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May
27
I think the cool thing to do is to wait until you’ve finished a book, maybe even found a publisher, before announcing that it exists. At least this seems to be what I’m familiar with—someone will all of a sudden be like, here’s my big news I’ve been so excited to tell you all about! I wrote this 167,000 word novel in my spare time and if you’d like to come see me on my book tour I’ll be in Atlanta July 5th. Oh by the way I also had another child and I lost 50 pounds, now we’re all caught up!
I’m not that cool, though, so instead I’ll tell you that I have maybe started a book. Mmmaybe. I don’t know. I’ve written, like, three-quarters of a chapter. Well, assuming I know how long a chapter is, because really, I DON’T. You know what I know about writing books? Huh! Good god, y’all. Absolutely nothing.
After years of muddling around thinking about the goal of book-writing but not writing one solitary word, I finally just opened up a text document the other day and said to myself, self, you are going to start typing, and whatever comes out is IT. I’m not going to get hung up on trying to think of some creative new spin on a collection of salty parenting anecdotes, I’m not going to tell myself that I have to have the entire story figured out, I’m not going to think about what has a better chance of being marketable, I’m not going to worry if one of the characters is has a terrible name, I’m not going to spend five days mouthbreathing over a good opening line.
What I ended up with is the beginning of a story that I have no idea if I can finish. It’s not about parenting or zombies or a 35-year-old woman living in Seattle with her family, the only three subjects I figure I’m semi-qualified to write about. The main character is a teenager, which may be a horrible mistake because, uh, see also: 35-year-old woman.
(JB: “So what’s your book going to be about?”
Me: “Um, I’m not sure yet. A sort of young adult coming-of-age story, maybe.”
JB: “Like Twilight?”
Me: “…”
JB: “That’s young adult, right?”
Me: “Okay, then yes. It’s exactly the same! Yes, I think this will spiral into a massive pop culture phenomenon and I’ll write three more books and all four will be on the best-seller list at the same time and I’ll sell 22 million copies and a movie franchise in one year alone.”
JB: “Nice. But are there vampires?”
Me: “No.”
JB: “Ohhh. Well, then.”)
Writing something that’s supposed to contain an actual plot makes me feel as though I’ve gotten behind the wheel of a car I am only barely capable of driving. There are some roadside attractions I have in mind, but how do I get there? I can’t even steer this fucking thing. As for the end of the road, I can’t begin to see it. It’s covered in fog. Or locusts. Or a giant pile of jam! Who knows!
I’m worried that I’ll get a decent way into this thing and decide it’s just too awful to continue. I’m worried that only being able to work on it in little tiny stolen moments of time here and there will make for a disjointed, crappy storyline. I’m worried that it would be crappy even if I went to some special nurturing writer’s retreat in the woods where people spoke in hushed voices and we all had Silent Creative Totem Animal Time from 9-6. I’m worried that if I fail, I’ll lose that little dream that has lived inside me for so long, the part of me beneath all the self-sabotage that secretly thinks I could maybe write a book someday, and what then?
Also, I’m pretty sure my main character has a terrible name.
But anyway, it’s started. We’ll see where it goes.
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I’m pretty sure with all of your loyal followers and the many lurkers out there – it doesn’t matter WHAT you write, we will buy it. Because we heart you.
I think anything that comes from you is going to be brilliant, stop self-sabotaging and get writing! :)
Proud for you that you’ve taken the dive. Brave, brave, brave. And you can always change the main character’s name later. You can do this.
I second the buying-ness. Also, heartily recommend Wil Wheaton’s blog about self-publishing and for how he struggles with being a writer and the doubts that can accompany that. Stepehn King’s “On Writing” is also a good read. Good luck!
I love it already. Good luck!
Your writing has “Dawg, you can sing the phonebook” appeal. I will buy your book, and it will be really well-written and kick-ass, and when friends ask to borrow my copy, I will make them buy their own so you get royalties.
Good luck, the first step is the hardest. Except for the step after that.
