Comments on: Problem with writing a novel? http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel creative writing questions and answers Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:26:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: §Sally§ http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15300 §Sally§ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:55:22 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15300 To prevent being overwhelmed by your cast of characters, keep track of them by creating a character ***?ct list. It could be ***? simple ***? a list of characters in order of appearance with a simple ***?ntence identifying their roles in the ****?k. Example: Cynthia - protagonist. Age 31. Wife of Charles, mother of David and Jennifer. Jennifer - ***?condary character. Age 8. Daughter of Cynthia and Charles. Mr. ****?dman - ***?condary character. Age 67. Neighbor to Cynthia. Very nosy. Etc. The middle of the novel is often the hardest part to muddle through. If you also develop a rough outline of your novel's plot, it might help if you have some idea of where you ****?t the story to go. You can flesh out the outline ***? you write. Keep in mind that plot outlines are only rough guidelines and can change ***? you write, ***? characters take off in their own directions. You might consider working on short stories for a bit, taking a break from the longer stuff. I find completing a short story is refreshing and rewarding and helps you practice fleshing out a story, start to finish. Hope this helps. §???§ To prevent being overwhelmed by your cast of characters, keep track of them by creating a character ***?ct list. It could be ***? simple ***? a list of characters in order of appearance with a simple ***?ntence identifying their roles in the ****?k. Example:

Cynthia - protagonist. Age 31. Wife of Charles, mother of David and Jennifer.
Jennifer - ***?condary character. Age 8. Daughter of Cynthia and Charles.
Mr. ****?dman - ***?condary character. Age 67. Neighbor to Cynthia. Very nosy.

Etc.

The middle of the novel is often the hardest part to muddle through. If you also develop a rough outline of your novel’s plot, it might help if you have some idea of where you ****?t the story to go. You can flesh out the outline ***? you write. Keep in mind that plot outlines are only rough guidelines and can change ***? you write, ***? characters take off in their own directions.

You might consider working on short stories for a bit, taking a break from the longer stuff. I find completing a short story is refreshing and rewarding and helps you practice fleshing out a story, start to finish.

Hope this helps.

§???§

]]> By: Dan A http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15299 Dan A Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:44:48 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15299 Make a simple outline, if you start to ***?e things venturing too ***?r from your intentions, erase and go back. Make a simple outline, if you start to ***?e things venturing too ***?r from your intentions, erase and go back.

]]> By: aphrodite k http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15298 aphrodite k Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:46:41 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15298 when I started writing my first novel, I had the same 'problem'. ****? it's not really a problem. Here is my solution: out of the bunch of characters, I singled out in the process one, that naturally came to me ***? more interesting (strong ***?rsonality, compared to others and the one that stirred me most). Ok. After I singled him out, I started writing the dynamics of the relationship between the protagonist and that other ***?rson. The magic thing was that while writing I understood that 1. this ***?rson was initially a 'symbol' for a lot of others ***?rsons that I ****?ted too to describe (so why putting so much energy into describing ***?ople who are more or less the same?) and 2. that the protagonist and that other significant ***?rson had a ***?r more meaningful and deep relationship than I ever thought possible! ***?p: that ***?rson or ***?rsons you write about must absolutely be based on some significant encounter you had in your life, some ***?rson that you know well enough to know their mannerisms and way of thinking, plus you will have some 'scenes' played between you in your real life that you can put in the ****?k. Once you have done that all the other minor characters will ***?ll into place ***? props, the social canvas that the story is painted upon. one more ***?p, never abandon. read the material over and over. something interesting is there worth developing. there is. the story will lead you to it eventually. even though you will have to lose some initial plans and ***?rsons, and the plot will change from what you have intented in the beginning. remember: we don't control the writing, the writing control us. ****? the most significant ***?p of all is that you have to concentrate to what is most important to you ***?rsonally, what is the burning problem or question in your life right now and plungle into it. ****?d luck and I hope this was helpful. when I started writing my first novel, I had the same ‘problem’. ****? it’s not really a problem. Here is my solution: out of the bunch of characters, I singled out in the process one, that naturally came to me ***? more interesting (strong ***?rsonality, compared to others and the one that stirred me most). Ok. After I singled him out, I started writing the dynamics of the relationship between the protagonist and that other ***?rson. The magic thing was that while writing I understood that 1. this ***?rson was initially a ’symbol’ for a lot of others ***?rsons that I ****?ted too to describe (so why putting so much energy into describing ***?ople who are more or less the same?) and 2. that the protagonist and that other significant ***?rson had a ***?r more meaningful and deep relationship than I ever thought possible! ***?p: that ***?rson or ***?rsons you write about must absolutely be based on some significant encounter you had in your life, some ***?rson that you know well enough to know their mannerisms and way of thinking, plus you will have some ’scenes’ played between you in your real life that you can put in the ****?k. Once you have done that all the other minor characters will ***?ll into place ***? props, the social canvas that the story is painted upon. one more ***?p, never abandon. read the material over and over. something interesting is there worth developing. there is. the story will lead you to it eventually. even though you will have to lose some initial plans and ***?rsons, and the plot will change from what you have intented in the beginning. remember: we don’t control the writing, the writing control us. ****? the most significant ***?p of all is that you have to concentrate to what is most important to you ***?rsonally, what is the burning problem or question in your life right now and plungle into it. ****?d luck and I hope this was helpful.

