Mentor needed for UTTERLY INSECURE chica.

Feldy · Mar 31, 2007

Let's just face it. If you want to see the most utterly insecure and low selfesteem girl. You got it right here.

I need some feedback that will make me want to finish writing my story.

I need to stop the "Oh MY GAWDD. It is terrible. you copy EVERYTHING. and it's sooo DULLLL"

I put it online so I can get some feedback easily. 3 chapters and an intro are on there.(in reality there are 48 or something like that totally) Made a little "trailer" for fun so I can see my ideas somehow visually in the world.

www.freewebs.com/dystopian
watch the video first.

So heres the thing I'm 18 and I feel like cus I'm so young and so different there is no way I can write an interesting book so here's where I think I suck:

1.It's boring
2.I am copying everything
3.It doesn't make any sense
4.What the eff is it with all the creative adjectives?
5.It's boring
6.It's boring
7.You are doing the matrix all over again

You get the picture

all i have to say is. Making a sci fi fiction novel is bloody hard.

so i NEED a mentor. but I need one in a way so I can carry on writing it.

because for some odd reason I can't stop writing it. I hear harry potter went through 12 publishers until it finally was accepted...so who knows?

Feldy

Foinah · Apr 1, 2007

Hmmm. Welcome to the site....
You should really stop by the newbie section and introduce yourself. Also take a look around the site and garner a little information about the workshops, etc.
There's lots of useful info on the site

I think you'd get better feed back if you let people meet you.

Good luck and best wishes for your writing endeavors. Stick with it!
Cheers-

Bufty · Apr 2, 2007

Welcome, Feldy, and ditto to what Foinah said.

If, to you, what you have written is all copying and boring, boring, boring, you are being self-critical and that's a good thing. But do cut yourself some slack. Yes, writing is hard - did you expect it to be easy?

A mentor is not, in my humble opinion, going to be of any help to you at this early stage. You are simply on the learning path - that's all. So welcome, and enjoy exploring. Try the Learning to Write with Uncle Jim thread - it's a long one but well worth checking out.

And I don't think JKR thought HP was 'copying or boring' while she was writing it.

Dee · Apr 2, 2007

This you say of yourself: "So heres the thing I'm 18 and I feel like cus I'm so young and so different there is no way I can write an interesting book "

Lordy, girl. Let me just say this: I began writing when I was 12. And also, let me add that being "so young and so different" doesn't mean you can't write and most certainly doesn't mean you don't have a good idea. However, writing is a learning process and takes time and a willingness to learn, rewrite and take constructive criticism (which not everyone knows the meaning of, trust me). Stop selling yourself short before you even get started. That, of course, would be the first thing to do. Also, if you want to intice someone to read your work (even if it isn't the best thing ever put on paper), I would highly recommend presenting yourself (and your story) in a more positive manner. You can do that.
I wish you the best of luck... truly. Never lose sight of the prize.

Dee

Cassidy · Apr 5, 2007

hey. keep writing. the thing is, once you've written a story or a novel or whatever, you have something to work with. you can change the parts that don't feel original or speed up the pace in parts that feel slow, or increase the tension and conflict, or develop the characters more... but you can only do that if you keep getting stuff down on paper.

one of my favorite books on writing-- especially on insecure days-- is anne lamott's bird by bird. it's funny, and smart, and she is particuarly funny and smart about her own insecurity. i'd totally recommend it. one of the things she says that i like is to give yourself permission to write shitty first drafts. i like that.

anyway-- if you want feedback, post something on share your work. or just hang out. there's lots to learn here and lots of support wherever you are in the writing process. oh- and even if this book turns out not to be everything you hope, finish it anyway. you'll learn loads and the next book will be even better. good luck.

ghost · Apr 6, 2007

I read your first few chapters of your novel. It's very good for someone your age.
My advice to you is to just enjoy what you're doing. Don't stop to think all those horrible thoughts. Just have fun. Cause if you aren't having fun then why are you doing it?

Feldy · Apr 6, 2007

thanks

thanks you guys

I talked to an english teacher who writes books at my school and what she said i had was

"a spaz that alot of writers get"

i had a spaz i guess

:Hug2:

The Otter · Apr 6, 2007

You want to know what I do when I feel like a terrible writer?

I go to fanfiction.net and read shockingly bad fanfiction (trust me, it's easy to find). Or I pick up a really cheesy romance novel and see how many cliches I can spot.

It sounds awful, I know, but when you understand how much bad writing there is in the world, you start to feel a lot better about your own skills. Bertrice Small writes sex scenes with cringe-inducing lines like "his love juices thundered into her love bower" and she's making tons of money.

The most important thing is to love your own work, because if you don't, then who will? Write what you want to write and don't worry too much about how it measures up against what the pros are doing. Just write. Even if you don't end up publishing this particular story, no word you write is wasted, because you're always learning.

Joe270 · Apr 6, 2007

Welcome.

Your feelings about your writing won't change much until you either quit or succeed.

That's up for you to decide. You are, at the least, putting yourself out there. That's how you start. Then you learn to communicate with your words so you convey your innermost feelings. To utter strangers. Butt-nekkid on the stage, so to speak.

If these feelings of trepidation you feel now don't stop you, then you might be a writer. Now start to learn the trade. Go to novel writing and hit the 'learn to write' threads. You can get two, three years of college writing on this board in weeks if you work at it.

And no matter what you write, it always needs more. It's always crap to somebody. Start getting a thick skin.

Personally, the way you put this out, I think you just might have what it takes.

See ya, and welcome, Joe.

Feldy · Apr 7, 2007

oh thanks you guys for the advice! i can tell the maturity on this board because you guys write incredibly!

yeah i beat myself alot. it's really hard especially with critiques in art school.

no i haven't stopped writing the story. if i don't get it down then what's the point?

so when i go to the learn to write threads...what should i say so i don't do the spaz again?

i'm new to writing alot... i guess that is why i'm worried with so many people older than me. i was in advanced english in highschool and got credit to be out of english class in college, but the way i write is way off than most people. i do write great poetry though.

sorry if i sound like a martyr "feel sorry for me" kind of person. i don't like doing that.

feldy

Mentor needed for UTTERLY INSECURE chica.

Feldy

Foinah

Smoking Monkey Smart Arse

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Dee

Cassidy

writing for kids and teens

ghost

Hey, that's my bike!

Feldy

The Otter

Friendly Neighborhood Mustelid

Joe270

Feldy