My brain hurts

[Wrathchild]

I have an idea for a novella (or possibly a really long short story if that makes sense) that has the potential to kick start my writing career and get my life moving in some sort of direction at last. I'm not talking "sell a million copies, auction the film rights to the highest bidder and become disgustingly wealthy" here, but it should earn me some recognition as the kind of author I'd like to be. I have the characters and all the main plot points worked out, so the whole thing should be pretty straightforward.

"Get on with it, then!" says everyone on the BB.

Okay, so you probably didn't say that at all. In fact you probably don't much care. You've just waded through all this crap hoping that I'd get to the point soon. In an attempt to do just that, I'll tell you how much I've written so far:

NOT ONE FUCKING WORD!

I ask you, what hope do I have of finishing this thing if I can't even come up with a decent beginning? The bloody cursor's been blinking mercilessly at me all week, and I'm sure it's enjoyed every moment.

Reading other people's work isn't helping to take my mind off things either. All it does is remind me how much better their stuff is than mine. Their paragraphs aren't filled with awkward and unnecessary clauses, and they can get through more than a sentence without using the same word twice. Where am I going wrong?

Sorry to vent all this in your direction, but I get kind of hysterical when I'm blocked. Anybody wishing to apply for the position of Wrathy's muse (part time, flexible hours) may apply within .

W

 

[Joe Salami]

Without trying to blow a trumpet I don't have, I also dabble in the art writing stuff that no one else would ever read.

Don't worry about how it starts, Wrathy. Just write what comes out best at the moment. You'll find that once you get 30-50 pages into it, you'll look back, and the beginning will be staring you right in the face.

I always find it best to just write what I KNOW is happening now first. Then I go back and forwards to a) fill the gaps and b) fix up the storyline as I go.

If you wait for the start to come before you start writing, you'll be in the same place in 6 months. Get something on paper/computer. It'll all flow on from there, believe me.

 

[Joe Salami]

Oh - and don't try and write stuff like what you read and like. It'll just drive you insane.
Write your own stuff youre own way.
People WILL like it for what it is.

....just not as much as Stephen King's stuff......

 

[phlogiston]

I was going to suggest what Joe said. Why do you have to start at the start? Start at the bit where you know what's going on.

 

[Wrathchild]

Cheers Joe. It's all about giving myself permission to write badly, which I don't seem to be able to do. My first drafts are like sculpting something out of shit, which I'd prefer to avoid doing at all costs .

Onward and upward,

W

 

[Joe Salami]

I've been writing badly for about 15 years, so don't let that stop you!

I've always written for myself, because in the long run, if you don't like it, why would anyone else?

Writing should be enjoyable. It's always difficult, trying to get plot points to work the way you want...but eventually it all comes together.

Just have fun with it. The bad parts will melt away in future revising and re-writing anyway...

 

[Spiff]

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I've ever come across is from "Which Lie Did I Tell?" by William Goldman. If you can't think of anything to write, just put anything there with the express purpose of changing it later. Who cares if you can't think of a good way to start? Cut to the chase, then when it's all done, go back and write a snazzy intro.

I've been dabbling in the writing craft a bit recently, and I've discovered two things: a) it's always easier to start with a line of dialogue, and b) it's much easier writing in the first person rather than the third. I've also discovered something that I'm not happy with - I think I can write great dialogue, but the rest of it is lousy. I'm working on that, though - I just don't like describing everything the characters see because I think half the time it's not necessary. And I try not to sound pompous and arrogant when writing, because I hate reading that sort of thing myself.

Hey, at least you have ideas I've had maybe one good idea in the last ten years that I think is worth writing about. Oh! And I'm always the most creative when I'm trying to sleep - that's when all my good ideas come to me, but I keep forgetting to put some paper and a pen on my bedside chest-of-drawers to take notes.

I bought a book today on tips for writing short stories, and just flicking through it I found a great tip for practising writing - open a novel at any page, find the first sentence and write it down, then start writing a story from that sentence. I'm definitely going to give it a go this evening.

 

[phlogiston]

I'm going to get around to reading your story soon Spiff, I promise. Things got suddenly hectic at home.

 

[Spiff]

Not a worry Hopefully when you're done I'll have a heap of other stuff to bombard you with!

 

[Goreripper]

Just write anything! Write the stupidest, most banal shit you can come up with. Something like:

"It was cold and empty. The stereo was on, but no one could hear it because they were all dead. Suddenly someone said 'PARTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE' and with a roar like a thousand phoenixes rising from the ashes a horde of bikies came over the hill. The mud churned by two thousand Harley wheels, a single tortured scream rang out followed by gunfire and suddenly everything fell silent. A mist descended and all went dark. A single guitar note wavered and dived, ringing until it was enveloped in soft white noise."

See? Just write pages and pages of nonsense until your creative engine starts to tick over.

 

[Bucko]

Is that the title " My BRAIN HURTS" , If so its pretty good already .....

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Gore: For some reason, that reminded me of Manowar.