How hard can it be to start?

First I have a question. Do you know how to write a novel? Have your read or studied the principles of good fiction? If not, that could be why your are hesitant. And if that is the case Uncle Jim's thread is an excellent place to start.

It really take's more than just wanting it.

Hi dsannielk, welcome to AW.

When it comes to writing novels, I've found it so much easier to get the first draft down first, mistakes and all, then make any changes you like in the second draft. If you spend too much time editing and re-editing your first chapter or two, you'll never get it off the ground, which is exactly what you're experiencing. If you have a story planned, then write it. Leave everything else till later.
Just my 2cents.

Dsannielk said:

I must admit, I'm an absolute novice when it comes to novel writing. I have an idea for a book that I have planned, and planned, it’ll be my first book. I now know exactly where I want to go, but I can’t start it. I have about 4 different first chapters, and I either become unhappy with them, or get bored. I get to around 1000 words or less, and stop.

Is there anything you could suggest I do?

By the way, I’ve been reading these forums for a long time, (this is my first post) and I great value your advice and suggestions.

Thanks

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Don't listen to those who say you have to know how to write a novel before you write one. You'll learn far faster and more surely by writing than by reading, and anyway, no one really knows how to write one (esp. the blank page writers) because each book is new territory, with its own peculiar problems. Trust your subconscious. If you get to a thousand words and stop, it's because it's not right. An experimental stab that hit a rock. Once you get the right opening, with characters that interest you, it will flow.

Looking back at what you said, though, the fact that you've planned it all out may be the problem. Your muse may be balking at the path you've laid out for it, because she's her own ideas.

So I'd suggest putting your planned novel aside and try writing something else for while. Find an interesting situation (as Stephen King says in On Writing) and let it go from there.

I agree with the above.

You can read a thousand posts, and they will be helpful. I have learned more here and had more encouragement than in any writing workshop or class I have ever taken.

But you really learn by doing.

So you wrote some versions of first chapters. That's great. And keep going. You may come back and change it again, but let it sit. You may even not write chapters or scenes linearly, but write the chapter that is appealing to you at the moment.

There is no perfect way. There is your unique way.

Try to leave the internal judge/critical editor of your work out of it. Don't stare at the sentences and pick them apart as you write them. You can come back and do some of that later.

Keep moving forward.

And congratulations on getting this far.

Novel

Dsannielk said:

I must admit, I'm an absolute novice when it comes to novel writing. I have an idea for a book that I have planned, and planned, it’ll be my first book. I now know exactly where I want to go, but I can’t start it. I have about 4 different first chapters, and I either become unhappy with them, or get bored. I get to around 1000 words or less, and stop.

Is there anything you could suggest I do?

By the way, I’ve been reading these forums for a long time, (this is my first post) and I great value your advice and suggestions.

Thanks

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My advice would be to think less and write more. Forget unhappy, forget bored, forget planning, just write the thing. The one thing all writing methods have in common is that you still have to keep writing, still have to finish the novel.

Put an interesting character in an interesting situation, and see where it takes you.

I have nothing against reading some how-to books, particularly ones such as "On Wriitng." An excellent book. So is "Zen in the Art of Writing." But if you read novels, you should know novel structure, and beyond this, no one knows how to write a novel until after they've written a novel. . .or three.

But the main thing is to forget happy, forget bored. Start writing and don't stop.

Keep writing. Keeping moving forward, no matter how bad you think it sounds. First chapters are notoriously difficult to write, especially when all of the book follows it. You may, in fact, not know how to begin the book until you reach the end. Or you may find that your first fifty pages is all backstory that needs to be deleted--but were necessary at the time of the writing to help get you grounded. Or that you need to fill in some gaps that weren't obvious in the beginning. The key is to keep writing. It'll actually feel better once you get about 100 pages into the story.

Ya, what they said.

Writing is like any exercise: the more you do the better you'll get. Invaribly there will be some who say your technique needs improving but once you've got down that need to hit the paper, keyboard, or what ever method you feel most comfortable with, the rest will follow. Throwing aside a piece that's haunting you is a time old practice so don't feel discouraged. There isn't a need to slam your head into a wall let alone forcing yourself to write something that doesn't feel natural; it'll read that way as well.

