Questions+Help

The best constant support I can think of to give you is: stop thinking about September, and think about page 8. Then 9. Then 10. Rinse and repeat.

And don't worry about not making it into a writing program. Just worry about making it into your chair everyday so instead of going to a lecture to listen to other people talk about writing, you can actually write.

Good luck!

writer17 said:

My goal is to write the end of this novel by September 30th. I'm only on page seven right now.

Think I can do it, if I write six or seven pages a day,every day?

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If you've got a goal, and you want to meet it, it helps a lot. Last year, in November (NaNo month, if you've come across the idea) I wrote almost all of a 60,000 word draft of a novel. And I have severe procrastination issues, so I'm sure just about anybody else here could achieve the same.

You've given yourself 2 and a half months to achieve a similar goal. I'm sure you can do it. The question is, how much do you want to?

It's quite handy to set yourself a wordcount goal. I think the majority of people here use wordcounts instead of page count to judge their progress, and it'll make it easier for you to see how you're doing in comparison if you do likewise.

Also...if you're looking to compare your novel size to same-genre published books, then be aware that publishers mess around with font sizes and spacing to make lean books look thicker, and fat books look lighter, so it's virtually impossible for you to compare your page count to theirs, as the number of words on your page will undoubtedly vary hugely to the number of words on their pages. So...stick to word count.

As for motivation, in my humble opinion, if you can knock out about 1000 words a day, that's pretty good. That'll give you a novel in about 3 months. I think on average, people can put down about 4-500 words in an hour, so you're looking at a 2 hour commitment per day. It's very do-able.

And one final piece of advice.....accept that your first draft will read like utter crud. If I might use a musician's analogy...you're just laying down the rough tracks...when you go back and edit it, that's when you're mixing it...and it all starts to sound good.

I too took part in Nanowrimo last year. I finished the requisite 50,000 words and was extremely proud of myself, as I am procrastinator extraordinaire! I am still working on that manuscript 8 months later. My goal is to finish it before this year's Nanowrimo. But I try to blind myself to that finish line...as I suggest you try to do. Don't look up from the page to see if the finish line is approaching. Forget September. If you keep the deadline in your thoughts the task will get overwhelmingly daunting. Just write. If you pass the deadline, keep writing. Don't get discouraged. Just keep writing. It's good to have a goal to reach for, but don't make it a brick wall that you will crash against. Make it a gentle and flexible ribbon that you can lean into and stretch out ahead of you before it snaps and you pass that finish line. Your creativity engine won't necessarily agree with your deadline. Just write. And we will support you. Keep us updated on your progression.

I would suggest looking at BenMear's thread about his first novel writing. Not only is it inspiring, but he also presents a great way to make progress even when you think you can't. It's the One Word a Day commitment. Even if you don't think you can, you write one word, then the next word, and the next, and so on until you're back up to speed. I haven't tried it yet but it looks like a great method to use if you're constantly blocked.

You can make your deadline if you try. Personally I would do a daily wordcount goal instead though, since it's much easier to focus on one day at a time instead of trying to figure out everything to get done by a specific date.

~DragonHeart~

I agree with the others, dates are intimidating. Go with word count. Also your book might end up being longer than you expect it to be and if it is you won't make the date you have set and that can add needless frustration. You will soon learn that age does not matter, it is dedication, hard work, talent and many other things that make your writing what it is. I am guessing you are young but don't worry about it. There are lots of young writers on the group. I am one of them (not as young) at 22. Good luck on writing your first novel, there is a feeling unlike anything else when you finish it.

Sara

I'm on my third novel, none published. I wrote my first novel, wrote the sequal immediately after so I wouldn't break my concentration. I started writing the third so I had some idea where it was going when I desided to continue writing it. I then edited and rewrote the first novel and stopped and put it away for a bit.

So in the mean time, I'm writing what's officially going to be book number three. I moved recently, which means my whole system is blown away. I need to get back into the swing of things.

I am only saying this because you should realize that every writer is different. I was not accepted the first time I tried for a really snooty writing group, but that group did give me advice on my first novel (when I submitted it as an example). They suggested books on how to make my writing saleble.

The point is, it's a long road with a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. What happens when the next bump comes along? Are you going to give up then too? You have to write because you need to write, not because you need to be accepted. (We all do that but the need to write is FAR greater than anything else.)

