What are you struggling with in your writing? Where are you stuck? What are you having a hard time with?
Photo by Pascal.
Here are some options:
- Discipline
- Finding time
- Writer's block
- Organizing your writing
- The Resistance
- Inspiration
- Finding your voice
- Getting published
- Building a platform
- Finishing your book
- Finding a writer's group
- Community support
We all have struggles. My goal is to write literary novels that compete with the best fiction being published today. Right now, my top three obstacles are:
- Finding time.
- Finding my voice.
- Getting published.
Like most of you, I haven't achieved my writing goals yet. In fact, I'm probably ten or twenty years from coming close to achieving my goals. However, I know I will never accomplish them without a whole lot of help.
I believe The Write Practice is the kind of community where writers help each other accomplish their goals, and with that in mind, I have a question for you.
How Can I Help?
What can I do to help you achieve your goals.
I'm putting together posts, interviews, and resources for the next few months, and I'm very interested to know how The Write Practice can best help you become the writer you want to be.
Please leave a comment with one or two of your goals as a writer and the TOP THREE things you're struggling with right now in your writing.
So again…
Let us know:
- One or two of your writing goals.
- The TOP THREE things keeping you from achieving your goals.
Share your goals and struggles in comments section, and over the next few months, we will tailor our posts to beating those obstacles back that are keeping you from writing like you want to.
Thank you so much for being involved in this community. I hope you're growing because of it as much as I am!
My three struggles are discipline, “The Resistance”, and inspiration. I believe that “The Resistance” would relent and inspiration would come if I had the discipline, so that would make discipline, discipline and discipline my three struggles.
I’m returning to writing after a long hiatus, so obviously I’d like to get better, but as far as specific goals, I want to produce a short story a week, an outline for a novel by NaNoWriMo (and successfully complete the novel in November), and at least two posts a week on my blog. Ambitious, yes, but perfectly doable.
Discipline, discipline, and discipline! Ha, it sounds like you’re looking for a kick in the ass from a drill sergeant, John. Those *are *ambitious goals, John, but I think you can do it. We’ll definitely be talking about that in the future. Thanks, John!
I’m new here. I found you from a post on Kathryn Weiland’s blog. http://www.wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2012/02/three-character-archetypes-in-fiction.html
I signed up for your characterization 101. I’ve been browsing your site for the past couple of days. I think its great. The practice thing is something I need to make myself do.
My struggles:
1. Procrastination
2. Finishing my book.
3. I have an inner editor that will not shut up, and keeps telling me how much I suck.
(If you can kill off number 3, I’d be mighty grateful.)
I have a voice in my head that says the same thing, Alice.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I know some of it is my high school English teacher.
Thanks, Alice. I’m so glad you found us and that you’re enjoying the site. As for #3, yes, we’ll get a shotgun.
Almost everyone thinks they suck, that’s why even constructive criticism is often hard to take.
Two of my writing goals:
1. Get published (always will be my number one goal in life).
2. To be more disciplined (writing wise).
My top three obstacles:
1. Finding my voice (I love reading fantasy and I love writing fantasy as well, but I also love reading science fiction and murder mysteries and a whole lot of other stuff. I want to write them all but I know I wouldn’t be able to).
2. Procrastination.
3. Getting published (I have submitted one of my stories to two places already. One of those rejected me and I’m actually proud of myself. I’m proud not because I got rejected but because I am finally doing something in achieving my number one goal, although I know I still have a long way to go.)
Thanks, JB. So question, what happens if you DO get published? What will your number 1 goal be then?
So finding your voice isn’t just voice, it’s about finding your genre. That makes sense.
Way to go with submitting!
If I do get published, then my number one goal will be just one word longer. I want to get published again. 🙂
As for your second comment, it got me thinking. Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve always had the idea that a “writer’s voice” is the genre in which he’s good at. Is my definition of “voice” wrong? :
Ha, love it.
I would say voice is bigger than genre. Stephen King has written in nearly every genre but his writing voice remains more or less the same.
Voice would include word choice, tone, style, rhythm, sound, and those sorts of things. Of those, perhaps tone is the most important. Fittingly, since your natural voice is just a series of tones you produce completely different from any other person.
Oh OK. Yeah, I get it now. It’s like Tolkien and George Martin. They both write fantasy books but their way of writing it is different from one another.
Thanks Joe!
Exactly!
My goal is to be a “real” writer. I would like to freelance a bit as well as be a published novelist.
I’m still fine tuning my voice, this sight has helped a great deal with that already! Some of your practices have helped me recognize what I tend to right about, what messages are important to me to communicate, and where I need to grow.
I started a novel twelve years ago and shelved it for a long time. I pulled it out about eight months ago and knew I was ready to finish it. It was a few thousand words at the time, I’ve added almost 50,000 to it. and half of it has been edited. I know it still has a lot of work but it’s coming.
My biggest struggle is prioritizing and time management.
I had been blogging daily, which was great practice, but cut back to two or three times a week to write more on my book. I struggle with balance between my blog, book, a couple of smaller ebook projects, and learning how to freelance. (Oh and also taking care of a family, serving with my husband at church, mentoring and occasionally sleeping! If you have tips on balancing life and writing I’m all ears!)
Building a platform is something I struggled with for a while as well, but I let that go recently and decided to focus more on honing my skill and come back to the whole platform thing later.
On a side note, I wanted to mention that if you had a blog button for The Write Practice I would put that on my blog. You might want to consider making one available, then your community of writers could identify themselves and point others to this great site. Just a thought!
Yeah, that’s a lot of stuff. Maybe I should write a post about practicing saying NO 🙂
That’s a great idea about the button, Beck. I’ve seen those and thought about doing it, but haven’t really known how. What do I need to do? Maybe you can write a post for me about how to buttonize your blog!
Point taken, saying no would definitely free up some time!
Here are a couple of sites that explain how to make a blog button. Hope they’re helpful. Then your followers could just grab the code and share the love!
http://thelittlehenhouse.com/2011/01/31/how-to-make-a-blog-button-with-a-grab-box-a-tutorial/
http://bloggingwithamy.com/how-to-make-a-blog-button/
Thanks Beck!
I’ve got a short term writing goal for the year ahead, which is to write, at a minimum, a short story every month. My long term goal is to write novels (something I plan to begin tackling in about two years when the younger folk are a bit older), and ultimately be published.
My top three problems:
1. Finding time. I’ve got a full family life, and I can’t marginalize them. So I get about an hour of productive time at the very end of the day, when everyone else is asleep, and I would like to be.