My advice? Get off this and any other Board right now - cut yourself off from the Net -you'll never get anything done by spending your time reading Boards and asking how to do it. If you have a basic grasp of English and grammar and an imagination, just sit down and start to write. Let your imagination run wild and keep going till you've finished. Plan if you must but a lot of folk prefer to let the characters do the planning themselves.

Enjoy the thrill of writing and watching what happens as your characters take you where they will till you finally finish. May take three months - longer or shorter.

Then the real work begins and learning of the craft begins, but if you've the tenacity and drive to reach 'The End' you will have taken a HUGE step forward and discovered a lot about yourself and your writing abilities on the way.

And don't worry - chances of your first effort being of publishable standard is remote, as you will find out when you once again return to the Boards. But you will then have something to work on and polish - or you may wish to start something completely fresh.

Whatever - have fun!

Actually writing a novel is creative - studying how to write a novel is analytical - they use different sides of the brain and are not the best of bedfellows.

I'd suggest yes, reading the Uncle Jim thread in its entirety, even if it takes a month or two. During the same month or two, get 1000 words a day (or 500 or 2000) on paper, every day, no matter what's going on.

YMMV!

Remember, too, that you don't have to start at the beginning. There's nothing wrong with a chapter that reads [Julia meets the handsome doctor but her children hate him.] You know what that chapter has to do and can write it later.

Maryn, trusting those kids' instincts

There's so much great advice already in this thread that there's not much else to say. So I'll reiterate:

Unhappiness and boredom is something a lot of writers go through. It's usually a sign that there's something wrong with the chapter. Take it back to a point where you didn't lose interest and start from there.

There's no trick to writing a story. Just get the first draft on paper for better or for worse. The trick comes in rewriting to make it sound good...but that's a story for another thread...

My first attempts at novel writing ended just as yours seems to be. With a chapter, or several chapters written, then I became "bored" or "frustrated" or "unhappy" with it. The fact of the matter was my "idea" really wasn't enough to sustain a novel and everything sort of petered out after a few chapters. I had "kernels" of an idea, not a full blown idea. One novel idea has been languishing now for 25 years. I have a couple scenes and two fully fleshed opening chapters, but not much else. No motive, no plot, nothing to sustain the story over the long haul.

Another novel I had written through 4 chapters languished for five years before one day the solution just hit me and I abandoned everything except the first chapter and ended up writing a 195000 word first draft.

After those false starts I'm now working on a third novel, unrelated, and since I have a much more solid picture of where I want the story to go, I haven't hit any road blocks, just a few speed bumps, along the way.

What I'm trying to say is maybe your story isn't as fully formed to your own subconsious mind, the "muse" within you isn't satisfied with your idea and you need to flesh it out more. Create an outline, if that helps.

But the best suggestion has already been offered. Just write and continue to write. A little bit each day. Even if it isn't the greatest, just write and one day you'll discover you actually have a first draft.

Dsannielk said:

Thank you to all those who have replied, I really appreciate your advice.

I am going to leave the first chapter for a bit, and maybe work on another part, or something new all together.

What it is, to be more clear is that when I read through what I have written it doesn't seem right. Would it be more sensible to just plow on, and fine tune it when it comes to revision?

Thanks again

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That's what I do when I write. I don't revise unless I have a clear idea of what needs fixing. A vague "something's wrong" will only get me revising without fixing whatever is wrong. Also, you should be willing to toss a chapter if it no longer fits in with how the book shaped itself later on.

When you think or feel like you should stop writing - don't.

I just write, and worry about the particulars later - - and my beginnings change a dozen or two or three times per novel.

Dsannielk said:

I must admit, I'm an absolute novice when it comes to novel writing. I have an idea for a book that I have planned, and planned, it’ll be my first book. I now know exactly where I want to go, but I can’t start it. I have about 4 different first chapters, and I either become unhappy with them, or get bored. I get to around 1000 words or less, and stop.

Is there anything you could suggest I do?