I’m so excited for you. I think it’s one of those “You can’t win the lotto if you don’t play” scenarios. You’ll never write a book if you don’t sit down and start typing something, anything. I think it’s better to try and fail (which I don’t for a moment believe will be your end result) then to always wonder if you could have done it. Kudos!
Even if you print out the word document and hawk it on your blog, I will buy it. As long as it isn’t too expensive…teehee!
Good luck!
g~
My son wrote an entire 160 page book last summer. I’m only telling you that in hopes someone kinda hates him for that as much as I do.
Sign me up for a copy! I’m sure it will be great. You can always clean it up later, just write (like I almost know what I’m talking about). As a mathematician, I have great respect to those who can put words together well. And coherently. In a story. Good luck!
Is your character’s name Renesmee Carlie Cullen? No? Well then, it’s not the worst character name EVER.
Oh! And kudos to you for starting a book. That’s BIG.
Have you read Anne Lamott “Bird by Bird” – if not get your hands on a copy ASAP. Until then just take it bird by bird (one step at a time)
OK, sounds like you are freaking out a little bit here and I would think that’s totally normal in book writing, right? You know if this story isn’t the ONE that is meant to be then that would be OK, right? Because it would be like a practice run? Or something? I bet best selling authors have tons of partial drafts and stories they just abandoned when something better came along in their brilliant brains? Right? Maybe? Or maybe this is the one and you’ll get there and be happy with it, mouth breathing and bad character names and all. Heh.
Well, I am super excited and proud of you and of course I will buy whatever book you produce.
Congratulations! And yay – that’s a very exciting prospect for those of us who like to read your stuff. Wherever this goes, or doesn’t go, it’s sure to be an experience worth having, along the way.
I admire that you’re trying something outside your writing comfort zone; that isn’t an easy thing to do. I’ve sat back and helped three friends edit books that they have written (two have publishing contracts, because I make up for my lack of talent by having Talented Friends), but I myself do nothing to prod the little girl inside to maybe give it a try already and *write something*.
Anyway, I wish you the best of luck. If you do make it through the end of the book I’ll happily read it, badly named main character be damned. Hell, you can always throw in a few zombies to distract from that if necessary.
Yay for you! That is awesome. Me and my girlfriends all have said in the past that you should write a book! Good luck!
Why don’t you write a book about a 35ish year old very talented woman who wants to write a book but can’t see the cover for the trees.
I think some of the best stuff there could ever be – is what you have already written.
Make a compilation of your blog posts and pepper in a paraphrase of some of the best responses you’ve enjoyed.
Janet – Miami fan
And that, exactly, is what stalls all my projects. But my photography? I’ve decided to go the whole way. I’m taking classes and last night I realized that if I’m going to really do this, I have to not only take the classes and pretend I’m studying. I have to study and do the assignments and practice. It is the actual work of it that scares me, what if I work really really hard and it comes to nothing?
Like your other commenters, I will read your book.
Just go. Write. See what happens. No matter what just take a page from Nike and Just Do it. “What if” and “fear” don’t actually exist any where but in your mind. We are all behind you and read you every day with bated breath. So go, do. We are right here with you.
very cool. I am here to say encourageing things and not put any preasure on you at all but I really think a book from you would be fun to read just write how you do to us and you got it made in my opinion that is.
I saw a blouse on ebay that was advertised as having “artsy puckers.” Since then I’ve been trying to work up a character named Artsy Puckers. Makes me laugh every fucking time I say it. AL
Good for you! And remember that for almost all writers, writing is painful. Awful. We all SUCK at it. We wring our hands and scowl and pace. We think nobody will read it, and if they do happen to read it they will think we are talentless hacks. All this is part of the process. And in the end your horribly named teenager’s story will be. . .wonderful.
Congrats to you!! Starting is the hardest part! I have already finished my novel…so I’m on the trying to find a publisher part! You’ve taken the first step with writing a few hundred words!! Best of luck!!
