What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

Lakey · Oct 4, 2017

I lost a chunk of a chapter.

I'd written it out of order, sometime when I was traveling earlier in the summer. I finally reached the point in my march forward through the first draft where that scene occurs, and I went to transfer it into the manuscript. But something had become corrupted in the file. Anyway long story short, spent the evening trying to access backups and blah blah blah, for a number of boring reasons I wasn't able to. The thing is really gone.

It wasn't super great or anything. But it was something like 1500 words, and it takes me a long time to write that much. I have a handful of out-of-order fragments like this one that I look forward to reaching and incorporating into the manuscript for a nice encouraging leap forward toward the end of the first draft. I'm very sad that it's gone.

edutton · Oct 4, 2017

Lakey said:
I lost a chunk of a chapter.

I'm really sorry, that sucks. :Hug2:

Cindyt · Oct 4, 2017

I'm using prowritingaid and grammarly for British spellcheck on the historical. It's really an eye-opener. The story is firm, but it needs another grammar and spelling check, obviously with an American writing a British story.

Marumae · Oct 4, 2017

I finally, FINALLY have figured out the dilemma of my "villain" and the block to the story I was having. I managed to make it all work thanks to the help of a friend and the change of fate of one character. I've been writing and planning all day. It's AWESOME. So, so, so, so, so happy. :hooray:

A.P.M. · Oct 4, 2017

I realized that I was having trouble writing some of my latest book, and that feeling meant it had taken a wrong turn somewhere. So I need to restart and heavily edit about 9k words to turn things around. A bit annoying, but its a good feeling to know where things went wrong and have a plan to fix them.

Kjbartolotta · Oct 4, 2017

To write a series or a standalone. I am paralyzed.

SandyH · Oct 6, 2017

I am non-fiction writer and always thinking about putting the right information. Sometimes over do it while making sure to give the proper sources.....

Laiceps · Oct 6, 2017

My characters always end up arguing with each other.

Maybe I'm taking this conflict thing a bit too far.

I just want people to get along

D_Shalayek · Oct 6, 2017

I just moved my entire setting from the Pacific Northwest to the Blue Ridge mountains, because I made a gigantic error by writing into my story a character who deals weed in a fictionalized version of Portland, Oregon. Oops. So I considered having her work at a dispensary, or setting the story in the past, but there would have been way too much rewriting to make it work. So I just moved the whole city. And now everyone has a southern accent, I guess. Yay.

Emermouse · Oct 6, 2017

Kjbartolotta said:
To write a series or a standalone. I am paralyzed.

Just as they say, “Take it one day at a time,” you should also take it one book at a time. Write an awesome kickass book then consider sequels.

relletyrots · Oct 6, 2017

Kjbartolotta said:
To write a series or a standalone. I am paralyzed.

Easy; write a standalone. If it prompts a sequel, write another standalone.

DrDLN · Oct 6, 2017

I write self-help nonfiction related to health and spirituality. I am always concerned about balancing the ancient ideas and modern scientific ideas. My major concern is to provide accurate information....

Daggilarr · Oct 7, 2017

That my writing is too dry.

Harlequin · Oct 7, 2017

I peeled all of my chapters apart into their individual scenes and reconstituted them. It's a lot of work.

Disorderly Order · Oct 7, 2017

I'm realizing I can't move forward to outlining my novel without knowing the goals, motivation, and conflicts of each character. I spent a good day banging my head against the wall.

Adirahalcyon · Oct 7, 2017

I'm writing a story right now, and I'm stuck. It isn't because I'm out of ideas, but I keep going back and re-editing the chapters until they seem perfect. It's so addictive and I'm not sure how to stop it.

Marumae · Oct 7, 2017

Disorderly Order said:
I'm realizing I can't move forward to outlining my novel without knowing the goals, motivation, and conflicts of each character. I spent a good day banging my head against the wall.

