I am obsessing about how to do this writing a novel thing and not doing it.
I MUST STOP OBSESSING.
I MUST STOP OBSESSING.
I MUST WRITE AND NOT OBSESS.
I MUST START WRITING MY NOVEL.
I am s t i l l rewriting my article.
SueG, a new visitor stopped by my blog and gave me the benefit of her experience ‘Just do it’. This is much nicer than Husband who uses an acronym to demand that I: JFDI.
I read an interview with AL Kennedy which echoes all other writers who are e v e r asked ‘what advice would you give to aspiring writers.’ The answer is always the same ‘WRITE.’
So that’s what I have to do.
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About Me
- Jenny Beattie
- I moved with my family to Bangkok in July 2005. What do I do? I make hats and costumes; I’ve written articles, a novel and a non-fiction book is underway… I've held a variety of volunteer positions within the expat community. Tea stains is where I write and illustrate the things that consume me: life in Thailand, shop windows, books, cats, making, hats, fascinators, tea and the colour orange.
What am I reading in 2016?
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond
Mr Phillips by John Lanchester
Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd
The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne
*Book Club choices
What have I read?
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13 comments:
I've done the same as you soooo many times - you know, get all in a pickle in case I'm not doing it right?
I've given up that though and have decided to just get the sodding thing written. Once that's done, THEN I'll drown myself in text books and learn how to polish it up.
Now, um, just get on with it. And yes, you can include your hubby's extra-spicy word :0)
I agree, just get it written down and don't worry too much about it all. I was very stuck recently and too busy worrying and plotting until I read on a blog (I think Fiona's) to get it down and sort it out once you've finished. That's what I did and it made writing the novel so much easier.
Write out the story jj. Build up the characters. Get down as much as you possibly can. Everything can be cut/slashed/jiggled in the rewrite but you have to have something to rewrite.
Write.
Write.
Right?
x
here is one more bit of advice: write first thing in the morning, and write at the same time every day.
when i worked noon-8 p.m. i did a lot of other writing--i'd write all morning, every morning. most of it was non-fiction pieces for magazines, but i also wrote a handful of short stories, and had three or four published.
first thing in the morning works best, at least for me--your mind is clear, you're not frazzled by the details of the day.
but find the time of day that works best for you, and then stick to it.
Hi JJ, This is sort of in reply to your last two posts. Like you I'm a novice novelist and like you I really do know about structure, pace and all that stuff. May be it does come naturally to a few gifted people for I do think, it can be learnt too. Well I b...well hope so!
Don't just write - write rubbish and then see if you can do something with it. You can't do anything with nothing. Oh such wisdom from one so fluffy :)
Sorry, not enough coffee. That should read: I DON'T know anything about structure,pace etc.
I am also guilty of not checking my work!
Yeah, notice how the answer is never 'BLOG'.
Shame.
Hi Honey - yes you must just write! Sounds soooo easy doesn't it! I keep telling meself the same thing!
I do think it's a confidence issue though, so that we allow the internal censor to stop us in our tracks/make us find something easier to do/convince ourselves were thinking before we can write... So just do it woman. You know you can write. Iknow you can write!
And me... well I have chemo brain so that's my excuse ha ha!!!
Good luck with it - do not give up!
Wow, you hit chord! Lots of people giving advice, which is fantastic, so here's some more. Give yourself permission to write garbage. Don't care about whether it's any good, just get started. I think of it as "dirty water" - you know the stuff that comes out of the tap when a house has been empty for a while. You have to let the dirty water run itself out before you can get to the good stuff. It's actually hard to turn off that internal critic, but if you can do it, it can actually be fun.
oops, and I also meant to thank you for the link to my blog. How rude of me. It's really appreciated, though.
I wish my obsessing was at least writing related! I obsess over everything else and more...but not writing/lack of it!
I'm with you JJ ... can't do it.
Can't can't can't.
This may not be at all helpful ...
x
Somerset Maugham once said, "there are three rules to writing the novel. Unfortunately, nobody know what they are." How I wish that weren't true!
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