Taking the attitude of “who cares” helped me with my novel-perpetually-in-progress. I let the characters dictate where things go, I really have no say in the matter. I never intended my main to have a love interest, and 16 chapters in, she got one. Go figure!
I would buy a book full of BLANK PAGES if it was YOURS…because I would owe you that much for the enjoyment I get out of reading what you write HERE.
Also, Artsy Puckers…guffaw!
Who cares if anyone besides your husband and parents read it?! You will have written an ENTIRE book! That is amazing in itself – what percentage of the world is truly capable of doing such a thing? Just have fun!
Way to go!
You know we will all read it.
Good for you … I started two books for National Novel Writing Month and finished neither. My husband finished one year. It isn’t great, but it’s a book, and it’s his.
Hooray! Also, that’s what edits are for. And, practice makes perfect so if it sucks you’ll learn from it and make it better next time.
Yea, you! Seriously — never start and never finish. Start, and maybe you’ve got a creative outlet for your life going on. And if it’s a best seller, so much the better, right?
I’m sure someone has already written this, but I think you’re awesome for even trying! And I have no doubts that anything you write will not be lame.
Oh my gosh! Awesome! The act of writing, in and of itself, is an accomplishment and I’m happy to hear you’re getting on that horse or…whatever metaphor would be good here.
I actually did the exact same thing the other day, just finally kicked myself in the own ass enough to open up a damn Word document and start writing, already. (I wrote about 65 pages of a “novel” a few years back, but evidently it was going nowhere so I scrapped it and started anew). I get hung up on the SAME, uh, hang-ups and my brain nags at me with the SAME irritating, intrusive thoughts, but to hell with it.
“I’m worried that if I fail, I’ll lose that little dream that has lived inside me for so long, the part of me beneath all the self-sabotage that secretly thinks I could maybe write a book someday, and what then?”
Thank you for articulating this! This is the answer to the question I’ve been asking myself of late – what are you afraid of? Somehow knowing the answer makes me a little less scared.
Good luck, I’m rooting for you.
Have you ever thought about going to a writer’s retreat? There are some great ones in the area like Hedgebrook (http://www.hedgebrook.org/). I know several people who have gone there.
And if you have a week or weekend to spare, there’s my favorite, the Iowa Summer Writing Festival (http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/iswfest/) My husband and I took their week-long session a couple of years ago and it was amazing. I highly recommend it.
YAAY!! At the beginning I was hoping that you were in fact serious and you already DID have a many-figured deal settled with, oh, Harper Collins or someone – but this is lovely.
I can’t wait to read it!
I just started reading your blog maybe a month ago. You are a wonderful story teller and I’m rooting for you. Don’t give up! I believe you have what it takes to write an awesome story.
Just keep at it. It may change once the characters are developed but don’t give up. You are a great writer and have a distinct style and flair. If you keep at it, you will succeed.
It was 23 years ago I attempted to write a book, why, because I had a great character name and what I thought was a fantastic opening line. What I didn’t have was any life experience at all to support the story or give it any authenticity. I got about 3 hand written chapters done before I decided it was crap and put it away and just ignored it calling me from my stack of writing.
…..Abigail Spender sat with her fingers curled around the receiver of her phone. “I can’t believe I am doing this” she said to herself crushing out her cigarette. It was 3:30 to early for a drink. She lit her second cigarette in six months. No Answer. She got up and poured herself three fingers of Scotch, no ice and then dialed Tracy…..
Yep, still Crap!
You’re amazing. Good luck to you.
Gah! I meant awesome *book*. We’ve already established you can write a great story, now how’s about a *BOOK*?
Good on you! Mine is rattling around in my noggin. I’m too afraid to even open the Word doc.
Good for you! Just write – don’t get too picky about the details because you can always go back later! Good luck to you!
I AM REALLY EXCITED! I’ve been wanting to read your book(s) since I started reading this blog.
That is all.
