New Story

[Lee Chambers]

I'm finally getting back into writing. This year has been a bitch. Between losing my job, having to drop out of school, starting a new job, surviving a hurricane and losing my father I haven't had time to actually sit down and put words in a coherent order.

I have, however, kept some rather prolific notes on story ideas. The problem I'm running into now is that I have a good beginning and some specific scenes scattered throughout but I'm still struggling to come up with the in between details.

This isn't a small story but a rather lengthy novel that has been in the percolating(sp?) in my head for about a year now. After my father become terminally ill I realized that if I didn't try to write then I would spend the rest of my life regretting it.

I'm looking for some advice on how to fill on those details. I'm sure it's going to involve a lot more note writing before it's finished and I've even worked on doing a chapter by chapter outlines. But if anyone has any words of wisdom or ideas to help keep the flow from backing up, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[oggbashan]

Try the NaNoWriMo challenge to fill in some of the details.

Og

 

[Lee Chambers]

Try the NaNoWriMo challenge to fill in some of the details.

Og

I thought about doing that. If nothing else I imagine I could get a lot put down on paper. Although the last time I tried to do NaNoWriMo I lost my job and ended up having to drop out. Hopefully I won't jinx myself joining up this time.

 

[poppy_cock]

Sorry to hear you've had a rough time lately.

I honestly think that sometimes, the only way to 'fill in the details' is to just write the damn thing already.

Unless you're planning on writing so many notes that you actually reach the point where no further in-fill is necessary?

Sit down and force yourself to write. Notes and outlines are great but you have to stop planning and start doing eventually. So maybe taking part in Nanowrimo's a bit of a stretch, but that doesn't mean that you can't set yourself some kind of goal, to write maybe 500 words a day? And write those 500 words, even if they're crap. Doesn't matter. You can't write a novel without actually sitting down to write it at some point.

I'm guessing you'll probably find that the finer details occur to you while you're writing. Some things you just can't plan...

Good luck - and get writing!

 

[Emerald_Dragon]

I would write out the chapters that you have in your head and then work on filling in the extras. That is how Shadows and Light started. I had three chapters in my head and I went on from there. Good luck!!

 

[MagicaPractica]

The best idea I've come across recently is to take it from one point and ask yourself what could happen next? What would make my character squirm and suffer the most? Think of three ideas then use the best one. Don't worry too much about getting from point a to point b. Your story may change, and that's okay. Good luck.

 

[Lee Chambers]

Sorry to hear you've had a rough time lately.

I honestly think that sometimes, the only way to 'fill in the details' is to just write the damn thing already.

Unless you're planning on writing so many notes that you actually reach the point where no further in-fill is necessary?

Sit down and force yourself to write. Notes and outlines are great but you have to stop planning and start doing eventually. So maybe taking part in Nanowrimo's a bit of a stretch, but that doesn't mean that you can't set yourself some kind of goal, to write maybe 500 words a day? And write those 500 words, even if they're crap. Doesn't matter. You can't write a novel without actually sitting down to write it at some point.

I'm guessing you'll probably find that the finer details occur to you while you're writing. Some things you just can't plan...

Good luck - and get writing!

I have a very large book that I've been using to keep notes in but I was also using it to write down parts of the story before I got the idea to use a jump drive on the computer at work. Now I can type stuff at work then bring it home then take it back to work, so the book is now used for notes again. But there's a lot of things in there so far, like settings, characters and a lot of random ideas.

I have been writing the story, the problem is I'll get maybe a paragraph or two down and then I get stuck. I know what I want to say but I don't know quite how to say it. I think that's the real problem here.

I talked with a friend of mine today who read what I had and we both thought I might just be out of practice. Which is probably true since I haven't really written anything new and original in about a year.

 

[Lee Chambers]

I would write out the chapters that you have in your head and then work on filling in the extras. That is how Shadows and Light started. I had three chapters in my head and I went on from there. Good luck!!

The only problem is that the chapters I have so far are chapter 1 and the second to last chapter. I'm working on details now for what to fill in one the other chapters but I am writing out the other chapters I have in my head at the moment also.

The best idea I've come across recently is to take it from one point and ask yourself what could happen next? What would make my character squirm and suffer the most? Think of three ideas then use the best one. Don't worry too much about getting from point a to point b. Your story may change, and that's okay. Good luck.

Squirm and suffer? What kind of stories have you been writing lately? I think the best bet is just to write as much as possible then step back and look at it and pick what needs to be scrapped, rewritten and saved. I just hate having to rewrite something when you put so much time into it...but I suppose that's part of the job.

Good to see you're still around.

 

[poppy_cock]

I have a very large book that I've been using to keep notes in but I was also using it to write down parts of the story before I got the idea to use a jump drive on the computer at work. Now I can type stuff at work then bring it home then take it back to work, so the book is now used for notes again. But there's a lot of things in there so far, like settings, characters and a lot of random ideas.

I have been writing the story, the problem is I'll get maybe a paragraph or two down and then I get stuck. I know what I want to say but I don't know quite how to say it. I think that's the real problem here.

I talked with a friend of mine today who read what I had and we both thought I might just be out of practice. Which is probably true since I haven't really written anything new and original in about a year.

Ah... I think I get it. You're not necessarily striving for perfection, but you want 'it'll do', at the very least? If that's what you mean, then I understand. Allowing yourself to write something that isn't as good as you'd like it to be isn't easy.

This is going to sound crazy, but at times like that, I change the background on my Word document to black and write in a black font and just write. Sometimes, not being able to actually see what it is I'm writing helps me move forward. My internal critic can't start criticizing cos she can't remember what I wrote until I change the background back to white again, LOL.

It might not help at all, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Hope you manage to get going again soon.

 

[Lee Chambers]

Ah... I think I get it. You're not necessarily striving for perfection, but you want 'it'll do', at the very least? If that's what you mean, then I understand. Allowing yourself to write something that isn't as good as you'd like it to be isn't easy.

This is going to sound crazy, but at times like that, I change the background on my Word document to black and write in a black font and just write. Sometimes, not being able to actually see what it is I'm writing helps me move forward. My internal critic can't start criticizing cos she can't remember what I wrote until I change the background back to white again, LOL.

It might not help at all, but I just thought I'd mention it.

Hope you manage to get going again soon.

You know that's not a bad idea at all. It's just crazy enough to work.

Thanks I think I'll give that a try.