]]> By: Sky http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15297 Sky Sun, 05 Jul 2009 16:32:15 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15297 The problem is easy: In order to write 3 different novels, the *idea* isn't to write them all at once, ****? each one in tandem. I've been doing this since 2002, and what I've done is take 3 ****?k projects, and write on one for each month, and then switch over to the next month with the ***?cond ****?k, and then the third ****?k on the third month--with the fourth month rotating back to the first ****?k, and so on. The idea is to TRAIN your mind to be able to multi-task better, ****? to also keep your ****?ks and plotlines from ***?lling apart. And though it does deviate from the standard norm for writing, it does take a little longer to finish each ****?k. So instead of one ****?k ***?r year, you may end up with 3 ****?ks in that one year--completed--while the next two don't have nothing, and the year after that, has ONE. The problem is easy: In order to write 3 different novels, the *idea* isn’t to write them all at once, ****? each one in tandem.

I’ve been doing this since 2002, and what I’ve done is take 3 ****?k projects, and write on one for each month, and then switch over to the next month with the ***?cond ****?k, and then the third ****?k on the third month–with the fourth month rotating back to the first ****?k, and so on.

The idea is to TRAIN your mind to be able to multi-task better, ****? to also keep your ****?ks and plotlines from ***?lling apart.

And though it does deviate from the standard norm for writing, it does take a little longer to finish each ****?k. So instead of one ****?k ***?r year, you may end up with 3 ****?ks in that one year–completed–while the next two don’t have nothing, and the year after that, has ONE.

]]> By: okstatecowboy http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15296 okstatecowboy Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:05:39 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15296 I think a strong outline before hand instead of just shooting from the hip ***? you truck along in creativity would help...Remember if you saturate the ****?k with characters and too much plot then you lose out and the ****?k doesn't go anywhere...Think of some of the most ****?cessful ****?ks, they only have a few different worlds going that all relate in the end so just make some choices and stick with them of course with mild adaptations ***? you ***?e the actual work. Happy writing. I think a strong outline before hand instead of just shooting from the hip ***? you truck along in creativity would help…Remember if you saturate the ****?k with characters and too much plot then you lose out and the ****?k doesn’t go anywhere…Think of some of the most ****?cessful ****?ks, they only have a few different worlds going that all relate in the end so just make some choices and stick with them of course with mild adaptations ***? you ***?e the actual work. Happy writing.

]]> By: B from LA http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15295 B from LA Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:25:11 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15295 One one extreme you have writers that can sit down and type. After a while they have their stories, all written from beginning to end. At the other extreme some writers sit and plot. They form an outline of the novel with just the high points, then they flesh out the plot with more detail and subplots. They plan each character, write up a few pages on him/her. Then when everything is all planned out, they write the scenes from their outlines. You ***?em to be closer to the ***?cond type of writer. Try planning your novel out first in detail. Then you won't get lost. I happen to be like the first author, with a vague outline in the back of my head. . One one extreme you have writers that can sit down and type. After a while they have their stories, all written from beginning to end.

At the other extreme some writers sit and plot. They form an outline of the novel with just the high points, then they flesh out the plot with more detail and subplots. They plan each character, write up a few pages on him/her. Then when everything is all planned out, they write the scenes from their outlines.

You ***?em to be closer to the ***?cond type of writer. Try planning your novel out first in detail. Then you won’t get lost. I happen to be like the first author, with a vague outline in the back of my head.
.

]]> By: Koobie http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15294 Koobie Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:51:09 +0000 http://languageisavirus.com/questions/problem-with-writing-a-novel#comment-15294 If I were you I'd concentrate on one project at a ***?me. So that you don't let your ideas "fade off and die" you can incorporate some things from the other novels into it. Also, you may ****?t to write a rough draft at first. ***?ide from that, you could write out details for all your main and ***?condary characters in a ***?parate text file and try to stick with them. Then glue it all together, do some editing, and ***?e what comes of it. If I were you I’d concentrate on one project at a ***?me. So that you don’t let your ideas “fade off and die” you can incorporate some things from the other novels into it. Also, you may ****?t to write a rough draft at first. ***?ide from that, you could write out details for all your main and ***?condary characters in a ***?parate text file and try to stick with them. Then glue it all together, do some editing, and ***?e what comes of it.

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