2. Finding people I can trust for honest critiques of my work. I don’t have a first reader, and I can’t get out to local writing groups for family reasons.
3. Sustained writing. I get antsy when a WIP takes longer to complete than I want it to, and I begin losing my oomph, and things don’t get finished. I have an inkling that it might be related to finding more writing time, as well as the nasty voice in my head that wants to censor all my writing.
That was wordy, but I’ve been wanting to bellyache about this for a long time now. I feel better now.
I like how you said this, Casey, “The nasty voice in my head that wants to censor all my writing.” I know that voice intimately.
Thanks, Casey. This is really good stuff.
I participated in NaNoWriMo last November. Someone else who participated told me that I should start each day of writing by simply writing a sentence and then take it from there.
I tried that and it worked most days. I’d open my word document, see where I left off the day before, then write a sentence. I found that often that sentence led to another, then another.
Honestly, it didn’t work every day, and the sentence can’t be arbitrary, it has to belong in the story, but it did work for me quite often.
Hope that helps a little.
I can relate to all of that!
Casey, I love the honesty. Anyone with a full family life can relate. Finding people you can trust for honest critiques is definitely a challenge too. If they are a friend, it is easy to ask yourself if they are being biased.
I am also struggling to figure out the right amount/structure of writing time. Sometimes I don’t write for 2 weeks (but I’m working out a plot problem in my head) and then I focus so much that my house gets dirty and my kids eat rice for 3 days. The balance is so difficult and there are not models to follow.
Rice for 3 days?! Ha that’s awesome, Nora.
If it makes you feel better, my kitchen floor hasn’t been properly cleaned in…well, a very long time. And I swear by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
🙂
I empathise Casey. The conventional wisdom is that if you write for an hour a day, in 365 days you’ll have written a novel. That’s what I did in the first place, to get the books I’m working on now punched out. But it’s the editing and rewriting since then that has taken a few years actually! So it’s a long-winded process when you’re head cook and bottle washer and are reduced to one hour a day.
My writing goals include writing and publishing – a novel (s), poems, and maybe even short stories. I hadn’t considered short stories til recently. When I am more focused and productive, I hope to find an agent.
My obstacles seem to be:
1. Discipline
2. Finding my voice
3. Having someone to read, comment, talk with – maybe that would be a writers group..??
(the getting published part will become an onstacle… but I have a lot of work to do first.)
I seem to have two voices that hide in my head. One voice is encouraging, and the other tells me I’m not as good as I think I am. Would love for them both to leave me alone!
I know what you mean about the two voices, Shelley. I think we all have them (or I do, anyway). Thanks!
Shelly,
I can absolutely relate. So many voices, so many characters, so many stories.
Sometimes I write with my left hand (I am R-handed), sometimes I print, sometimes I use different colored ink for different points of view…
so what others think may be part of what you write and used as fodder;
I want to read what YOU think and feel. I’m with your HS teacher on this one. Perhaps because I am studying to be one 🙂
Write who you are and what you observe.
I want to READ who you are. And isn’t all of this about sitting down with a good read/book?
You are a marvel! As for me… I very much struggle between holding on to my own and remaining open to growth and improving my craft. As Angelo pointed out, perhaps this is more of a style thing.
I think everyone struggles with that, Shelley.
It’s crucial to imitate those who have gone before us, but then you have to find a way to separate yourself from them and stand apart. I think it just takes time.
I think most of us struggle with a lack of confidence at times. And what’s odd is that sometimes a story I think is good will get poor reviews from others, while a story I think is just so-so will get good reviews.
I have been told by a teacher that I allow what others think to influence how I write and she encouraged me to turn that off. Style is one thing, voice is another, she said, and while a review of style should sometimes be considered, voice is not something I should allow someone else to change.
This is helpful. Thank you for the perspective – style is one thing, voice is another.
“Voice is not something I should allow someone else to change.”
Great point, Angelo.
What kind of writing do you do, Shelley?
Hi Nora…
I write stories and poetry …I guess one one say fiction but also life lessons… started a blog but lack discipline and direction…
http://www.letmemoveyou.me
How about you, Nora?
Literary fiction. I just subscribed to your blog. That you’re lacking discipline and direction doesn’t come through at all. See if you can move me!
Well, thank you! I will do my best to move you!
Literary fiction… I’m shamefaced to admit that I had to look up the difference between literary and other types of fiction. It seems we have a commonality.
Looking forward to getting to know you better… is there somewhere else I can find you?
My goals include creating a successful blog, book and an ILE (interactive learning environment.
My biggest challenge seems to be just getting started writing. I have ideas and know what I want to write about, but I just can’t get going sometimes . I think ab better understanding of how to outline would be very helpful. Any tips, tricks or guidance?
Nice, Mike. Yes, an outline is a good place to start. I’ll email you more ideas.
Hey Mike,
I just wanted to follow up on your issue with creating your ILE. Are you in Teaching Sells, because not everyone uses that lingo?
I’m actually in the middle of creating my own and am helping a non-profit create one as well. I don’t talk much about it on The Write Practice much though.
What are you teaching about?
Joe Bunting
joebunting.com
Discipline and finding time are my two biggest problems.
Thanks, Karen. Those seem to be popular.
My goal is to write as much as I can to silence the noises in my head … that’s all. Thanks for this site.
Ha. Excellent reason. I wonder what those noises are saying. I actually recently heard a story from This American Life where a man really did hear noises in his head, a C tone and a D# tone. It was maddening, he said.
The concept I wish to write is over in few sentences. Once you rightly remarked it is poetry. I am unable to elucidate my ideas. Secondly what I am capable of writing is labeled as spiritual’and almost everyone thinks he or she is too young for this stuff.
Krishna Kumar
I don’t believe brevity is a sin, Krishna.
Interesting what you say about spiritual writing and the young. I think the best thing a writer who is interested in writing about the spiritual experience can do is to do what Thomas Merton did, find a small community of people who care very much about the subject and put into words what they never will be able to. This way you feed the community and they feed you with their appreciation.
Very grateful, Joe. I am replying after reading about Thomas Merton and his work. I am accepting your advice with enthusiasm. I shall keep you posted about my pilgrimage to spiritual writing.
