Anyone toying with starting writing again and fancy chatting?

[Thurlow]

I've always written, but it's always just been for fun and I've never made it through an entire story or book. I just write interesting bits that come to mind, or some short fanfic - I never bother with the start or ends of books because I never spend the time working my ideas through, as it's just been something I do for my own amusement.

However, I think I might try and make myself get through an entire 'book'. Like a challenge. Something Mills & Boon-y (I do read a lot of it!). I had an idea - in a dream, of all places - for a scenario and some characters, which I'm trying to map out at the moment.

So, is anyone else in the same boat and fancy just chatting and encouraging each other a bit? I've been a little bored with life recently so I think trying to force myself to complete a book, no matter how rubbish it ends up being (I'm certainly not doing it for publication) will be a good challenge.

Anyone got any ideas at the moment? Fancy sharing?

[CaulkheadUpNorth]

I'm in the same boat. I often have ideas and write bits, but doing the Nanowrimo camp has helped me organise some ideas into words, and I like what it is at the moment.

[CycleChic]

hi, I'm game to join you. I did NaNoWriMo this past Nov, but only made it to about 20k words. I was quite pleased with my efforts, though I think I might have burned out or something towards the end as it's been trickier and trickier to make time to write...

[Greenstone]

I'm just picking up my novel again after 6 months away from it. I have a 6 month old and it's been a mad old weird time - still is. I'm feeling really wary and a bit hopeless and a bit 'just a mum' about it all, so yeah, would be great to chat about beginning again!

[Gruntbaby]

Yes I'll join in. I've got only about 20,000 words at the moment although I have my novel mapped out. I am reading tons of how to books and the more I get into my story and its themes the more scared I am that I can't do it justice. Scared to the point of not writing and looking on mumsnet instead.

I've written a few fanfics which have been well received. I kind of like fanfics because I do a chapter at a time and people want more and that makes me get a move on and finish. Until last year I had never finished a story and actually hadn't written in about 10 years or so. I did a xmas challenge last year - absolute madness but I learnt a lot.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Don't let yourself get paralysed by the how-to books! Personally I prefer to read them between drafts rather than during drafts, because otherwise you've got too much to think about when you're doing the actual writing.

[lucysnowe]

Yes me! Except not really re-starting, beginning really. I have been reading lots of Regency romances on my kindle and decided to have a go myself, as it does seem to be kind of my thing. I have got a plot laid out but motivation is difficult as I am very very insecure about it and hate putting things down! At the mo I am writing longhand and deliberately not thinking too much about it - just setting it down for edits (and there will be a lot!!) later. I will need lots of encouragement I think:)

[BabyTuckoo]

I think that rurning off your own edit function and just going for it, getting it down, is great. Tell yourself it's a first draft, it doesn't have to be good, it's just a way of finding out the rough shape of whatever it is. Later you can improve it, but you can't redraft and edit if there's nothing written in the first place.

Unfortunately my own inner editor is deafening.

[lucysnowe]

That's the plan anyway :) I work as an editor so am always in editing/reading mode, so it's very hard to get out of it. Also it gets me away from bluddy mumsnet which helps a bit...

[Gruntbaby]

Yes Countess I see your point. I find how to books come into their own when there's something I write that doesn't feel right. I seem to do a lot of things they say by instinct, but sometimes something feels off, and the books can help me to understand why and fix it.

Interesting that a few of you are going for something Mills and Boony. I have read a few different ones over the years (in holiday rentals etc) and was expecting them all to be utter trash. Many were, but what really got me interested was that some were actually quite good - so it doesn't HAVE to be trashy. So I got a load on my kindle, good and bad, and analysed them to see what worked and what didn't. You can do the same with fanfic, and learn the 'rules' that way. It also seems to be good training for editing your own work.

[lucysnowe]

Yes I am fairly new to the Mills and Boon thing Grunt and like you read them in holiday cottages but since getting my Kindle I'm afraid I have glutted myself somewhat :) I have enjoyed all of them and it is interesting how different they all are. There is actually an ebook about self-publishing romance for Kindle readers which I have downloaded (yeah so it worked haha) but l am holding off reading it for now.

[SueN1959]

I've always loved reading, never had the confidence to write for other people until my OH encouraged me to give it a try, so far I've only written from my experience but love the idea of complete fiction, my big problem is getting organised.

[Crazyqueenofthecatladies]

I might tentatively dip a toe in too. As a former journalist, now single mum of two on benefits... Go me and my life choices, I have a year til the youngest starts school and I lose income support to try this. Obviously if Bluekip get elected I'll have less, and I have studying to fit in too, as plan b is a nursing degree. I started today and got my first 500 words in... But I don't quite know where it's going. Do you all plan it out, roughly or meticulously, first or do you wing it?

[guilianna]

Crazy, that's how I started! only at first I could only manage 50 words a day . I found it helped fill the evenings. My plan B was teaching, so I retrained along the way. Teaching pays the bills, writing keeps me sane(ish). You can do it - plans A and B - do both! some people plan, some wing, or any combination - up to you! it's daunting when you think of it in its entirety (rather like single parenthood) so break it down into small steps.

[RhubarbRhubarbRhubarb]

I will!
I'm a stop/start/"it's shit!" writer and I sometimes am so unhappy with what I write I have long breaks from it to try and reboot.
I found this helpful recently:Brainpickings

[RhubarbRhubarbRhubarb]

Sorry, just to add, Brainpickings is a wonderful site to read for creatives or those interested in the creative process and philosophy.
I also reccomend K.M. Weiland. She's an American writer who blogs about her techniques and has a great collection of short podcasts. Her upbeat approach really helped me when I got stuck (which was a lot!) and I think she's on Twitter.

[RhubarbRhubarbRhubarb]

Ah, sodding iPad! Heres the link:

KM Weiland

[Crazyqueenofthecatladies]

Thank you for the lovely supportive posts. Plan A and B it is, although looking at the news today if the Tories get their way and child benefit and tax credits get walloped, then uni is out for me. Still wrote another 500 words yesterday. I think I can only think ahead in small chunks, then I write it and my mind goes blank again and I need to ponder the next bit.

[CampingClaire]

This might help some as inspiration!!
I popped my first (and to this date only) book on kindle just to see what feedback I got, three years ago now and nothing feels as good as that first purchase appearing in your account! I got two different friends to proof read it and I edited it (badly). Sales still trundle along so I must've done something right.
However, getting book two finished is taking as long as book one did to write so I'm happy with any tips on how to get my mojo back.

[CampingClaire]

Crazyqueenofthecatladies I didn't really plan, just worked out a vague start, middle and end before seeing where the characters took me. However, I'm now trying a different theme and in order for the plot to be watertight, I'm having to plan.

[lucysnowe]

Ooh can you link to your book Claire?

For those lacking inspiration you could try Reddit's writing prompts here - the ideas are sometimes quite outlandish but probably quite fun to come up with (I haven't done any yet tho!).

[CampingClaire]

Am I allowed to link? If so… here it is! If not….huge apologies to the people I've offended!
tinyurl.com/k7hxhtk

Ps…probably not done link the right way either!

[CampingClaire]

lucysnowe Thanks for the Reddit tip. I've given myself a end of June deadline to finish first draft of 2nd book (40,000 words in at the moment) so it's just the 'shoving' that I need!

[lucysnowe]

Ooh thanks Claire, will check it out!

[lucysnowe]

hi all

how is the writing going? I have been v lax over the last few weeks but did a bit this morning at soft play (surprisingly good place to write, ambient noise and few distractions. I thought this might be another good motivation:

imgur.com/rxwEiSl

I have pasted it to the front of my notebook!

xx all xx