The very hardest part

[brianrein]

Here's a question which could be interesting.
For you, when writing in general, is it harder to start the story/novel, to finish it, or to get from the one to the other? I mean writing that particular part of the story.

For example, I have an exceptionally hard time getting stories, long or short, begun, but once the plot is rolling I find it much easier. Some of my friends, though, have a hard time getting all the action wrapped up and done.

:)

[Sassenach]

Starting is easy. Finishing's a whole other thing.

[maestrowork]

Finishing is easy. Starting is not bad (but finding the right beginning might take some time). It's the middle that is the hardest for me.

[Azraelsbane]

Hardest for me? Query letters... heh, but seriously-

I tend to come up with the storyline from start to finish before I write anything. The hardest part for me is when a character decides to be stubborn and simply refuses to walk across the page ;) Also, I tend to have very poor starting chapters that I end up having to go back and change.

[Beware_of_Italics]

It's finishing the book for me.

Ditto about writing the query letter. :tongue I finished my second book a few months ago but was having a really difficult time writing the query. So... I did the insane thing and started an entirely new book instead. :D

Kristin

[Azraelsbane]

I know how you feel. I have yet to query my first novel, which I finished about 5 years ago. Now that I'm finishing the 2nd it's time to get depressed again. I am just completely incompetent in the query/synopsis department :(

[Sassee]

Wasn't there another thread about this a few weeks ago? Hmm...

At any rate, I have no issues getting things started. I'm all about that. I have notebooks full of little starts and blurbs.

Finishing? That's a whole nother story. (What's with that word anyway? "nother" isn't proper English, or even a word, really, but for some reason people say it a lot with that one phrase. Or maybe it's just me.)

Ninja Bunny, currently in mid-book constipation mode ~

[Sean D. Schaffer]

The hardest thing for me is finishing a book. I can start one any time I want to, but finishing is probably the most difficult part of this job for me to handle.

Part of the reason for this is my inner editor, who screams at me to write perfectly within the First Draft of whatever novel idea I'm working on. I have to constantly remind myself that I have given myself permission to write Crap.

Of course, the difficulty doesn't end when I finish my First Draft. This cycle repeats itself through every draft I do.

But the rewards of finishing a piece are far greater, IMHO, than any amount of depression can offer. That's why I try to keep on keeping on.

[Mud Dauber]

Ninja Bunny, currently in mid-book constipation mode ~

I'm right there with you, Ninja. :Hug2:

[Shady Lane]

The middles get me. Endings tend to be very easy.

[ClaudiaGray]

I develop the whole story before I write, and while I'm researching/outlining, there's no saying which part is hardest. But while I'm writing, the middle is the hardest.

[Sassee]

Part of the reason for this is my inner editor, who screams at me to write perfectly within the First Draft of whatever novel idea I'm working on. I have to constantly remind myself that I have given myself permission to write Crap.

Unforunately, I've discovered this is a very hard habit to break, especially since it's been the only way I've written for over a decade. Fixing things as I go along allows the creativity to continue. I'll read over my work, edit it, and get my ideas jump started again in an almost never ending loop of write-edit-write. It keeps me consistent with my writing. It's the way I compose my research papers, too, and those turned out great. Recently I tried taking everyone's advice and stopped my editing habits, trying to force myself to finish something before fixing it. Giving myself permission to write crap, as you so eloquently put it. However, trying to fight my pattern caused my brain to shut down and I haven't written a damned thing to progress my novel in nearly a month. All I can think about are things I want to go back and fix. I can't get anything new to come out.

But maybe I'm just in a general slump. I don't know. Where's my comfort food? I need my comfort food!

<wanders off in search of sustenance>

[Soccer Mom]

Best blog ever on middles:

I give you....The Great Swampy Middle


http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/1865.html



I love this man's blog almost as much as his books.

[larocca]

I might spend a month on the first chapter, getting my characters properly defined and my conflict set up just right in my mind. Then the damn thing explodes out of me like one of those critters from ALIENS and I'm just as surprised at the ending as my characters are. It unfolds organically from who they are and what they do.

Then the hardest part is thinking of a title for the damn thing.

The synopsis is such a pain that I lean toward publishers who don't require them. Query letters are something I spew forth as fast as I'm writing this to you. Any maybe they read that way, like this right here, but they work.

So there you go. The title and the first chapter.

I don't get bogged down in writing the murky middle, by the way, but I do spend most of my editing time sloshing through it.

Hope this helps,
Michael

[triceretops]

I always have the first and last chapter mapped out in my head before I even start. It's stuffing middle that's work, for me. I'm going to start outlining from here on out.

Tri

[gem1122]

I always have the first and last chapter mapped out in my head before I even start. It's stuffing middle that's work, for me. I'm going to start outlining from here on out.