Too bad Nike already uses the “Just Do It” line. How about “Just Write It” for all of us closeted novel writers?
Good Luck!
Good for you! I have an idea and even have an opening line, but haven’t even typed it up. It’s in a notebook beside my bed. Because I am afraid that I’ll start and it will suck and then that dream will be squashed.
Good luck!
I have faith. And not a small amount of envy. But you love to write; you’re very good at it; you are engaging; and I’ve read your short stories that you’ve put up in your oldest archives. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice NOT to try to write a book at some point. Hell, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
This sums up EXACTLY what’s going on in my head, except I’m still at the ‘muddling around thinking about the goal of book-writing but not writing one solitary word’ stage. I think the fact that you sat down and wrote even one word is a huge step forward. If you keep writing about it here on your blog, you’ll be guilt tripped into continuing!
You listed the reasons most people don’t follow through with projects such as this. My advice, have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously and don’t have any expectation as to what will happen to it once it’s done. Do it because you have to/want to do it, otherwise you will quit.
I would highly suggest reading Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamont. She tells how she writes, bit by bit, day by day, and it’s a great read. I read a lot and I read all kinds of genres, but you, my dear, are one of my favorites. You are salty and sweet all rolled up into one. I would buy anything you wrote the first day it’s out and would order extra copies for my friends.
Good for you! I started writing something several years ago and then deleted it because I started editing it right away and I wish I would have kept it. Then I thought, I’ll start writing it again while I was on maternity leave. I’ll pause while you compose your laughter from that one. And now, he’s one year old and I have yet to write one single sentence. Kudos to you for taking that first step.
I’m totally there with you on the book writing thing. I’ve started so many stories only to decide they were totally stupid and never finish them. I love your writing here, and can only imagine that I would enjoy reading anything you write. Heck, write a memoir – as you’ve proven with your blog, many people find the details of your life fascinating. Trust me, you have a huge fan base that would enjoy anything you write.
No time to read others’ comments, so this may have been said already, but want to give you this: don’t give it a label (book) or a purpose. Don’t weigh it down with a bunch of “what is this?” questions or expectations. Just explore. Explore the world of your mind and explore how words capture that world. Make the writing of it an adventure and experience each moment of it with no plan for the next moment. You’ll know when to look up and assess what you’ve done. Good luck.
You totally rock – seriously, this is a dream of mine, and I relate to all of those fears. Good for you for getting started! Just remember, any writer will tell you that it’s all about the editing, so it CAN suck at this point, and it’s still all good!
Man, if I know nothing else, it’s that you sure as hell write better than Stephenie Meyer.
I started writing my first novel in December and it took me a while to get up the guts to blog about it. I wanted to do that thing too – SURPRISE BITCHES – I wrote a book! (Or even better, announce it by singing it to the tune of that SNL short: “I’m on a boat!” – “I wrote a book, a motherfucking BOOK!”) But yeah, no. I have a big mouth and couldn’t wait. Also – if I couldn’t blog about the biggest thing I was doing, I couldn’t blog about anything else either.
It took at least two months of DAILY work for fiction writing to click with me and the hardest part was letting go of my inner critic. (I’m an obsessive-compulsive reviser.) I took a book-writing course that involved reading my work OUT LOUD and man, that forced me to get my shit together FAST.
Anyway, if you get to the point where you want some feedback, I’ll be happy to show you mine if you show me yours. ;)
I’m going to second (third?) the “Bird by Bird” recommendation. I’m writing my dissertation and her writing advice has helped me so much. I’ve read it a couple times now, especially when the writing gets hard, just to remind myself. Keep up the good work!
Shut off your brain. That’s the only way I’ve found to get myself the heck out of the way of the story.
go go go!
What excellent news — sign me up to read any book you write! Don’t let the early stages get you down… a character’s name can be changed on hundreds of pages in two seconds of find/replace…
good luck!