With respectful regards,
Krishna
My two writing goals are:
1. Regain my creative writing voice after decades of just doing corporate/business writing
2. Get published
I think much of what is hampering me these days boils down to a lack of self-confidence. If I could make some headway on my self-confidence, then I’d be able to seriously tackle these 3 issues that keep me from progressing with my writing:
1. Lack of participation in a writing ‘network’
2. Inability to maintain interest in or focus on an idea (ie. giving up)
3. Procrastination
I think my biggest obstacle is lack of feedback. I don’t really have anyone to bounce idea’s off of, or to tell me when my writing just plain sucks.
I used to struggle with the same problem – lack of feedback. But after meeting some friends who seem to have the same passion for writing, they’ve managed to give inputs on my writing.
Maybe joining writing sites, like this one, or starting your own blog (a free one would so) and sharing your works would be a good way to get extensive feedback. 🙂
getting going again. I finished the 1st half of my book in a month. Now, I am at a standstill. Not sure where to go from here. I wrote myself into a corner. Do I go back and revise or do I press on and fix the first half problems later?
I recommend pressing on, Hannah. If you get too into editing, you’ll never continue.
My goal with writing is to produce a good literary short story and have it published in a literary journal (a respected literary journal) – and I think part of the reason that I want to do that is to silence the voice in my head that we all speak of. I want my writing to be appreciated. I don’t think this is a good goal for me because it encourages me to doubt myself. I like the on below better.
A better goal, and one that I’m trying to use to displace the other one, is to contribute as well as I can to the body of art that is literature, to make something beautiful. I liked the practice we had here that mentioned Michael Cunningham’s likening his writing to working on a gargoyle on a cathedral. If I keep that in mind, the voice that worries about how bad my writing is hushes up, because a lot of my own ego is taken out of the mix.
Obstacles.
1) I’m probably too old to attain the first goal listed above before I die, unless my writing gets better faster or I live longer than I expect too. Of course there’s not much a group can do to help with all that, but communicating with other writers makes me think it’s worth a shot, and being committed to a group keeps me writing.
2) Scattered thoughts – I start about three stories a week, and have some that probably should be finished, ones that I used in workshops.
3) Plot is a big problem for me. I can get characters and ideas but I always fumble with plot mostly because I don’t like pat, predictable endings but neither do I like depressing endings (which seem to be all that I’m left with after the “neatly tied in a bow” ones are chucked.
I enjoy participating in this group very much, and really appreciate the feedback I’ve gotten.
I’m experiencing the same thing as number 2 and 3. If Joe allowed us to list our top 5 obstacles, those two would probably be my number 4 and 5.
Whenever I get this cool idea for a story in my head, I write like a mad man. But, after a day or two, the momentum just disappears. I force myself to continue the story but my attention is no longer there. It’s on a different story I want to write down next.
I know I probably could add most of them to my list but since I don’t have a lot of time anymore I just make myself write as you say, but the rhythm of my writing seems to go down the drain when I start to lose interest. Sometimes I go back to that stuff that I thought was awful, that I wrote just to make myself keep going, and it’s not that bad. It might just need a slight rewrite and it’s usable.
I know that feeling, JB.
I hate that feeling. I just wish I can be more consistent. :
Yep.
Marianne, you strike me as such a perceptive, vibrant, dedicated, and talented person. Don’t you dare let a birthdate get in your way!!
Thank you Steph.
Agreed!
I don’t think age should be a problem yet because as long as you’re still writing and submitting, there’s still that chance to get published.
Well that’s true. Thanks Unisse
Hi Marianne. I got Twenty Master Plots and How to Build Them. They’re all formulaic and predictable, but I could pull useful things out by imaging my different characters in each plot formula and then modifying. I have to force myself to do it because I’m much more interested in my characters’ inner world than I am in the action of the story.
I am interested in the characters more then the plot too. I have been working on a piece since reading this blog yesterday that is several years old and has a horrible ending. Maybe I’ll check out that book and see if it has any helpful suggestions. I am so out there sometimes that I really need a formula to reel me back in.
I think you’ll do it Marianne.
My writing goal is to get 8 – 10 well written and edited books on Amazon and earn a living from them whilst I write more.
I struggle with making characters different without making them cliche or stereotype. What I mean is that say I create a 15 year old girl and a 60 year old man and they are on a train together. I find it hard to make the dialogue and actions different so that it is obvious they are not the same age etc. I think this might be because I am writing through me and so both the girl and older man end up having similar ideals and thoughts. This might sound ridiculous to some but it happens to me when I write.
I know exactly what you mean. I think although it’s a lot of work, what needs to be done first is to get each character “written” on a page by themselves. That is what I was told to do in a workshop once and although, I hate to “waste time” doing it my characters turn out better when I do. I think dialogue is hard period.
What do you mean “written,” Marianne? Like, you write all the dialogue on one page?
No just on a scratch piece of paper, write all about the character, a summary of their looks, their personality, how they sound, smell, behave etc. It’s really time consuming but it’s helpful. I found that I had to read it (the description) over a few times and get it in my mind. It’s like what you mentioned doing when we drew the character with the traumatic event but it was not based on what had happened to them as much as on what they seemed like from the outside. I did include things like job, education, religious views, kind of music they liked etc.
That doesn’t make sense related to dialogue does it? I was thinking of not making characters stereotypic rather than making them sound different.
That happens to me unless I have a real person or persons on whom I’m patterning the character. I might have one real person who looks like my character, another one who thinks like her, and another one who acts like her, but in all cases, I can think about the real person to make my character real. Maybe this is a crutch I use because I’m new, but it usually works. Funny, I knew the mother-in-law in my story reminded me in appearance of someone I knew, but I couldn’t remember who. Just today I realized it was the sister of my Salvadoran nanny — a woman who died about 15 years ago. Now that I have Tia Nandina in my mind, the whole character breathes of life.
Writing Goals:
1. ebook I’ve been working on…sigh.
2. submitting more guest posts/having more on my site too
Struggles
1. Learning how to walk through a topic in an orderly way. Narrowing down my ideas.
2 Resistance
3. Discipline
Probably really stupid question here. What is meant by resistance in this context?
Hi Marianne. It’s a term taken from Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art. He defines it as a force in the world that keeps you from doing the things you want to do and that are good for you, things like finishing your novel or going to the gym. You could say writer’s block is a subset of it, as well as procrastination and lack of discipline.
Right on Joe.The real catch is that resistance is ANYTHING that stops you from doing the work you really want to do. Perfectionism, and doing research, and even networking can also be resistance that is very hard to detect. (Doing research is really the challenge for me as well as networking. I’ve contacted Pressfield about this and he said basically you just have to keep it in check and realize that the work is always the number 1 priority.)