Tri

I've done this for my current WIP. In a week, I had character sketches and beginning and ending chapters. It's taken me two years, on and off, to fill in the middle.

Coming up w/ideas is not a problem for me. I have a good 3-4 novel ideas floating around. But can I finish one? Not yet.

"To being a novel takes inspiration, to continue takes endurance, and to end takes character." - Patricia Chao

[Odin]

I am currently writing my fist novel. The first chapter looked pretty good at first. Then I started learing how to write. Not to mention my characters decided to do whatever the hek they want to. Now I have to write the first chapter over again.

[SilverVistani]

Generally, for me, it's the most difficult to get through the last fourth or so of the story... So, finishing a story for me is the most difficult I suppose.

[jmindigo]

The mire that is the middle gets me every time. The endings are fairly easy to write in comparison, it just takes me forever to get to them.

[WordGypsy]

I've never finished. Not a one. But THIS ONE will be different!!! Really! I promise! ....I think.

[Danger Jane]

Making it long enough. I get a little bogged down sometimes between the scenes I REALLY want to write, but mostly my problems are with the length.

[JoNightshade]

Honestly I'm not sure what the hardest part is for me. I think all parts are equally enjoyable to write, and equally daunting! :)

[Geist]

I can write a good beginning. But around page 200, it can start to become work. Then towards the end I can wrap it up pretty good. Revision is hard and bruising to the self-esteem.

Query letters? You know, I'm going to write a short query; I'm going to be honest and professional. I'll write a short synopsis, and send in the first three chapters or the prologue or whatever. If they like my idea for a ghost story they'll ask for the manuscript, which will sell itself. If they don't like my idea or writing, nothing I put in the query is going to matter. I absolutely refuse to write a sales query. I refuse to send money or ballgame tickets, or any other promotional items, and I refuse to have an agent that so flakey they would be motivated by such things. If I'm going to be professional, then they have to be professional, too. If they think they can sell my story to publishers, that's all I care about. If they don't think they can, or they don't want to, or they aren't motivated to, I don't want them on my team. I'd rather just go somewhere else or write another story.

[sadron]

Start is hard sometimes. Finishing is easy. Though I don't want to finish. Finishing a story makes me sad.

[Hillgate]

I always have sticky moments and they can occur at any time. The 'delete' key is my friend.

PS - I don't write porn :)

[sunandshadow]

Starting is a piece of cake. Not sure whether middles or ends are harder because not being able to come up with a good idea for the end usually blocks me from writing the middle.

[cooltouch]

I've written one complete novel and started about a half dozen others. I always seem to get bogged down in the middle, even if I know how I want it to end.

Hammering away at my latest, absolutely determined to get through the middle with this one.

Best,

Michael

[brianrein]

Well, this has been kind of fun. I guess my fear of not having a good enough opening is what gets in my way, because (and readers have noticed this) once you get past the opening, my stories become a LOT more fun to read/write.I finished my second book a few months ago but was having a really difficult time writing the query. So... I did the insane thing and started an entirely new book instead. :D

KristinYou know ... I'm not sure if that's a solution, or a problem! :D :D

[AndreaGS]

Middle, definitely. I've finished my first novel, though, and I think I've developed a process that works for me.

If there was another option in there, I'd choose synopsis. I started writing mine, and it's HORRIBLE. I have multiple plot threads, all inter-connected somehow. I wish I didn't have to write one.

[Jen_D]

Middle. I have my WIP's beginning and ending pretty well done. And the early middle/late middle are no problem either. Just the middle middle thats boggin' me down.

[reenkam]

End

Cause I usually don't feel like it's very good...Though my last three finished books had had good endings...maybe I'm getting better :Shrug:

[Sandy J]

The hardest thing for me is finishing a book. I can start one any time I want to, but finishing is probably the most difficult part of this job for me to handle.

Part of the reason for this is my inner editor, who screams at me to write perfectly within the First Draft of whatever novel idea I'm working on. I have to constantly remind myself that I have given myself permission to write Crap.

Of course, the difficulty doesn't end when I finish my First Draft. This cycle repeats itself through every draft I do.

But the rewards of finishing a piece are far greater, IMHO, than any amount of depression can offer. That's why I try to keep on keeping on.

Sounds SO familiar. The actual writing of a first draft is agony for me. Fingernails down a chalkboard agony. I think it's because I'm an anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive, perfectionist. If I could just give myself permission to "write Crap," I'd be fine. But sitting down and tapping out my first draft is the hardest thing in the world for me.

On the other hand, I LOVE editing!! I thrive on it! I can take that root of an idea and make it bloom. And I also like reading something I've written and thinking, "Wow. I actually wrote that! Damn."