Everything I’ve heard about successful published writers is that the main thing they do is *write*. The more you write, the better you get. You may find, when you’ve written 100,000 words that your beginnings read horribly to you at that point. And THAT’S OKAY.
John Scalzi, a science fiction writer (blog is at http://whatever.scalzi.com), has, somewhere in his years’ worth of blogging, some very cogent writing on the subject of “how to write”. He started out by writing a “practice novel” that he posted on his blog. When he finished that one, he worked on another, which he posted on his blog and self-published. And then a publisher contacted him. And now he’s supporting himself by his SF novels. He says, over and over, that the thing to do is to WRITE. And keep at it.
So: Good on ya. Do it. We’ll cheer you on.
My advice: KEEP GOING. Do not stop. Do not look back. Do not edit. Just keep writing. Get a complete story on paper, no matter how much you might dislike it and then go back and read it.
If you keep at it, you will reach a state of zen in which your characters start to do stuff on their own, without you planning it out. That is the golden time of a first draft, in which you unlock your store of creativity that you didn’t know you had, and it’s thrilling. And since you are a writing rock star, it will be awesome stuff.
There will be plenty of time to hate your work later. Now is not that time. Now is the time for bravery, and typing.
As long as it has your signature words like craptastic or sucktacular…I would always read. :o)
i FOURTH the recommendation for Bird by Bird. Anne Lamott is wonderful and human and so helpful.
and i fazillionth the sentiment that if you write it, i will buy!
1. Wait. So you’re saying there WON’T be zombies? What about teenaged zombies? Coming-of-age zombie novel?
2. I will buy anything you write. ANYTHING.
Ha! I came over here to tell you to read Bird by Bird, so I guess I’m fifthing it? When I was an English teacher, I assigned a chapter out of BBB called Shitty First Drafts to my students, before they began writing the first paper of the year. I highly recommend it.
Also, in case you didn’t know, Toni Morrison wrote her first book in her cubicle at her night job or something. It took her forever, I believe but eventually, she got it. So you know, you too will be in Oprah’s book club someday!
i am so proud of you and i would buy anything you wrote. anything at all.
except, i do think you should publish your entire blog as one of those blurb books. because what you write here, linda, is as good as it gets. i so love you.
Thank you, guys, for the wonderful and supportive words. I appreciate it so much. : )
(Am a big fan of Bird by Bird, and I’m glad to see so many of you are too!)
I can sense that you’re nervous and using self depricating humor as a coping mechanism so I’ll be gentle.
WHAT THE HECK?!
Dude, whatever you right is totally gonna rock! I’m no spring chicken but I’ll proudly stroll into the young adult section to buy one. That’s one copy sold before it’s even written which should enable you to quit your day job. Isn’t that how the book thing works? Huh, maybe I know less than nothing about the publishing world.
Okay, that was supposed to say “whatever you WRITE.” Wow, I need to lay off the caffeine.
But you already have the self-deprecating inner monologue of a great writer down pat! Surely actual writing will be so much easier!
Also, why not a coming of age zombie book? Already have wizards and vampires. I smell an (undead) franchise a-waiting.
I wouldn’t worry if your character has a terrible name. You can always change it later. Scarlett O’Hara was “Pansy” until just before Gone With the Wind was published.
Pansy? Really? I learn something new everyday!
I am not a fan of young adult books for the same reason I no longer frequent Hollywood night clubs: They make me feel old and fat. But to reiterate so many previously commented sentiments, I would happily read ANYTHING you have written. That said, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you make your young protagonist slightly awkward and at least 15 pounds overweight? Thanks!
“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” ~ Pablo Picasso
You go girl.
Dude, I broke the same fear by making the first of my planned three projects the Sixteen Candles sequel. For serious. And it is hawt, but fan-ficky, so I’m getting that out of the way before I start the other two. Disjointed it may all be — because I’m writing it on a tiny little laptop on the bus to and from work — but after 35 years of mulling this shit over, I really don’t have time to worry about that anymore. Keep going — announcing this kind of thing on your blog keeps you honest. :-)
I am so eager and excited to hear you are doing this. You are a great talent!
