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Post by Todd Tjersland on Jun 14, 2006 9:14:10 GMT -8
You know, I'd always wanted to write a novel. My whole life, I kept putting it off. I'd make excuses and say, "I never have enough time." Then I stumbled on a piece of advice (I think it was on the Horror Writer's Association website, IIRC) that changed my life. In short, it said: "There are only 24 hours in a day. Pick one and start writing." The next day, wash, rinse and repeat. And the next, and the next... until your novel is done. If you just wrote one page a day (very slow progress indeed), you'd be done in a year.
This advice works for just about anything you've been putting off in your life. I took it to heart and now look at me--in a little over a couple of months, I'm 94,000 words into my first novel and nearly done!
Hope that timeless bit of advice (combined with my true story) helps inspire you to start work on your own masterpiece!
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Post by skaramine on Jun 20, 2006 9:18:40 GMT -8
I did the same thing at age 29. I'd been talking to a writer who was in a publishing house, and he gave me the hints and clues, so I decided to do it one day. I was nearing 30, and I wanted to complete a professional novel. Finished it, and it came out in February, 2003.
The rest, they say, is history!
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mcpvc
Disciple of Todd
Posts: 18
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Post by mcpvc on Jun 25, 2006 6:00:42 GMT -8
Don't you need a "plan" of what the story will be like first? plost and subplots?
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Post by Todd Tjersland on Jun 25, 2006 13:22:20 GMT -8
You know, a plan is a mighty fine thing to have. I'm not disputing that. But I will say that sometimes a plan can get in the way. Sometimes, it's better to just sit down when the idea hits and start writing. Once you've got something down, while the creative juices are at their most primal, then you can go back and try to hammer it into shape. Worst case scenario, it's a creative writing excericise, lol. Best case scenario, you've got your opening line, or paragraph, or ending, or some cool scene... something you can play with.
With me, it's like bolts of lightning hit me out of the blue--and I have to just jump right into the story. I get a sentence in my head, or a central idea, and run with it as far and fast as I can. Of course, that initial burst of energy only lasts so long. That's been a problem for me in the past. That's when I have to sit back and say, "where is this story going?" That's when I try to put together an outline.
The creative process is different for everyone. With my first novel, Deathbreed, I began with the opening sentence, the opening scene and a general idea in my head of what was going to happen. That carried me through the first 25,000 words or so, much to my surprise. After that, I found I needed to put together a more structured outline and try to stick to it while still remaining flexible enough to go in whatever direction seemed to suggest itself, so long as it didn't deviate dangerously far. But I had the basic story, beginning to end, already in my head from page one. It's only because I know the characters, locations and situations so well that I was probably able to get away with this... If I were writing about things I knew little to nothing about (which I don't recommend and certainly not for a first novel), I would probably have taken a more structured, formal approach from the get-go.
Another thing I think new writers get hung up on is rigidly adhering to form, when they should be worried about style--about finding their own, unique voice to tell their story. I'm not so much obsessed with form as I am with style--the important thing to me is to get the words out of my head and onto the page. If I have to break a few rules to do it, so be it. That may very well mean I have a bit more work to do in the second draft to clean it up, but I much prefer to just blast through the first draft, and get the raw emotions out while they are still fresh. What works for me, may not work for you... YMMV and all that.
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mcpvc
Disciple of Todd
Posts: 18
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Post by mcpvc on Jun 30, 2006 12:15:52 GMT -8
You're right. Plans do get in the way often. Once you start writing... at least you're writing.
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Post by Todd Tjersland on Jul 1, 2006 0:52:08 GMT -8
You're right. Plans do get in the way often. Once you start writing... at least you're writing. Yeah, IMO, it's far better to actually be writing than be thinking about writing. Plans have their place, of course, and a novel demands a certain amount of structure due to its length--not to mention a hardcore level of discipline from the author just to get the damn thing done... Believe me, I languished for years trying to get my first novel (not Deathbreed) started and even struggled getting short stories written. Between 2002 and 2005, I produced roughly six short stories and a couple aborted novels that I just never could discipline myself to finish. Not that Deathbreed hasn't been a struggle, but it's coming easier now. Raymond Chandler, one of the greatest novelists of the 20th century, didn't get started writing until he was middle-aged. I think it gets easier to write as you get older and have more life experience under your belt. Now that I'm nearing the end of my novel, I found myself getting too excited and rushing toward the end, LOL, but I caught myself in time and forced myself to go back and pay attention to the little details. I figured the readers didn't buy my book and invest all that time reading hundreds of pages getting invested in the story and characters just for me to race them across the finish line.  |
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Post by skaramine on Jul 1, 2006 18:49:22 GMT -8
Sometimes characters have a better time when they write themselves. I've been surprised by what my characters have done, or at least thought.
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Post by Todd Tjersland on Jul 1, 2006 23:13:50 GMT -8
Sometimes characters have a better time when they write themselves. I've been surprised by what my characters have done, or at least thought. Agreed. The Deathbreed characters write themselves quite easily, but only because I know them so well...  |
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Post by mrwriterman on May 13, 2007 12:01:24 GMT -8
Hello:
I hope i am not butting into the conversation here....My name is Lee Taylor, an English writer of a zombie/comedy style horror, titled "Morgue of the Dead"....it's my first completed manuscript, but alas no publishing deal yet, but it's on "lulu.com" for sale.
I was just reading the conversation you guys were having and thought i would throw in my little bit. I based most of my characters on people i knew, obviously changed them slightly, but i knew these people and i found them easier to fit into my novel. Plus i imagined my chapters has scenes from a movie, that way when i was writing them, i had the setting in my mind....i found it easier....but it is hard to plan the whole book....so placing thoughts onto a page is a good way to go.......it's my advice, but i am not a recognised writer.......but fingers crossed.....
speak soon.....take care...
lee (Mrwriterman)
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Post by Todd Tjersland on May 18, 2007 10:31:57 GMT -8
It's a messageboard, why would you be butting in when you're posting on-topic and making a valuable contribution?  More importantly, you are right! I agree that fictionalizing yourself and people you know is the simplest and often best way to create believable, fully fleshed-out characters. Good luck with your novel. Feel free to post an excerpt on my Zombie Fiction board with a link to your Lulu order page. You might try contacting Jeff at www.TheZombieReview.com about getting a review. They accept PDFs or hard copies. |
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