Seems like there’s a lot of advice “out there” about how to get over writer’s block, and that’s good. But there’s not enough advice about how to diagnose writer’s block. Sometimes I can write for a week or two and then something clicks in the plot or character and I can write. Then I realize that I wasn’t being unproductive that whole time, I was being differently productive. I realize that I was working hard (even while I was sleeping or pretending to) and not giving myself credit. Sure there is writer’s block, but I think, for me, not all of my time not typing is not writing.
Great point, Nora. There are different kinds of writer’s block. The hardest part is finding out what kind you have. Once you figure it out, often the solution isn’t too difficult.
My main goal is to finish something. I have snippets of lots of different things, and they’re pretty good.
The main things I have trouble with are:
1. Discipline. I have trouble just sitting down and making myself sometimes.
2. Writer’s Block. When it its, it hits hard, and I don’t know how to get through it.
3. And this wasn’t on your list, but I’m really insecure about my writing. I’d like to get some advice about working up the courage to share it with others more often.
Great list here, Leah. Thank you so much. I have lots of snippets as well. The question is how do you focus on one thing long enough to write as much as you need to write? I have some ideas, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Finding time — hopefully after this play is over, I’ll have more time.
Discipline — Scenario: I turn on the computer. I even plug in the flash drive and open the document. Then I sit there staring blankly as though braindead, and maybe get out twenty words.
Believing in my writing — which is unusal for me, because normally I have the attitude of “screw you all, I am going to write whatever I want.” I’m second-guessing myself a lot.
Wanting to write something else other than what I’ve been writing. I’m “supposed” to work on my wips. Instead I find myself writing other forms — blogposts, articles, poetry, short stories, even half a one-act play.
I have the same problem with you about believing in what you write. It can be pretty hard because somehow, somewhere along the way, I still doubt that I can be a good writer.
Thanks Laura. These are very helpful to understand. I wonder if obstacle #1 is more a problem with inspiration than discipline. Discipline sounds more like #3 to me.
By the way, I struggle with all of those as well. #3 is my enemy #1.
Writing goals:
1. To write my first novel. I have written quite a few short stories, two of them have been published in an anthology released last August, and five others have been published in on-line magazines. But what I want to do is write a novel length story.
2. To find my voice. Sometimes I think I see it, but sometimes I allow others to influence how I write and it changes the voice I think I have developed. I’m not talking about grammar/punctuation or words that I may use incorrectly. It’s more to do with style.
What’s keeping me from achieving my goals:
1. For me the most important problem is being unable to organize a novel length story. I’m not talking about a guideline. I have trouble keeping scenes and events in order.
2. I have trouble coming up with conflicts in a longer story. The main story has it’s own conflict, but only one conflict will make for a boring novel. I need to learn how to create conflicts that may have nothing to do with the main story, but still places the characters in some kind of jeopardy, either inward or outward.
3. I’m lucky because, being retired, I have time to write, and I have a wonderful wife who encourages me. But maybe too much time is the problem. Sometimes I have trouble with focus. I’ll begin a story, then stop and work on another unfinished story. I want to write the story of my grandmother’s last years, a terrifying, horrible experience, but staying focused, as well as learning to keep the writing organized, seem to block me from completing it.
This is an excellent idea, Joe. I have been participating on The Write Practice for a little more than a month, and I have already been helped by other participants as well as reading the tutorials I found here.
The 15 minute writing practices have been very beneficial to me. Reading and commenting on other writer’s stories has also been helpful to me because I’m looking for something to comment on so I “see” the technical side of their writing as well as the story, or art, side of it.
This has to be a time-consuming endeavor for you Joe, and for that you have my gratitude.
Angelo
I hope you do write your grandmother’s story Angelo, I would certainly purchase a copy!
I struggled with the same problem you mentioned of keeping my story in order and remembering details about each character and scene. As I work on my novel I’ve found I have to keep a few documents going to support it. I keep a list of characters with details about them I could never remember otherwise. Things like their appearance, relationships, information I’ve mentioned but might forget, etc. I do a similar list for locations, especially the main characters homes. Then I keep a document of story ideas as I’m writing that I may want to work in later, ideas for where the story is going and parts I will want to develop. I also have outlined the main points, conflicts, resolutions, etc. Sometimes I work them out in a separate document before I add them to the story.
I wonder if for the story of your grandmother you don’t need to worry about adding too much conflict else where. Details about the war will add a layer of conflict. I’m sure her neighbors will have their own stories brewing. I think the power of your grandmother’s situation is strong enough to move the book along, and it shouldn’t be overshadowed. Can you tell I really got into your story about her! I really do hope you will dive in and tell her story, I think it will be compelling!
Wow, Beck, now I want to write her story even more.
About 2 years ago I visited my aunt in Italy. She lives in an ancient, quaint village in the mountains. My grandmother had been a family secret until one night she told it to me. I’ve felt compelled to write the story ever since. I’ve written a number of short stories about her already, now I need to put them into a novel length story.
I can throw in a few struggles. My grandfather was 26 when he came to America, he was young, good looking and tough. He was alone here for years. Did he have a girlfriend, and what problems would that have caused him? Just thinking out loud. I’m sure that idea would upset more than a few family members.
Thank you for you kind words, Beck. One day I’ll get the story done, it’s the one I really want to write. When I do I hope I’ll be able to send you the ISBN so you can find it in book stores.
You see we all have stories in our families, and our own lives, just waiting to be told. And we as the writers in our families are the ones to carry that mantle. I hope you write that book Angelo!
Hi Angelo, I’m writing my first novel and had a lot of trouble sequencing the story and keeping the backstory (which covers 30 years) straight. Honestly, Scrivener has been great for this. I can write smaller sections without worrying where they go, reorder them easily, and shift details when necessary. I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve also been challenged with creating smaller conflicts. Just recently I realized that I can find useful ideas by focusing on the character. One of my characters is very devout. Focusing on her character I realized that she should have a crisis of faith. I wouldn’t have thought of that focusing on plot; it came out of character development. Then one day when I was really stuck. I threw an earthquake in just to keep myself moving forward. The earthquake has become a very insignificant part of the plot, but turns out to be useful as a metaphor for what’s going on with the character. I have no idea what I’m doing, so this isn’t “advice” as much as sharing my process and letting you know you are not alone!
I haven’t heard of Scrivener but I’ll check it out. There is one software program that looks good, Writeitnow 4. I’m thinking of buying it but I’m not sure.
An earthquake is an earth-shattering (sorry) idea! It affects all the characters.