Good for you! I’m working on a book as well, and I decided to tell friends and family because I thought it would hold me accountable for actually finishing it. I haven’t yet, but I’ve set a goal for this fall. We’ll see…
YAY! YAY! You know I have been a Linda fan since, uh, 2002? Back in your Diaryland days, long before you had kids. It’s been such a joy to me to watch you develop as a person and as a writer. Thank you for sharing this development with us.
I got all excited to reccomend Bird by Bird to you…but it’s been done over and over again! I think you took the biggest and scariest step; you started writing a book. It only gets easier from here. Right?
I found your blog on Twitter recently and have really enjoyed your writings. You are such a great writer, I’m surprised you haven’t already written a book. I say do it and I will buy it!
P.S. Based of these comments you’ve already sold it… you have some big fans!
It takes courage to spin the story all of us have inside us inot a book! Good luck!
Whatever you write couldn’t come out any less than great, even if it ends up way different than what you have in your head right now. I have been waiting for a book from you for years, pretty much since I started reading right after Riley was born, because I just heart you and your kickass writing style that much! Best of luck and don’t put too much pressure on yourself, let it go and it will flow. Ok, that sounded lame but oh well. I think I might just have to open up a word document of my own. You have inspired me. :)
I’m so happy for you! I seriously can’t wait to stand in line for my copy some day. I know you’ll make it.
Best of luck!!
As long as your characters names are not too similar, you will be fine. What is more annoying than having to flip back and forth muttering “was that Tim or Tom who did that?” Honestly, that is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I feel like calling up the author and saying “Really? You know these people are fictional! Make their names different!”
Or maybe that’s just me and I am a moron who cannot keep the characters straight from one page to the next. Whatev.
Just write it….you know all of us will buy it immediately and then convince everyone we know to do the same thing….there’s no way it can be anything but fantastic.
You can do it!
This is such cool news! You rock for sharing it!
You are Teh Awesome. And I’m going to quote Marshall Karp! Only one person can keep you from being a writer. So just get yer butt in the seat and write. I think he was a bit more eloquent, but you get the gist. Much love!
High freakin five for just planting your derriere and STARTING. I know exactly how difficult it is and am Impressed with a capital I.
Well good for you starting! :D
okay – bizarre question time – i swear i just saw somebody that looked “just like you” on diner’s drive-ins and dive – eating a chicken sausage in portland. i know it probably wasn’t you – but i even rewound it – and yep – still you :). I couldn’t even begin to tell my husband why i rewound it :)
CONGRATULATIONS!
You start a book and I start a comic. My comic’s about Horse Racing. And it’s called RUN.
Maybe I’ll draw another page tonight.
I think that it is absolutely wonderful.
One of my favorite authors was answering questions once about her much beloved book and she basically said that she just knew that she wanted to write a novel, she didn’t know how or what or expect it to ever be published or ANYTHING
and oops I didn’t mean to submit that comment yet. Anyway, she didn’t expect much, she wanted to just prove to herself that she could write a book and now she is a very successful author. Go for it.
Okay – I don’t comment on here as much as I want to, but I’m pretty much going to say the same thing as I did on my last comment I wrote (the one where you were asking advice about whether or not you should take Riley to D.C.) – OH MY GOD, DO IT – YOU’LL NEVER REGRET IT!!!!!! So I hope that this will turn out as awesome as your trip with Riley did. Oh, and I want a copy when it comes out.
I think you should work on a comic book next. I’d be happy to draw & color it.
Anyway, I think writing a book is a big hurdle. If anyone could do it, it’s you. I’d actually read your book and that’s saying a lot!
*I don’t like reading books.
Thought I should point that out in case you took it the wrong way.
Starting a book is easy. Any asshole can start a book. TELLING everyone that you started a book — that takes a very special kind of asshole.
Don’t quit now. We’re all rooting for you.
