My husband said i should log out of GLP and finally write my book, so I made this thread. 48k words - almost half!

bookmarked it - thanks!!

Why if you could describe them, you wouldn't have to write them!

I wouldnt call it dumb

got a point there!

haha - you would think it was if i tried to summarize it. i can turn a person off a good book or movie just by trying to tell them what it was about, lol.

Thanks.

Once you can keep the seat of your pants in your chair and actually start your novel, you will be anxious to get to it every day. That's what happened with my novel. Once I got into it, it wrote itself. It's now published.

that is amazing! if i had known there were this many writer's here i would have started this thread ages ago!

Well, despite the back pain, i made myself sit down and write a bit more. I made it to 4,000! A day early, yay!
[link to i.imgur.com]
note the working title of the book at the top of the page? haha. that is so that i keep reminding myself that i promised myself i would do it this time. Maybe evenas i type on the page, my subconscious will gain a sense of stubbornness about it just from having that title line taunting me!

Good going. Im sure you'll finish it.

Congratulations!

Cheers for Green Girl! That is awesome. You can do this. Just sit down and leave the world behind and immerse yourself into those characters that you love and hate. I have recently learned to use the writing as an escape, to create new worlds and people that I want to be in and around. This really helps the writer's block. Mostly "I don't feel like it" thing.

Hey, I found this site tonight. I've been writing for more than 10 years now and this is some of the best info I've found on structuring novels.
[link to www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com]

It really lays it out in the Outline section.

Also, been looking for info on how long a novel actually is.

Apparently, if you want to get published, it's best not to write an epic. But it can't be too short either.

Different genres mean different word counts.

I like writing thrillers in far away places, islands mostly. Easy to create a crucible on an island.

Oh, an epiphany! I can fucking do this! The fiction I write is most publishable at appx. 70K to 90K words.

And you can do it, too!

Just remember, there are many rules to getting published with an agent vs. self.

One other thing, sometimes writing under a pseudonym will free your creative thought process. If I am someone else writing, I don't take it so personally and feel freer when writing.

Try it and see if it works for you.

I've made up my mind, I'm doing it.

hey..GG..I am a fellow writer.. You mate is right..but hard to get off.. "our addiction" at GLP... I am guilty as well.
soooooo. what do we do?? We must delegate certain hours of the day to our craft. And we must stick to it and only after we do this task are we allowed to go on GLP.... I am starting tomorrow, what say you GG???

Good thread with some good information. For me I try and write everyday, at least 3 pages of random garbage (it doesn't always happen.)

Don't listen to any one who is telling you it's a competition, or that it is not real, or any other bullshit. It just gets in the way of what you're trying to say.

That doesn't mean there aren't certain skills you'll need to sell your work. Pitching and what not. But even that doesn't come until you've actually finished something.

Competition really only comes into play if you're trying to get a 9 to 5 type job, writing for television, or as an assistant to an already established writer, or you're just an asshole with inferiority complex (A dime a dozen.)

Before you even start writing it might be best to have an outline and know your characters and their major dramatic curve.

[link to 5writers.com]

I don't write novels, so most of my information probably doesn't apply the same way.

Remember your first draft is always going to suck!

I don't show anyone anything until I have at least re-written it once or twice.

Zoetrope is a good site, as some one stated earlier. I currently have a screenplay in that competition.

Hi Green Girl,

I'm writing a trilogy and a Script of the same story - good on you for starting this thread, its a lonely and frustrating journey at times, just the place to come to with a yummy coffee when its all too much!

I might join up and be a real GLPer!

cheers

This is precious, hearing the heart of a writer, oh you comfort me!

As for length, lol, I remember my Editor saying to me when I asked how many words is the Publisher expecting for this story, he said 'about three books' by the time you've finished, your not writing a novel, its a trilogy'.

That made me head straight for the fridge!

Here a dutch writer!

I have chronic pain (EDS), and writing my novel is hard. I can't sit at the computer for too long and that's why I (finally) decided to go at it a different way.

1) I'm taking my time. Small steps can take you there too. I just have to conquer being impatient.