Thank you for your reply and advice.
What is great about Scrivener is that there is a 30 day free trial. If you use it once a week, you can use it for 30 weeks for free. I’ve not finished my trial but will definitely buy. It’s totally a bug-free software that makes my work easier, and I’m not at all a techie.
Hey Angelo. Thanks for this! Where did you publish online?
Also, maybe today’s post will help you with obstacle #2!
I’m working on the 4th re-write of a novel.
My struggles:
1. Being hard on my characters to provide enough suspense. And wanting to add suspense elements to the story line, which is sort of set in concrete.
2. sharpening up my characters, defining them more precisely. I know them well and they ‘live” for me, but I feel a need to make sure I am consistent in my showing them in action, displaying their traits, etc. (I haven’t read your 101 course on that yet).
3. Deciding how much internal “monologue” to have in the text.
4th rewrite – congratulations, Bill, that is commitment. I bet it’s gonna be good!
I really, really admire your persistence. One of my fears is that I’ll push through the first draft and run out of steam and give up after all that investment. Getting to the 4th re-write is already a huge accomplishment!
Seriously. Impressive.
Great obstacles here, Bill. Thanks! The short answer for internal monologue is, in my opinion, as little as possible. Unless you’re writing YA or stream of consciousness.
1. To continue work on my blog
2. publish my kids book and grow as a writer.
What is stopping me?
My obstacles seem to be:
1. Discipline/Focus/prioritizing
2. Matching the right task with the right amount of energy needed
3. Finding the right community/support/encouragement (other than the amazing folks at The Write Practice- seriously y’all rock.)
I empathise with your lists here Jim, so henceforth, I shall subscribe to your blog and check out what else you have to say. I am always drawn to hear what other children’s writers are saying on the web….
Writing goals
1. To keep my (travel) blog running as a platform for my writing
2. To get published (be it a travel related post, or a short story, or maybe even a novel)
Writing obstacles
1. I still don’t know what my writing voice is. I feel like I tend to copy other people, which I think is wrong.
2. Half-baked ideas. I have ideas swimming and darting across my mind but I never seem to make any of them work out well. Or I don’t actually work on them to make it work.
3. Discipline. I procrastinate. I become lazy. Enough said.
I saw Billy Collins speak a year or two ago, and his advice to new writers was to copy voices you admire. He also mentioned the time thing — I think someone here mentioned the 10,000 hours or whatever the magic number is — but his point was (paraphrasing here, hope you don’t mind, Mr. Collins) that as long as you are putting the time in and exploring and trying, eventually your voice will come.
He was a wonderful speaker, btw, to anyone who ever has the chance to see him.
I’ve heard the 10,000 hour rule for becoming an expert. I’ve also heard it as 1,000,000 words for writers to find their voice. When I see/hear the voice of a writer crop up in my own writing, I tell myself that I am essentially their progeny because they’ve contributed to my being a writer. As my own voice develops, it will be because the combination of all my previous reading of several admired authors coupled with my own experiences, both in my life and in my writing.
That’s how I explain it to myself.
But I wonder, will I recognize my own voice?
I wonder too, when I’ll be able say that I’ve found my voice even after ‘copying’ other people’s voices. It can be quite confusing to proudly say it’s your own voice when it sounds so similar to someone else’s.
I think we’re all copying each other. Remember: “great artists steal.”
We never find one voice. Our voice will develop, and change. When I reread my first novel I couldn’t believe I’d written it. It wasn’t bad. It just sounded like someone else! Yet, that was the voice I had then. Now, it’s different. Going forward, it’ll be different again. Older and wiser I hope. Clearer … that’s my wish.
Time, focus, so many choices to choose from. Like you, I figure I’m still 10 to 20 years out from reaching my publishing dreams and goals. I was talking with my writing coach and we were discussing the 10,000 rule toward mastery. (Just google it, if you don’t know about it. Pretty daunting) I’m in my forties and only started calling myself a writer 5 years ago, though it’s clear looking back that it was there to uncover and pursue. I’m willing to do the hard work. As I read on several blogs lately, Jeff Goins in particular, good isn’t good enough anymore. I WANT to strive for AMAZING! I want to make a difference in readers lives in the sense that after they read my book, they look at life a little differently and for the better, and they keep my book on their shelf or Kindle for years. I’m patient.
I love this big goal… “AMAZING” yup, we should all try for amazing.
Love that, Ally. I’m writing more on this later this week. Stand by.
I sure enjoyed reading everyone’s entries. I feel like I know this community better.
My goals:
1. Amuse myself.
2. Challenge myself.
My obstacles:
1. Time. What Casey said.
2. Resources to learn the craft. I am not a writer by education or trade. I don’t live anywhere near a real-life writer’s group or university, and I am pretty wary of online communities. This is the best I’ve come upon so far. The people here seem very supportive and authentic.
3. Stage-fright. I do not like to share my work, but I am slowly learning that it improves when I do.
Lovin’ those goals, Steph! Sometimes I forget how important it is to have a personal passion for the craft and keep challenging myself. Thanks for being real.
Thanks, Beth. In reading my goals again, they sure sound selfish, but we mammas have to take care of ourselves, too! I wouldn’t write if it was a chore; I have enough of those! 🙂
I would love to learn more about writing to amuse myself. I find it so important that I take it too seriously. Not healthy!
Same here! I’m also no writer by education or trade but I don’t want those to hinder me in doing what I love. I hope you get over your obstacles! 🙂
I shared your third obstacle…stage fright. Like you, I have never taken a formal writing course, so I’m not a writer by education either. I never believed that what I wrote was good enough to share, and I was a bit intimidated by the writer’s who had a writing education. The closest thing to writing, until about 2 years ago, was 25 years of police reports, which are, in a way, writing a story.
But then the facilitator in my writing group suggested that I put all my misgivings aside and submit two of my stories for publication. I had read them in class and they received good feedback. I did submit the stories and they were both accepted. They were published last August in an anthology that commemorated the 10th anniversary of September 11th.
What I learned: I’m not necessarily the best judge of my own writing, and nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I find that those of us who are most afraid of sharing/submitting our writing are those that put so much of themselves into what they write. It’s not easy to show our emotions and our heart to strangers. But we should always try.
Steph, Angelo I was too scared to write that I was scared! Ha ha. And I too am a self-taught writer. So I half expect someone to tell me, ‘your grammar was wrong there’, or ‘you obviously don’t know what you’re doing’.
