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How can i push onward and write this project?

The Second Moon

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WARNING: I am close to tears as I am writing this. I'm not even sure if this is the right place to put this.

I have had an idea for adult short story collection that would be a goofy SF. Like a sitcom in book form...kind of. I've had it for years now. The sad part is that its adult and I've only felt comfortable writing MG. I keep telling myself to ignore the idea because "I can't write adult". But the idea is so strong. I love it with all my being. There is no way to make it MG or even YA, though.

I need this idea. I need to write it. It's my happy place. I've attempted to write this (and other adult projects) but they all sound too MG with sentence structure, word choice, and (most importantly) jokes. I've read plenty of adult books, so I think I get what Adult supposed to sound like, but I just can't master it.

How can I push forwards and write it? Is there some type of mindset trick? Or should I just suck it up and try again and again and again until I get it right?

Please help.
 

frimble3

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I'm thinking that 'try and try again' is the way to go. You're familiar with MG, you've written a lot of it, and your mind just naturally falls into that place.
Maybe instead of bulling ahead on your idea, write character sketches or individual scenes, just trying for an adult voice. Basically, retraining your writing muscles.
 

lonestarlibrarian

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I remember when I went to college, I was thinking the guys would be so mature... like, college guys, y'know?

I was so disappointed to find out that they were exactly like the high school guys I had left behind.

And the high school guys hadn't been all that inspiring, either. They were taller, and bigger--- but inside, they were pretty indistinguishable from the kids in junior high or in grade school.

So-- write it in the voice that you've got inside of you, and know that even if someone is chronologically a certain age, there's probably something left behind inside of them that would allow them to resonate with or otherwise enjoy something that might sound a bit like the booger jokes or whatever you've got that's keeping it from being all grown up.

Not all adult writing needs to be endowed with gravitas or take itself seriously... get the thing written in the first place, let it sit for a few weeks or months to get some distance from your own writing, and see if it ends up being goofily charming, or if you're correct in your initial instinct that it needs to be overhauled and adult-i-fied in the way you present your voice.
 

ChaseJxyz

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Stories for adults isn't about sex, gore, or deep, philosophical topics. It's about things that adults are interested in. I saw a tweet the other day saying "I want adult fantasy. Not deep questions, but people failing at adulting, but with swords." Harry Potter is for kids because it's about a kid in elementary/middle/high school. A little kid isn't going to want to read a story about a college-age character going to college.

Adult also doesn't mean SAT words. Some people like light, easy reads. There's nothing wrong with that! Honestly, you should just start writing, tell yourself that any issues you'll get to in editing. As your adult characters talk like adults and you get more familiar with them, then your style should shift more into an "adult" style.
 

shortstorymachinist

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I completely understand the frustration of having an ideal story in your head that won't come out the right way on the page, it's one of the worst feelings. As others have said, I think the best thing to do is get it on the page where you can then revise and edit.

A fellow AW'r said recently in the 2020 solstice story swap thread that you can't edit a blank page, and I think that's really helpful advice. It's often tempting to think about a story until you're confident it'll be a clean first draft, but a lot of the time that isn't practical.

It might be helpful, as others have said, to keep in mind the idea that 'MG' and 'Adult' can be arbitrary. If you want your story to be different from your usual voice or writing style, that's fine, but there's no reason to label yourself unless that's the audience your aiming for. How you write is how you write, and changing that is a matter of practice and conscious decision-making during revisions. You might think, "My writing style always has qualities X, Y, and Z, which is good for MG, but I want to change it for this next story," and after enough practice, you'll be able to make those changes during the writing process without thinking about it so much during revision.
 

Brightdreamer

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What adult books have you read? Plenty of them can be silly and light, without gore or sex or huge words or deep philosophy (or they have the deep stuff cleverly hidden, as Pratchett had a gift for doing.)

