Ok, I have a rough outline, a basic arc, and enough conflict to give my character some difficult, yet ultimately fulfilling times.
This is a start. Of possibly years of nothing. Woo hoo.
I am already doubting if i want to do this. But the thing is. The honest thing is - I write little plots and fantasies (get your mind out of the guttter) all the time and I always will. The only difference between writing this and writing what I usually do is this intimidating idea of trying to get it published. Suddenly it takes on different implications when it is intended to go out as some sort of proof of success. Well... Steve would say - don't worry about that now. Writing it has nothing to do with that.
So in answer to my own doubting - there is no reason *not* to keep going with this. I'm going to be writing anyway. I might as well write this.
And if it's never good enough to publish - fine. I will just leave it happily residing next to my Firefly fanfiction which will also never be read by another living soul, but, in contrast, *is* quite brilliant.
RTO
6 months ago
5 comments:
Just a reminder - you are doing this for you, and public success is a side-dish, so to speak. If this is what makes you happy, do it. You seem to be weighing yourself down with details. Maybe - and this is just an idea - you need to just get the story all down, get the fun creative part done first, before you finesse it. Writing the great American novel the first time out may be too much to ask. But that doesn't mean it isn't great.
I'm not sure if I expressed myself well in that last post or not, but let's try it again - if you try to write for someone else (i.e., publishers or the public), your personal vision and passion are tainted. And you will drive yourself insane.
No, you made sense both times. And because I know you are on the road to getting Candy Cane Lane off the drawing board, so to speak, your comments always have a more intense, more personal message. Like we're on a similar yet different path so you're either talking from experience ( a few steps ahead of me) or talking from what you are dealing with (right beside me). Deep, eh?
re: great American novel - I guess that is exactly what I do NOT want to do - make it sound like I'm trying to write the great american novel. If I could get that concept out of everyone's head, I would feel much better about admitting I'm trying to write a book. I don't like the great american novels. I like novels with little romances in them and I want to write something I like so that in the end - whether it works or not - I will have enjoyed what I wrote.
Sorry, by "great American novel" I meant writing a classic right out of the gate. I didn't know there was more to the term than that. I guess my suggestion was just to try not to get too bogged down in the expectations of yourself and everyone else. To try to just lose yourself in the fun of creating. And be proud of what you are doing - following your passion and working on something like this in your spare time is something 98% of the people I know talk and talk about but never have actually do.
Well, whichever you meant, point well taken and a good point too. It was something that had been bugging me about writing a book - that very idea - so you helped pin it down.
And once I know what my issues are about, I can deal with them. I don't believe in knowing what my problem is and doing nothing about it. Ha! Eventually I'm certainly destined for perfection... or ego-maniacalism... one or the other.
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