I’ve been writing all my life but concentrating on it (in spare time) for the last 25 years. Apart from a couple of nibbles along the way I’ve had no real bites for my work.
When I started out writing fantasy for children it wasn’t in vogue at all and I was rebuffed many times on that account. These days it’s the ‘in thing’ so yay. I now wait to hear from 3 publishers and talk about, biting one’s nails to the quick. It freaks me out every time I think about it!!
Yvettecarol, I have received many reviews pointing out my grammar problems. I always considered the reviewer to be someone trying to help me improse, so I took them as teaching moments and learned from them. But I never allowed them to make me stop.
Apparantly, neither did you…good for you!
Angelo, the Japanese say ‘intelligence is defined by persistence’. By that standard I must be one smart cookie!! I’ve persisted for years & years now. However as you say, the knock-backs and replies along the way have also taught me a lot. So nothing is ever wasted, not even the tears!
Stage fright is huge. And sometimes the comments are rough. But you are right–it does jolt one into rethinking. Who can tell me if I’m getting better?
I love what you wrote here! Your goals are wonderful… and so authentic! I wholeheartedly agree with goals and easily identify with obstacle 2.
This really is a wonderful community. I am so thankful for all of you. : )
My #1 Goal: Find my genre. I’m a copywriter, but becoming a “real writer” and sharing something of substance with the world is my ultimate desire. Selling software is one thing, but baring my soul, being real, and pouring my heart out on the written page makes me feel vulnerable. It’s exciting and terrifying all at once.
Current obstacles:
1. Overcoming insecurities about the criticism of others. It’s hard to find the courage to completely remove myself from the idea that my mom, my friends, or some other critic will be judging.
Jeff Goins eloquently stated, “Feedback is always a gift, and you should look for truth in criticism.” Good stuff. But it’s the fear of judgment that sometimes initially influences my voice & prevents me from expressing myself freely. I need to stop writing for others so that I can find my voice and do my best work. (Then it’s learning to swallow that pride and accept that gift of constructive criticism!)
2. Prioritizing. I’m a mom to several little ones under 5, homeschooling, and working two part time jobs. Need I say more!?
3. Procrastination. I could say it again. Ultimately, I think we all have the power to alter our destiny. It’s just about sitting down and DOING the work!
I love that Goins quote. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Beth, I think you’re being unfair to yourself to even put procrastination on the list! You have so much going on that I’m sure the problem of finding time is real and not self-created. Maybe I’m defending myself, but I do feel the need to defend you too! This is really, really hard and not all the challenges are from within. Don’t you think?
“No time” is a real issue, Nora. I have a little leather-bound notepad that goes with everywhere. At the end of the day, if I haven’t written something in it, then I feel that I’ve procrastinated. You’re right, though -there are a lot of other priorities in my life. (Being a mom always comes first!) Thanks for the empathy, Nora 🙂
Glad that helped, Beth. In my experience, if you’re not getting criticized, then you’re not doing meaningful work. The irony is that the thing we avoid is what actually validates us as “real writers.” Btw, learning how to be an effective copywriter made me a much better writer and blogger. You have an excellent foundation for a writing career. Use it.
Thanks, Jeff. Those are very powerful words.
Most of the time I am involved in a debate on social networking sites over various topics varying from history to politics and anything which affect our lives as a human beings.I have found that I have to compromise with my views and ideas just because I struggle to find exact words,forms and tenses to express the same . I have found that merely reading more books is not going to help me in this regard. That’s why I like Write Practice.
Glad it’s helping, Vijay 🙂
In public, I say my writing goal is to humanize myself, readers, and especially the Palestinians who are the characters in my work. But if I’m being honest, I think my goal is just to feel like I matter. I’ve spent most of my life doing social justice work and need tactics that feel more hopeful. For me, writing is hopeful, even if the story is sad. The challenges? Hard to put into words (some writer!). First, it is challenging to endure the torture of being “in process” for so long, when I’m a person who likes the sense of accomplishment of crossing finished things off my list. Moreover, the “in process-ness” is sometimes intense and distracting from my daily life as a mom compounding my sense that I’m not productive or successful enough. Second, I am challenged with figuring out certain writing problems on my own without anyone to ask. But you have asked! So here’s what’s very hard now: Given that the end of my novel turns out completely different than what the reader would have expected, how do reveal enough clues in the story so that by the end they say “oh!” and read back and realize they could have known all along, but without giving it away? (Obviously, I don’t want to end the story saying, “You didn’t realize, reader, that person X is related to person Y although I hinted at that in chapters 1,3 and 5.”) Am I making any sense? I do appreciate your asking about my challenges. This feels like a safe community in which to share honestly.
I can relate to the frustration of having something “in process” for so long, because I’m another one of those people who like to finish something and feel that sense of accomplishment. Just keep working, I guess! 🙂
I’m not sure what I can tell you about the question about your book, other than to read lots of mystery books and stories. Some classic mystery writers are Agatha Christie — she wrote a ton of mystery books, and all her clues cleverly fit together in the end — and Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Hi Laura. This is a great idea! I don’t like mysteries and don’t own a single one. No wonder I had no models. I’ll go get Agatha today. Great suggestion!
Glad to have helped! 🙂
I LOVE how you’ve put this, Nora. Enduring the torture of being “in process” is a such a perfect way to describe the writing life. We are always in process and even when something is finished, we’re rarely satisfied with it. It seems like it would be so exciting to publish a book, see your name in print, cross that off your list, and yet the requirement is years of thousands of things perpetually uncrossed off and in process. I’m hoping to talk quite a bit about this in the months to come.
Yeah I agree with you Joe, you put that eloquently Nora. The process is a torture like the refining of wheat when its being prepared to make the flour into bread. It’s gut-wrenching/turning inside-out at times. And yet, I couldn’t, wouldn’t ever be without it!!
Your openness is so wonderful. My very first blog post was about mattering and daring. It’s so important to be true to yourself no matter what unravels around you. You do matter. You do make a difference. Your words are powerful. I have no doubt that you will discover thatwhich you seek, and I look very forward to reading your work and watching for clues. May you surpise me in the end, nonetheless! : )
Group hug!
Oh, Nora. I spent three days after the completion of a first draft walking around in a fog. I was still so involved with it that I couldn’t pay attention to anyone else. I’d read something for the kids and not remember what I had just read. They’d ask a question and I’d forget what they asked. Writing is dangerous.
And if you are brave enough to commit to paper, than what you have to say does matter.