So ignore negative comments, just write what is inside you. And stop timing off your novel. I wrote my first two books in six weeks but they are far from finished. You'll probably go through your first book so many times that you'll be so sick of it after a while. But you keep going anyways.

And find some writer buddies, like people here, to go to for support during the journey.

BTW, I'm guessing your young. Christopher Paolini was... 19?... when his book Eragon was published. Lots of writers start when they were 16. I started with poetry at 16 and moved to novellas at around 18. So don't think that age is a big issue.

Stacy,

Two years ago, I determined I was going to complete my first book by June 11th 2003. Why? Well, according to my astologer there was a planetary convergence, something about my Jupiter being trine with something and something, a 1 in 25 year phenomenon. I made the deadline, then went back a month later and rewrote the ending. Over the next year I edited and edited the MS down to where I was about 99-percent happy. I figure I will still be tweaking it a little here and there until the day it is released. What I am trying to say is you never stop working on a labor of love like a book. Whatever your reason, it's good to have deadlines, but be quick to forgive yourself if you miss them. Keep at it. Eventually, you will reach those two gratifying words all writers ache to pen, The End.

You could be 6 or 60, and I'd still stand and applaud your efforts. Go girl!

Deadlines

writer17 said:

Hi,

I'm a writer. Now, I'm going to abstain from saying my age, since it will probably give you guys an unduly bias to my writing.

Right now, I'm working on a novel. But it's in the starting stages.

Ever since I was rejected from a prestigious writing program (despite the thousands of other contenders, I was only a semi-finalist) I've felt like my writing will never amount to anything.

However,I want that to change. I've started a novel,and its been going okay.

What I'm asking of you guys though is constant support. Sometimes I find myself in a hole. I can't write,no matter what I do, and the words I write hardly make sense.

My goal is to write the end of this novel by September 30th. I'm only on page seven right now.

Think I can do it, if I write six or seven pages a day,every day?

~Stacy~

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I think deadlines are good things, but I also believe they should be realistic. The deadline you've given yourself would tax an experienced, selling novelist. If you fall behind, you may get discouraged.

I'd say set a more realistic deadline, maybe December 31, so you'll have the novel ready for the new year.

Then set aside writing time each day, and use that time to write.

Perhaps a better goal when you're starting out might simply be to make sure you spend a certain amount of time writing - or when you can't write, sitting in front of your computer staring at the word processor. I did complete a first draft of a nonfiction work in just a few months, but a novel is likely to be a bit harder. Just keep moving and make sure you keep moving; to avoid getting stuck, the most important thing is to stay in motion and not stop.

Good luck.

What I'm asking of you guys though is constant support.

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While you may be able to get some semblence of this (because of the great bunch of people here), you should also understand the extraordinarily solitary nature of writing, and know that the real moments of truth are going to come when it's just you and your imagination at work, not others patting you on the back or encouraging you.

I am a SLOW writer... I can only put down about 300 words in an hour. I think a reasonable goal is around 700 (about 3 pages) words a day when your just starting, but then as you get deeper into your book, try for around a thousand.

Now, as a writer, I know that there are bad days. Your cat have died, you may have a select soccer tournament, or you may just be down right depressed. I still debate this matter: should you force yourself to write? Or don't, because if you don't feel like writing, you might right bad? I usually force myself to write, even if I only get 250 words that day, but hey, thats better than nothing!

Don't let rejection discourage you. I've been rejected, half of these members have probably been rejected in some way, even JK rowling was rejected... and now she's a best seller.

Anyways, we're here for you, if you ever run into a road block...ask advice here and we probably will be able to help! Good luck!

Elena, I agree with you: writing no matter what is definitely the way to go.

For one thing, as you get into your story, the worries of the day may vanish, for a while anyway, even if the writing isn't going well.

For another, if you write poorly that day you can revise and edit later, but if you give yourself a day off, you can't do the same to a blank page.

Maryn

writer17 said:

Ever since I was rejected from a prestigious writing program (despite the thousands of other contenders, I was only a semi-finalist) I've felt like my writing will never amount to anything.

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Stacy,

Being a semi-finalist out of thousands and thousands of applications isn't too shabby. If you are talented enough to be a semi-finalist, you have a good shot at being accepted next year or being admitted to another prestigious program.

Do you have a professor (or English teacher if you are still in high school) who can advise you on the application process?

Are you writing genre fiction or literary fiction? Many writing programs do not accept people who write genre fiction even if it is better than some of the literary fiction that gets published.

Jackie