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Yes. Don't stop. Seriously, what you must realize is that the creative side of your brain--imagination, etc.--cannot function with the critical side simultaneously. You're trying to write the perfect (or great) first chapter, and so your internal critic keeps seeing things wrong.

Experienced writers EXPECT a shitty first draft, but they keep going and then allow revision to clean things up.

Set yourself a daily word count goal...say something easy to reach, like 500 words or 1000 words a day. Whether it takes you 1 hour or 6, put *** in chair and write that count...EVERY day, or at least 6 of 7. Expect it to be less than perfect...shitty, in fact. In 60-80 days you'll have your first draft completed.

Either plan out ahead or write as your imagination dictates. Both ways are used. Find the one best for you. I write mysteries and don't know where my story will lead until I write it. Sometimes I see ahead some, and make a short list.

So, first, you draft. The inner critic stays out of the room. Write rapidly without being rushed. Make your daily word goal. Then when your first draft is done, let it ferment awhile. Go back and revise slowly, making many many passes through the document. That's where your writing will shine, and that's when you want to let the inner critic sit on your shoulder--still some creative stuff can be done, but the critic is in charge--that cold-hearted meatcleaver guy.

Good luck
Mike

So you aren't happy with your beginning(s). What happens next? What's going to happen somewhere in the middle? If you can answer those questions, even vaguely, go write those parts. Nothing says you have to write the thing sequentially. Some writers work that way, some don't, and for some, it depends on the individual piece. I'm a big fan of getting stuff on paper when it's rattling around in your mind, even if it's not the next thing in the overall sequence of what you have planned. And don't be afraid to alter the plan if things drag you off in another direction.

caw.

You can't get past the first 1000 words? Then write the end first. Maybe it'll be easier to take that first step if you know exactly where you're going. My goodness, that sounds like a freaking fortune cookie. But it just might work.

Bufty said:

My advice? Get off this and any other Board right now - cut yourself off from the Net -you'll never get anything done by spending your time reading Boards and asking how to do it. If you have a basic grasp of English and grammar and an imagination, just sit down and start to write.

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Mmhmm. For this reason I still haven't gotten a router for the laptop I bought over the summer--I just can't concentrate knowing that one of my friends might be online. Cut out the distractions to get going and you will be surprised at the momentum you pick up.

MikeAngel said:

Experienced writers EXPECT a shitty first draft, but they keep going and then allow revision to clean things up.

Mike

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I hear that a lot, but I just don't know many experienced wirters who expect a bad first draft.

Jamesaritchie said:

I hear that a lot, but I just don't know many experienced wirters who expect a bad first draft.

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If you hear it a lot, then it's got to be coming from somewhere. "Bad" is relative--a first draft is almost always bad relative to a revised, edited and polished piece of writing. The point I'm making is this: draft creatively, imaginatively, without concern for the inner critic (those voices inside of the perfectionist parent, the crabby teacher, the niggling sibling, etc.). If you allow your creative imagination to draft freely, you WILL get something down on paper that you can later revise--that is, allow your inner critic to fix. Writing is a process. If all writing is was drafting with a few fixes of grammar and spelling, then everyone would turn out finished stuff the first time through, but one in a million writers do this. So why write "the dangerous way"? as Peter Elbow calls it. All that will do is cause you to quit, and begin again several times like the writer who started this thread.

Understanding the writing process means understanding the difference between drafting (using the creative side) and revising (dominated by the analytical, critical side, yes but with touches of the creative). Prewriting comes into play prior to the first draft, and it's every bit as important as other phases. When a story percolates in your mind, when you talk about it, freewrite about it, outline or list, cluster or doodle or brainstorm--ALL of that is writing, prewriting to be exact.

Ask anyone who has written more than a few short stories, or several novels if they expect their first drafts to be perfect. Yes, they expect they'll have to revise, which means they expect their first drafts to be "bad."

zarch said:

You can't get past the first 1000 words? Then write the end first. Maybe it'll be easier to take that first step if you know exactly where you're going. My goodness, that sounds like a freaking fortune cookie. But it just might work.

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I second this. Ask yourself, "What would be really fun to write right now? Then, write it. Repeat as necessary until you either have a novel or run out of parts you want to write. At that point, take what you have and get some feedback on it.