Do you know that one of my characters is an artist? I didn’t know anything about artists so I started interviewing some and I took an art class. It was quite far into my research that I put words to something that was bothering me. They were describing something that I could relate to. The intensity. The solitude. The faith to move forward through the dark. Writing is art! I am an artist! Do you know that is the LAST thing in the world I would have said about myself? I had no idea! That’s deep.
Goals are easy, I intend to finish my work in progress so I can start re-writing it by editing. I learned long ago that if I edit as I go that I’ll never move forward.
As for struggles though, I have 3. The first is, how do I find a way to ask the other 2 questions. Joe, you’ve given me the door, so there are only 2 left. The big questions are: where is the best place to go for research on books on the same subject (or in the same genre) to use for reference in a query letter; and what is an effective method of balancing time writing blog posts and writing on the work in progress?
The last question is the real doozy. Another aspect of it is that as a fiction writer, my blog posts don’t necessarily add to my work in progress. Non-fiction bloggers can use their posts to demonstrate their expertise, but it’s hard to show your writing craft skills 500 words at a time.
Very true, Jonathan. I’ve been wondering how fiction authors can grow their platforms for a while now. I’m not sure it’s by writing non-fiction, actually. I’m on the verge of doing some experiments with this. Stay tuned 🙂
You’ve already helped me by asking me to write my goals. Ha!
I only have short term goals for 2012 right now.
1. To complete the two novels I have nearly finished.
2. To attend at least one writer’s conference.
3. To write comfortably in my own vibe/voice/rhythm of writing.
What is blocking me?
1. No time. No time. No time.
2. Learning the craft. I’m a lifetime away from mastering the art.
3. Not having access to an editor who will help me grow.
Editors are key, aren’t they. Without a publishing deal, they’re also very expensive, too. I’m not sure of the solution for that. Any ideas?
Hahah,I thot you did that Joe… One of the ways I’ve been thinking is that the editor takes a punt on the book too… LIke share in the book sales.
Two goals – (1) I’d like to connect to a wider (READ AMERICAN!) readership … to build a bridge between the cultures of the East and those of the West.
(2) Move people with my writing … not just one person, but a whole lot.
Obstacles – (1) Cultural distance … I guess I’m just not writing stuff that touches anyone in the US (this forum for example). (2) Ignorance … I guet you guys but you guys don’t get me? Not that I’ve been contributing too much ….(3) A tendency to really get lost in the world I’m creating in my writing and forgetting my reader.
Hi. Where are you? I live in Palestine. I have a weird life too! For example, today we had a mock evacuation. I had to pack “run bags” and rush to the concentration point for briefing. I’m sure no one can relate to that!
Oh yes I can. I’m writing a novel on the Vietnam War and how hard it is to take either one side or the other because we love people on all sides, and we love our land and our waters! Oh yes I can! Where is your novel whose end is different and you need clues? I can relate to that too. Thank you Joe, Thank you Community!
My current novel, One Year in Beit Hanina, is about 4 Palestinian women in Jerusalem who all have problems with their residency status, their husbands, and their daughters. Their stories are separate until the last chapter when the reader finds out their lives connect in ways you wouldn’t have expected. I’m a new writer and don’t really know how to unfold this, nor is it easy to ask advice “in theory.” If any of you know great books that accomplish this well (leaving clues all along for a twist at the end), then let me know and I’ll learn from examples.
Have you seen the movie Incendies (French) about the civil war in Lebanon. It’s the sort that leaves a lot of clues.
Hi Audrey.
Those are great goals. And just so you know, you’re writing does connect strongly with me. 🙂
#3 I think is unavoidable and not necessarily negative. You can only solve it, probably, through editing. Numbers one and two are probably solvable if you have a good editor. We should talk more about that.
Two major issues:
1. finishing the second draft. (The first 50 pages have undergone 7 drafts)
2. finding my voice (writing that flows and with words that don’t sound contrived or stilted–stilted? is that even the right word? Help!)
Hello Nancy,
So are you saying your first 50 pages have gone through 7 drafts but your latter pages haven’t been completed at all?
Yes, stilted makes sense. Sometimes when you get out of flow it feels like your words come out all wrong. Sometimes they are and other times it’s your editorial brain kicking up a fuss. You read them later and find out they’re fine. Is it the former your struggling with or the latter?
Joe,
Keep doing what you are doing! I open your e-mail every day like a child opens a gift. Your forum and the opportunity to share, and especially your personal voice and encouragement tickle me daily.
One of my writing goals is to find my readable voice. Another is to hone my word choice for brevity,and precision. I hope to publish.
Discipline, Voice and Discipline are three things that keep me from writing.
Keep encouraging me. I never cease to be amazed.
MBL
Thank you so much MBL. That really means so much to me, especially today after I received a nasty email from an unhappy reader. It’s good to hear you, at least, are with me 🙂
Oh no!! That unhappy reader must be very unhappy indeed to not be able to receive your gifts. Big hug to you!
Thanks so much, Nora!
There are unhappy readers here! Oh dear. Well, look at it this way, its a measly one out of loads of happy readers.
Thanks Audrey 🙂
Well, I hope you gave your unhappy reader their refund, Joe. 😉
Yes, I gave them the millions of dollars they pay me 😉
An unhappy reader? If this blog makes someone unhappy then I really feel sorry for them. Don’t take it to heart Joe. You are a blessing.
Thank you so much, Marianne.
Unhappy reader? I can’t imagine complaining when someone has offered to serve, freely and generously. You don’t have to offer the instruction, support, and encouragement you do, but I’m thankful for it!
You’re great, Beck. Thanks. Next time, I’ll have you email anyone who dares complain 😉
My goals are to get published, and to achieve steady sales of my titles as a children’s writer.
What’s stopping me?
Definitely time is number one, being on my own with a property to manage and two children with special needs/health issues.
I’d like to start up a blog but I’m frightened of doing so and then ‘not having enough time’ to do it all.
At present, caring for the kids and working on my books feels like the most I can manage, so I don’t know how to add to that workload without destabilising myself.
Yvette Carol
Joe, I enjoyed and appreciate this post because of the promise of help in challenging areas for most writers. I haven’t read any of the other posts, but here are my goals:
1. Complete my memoir.
2. Share it with family and friends, whether in published form or not.
Things I struggle with:
1. Finding time to write amid a lot of other things (bottom line: learn to say two letters in quick succession — N.O.).
2. Finding my voice (how do I tell my story — all fact, all fiction, combination of both?).
3. Understanding and building a platform (I’ve heard lots lately about a writer’s “platform” and would like to know more).