2) I do set goals. Pain, or no pain. One chapter a week, and my chapters are only about 2.500 words.

3) I write by hand, so that I can do it anywhere: in bed, on the couch, outside in my little garden (not now, it's too cold)

4) Having written a chapter by hand, the next week is for typing the chapter. This way I already made first draft better and it motivates me in writing the following chapter

5) Not writing, but thinking about what you are going to write, I now consider as writing as well. Writing a novel is work of the heart and mind, and both work also when pain is keeping you away from typing. If something brillant comes up, do make small notes or it will get lost inside.

6) I do have two friend who read my chapters. Their small comments (especially the good comments) motivate me to not give up. I am writing from beginning to end, my plot only vaguely formed. I know this is not the recommended way, but this way it is genuinly my journey also.

7) If you are not going to put in the work, whether it be slow or fast, it will never see the light of day and you will never be able to say: I finished what I started and gave it my all. You are writing it for your self. Not for the fame, not to be published, not to make you rich. You are challenging yourself because of the passion, because you know you are no less than some other authors you have read, even though your first novel will probably not make it to the bestsellerlist. (and how can it, when you know people buy shades of grey just because its pron and don't even mind the poor way it was written)

8) Listen to your husband, and let GLP be your little present, you can get it after work is done.

9) Some weeks are just... You can give yourself a pause, and when you do, make sure you enjoy it. Decide when break starts and when it ends and live up to your agreement. Promises to yourself are as important as promises to others: your word has to be your word, especially as a writer right?

10) If you are not inspired, try to sit down anyway. Writing crap and then reading it, is inspiring in itself. You read your shitty words as if they belong to someone else and then think: I can do this better and I already see how.

Nice thread, you are certainly not only. I will force myself back to work this afternoon, because of this thread. Writing in another language also makes me want to work on my novel: My poor english makes me want to express myself in Dutch as this is so much easier to me.

Best of luck! Fellowship of the word!

Oh shit. I forgot one important tool I use: read books! It keeps you in the right mood!

Grtz Sam

Ehmm... Not alone...

Maybe this is going to give you ideas. [link to pl.scribd.com]

oooh! what a challenge, to not log into glp until after my writing? lol. Well, i have to skim the headlines while i have my morning coffee (i wouldnt be able to write then anyway - not intelligently at least!) i do need glp breaks to keep my add from driving me nuts - but i will say this, daily, while i am writing, i will keep glp breaks to a two minute time limit, and start stretching those breaks out a bit as they are a bit too frequent!
does that sound ok?
and nice to meet more fellow writers - good luck !

Feels great to have finished my novel. I put off finishing it because one of the main characters died and I didn't want to kill them off. I actually wept as I wrote it. Funny the way you can get attached to a written character.

No, you need to fuck off and write your 'book'. tata.

Thank you for commenting! And your english is far from poor!!

Thanks for sharing your story - yes, writing is hard when chronic pain gets in the way. It sounds like you have a "novel" approach to writing too, and glad you shared that. I am loving this thread very much, because of all the great contributions people are making!
Best of luck with your book !!

yes, it can be lonely! Especially since i do not want my friends and most of famly to know what i am trying to do. So this thread is a place for me to go to talk about it!!
I hope you join up - get a user name, so i can give you a green karma!

YES!! that is the hardest thing for me to realize and remember. I keep looking at first drafts, and thinking it is not good enough. This time i am reminding myself that that is why it is called fist draft. I refuse to let its unpolished nature dissuade me from finishing!

awesome!! I've been meaning to write a book for years! love this thread!

eekers - that is one sexy avatar!

well, why dont you pull up a chair and start writing that book? We can each other on!! Or, if you are mean and competitive: i will race you to the publisher! (lol, jk!!)

Go for it! We all need a way to express the core of our being to others, and writing is a great way to do so!

May i suggest this for an opening line,

"It wasn't until Dirk Stone found himself holding a punctured inflatable reindeer tightly by it's rapidly deflating neck in one hand and a bowie knife in the other that he realised his mistake."

...it's a rom com chick lit thingy.