posted
My God, this is difficult. I have been writing a novella off an on for the past half a year. More off than on.
If I went through the checklist, it would like this
Plot: check
Characters: check
Setting: check
Story: No check.
The problem is writing. With the exception of setting, which comes easily to me, I am finding writing almost impossible. Plot is the hardest by far, it just never seems natural or organic. While I have a clear idea in my head, putting it on paper isn't working.
Every know and then, all too infrequently, I have a breakthrough. That is the ecstatic part. I haven't had a substantial breakthrough in two months.
I am very close to scrapping the project.
I have been told that the problem is that I haven't lived enough to write anything substantial. This may well be true, but is far from comforting. I am seventeen, not so young after all, né?
Part of the promblem seems to be my restlessness. I can write a scene for a play, or a pome or an essay. But I soon loose concentration, although ADD is one of the few diagnoses never pinned on me.
Writing feels a bit like this:
you will notice that he isn't bringing down the wall.
Posts: 1332 | Registered: Apr 2005
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While you have been alive for 17 years, you haven't really been aware for that long.
Most people don't really start questioning things in a way that makes critical thinking possible until their early teens.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
You seem to have a similar problem that I do, Pelegius. Young, impatient, and frustrated.
For me, I always would have trouble with a setting. I'd have a plot, but my characters and their locations seemed so plastic I'd get too annoyed with my own writing. I'd just stop so I wouldn't have to see the atrocity I had committed.
For me, what I've been trying is a lot of short stories. They're roughly 2,000 words each and they're a mix of genres.
The point is I'm trying to work myself up with my writing.
I write a story once through and force it to be small, like 1,000 words or less. It forces me to try to get the skeleton of a plot down and not focus too much on setting and character development.
Then I go through a re-write and focus on adding another element.
Then I do it again, adding another.
I do this until I'm satisfied with the final outcome.
I don't know if this will work for you, but it seems to help me. Either way, good luck!
Posts: 1831 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I'm using NaNo as an excuse to motivate myself; this helps in particular because I am a better editor than I am a writer. Which means if I can get the 50,000 words out, then I'll have something workable that I can improve from there. And having a deadline really, really helps with restlessness. Or at least for me it does - I'm completely incapable of working without one.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Pelegius, keep at it. (Fiction writing, that is--whether this novella needs to be scrapped or not I have no idea.) I'm not a natural storyteller and I regret that I haven't tried harder to cultivate that skill. I'm still lousy at plot but I don't have youth or inexperience to blame it on anymore!
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I agree with Vaden - you might consider a rewrite, a fresh start. It will hurt, but it may be worth it (only you can be the judge).
I think I can add my name to the list of "young, impatient, and frustrated" aspiring writers. In my case I'm in a worse position, since I'm a perfectionist to the extent that I start giving up on a project before starting it. 'I'll leave this story idea for when I can write better' - which in most cases is silly, since I won't get better until I do try and fail. The only reason I do my best writing in essay format is because I had a teacher who made me write, write and rewrite until my mind was numb. The way I figure, if a short story I write sucks to begin with, and any short story I write sucks the first time, the only way to compensate is to rewrite it and rewrite it until it doesn't suck.
As for 17 being too young, I suppose it depends on what you've done and what you've read/heard in those 17 years. I'm 18 years old, and I hear the same things. I've travelled a bit, and have read probably more than average, but I'm not comfortable writing about just anything.
Good luck with your writing. Sorry I can't offer much help as to how to invent a plot. My only advice is, leave some time in your day to think. This is another case of me not practising what I preach. But many people get their best ideas while in the shower, or staring out the window of a train.
posted
Oh yeah, and walk around with a notebook and pen. Keep it close to your pillow. Always write your good ideas down on paper.
Posts: 1762 | Registered: Apr 2006
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I watched this movie in my History class the other day.
Ooh! A double feature!
Good luck with the breakthrough stuff, Pel. And for the record, I do think that 17 is young. Not too young to try, but too young to think you are not so young.
Have you ever read some early works of a beloved author and found them to be disappointing? I have, and I believe that it is because it can take years of practice to perfect the craft. Don't get too discouraged, the cool thing about youth is you've got time to work on improving.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
All my favorite novellas were written by 15 year-olds. It's too late for you Pelegius. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, son, but if you haven't made it by now, you'll never make it.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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Similar problem -- I get a story idea, that has a middle and a possible ending. Of course, if you want a character driven story, the character has to do X to move the story forward.
I'd never figure out WHY the main character needed to X.
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