Questions

I’m a junior in an American high school, and I’m an aspiring writer looking to fulfill my dreams by studying Creative Writing in a British university. I’m looking to find a solid education while still being able to enjoy my stay in the UK. ANY tips would be greatly appreciated.
- Nathan D.

I signed up for NaNoWriMo this year and I have this really vivid plot idea in my head but I just can’t think of a title or how to start the story. Here’s the basic overview:

Samantha (the protagonist) has a pretty normal life for a sixteen year old, but one day she runs into the slightly perverted Ayden (I need help on how they meet). He knows too much about her and her life, to the point where he’s begun to subtly hint what goes on in her dreams. He’s not human, that much she knows especially when he appears out of no where, disappears randomly and can make flames appear in his hand, but it’s not until he begins to question her about God and the afterlife that she worries. He’s far too fascinated in what she believes will happen when she dies and fears begin to form, meanwhile Ayden is trying his hardest to win her over. He’s perverted constantly, always attempting to “touch her up”. About a third way into the story, Ayden meets Samantha’s best friend (let’s call him X for now) and Ayden discovers that he is not who he seems and is intent on seperating the two of them, especially when X recognises who Ayden is and suddenly ups the ante and tells Samantha he loves her. Lots of other stuff happen, but the basic outcome is that the Earth was created by four Gods, four elements. Ayden is the Fire, Nerina is the Water, Anil is the Air and finally, Samantha (or as Ayden knows her: Horina) is the Earth. Samantha’s best friend is another God but he’s taken the wrong path. (For the next part, you need to imagine that a world exists in which these Gods live, and there are many and they entertain themselves by creating other worlds) In the world of the Gods, Ayden and Samantha grew up together along with Nerina, Anil and X. Ayden and Samantha were extremely close to one another and X was jealous. When they finish “God School”, Ayden, Samantha, Nerina and Anil created the Earth, but as Ayden and Samantha grew close and X grew more evil, troubles arose causing Ayden to send Samantha down to the Earth as a human until it was safe. She’s been there for five thousand years. Everytime she dies, she reincarnates herself (The God part of her mind knowing Ayden is right to do this) and is reborn as a new human. Eventually, X disappears and Ayden plans to bring Samantha back but a new problem arises when X turns half-human and befriends Samantha (her human mind not knowing of the risk) and Ayden, with the help of Nerina and Anil, must save her. Yaddah, yaddah. As I said, a brief overview. Sorry if it’s long-winded. So yeah, I need help with how Samantha and Ayden first meet, it needs to be dramatic and an instant clue that Ayden isn’t quite human, and I need a title to use for it. Suggestions?
- Lou

I’ve been working on a story for about three and half years, however I stop writing for many reasons one of them WRITERS block, I want to continue, but every time I start I don’t get to write not even a sentence. to me is really important to start writing since I have a four month vacation from school, (I’m eight months pregnant, getting ready for baby number 3) I want to dedicate my time to this story, but I can not get pass chapter six, I have so many exciting thoughts I even have an ending, but when I open the page I start yawing, what can I do? Someone please tell me how I can start writing again. Any advice? Thoughts? Please.
Also, for how long do you write in one day? One hour? Two?
I know this will sound awkward but my stories come from dreams, I repeatedly dream this story that is how I know It is time to do this.
- oh-my

My background: I have never written a short story or novel before, but I have the confidence and past education and writing experience from school to be able to try my best!

I have wanted to write a novel for many years now. Before sitting down and getting to work on it, I have lately been toying with the idea of just doing a short story.

But of course I have dreams of being published. (This is not my main motivation, of course, but I figure if I’m going to spend a good portion of my time and effort on this, I might as well try to get published - if it’s good enough!)

So, should I spend the time and effort doing a short story? Can any money be made off of short stories as opposed to novels? Would it be worth the extra work to do a novel? Also, if I wrote a short story, in the future could it successfully be expanded into a novel? Have any famous works of literature ever started as a short story and ended up as a novel?

I know this is a lot, but thanks for your time!
- Bernie J

By My Side::

By my side,
youll never be.
Just tell me.
Whats it like to be free
Are you happy
cause i feel crappy
How could you just leave
And make us all grieve
You’re just fake at the scenes
Lost in all your stupid dreams
I waited for so long
Till i realized you were gone
I see you differently
Ive been waiting impatiently.
But now im done
IM sick of crying.
Im sick of lying
Because now i know
You’ll never be by my side!

ok yeah i know its crap its like i cant think right now like writers block is there something wrong or am i just too upset right now?? help!~
- nikki g

ok, as you can see, i am a very bad writer.

if you’ve read writers block 2, then this might make sence

so the guy in the beggining was very deppressed. he had dreams of jumping off a large building. this dream had been haunting him.

at the very end of the story,he has the same dream. however, the girl(from writers block 2) comes into his dream and says something. the guy thinks and says, “ok. let’s go” and they both leave the building safely. then he wakes up.

what can the girl say that sounds more poetic than “dont jump!” and make the guy say what i typed in? is it too much to ask for a real answer?
- rubik

Writers block is one of those mysterious ailments that is blamed for late assignments, missed deadlines, and failed dreams. Some people claim it is merely a myth while others find it plagues their writing.

As someone with more than two decades of professional writing, editing and teaching experience I feel quite strongly that in 99.9 percent of reported cases of writers block are nothing more than a chimera. In my opinion, far too many would-be writers spend far too much time and energy on finding the right computer, program, paper, pen, location, mood-setting music, and the like before they can begin writing when that time and energy would be much better spent on simply getting down to the business of writing. These would-be writers treat their muse as something delicate and breakable, something as elusive and fleeting as smoke.

I know from years spent in the hurly-burly of newspaper reporting and snatching moments to write between deadlines and dinner dishes that a muse worth keeping is made of much tougher material and in fact may benefit from some abuse.

Most often writers block, or what is commonly referred to as writers block, is caused by one of three problems–lack of preparation, lack of training, and lack of development. Lack of preparation is often caused by not creating an individual writing process that can take advantage of your writing strengths and help overcome your writing weaknesses. Lack of training is similar to athletic training–you need to warm up and work out on a regular schedule to keep your writing muscles in top condition. Lack of development simply means that your particular idea may need more time to percolate or perhaps you are not ready to tackle that particular topic at the time.

I have three recommendations to help you work through writers block. First is to simply write through it. Give yourself permission to write garbage and focus on simply creating a really rough draft. Often once you stop worrying over all that is wrong with your writing the words will begin flowing again.

A second method of dealing with writers block is to get moving. Take a walk or hike. Do something physical away from your office or desk and do not let yourself return to the scene of the crime (or writers block) until several hours have passed. You might be surprised what your brain works out in the interim.

Finally, exercise and challenge your writing muscles with writing prompts and exercises. Sometimes simply changing the pace of your writing or your subject matter can be enough to help you work through your difficulty.

Remember, every writer experiences some form of writers block from time to time but you do not have to make a mountain out of a molehill. Working out an effective strategy to circumvent writers block when it strikes is one of the most important skills a real writer can develop.


- Deanna Mascle