Gosh, I just don’t read much anymore. I think the computer changed all that. I’m into gigabite speed soundbites. If you can write a chapter even, that’s way big for me.
Like the boy from Slingblade. In deep southern accent, which I have, “I like the way you write” and love to read your stuff but I haven’t had a dose of like 25 pages of it.
I don’t know. Maybe this could work.
Can like I get a sample?
If your book only had 10 pages, 5 of which were illustrations, was hardbound and selling for 29.99, I’d still buy it. Cause you’re an amazing writer.
Then I’d tell all my friends how amazing it is so they’d all buy it too!
Good luck, I’m sure you’ll do great!
Yay, that’s so exciting! I think it’s good that your writing about something “new” although I’m sure you’d write one killer of a Zombie book.
Woohoo, Sundry is writing a book, am doing a little dance now!
Yay for you! I will buy it for sure, no matter that I’m nowhere near the target audience’s age. Also, will it be full of your trademark expletives? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure teenagers swear in real life so hey, why leave them out?
Silent Creative Animal Totem time…. for that reason alone, I’ll buy the book.
And, there’s your title. Working title, at least.
I’m in the same boat. Want to write the next GAN, but don’t have the time or the storyline. YET.
Good luck!
Also – wouldn’t you love to be inspired like Stephanie Meyer? The woman is rolling in bank, wrote a readable series, and got to hang with one of the hottest men on the earth. Yes, I covet.
Make you a deal……I’ll keep encouraging your writing, if you nag me to get off my ass and START writing. I’m 48, have been whining about taking time to write for years, but I let everyone and everything interfere. At least you’ve made a start…..Bravo!!
Just write. Something will come out. I worked for years (ten, so far) on a (still unfinished) novel. Then my friend said, “Come do NaNoWriMo with me! Let’s write a novella in 30 days!” and I was all, “30 days? I’ve been ten years on this other thing and hey? It’s only 30,000 words and it has gaps and how am I supposed to do something whole in 30 days?” But you know what? I stole moments at work and late at night after the kids were in bed and I wrote that novella in 20 days. It is not the Great American Novel. I don’t even know that it’s marketable as a Guilty Pleasure Beach Read. But I did it. I may never publish it, but I finally wrote a whole thing. If I hadn’t also had a baby last year, that book would be my proudest moment. And all I did was sit down and write. Don’t overthink the first draft, just get it down. My characters surprised me and I got some great moments out of letting the writing flow through me.
Jesus, do I EVER shut up?
Anyway, I think you’ll do great. But first, do. Don’t think too much. You’ll psych yourself out.
when you feel stuck, go pick up a copy of ‘The War of Art’. it helped me.
You take your time with that book.
I am here. I will wait.
every time I’ve decided to write a book (which means that I sit down and write 3/4 of it and then get bored and can’t figure out an ending and quit) the main character has ALWAYS been a teenager. not sure why.
good luck!
I would love to buy one of your books Sundry!!
Yay, you! I have a maybe possible OMG children’s book idea (series?) rattling around in my head, and maybe someday I’ll actually try to write something down instead of giggling to myself at the illustrations I think should accompany different parts. Har.
:)
My favorite genre is “Coming of Age” novels, especially if the heroines are either Dysfunctional or Southern with “Bad Names.” I am adverse to vampires and zombies, but could possibly be persuaded to pick up a book, here and there, just to assuage my curiousity about all the “hype” (aka the DaVinci Code, Twilight, etc.)
I almost purchased the first Twilight book the other day (despite my disdain for anything involving vampires), and my 10-year-old daughter (who should be BEGGING me to buy this book for HER), looked at me with utter comtempt and disgust and called me a “Poser.”
Yeah, so leave the vampires and zombies out of it and don’t get “too” popular, so I can buy your first novel without my judgmental “Tween” making me feel like a schmo.
Long time coming, really, and I think you’re going about it the right way. DON’T overthink things. Nothing worse than reading a book in which the overthinking is so obvious you can practically see the writerly wheels cranking away painfully between the lines of text.