Joe, never think this site isn’t doing what you want it to do. I firmly believe it encourages a lot of writers — this one especially!
Hi Sherrey. About author platforms, I can’t recommend Dan Blank highly enough. Everyone should get his newsletter right away (sign up at http://www.wegrowmedia.com) and consider taking a class. I’m 3 weeks into his “Build Your Author Platform” course and, while it’s expensive, I’ve already gotten my money’s worth (and there’s 5 weeks to go!). Dan is a gentle and supportive person with tremendous knowledge to share; you feel like you have a personal ally. Look into it! 🙂
I didn’t know you’re doing that, Nora. I’d love to hear more about it. I’m glad you’re learning so much!
Nora, thanks for the link to Dan Blank’s site. I’ll definitely check it and his classes out. Appreciate the nudge in that direction.
Thank you so much, Sherrey. I appreciate your encouragement.
While it’s good — no essential — to have goals, it’s important to view one’s goals from the perspective of time and to have achievable short-term goals. If your goal is 10 to 20 years off, what is going to sustain you through those years? Will you undercut your own accomplishments and end up disappointed if you don’t reach the highest pinacle?
I recommend setting annual goals (which can be revised during the year) as well as 5-year goals. Anything beyond that borders on dilusion.
The benefit of short-term achievable goals is that you will begin to understand your own capabilities in the context of the life-choices you have made. As time goes on you’ll avoid wasting time by putting yourself in situations where your chance of success is that same as a golfer who expects a hole in one on every par 3.
The 5-year time period allows you to stretch a little without making unrealistic demands of yourself. That is not to say that your goals should not be “stretch goals”. You can certainly ask a lot of yourself, but at the end of the year, you’ll feel much better about where you’ve come and where you’re going if you feel you’ve done good work and achieved what you set out to achieve.
Of course, Peter. My goal in the next five (or seven) years is to publish a novel. That may sound like a long time, but the novels I have in mind to make will take a long time to create.
Thanks for your great advice!
As you know, Joe, I know very little of fiction. But our mutual friend, Mary Demuth, says that the only way to learn how to write a novel is to write one. If that’s true, it may be worth getting the first one out just to learn the process.
Very true, Jeff. Of course, in Mary’s case, she never got that first one published (until now). Sometimes you have to write three novels just to get one publishable novel. Thus, I’m setting the goal at five years.
Five years gives you the freedom to enjoy, to savour the process as well Joe 🙂
I don’t really consider myself a writer yet (maybe that’s one of my struggles), though I have always enjoyed playing with words, carefully crafting the sentence that accurately captures my intended meaning. I’m thankful for a friend who sent me this link, since I think you are offering exactly what I am looking for – a gentle place to stretch and grow at my own pace.
Current goals:
1. Find my voice; write enough to get comfortable with myself, rather than trying to sound like someone else.
2. Learn a few tricks of the trade or tools to help me get better at this writing thing.
3. I contribute to two blogs – I’d plan to write one post a week for both.
Struggles:
1. Discipline, or lack thereof.
2. Knowing what to say… inspiration, I suppose.
3. Believing that someone else would actually enjoy reading what I’ve written. I’m far too self-critical… in all aspects of my life.
Hi Natasha. Thank you so much for contributing here. I loved how you put it, that you have a hard time “believing that someone else would actually enjoy reading what I’ve written.”
That, more than anything, is what our job is, isn’t it? It can be an obstacle, but it can also be a driving passion, if you look at it under a different light. How can you write something that someone will enjoy? And what if you know the individual or group of individuals who will enjoy it? What if you write something you know your best friend will enjoy, or your father, or your teacher? You can make audience very abstract, but what if you just write for the people you love.
This does 2 things:
1. They will already enjoy it because you wrote it for them.
2. You will write better because you will have a better idea for what they’ll actually enjoy.
My goals are easy to define: establish myself as a well-known freelancer and make a travel blog that generates passive income, allowing me to travel freely and write from anywhere.
The obstacle is fear – the question of, “What if I’m not good enough? What if I can’t find my voice? What if I get so tired of writing I never want to do it again?” That’s what it all boils down to. Fear and uncertainty.
My biggest obstacle is time. My second biggest obstacle is me. I have a difficult time focusing on one thing at a time. I know, I know. I’ve read the articles and had the long talks with others and myself, but I still can’t seem to turn off the “and don’t forget to do this too” button. It’s madness without method, I tell you.
Writing goal~ I would like to write about my life and hopes, fears, loves and losses. I’m haveing a hard time getting organized. I think it will help once I get my own laptop. Its not like I don’t have the time, I really got to much time. Just need a quite pace to write like maybe a home pc or laptop. I find it very diffacult to write online to much comotion and noise. So I’m hopeing that once I get a home pc I’ll take right off but who knows I may just keep stairing at the walls. I also would like to write short storys. I love reading them I just don’t know if I can write them but willing to try!
Thanks for your time.
•Writer’s block
•The Resistance
•Finding your voice
goals:
1. be a published author (live the dream)
2. teach lessons that i’ve learned in life in a fun way; the way that goes under the radar, but the lesson resonates with the reader and leaves their heart empty at the end of the book, and makes them stare off into space thinking about your novel at the end ^_^
i guess i dont have obstacles…. if i write 10 min a day, i’ll get a novel eventually. and i have many more years to live, so i can at least write a *few* novels…
but I read “the 1st 5 pages” a book about staying out of the rejection pile, and it really scared me…. i can’t write with sound and rhythm! i can’t even think of a plot!! i guess that book was for people that are realy ready to take it to the next level… and i obviously am not! o_O
I just found this website tonight, and I must say that I love it so far. 🙂
My goals:
1. To write a novel/short story
My obstacles:
1. Myself – I talk myself out of things
2. I have a bit of that stage fright that has been mentioned. Which ties into how I doubt and talk myself out of things.
I just realized that if I actually want to be a writer like I keep telling myself that I will one day be, I need to actually write. The negative me in my head had told me I will be terrible, never be published, that I’d be a failure, etc. But I decided (and hopefully I can keep this thought at the front of all my thinking) that I’d only be a failure if I never wrote anything. Just having a not so great story isn’t a failure, its a starting point on a road to better.
I came to a similar realization a few years ago and decided to start practicing in public, and it’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done, both for me and for my writing. You’ll always feel that stage fright. I still feel it sometimes. But after you write through it enough times, it starts to turn into confidence. Good luck. I’m glad you’re here. 🙂