What She Said

April 07, 2007

Trying to write a novel is tough work. Unless you're Stephen King or any one of his clones, in which case, your soul is being transfered to the underworld as we speak.

Hm. . .

Doing this for so long has made me wonder if I have a slight case of ADD. Actually, no, I doubt that. It's most likely not being able to organize well.

That's gotta be it. So how to improve?
I have no idea.

Neither do I have any idea how to write more than one chapter, before I begin to sound like a zombie.

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Feedback

shotgunnova - April 07, 2007 (07:36 PM)
Man, I hope it goes well for ya. The only fanfic I've ever 'cared' about (FFT-centric) has taken 2+ years to even get halfway through its fourth chapter, and it ain't even close to being finished. I really find myself envying those who can write drabbles and 100,000-word mammoths like it's some weekly ritual. How long you been writing?

carcinogen_crush - April 08, 2007 (08:11 AM)
For right around eight years, always trying to put something together that makes sense enough o finalize.

My characters fall flat after a chapter. Never thought I'd be guilty of the whole cardboard cut-outs thing. Geez.

pup - April 08, 2007 (12:16 PM)
First off, what is your novel about?

Here are my thoughts on two of your problems:

Flat writing:
- Sit down and try writing as much description as you possibly can about one static object. Be overly ornate and adjective heavy. Scrape out every detail no matter how insignificant it seems. I'm not saying to do this in the actual novel, but it will help you get a feel for better descriptions to suck a reader in.
- Don't focus solely on the actions of characters. Use the environment to help describe what is happening and set the pace. A favorite part in one of my short stories was when one man first entered the house of another man. By describing the house's decor, I was able to establish more about both character's mindsets and a somber mood.

Characters
- Really get to know your character, and I don't mean his age or basic physical features. What kind of foods does he like, is he allergic to peanuts, die he cheat on a test in college, or would you trust him with a secret? Pick out some details or events in his life. They never have to actually be discussed in the book, but they should affect his actions. E.G. About 7 years ago I pedaled my new bike only to have my baggy pants get caught in the sprocket. I spent 5 minutes just trying to untangle it. From that day on, my clothing style and views on fashion completely changed. It even determines my view of other people and their clothing.

I don't know if this helped at all, but I figured that I might as well try.

carcinogen_crush - April 08, 2007 (12:33 PM)
More helpful than you know, and I thank ya a bunch. Any advice that other writers can give me on my rut is greatly appreciated.

Feedback
	shotgunnova - April 07, 2007 (07:36 PM) Man, I hope it goes well for ya. The only fanfic I've ever 'cared' about (FFT-centric) has taken 2+ years to even get halfway through its fourth chapter, and it ain't even close to being finished. I really find myself envying those who can write drabbles and 100,000-word mammoths like it's some weekly ritual. How long you been writing?
	carcinogen_crush - April 08, 2007 (08:11 AM) For right around eight years, always trying to put something together that makes sense enough o finalize. My characters fall flat after a chapter. Never thought I'd be guilty of the whole cardboard cut-outs thing. Geez.
	pup - April 08, 2007 (12:16 PM) First off, what is your novel about? Here are my thoughts on two of your problems: Flat writing: - Sit down and try writing as much description as you possibly can about one static object. Be overly ornate and adjective heavy. Scrape out every detail no matter how insignificant it seems. I'm not saying to do this in the actual novel, but it will help you get a feel for better descriptions to suck a reader in. - Don't focus solely on the actions of characters. Use the environment to help describe what is happening and set the pace. A favorite part in one of my short stories was when one man first entered the house of another man. By describing the house's decor, I was able to establish more about both character's mindsets and a somber mood. Characters - Really get to know your character, and I don't mean his age or basic physical features. What kind of foods does he like, is he allergic to peanuts, die he cheat on a test in college, or would you trust him with a secret? Pick out some details or events in his life. They never have to actually be discussed in the book, but they should affect his actions. E.G. About 7 years ago I pedaled my new bike only to have my baggy pants get caught in the sprocket. I spent 5 minutes just trying to untangle it. From that day on, my clothing style and views on fashion completely changed. It even determines my view of other people and their clothing. I don't know if this helped at all, but I figured that I might as well try.
	carcinogen_crush - April 08, 2007 (12:33 PM) More helpful than you know, and I thank ya a bunch. Any advice that other writers can give me on my rut is greatly appreciated.

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