But I hear you on the whole plot thing. I’ve always said if I could just get someone to think up a plot for me, I’d have no trouble filling out the scenes. No takes so far, though. Harrumph.
(I still think your parenting poetry has a place on gift book shelves across America and *sshhhh* I just might have some publishing connections…)
“Writing something that’s supposed to contain an actual plot makes me feel as though I’ve gotten behind the wheel of a car I am only barely capable of driving. There are some roadside attractions I have in mind, but how do I get there? I can’t even steer this fucking thing.”
I’m not a writer, so this might be a “well, duh, EVERYONE knows to do that…” suggestion, but what about jotting down an outline of the story idea you have so far? The actual writing might steer you a completly different direction, but maybe it would help make the fog, locusts, jam, or whatever else might be looming out there, a little less intimidating? I’d think filling in the details might be a bit less daunting if at least a few broad strokes were in place. Have I mentioned I’m not a writer? So of course, I really have no idea… Good luck! And you have plenty of people who will want to read anything you write!
Listen to the little voice inside! At least your first book will be on the bestseller list in no time with all of us secretly wanting to be you. Of course, if it really sucks and you disappoint all of us you will be a one hit wonder. : )
KIDDING!!!!!!! THIS IS WHAT WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. YOU ROCK, YOU WILL ROCK! Your many followers will be accepting and thankful for whatever you provide us with.
It’s simple; you just have to write a book. Because I refuse to live much longer in a world that contains books by Stephanie Meyer and not you.
Congratulations on starting! You are a very talented writer already. Another recommendation besides Bird by Bird is On Writing, by Elizabeth George. I found it a combination of daunting and inspiring. She really lays out the mechanics of writing–how do you create a character with a believable backstory? How do you get a person to enter and exit a room naturally? And many, many other little details that make up the story. George is extremely organized and practical (not my strengths)and I think some of her advice is invaluable. Good luck!
SO. EXCITED.
I think you wonderfully articulated why so many of us stop short of writing the story we carry around – because what if it sucks? And the answer should be, so what? We’ll never know unless we wrangle ourselves still and figure it out. Even if it’s something that doesn’t *sell* it’s still worth trying! And for the record, I want to buy whatever you do write!
Your description of being in a car, with no idea of what you are doing, and no idea of how to get from one spot to another, summed it up perfectly. I started a novel almost a month ago, and I feel like that all the time. Lol. I don’t think it changes as you get further into the story. You just have less places to go, so it seems a little less frustrating. It’s like shopping with toddlers. The fewer stops you have left to make, the better you begin to feel.
There are hundreds of books out there about writing, writing better, and even picking names for your characters. But the hardest part is still getting the words out. Let it suck. That’s what editing is for. :)
I’ve started a book too – but about halfway through I realized a plot might be a good idea and oh yeah, I have no clue how to write a book and my endless babble might be entertaining to family but not so much to an agent/publisher/reading public. So then I spent a lot of time reading about how to write…some of it is good, a lot of it is just personal opinion and I figure just because it works for them doesn’t make it gospel so who cares –
I have faith in you – and I’m sure your book will be a great read…they’ll make a movie…it’ll be a series…and you’ll live happily ever after. :)
kim/lessthanlucid
Oh, thank god someone else does this. You’ve described my exact writing technique – open word document and start typing and hope it all works out somehow. So far, this method has yielded documents like “dwarf with whiffle bat” (yeah, seriously) and “random historical novel that probably needs some damn research already.”
When you finish, let us know. Would love to read it.
Sundry — keep at it! And good luck!
I went to a book reading by Neil Gaiman and while he said many a thing that blew me away, the one I remember most is him saying that though he forced himself to write every day, and some days the writing was crappy and hard, and some days it was flowy and golden, by a couple weeks later, looking back over his work, he couldn’t tell which parts had been written when.
Have faith in your voice — it’ll turn out great : )