Poking my head in Can I join? :)

WeaselMommy · Dec 29, 2005

Hi, everyone. I'm Jess and I found this forum and thought I'd join in and see if I could get some much needed moral support! Lol.

I've been writing stories and poetry since I was a child but since my son was born 5 years ago I've hardly written at all. But, 2 weeks ago I needed a book for Ben and I couldn't find one one the particular issue I was wanting! Well, I thought I'd give it a try and write one. I've got an outline basically and I'm really ready to go but I can't even get the first sentence onto the blank paper. I KNOW I'm scared of having it just suck. I'm afraid it'll be rejected(never tried to publish) and I'm not even sure if it's a good story.

Any advice out there? I'm glad I found this forum!

-Jess
Mom to Ben and wife to Rob

September skies · Dec 29, 2005

Hi Jess,

Best thing you could have done, you already did - you joined here and admitted that you're scared. It's all up from here, sweetheart.

If you'ld like to share your story - go to Share your work - and there's always someone here willing to comment on it.

But more importantly, just hang around and read and learn. If you have questions, just write it down and before you know if, all these wonderful people will help answer - or at least put their two cents worth in.

It's a lot of fun here and you learn so much.

Welcome to the forum and good luck to you!

SS

clara bow · Dec 29, 2005

Bravo for taking the plunge! Rejections, discouragement, and disappointment are part of the game, but if you persevere there's a lot of cool stuff to learn and hopefully *that* aspect won't be disappointing. Good luck!

WeaselMommy · Dec 29, 2005

Hi SS. Thanks for replying and mentioning posting work in the "Share" forum. That hadn't occured to me until now so I edited the first post and I'll make sure to put it in the other forum for feedback. Thanks to both of you for the welcome and I look forward to chatting

-Jess

watcher · Jan 2, 2006

Yeah Jess,
there's lots of things you can do.
You can write about why you can't write;
you can pretend you're not writing;
you can give yourself permission to write anything even if it's crap;
you can tell yourself you're just going to write for fun, no one but you is ever going to see it;
you can sit and stare at the page until you think of one word and then sit and stare until another one occurs to you;
you can sit and do the BIC method which stands for "butt in chair", for two hours (some suggest that boredom often produces something to write about).

When you wrote before did you write children's stories? Maybe you don't really want to write a children's story.

(Yes, I realize that fear is probably what is keeping you from putting something one the page.)

I used to go to a coffeeshop everyday and "pretend I wasn't writing". I'm one of those people who doesn't seem to be able to concentrate when there's anyone around to distract me. So there's no way I could possibly write at a coffeeshop. (I did more writing in a year than I'd ever done before.)

Write on the toilet, write in the tub write someplace you wouldn't ever think you could write. Lie to yourself, write with your kid's crayons, write about why you're afraid to write. Write about why you could write then and you can't write now. Keep your writing for yourself and don't write for your kids or your husband. Write stories that you, as a little girl might have liked to read not stories that your little boy would like. Do whatever it takes. Whatever you do you're going to learn from it.

If you are supposed to write now; you'll find a way.
If you aren't, it doesn't mean that the time won't be right later.
Do whatever makes sense for you now.

Oh, by the way, Welcome.

WeaselMommy · Jan 3, 2006

I love off the wall ideas...lol

watcher said:
Yeah Jess,
there's lots of things you can do.

These are great ideas and I'm certainly going to try them out! Some of them I'd thought of myself or have heard and, really, they're along the lines of the, well, "concepts" that were spinning in the back of my brain, refusing to form a coherent thought, lol. That probably made NO sense but thank you for clearing that up.

One question - With the "BIC" method am I to simply sit in total silence or can I stare at paper/screen w/music going? I'm certain that boredom WOULD set in but I doubt I'd lose what's left of my sanity as quickly!

When you wrote before did you write children's stories? Maybe you don't really want to write a children's story.

Some of what I wrote was for children, some adults and a LOT of poetry. I actually used to have a fantasy story that was a series that I kept on a website for a while. Mind you, I'm not 100% sure that any kids actually read it. Just fantasy crazed adults like myself

. I loved it until I made a mistake of letting other people help out and before I knew it the story wasn't mine anymore so, while the site is actually still up, I quit writing or posting others writings to it. I still get emails about it occasionally so I know people somehow manage to find it!

See, it's not that I don't want to write for kids. It's that there are so many things I want to write. Words that have been accumulating for years begging to get out and I can't get them together into one straight sentence or idea. I feel mixed up. I've had a hard time for a few years and, again, I know this is part of the problem. Life is calming down now and everything wants to pour down onto paper like it used it. I'm trying to remember how to let it.

Do whatever it takes. Whatever you do you're going to learn from it.
If you are supposed to write now; you'll find a way.
If you aren't, it doesn't mean that the time won't be right later.
Do whatever makes sense for you now.
Oh, by the way, Welcome.

Thank you. This has helped me more than you know. And you're right, of course. I just have to be a bit patient, I suppose, and keep trying.

Btw, coming from someone else who reads(well, used to some)I like the concept of your blogsite! I've been trying to keep one, myself. You're looks great! Feel free to write if you want to chat sometime.

-Jess

PeeDee · Jan 3, 2006

With BiC, you can have music going. But I would recommend having it going on a stereo,so that you're not fiddling with your computer's music player every five minutes instead of writing. (what? me? look guilty? nah.)

Otherwise, shut the door, shut the window(s) and shut the other computer windows too.

Write that first sentence. Let it suck. Even if your brain is screaming at you that it sucks!sucks!sucks!, just keep writing. Eventually, it gets better. And if the first sentence sucks and the rest is gold, then you've only got one sentence to edit, haven't you?

Welcome. Thoroughly glad to have you here! Go to the Office Party forum and join our focused discussion on Woodchucks. It's not healthy, but it's fun.

triceretops · Jan 3, 2006

Hi, Jess, and it's good to have you with us. You're in good company.

Tri

watcher · Jan 5, 2006

Yes Jess

The BIC method you want to stare at paper or screen. And try it with and without music. I've heard of people who prefer both.

Words that have been accumulating for years begging to get out and I can't get them together into one straight sentence or idea. I feel mixed up. I've had a hard time for a few years and, again, I know this is part of the problem. Life is calming down now and everything wants to pour down onto paper like it used it.

Yeah, you'll get your groove back but, you never know, it might be slightly different because you're a different person now then you were then, all those life experiences you know.

Glad some of my stuff helped.

Thanks for checking out my blog site I think I'm more of a spiritual essayist than a psychic adviser so I may need to tweek it's intent in the near future.

WeaselMommy · Jan 5, 2006

watcher said:
Yes Jess

Thanks for checking out my blog site I think I'm more of a spiritual essayist than a psychic adviser so I may need to tweek it's intent in the near future.

Hey, if you need any help in the design or content areas, feel free to ask. I did my own design for a long time and I can possibly help with content. Just let me know.

Here's my blog if you'd want an example:

http://weaselmommy.blogspot.com

Thanks again
-Jess

Poking my head in Can I join? :)

WeaselMommy

September skies

cloud watching

clara bow

Li'l Rug Bug

WeaselMommy

watcher

WeaselMommy

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

triceretops

watcher

WeaselMommy

*Poking my head in* Can I join? :)

cloud watching

Li'l Rug Bug

Where's my tea, please...?

Poking my head in Can I join? :)