm new too and am similar in that I am definitely a solitary writer, keep things to myself, etc... It's healthy to put yourself out there when it counts though!
And I have the opposite problem...my manuscript is too long, leaving it not so marketable as a first time novelist. What cha gonna do eh? I figure I'll just keep writing and sooner or later something will come of it! Hang in there!
Welcome to AW. Hope you enjoy your stay with us.
How do you like your popcorn?
If you go to the bottom of the page to the ‘forum jump’ you can scroll down and find all the areas of this place. Most of the SYW areas require the password of ….vista. A word to the wise, it would be a good idea to participate first in helping others before you think about posting your own work. After you have been around here for awhile, then post something of your own for help. Good luck.
How do you like your popcorn?
If you go to the bottom of the page to the ‘forum jump’ you can scroll down and find all the areas of this place. Most of the SYW areas require the password of ….vista. A word to the wise, it would be a good idea to participate first in helping others before you think about posting your own work. After you have been around here for awhile, then post something of your own for help. Good luck.
length of a piece
Hey, Ae1! You're right, of course...worrying about the length of the whatever-it-is will certainly not get the story told. In fact, I had writer's block on this story for over a year and just recently picked it back up. Part of the problem was plotting (no outline--I had a beginning and an end but no middle) and part of the problem was that I must have known subliminally that it was heading for shortness. Now that I've done some outlining and am trying hard to not freak out about the length the story is flowing again: 1,100 words today!
koatree: I over-wrote my first novel. I actually find it easier to edit by cutting than to do what Ae1 was suggesting and expand material. Once it is written I find it hard to add stuff. It gets sort of immutable in my brain? That's something I'm working on. But I find you can almost always make a story better by cutting ten to fifteen percent out. How overlong are you?
Hey, Ae1! You're right, of course...worrying about the length of the whatever-it-is will certainly not get the story told. In fact, I had writer's block on this story for over a year and just recently picked it back up. Part of the problem was plotting (no outline--I had a beginning and an end but no middle) and part of the problem was that I must have known subliminally that it was heading for shortness. Now that I've done some outlining and am trying hard to not freak out about the length the story is flowing again: 1,100 words today!
koatree: I over-wrote my first novel. I actually find it easier to edit by cutting than to do what Ae1 was suggesting and expand material. Once it is written I find it hard to add stuff. It gets sort of immutable in my brain? That's something I'm working on. But I find you can almost always make a story better by cutting ten to fifteen percent out. How overlong are you?