One of the differences between MG and adult is the goals of the characters, not just the age. Children's and MG books are about growing up and finding a place to belong, about dealing with parents/guardian figures who don't always understand them, about learning the world is bigger and more complicated than they realized and taking the first steps toward a bigger role in life. Adults... well, some are sheltered enough to need to learn this, but generally they're not starting from such a sheltered place or being looked over by guardians because they're already grown up, and they have options that kids don't have - as well as complications. (A kid struggling to fit in with their peers can't quit and find another job/school or decide to move cross-country for a fresh start, for instance, and kids are less likely to find themselves stuck in miserable situations because bills need to be paid.)

I'd write it as you're writing it, or at least write a sample scene, then post in the SYW forums and see how people react. You might be surprised and find your voice isn't as far off as you think, and you might get some useful pointers.
 

mccardey

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Just write it, honey. Write it because you have to and then - if you want - you can sell it because you'd like to. You're letting worries about selling get in the way of writing, which is, to my mind, very cart-before-horse.
 

The Second Moon

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So, here's my plan. I'm gonna keep writing MG to be published while "practicing" finding my adult voice. I think that;s the best way.
 

Kalyke

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My idea is that you write under a pseudonym. Many authors have gotten away with writing work that was totally "different" under another persona. It is also a way to detach (in your mind) the you personality that you define as an MC writer, and the writer who is into goofy adult writing.
 

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Heck, just write the adult shit out. You can always come back and edit it later if you need to later.

Seriously, you're overthinking this. If you can, turn your screen off while typing so you're not constantly going back and retyping things. Just keep typing, don't stop, don't go back. If you change your mind about an earlier section, make a note of it and keep going. It'll be a mess when you're done, but you'll have it out of your head and be able to fine-tune what you have.

To find your "adult" voice, read some books in the vein of what you're looking for.
 

TeresaRose

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Second Moon, Maybe you're overthinking it. Look at all the adults that love The Simpsons, Scooby-Doo et al. You have to write this. You've declared your passion and love for it.
 

Taylor Harbin

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I've been having a similar problem with my much-neglected WIP. I was very stoked to begin and now that I'm 40,000 words into the book I'm suddenly very doubtful. Life got in the way and forced me to take a hiatus, which gave me time to think (probably not the right time for it either). I started comparing my draft to finished, polished novels and was bombarded with questions. Is it going to be too short? Are the characters flat? Is it boring? Is it not detailed enough for historical fiction? And pretty soon I was (and still am on some days) convinced that I couldn't possibly be the guy to tell this story and ought to give up.

"Overthinking" describes me nicely. How easy it is to let writing become a burden instead of a pleasure.
 

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I like to sculpt.

Bear with me here. I start out with a lump and decide what I want to make the clay into, say a centaur, then start with basic shapes. From there I add basic silhouette and then start in on details. Sometimes I make a detail and decide it doesn't look right, or just that I didn't like how I did it, and I redo it. Eventually, I end up with something that's been very worked, and looks like I want it to look, to the best of my skill level. Then I bake it.

You're at stage zero : want to make this thing in my head

You're worrying about stage XXXXX?: want thing in my head to exist fully made so I can bake (publish) it.

You're forgetting that in between, there's a whole lot of finagling and work to get it done, and also that you don't put it in the oven until you're completely happy with it. You wouldn't make a big ball for the horse body, attach a thick piece on the front for the person body and scrap it because it "looks nothing like the centaur in my head"

Allow yourself the room and time to play with it, to work it, to get the thing that's in your HANDS to match the thing in your HEAD.

I may have completely overdone the metaphor here but I think we writers all too often expect perfection to flow straight onto the paper and don't allow ourselves time to play with it. Allow yourself room for the process to work, to mold it into what you want it to be. Nobody but you knows how many failed centaurs you made, they'll just see the end result.

And for a project that gets you this worked up and passionate? It's worth the time and effort of that process. Enjoy the journey, you'll get to the destination when you decide the work is right.