I'd say look at it this way, it's a sign of a well crafted story if all the characters have clear motivations and understandable goals. This means less problems later and more believeability for the reader. It also makes them more memorable, I prefer a story where the characters don't all blend together personally. So better work it out now rather than running into a wall later when you're in mid draft you know?

As for me I'm super pleased book one and the villain is all figures out. Though this book may stretch beyond a trilogy into a quintet. Not unless I want three giant books.

Punk28 · Oct 7, 2017

Chapter 22 is a mess. The start is too wordsie. There's not enough information in the middle. There's no emotion expressed when the father finds that his only son has something that could claim his life. And there's a lot of confusion going on when the scientist is trying to find the cure to the disease that's running rampant in the story's setting.

Been trying to bust myself into working on a fix for this and, so far, all I been doing is staring at the document and not doing anything on it. I did fix 1 issue in one of my future characters, but I've not put any work in on the story that needs it most.

Cernex · Oct 7, 2017

I have a chapter I should've edited two days ago and I haven't done anything because I get distracted easily.

Dang nabbit!

Daggilarr · Oct 8, 2017

That my work will languish unread because I can't afford a professional editor. I got my first book as good as I can. A sample from a pro has shown me that it has to be pro edited. It feels like that's it, end of the road.

I need to find something to re-enthuse me.

Harlequin · Oct 8, 2017

You'd be surprised at how far beta readers can take you, Dagg. I'd pick up more of those if you can.

An editor is very useful, but they will always find something to correct; there is no point at which a MS would ever be considered done by an editor. I know that sounds like an odd distinction to make but it's worth bearing in mind. If you submitted a published novel to five different editors, they'd all come back with suggestions or things to change.

Eilyfe · Oct 8, 2017

I am halfway through the 3rd draft of my novel; it's amazing what successive drafting does for a story. It feels like I'm sculpting - especially with some of the characters. First they looked like unshapely masses, then I moulded them until they became distinct bodies, and now I'm making sure their faces are recognizable from afar.

But I guess that's applicable to the whole story.

In any case, the first edits were a bitch. But the more I do it, the more I understand what Stephen King meant with "to edit is divine."

Daggilarr · Oct 8, 2017

Harlequin said:
You'd be surprised at how far beta readers can take you, Dagg. I'd pick up more of those if you can.

An editor is very useful, but they will always find something to correct; there is no point at which a MS would ever be considered done by an editor. I know that sounds like an odd distinction to make but it's worth bearing in mind. If you submitted a published novel to five different editors, they'd all come back with suggestions or things to change.

I have had it read by a few betas. Some of them have made a lot of SPAG suggestions which has been great. I have reread and re-edited it several times before submitting it for some sample edits. They came back with corrections yes, but some of them were very basic grammar errors. I just don't have the skill to spot them on my own.

I will try for another round of betas though. Is there a place on this site to ask?

Harlequin · Oct 8, 2017

There's a beta reader forum where you can ask, and there's a Show Your Work forum that you can post a thread in once you have 50 posts (you can comment on others' posts in the meantime.)

Daggilarr · Oct 8, 2017

Harlequin said:
There's a beta reader forum where you can ask, and there's a Show Your Work forum that you can post a thread in once you have 50 posts (you can comment on others' posts in the meantime.)

Thanks. I am working toward the golden fifty. Will I hear angels singing when it happens?

What's On Your Mind About Your Writing?

Lakey

professional dilettante

edutton

Ni. Peng. Neee-Wom.

Cindyt

Gettin wiggy wit it

Marumae

Queen of Quixotica

A.P.M.

Kjbartolotta

Potentially has/is dog

SandyH

Laiceps

Busy doing nothing

D_Shalayek

Emermouse

relletyrots

The One Who Tells The Story

DrDLN

Daggilarr

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

Disorderly Order

Adirahalcyon

Marumae

Queen of Quixotica

Punk28

Cernex

Daggilarr

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

Eilyfe

Daggilarr

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

Daggilarr