For anyone else who wants to start/progress/finish writing a book in 2011

[artifarti]

As the title says really!

Me: After several years of dithering with short stories, I committed myself to Nanowrimo last month and managed to bash out a 50,000 first draft of an idea I've had for ages. There is some excrutiating crap in there but also the bare bones of a plot and some interesting characters. So I'd really like to spend 2011 trying to develop it into something better.

But I need some company so that we can mutually kick each other's arses when the temptation to watch Holby City is proving too great. Anyone else?

Hello all. Had a really crappy start to the new year here and all writing went out of the window. I just can't bring myself to go back to reworking draft one of my NaNoWriMo book at the moment so need a wee project to get going on to get my writing mojo back. Am pondering on:

1. A radio play set in the confusing aftermath of a disaster (already have two interesting characters in mind)
2. A Mills and Boon filthy book based entirely looseley around Bruce Parry.
3. A children's story for my DS (vague ideas abound)

So which should it be?! Press your buttons now!

3, I am biased though

Ok well if you are thinking of Mills and Boon, you have to write to extremely strict guidelines, none of which include filth!

However, if you want to write something filthy, why not try the Black Lane imprint?

Whatever you do, you have to read several up to date books before you start - the publishers have a type and you have to fit it or f* off!

Radio 4 wants plays and has them on daily. Have you been to the Writers' Room?

If you only have vague ideas for 3), I'd leave that for a bit.

Thanks guys! atswim - I already have a play submitted to the Writers' Room, yes. In fact, they've had it for over four months now so I must email and check what's going on. I think I will probably go for the play but also have a think about a story for my DS. I have quite a nice idea but would have to think about the pictures as it's been a while since Art GCSE...

Realistically not sure I could write any sort of romantic fiction, filthy or otherwise. Might be fun trying though...

Do publishers want you to do your own art work, though? I was under the impression they wanted to choose their own.

No, not unless you are a super illustrator as well. It can be useful to make a dummy (a mock book with sketches and text) if you're sending in a picture book but you need to explain that you're more then happy for them to find their own illustrator. I tend to just send in the text though but I make it clear on the sumbission letter that it's text only.

arti I was wondering what happened to you! hope all's ok
I was going to say the filthy option as personally I'd get so embarrassed trying to write pure filth it would be a good way to 'unblock' for the nano novel, which would seem like the easier option after a few pages of filth
and I'd say try not to get distracted from your novel, it sounded as if it had so much potential - you put in so much work - you don't want to keep starting stuff and not finishing?
I've taken a week or so out from mine and am a bit lost. Its daunting getting back into the swing of things.
take care!
I'm still up for a London meet up at easter if you fancy a bit of nagging

Well, I might just work on the text and then draw out some really terrible sketches to help me. It sounds like a fun project, which is what I need. My DS has just started getting 'scared' of things so we have been inventing all kind of crazy stories about things to reassure him and that is giving me some ideas.

ninah - I don't think I could abandon my novel if I tried, it's been following me around for three years! Just need something different to get me going again. Easter meet-up sounds good - are you N or S of 'The River'?!

Look at a published picture book for the layout, the pages are in multiples of 8 and remember to include the covers & the publishers details/ISBN page.

Thanks, belle - you're good! Sounds like things are progressing for you, how exciting.

I'm still waiting to see if the rewrites are OK. I'll be excited if and when she says 'yes, we can do something with these. Sign here.' She has said one of the rewrites was better, just not quite right (didn't say why though)and she was going to speak to someone else about it. I changed the ending to another as she said it was a little weak as well. This wasn't long ago and I know she's busy. Fingers crossed hey!

N of Watford arti! but hoping to get a bit of child free time in the Easter hols, may be in London prob Earl's Court.
Glad the novel's still ongoing.
belle, best of luck hope you hear something soon!

For those who are thinking of writing picture books; I was recommended a book called Writing Picture Books, written by Ann Whitford Paul. I've not read all of it yet but so far it's very helpful so I'm passing on the suggestion here.

No news from me yet.

Well, today I had an email from an agent who I submitted to in Jan. She apologised for not getting back to me earlier and asked if I was still looking. I emailed back to say I was & she then requested the manuscripts that I've written so far. I'm quite chuffed! Fingers crossed.

that's encouraging belle! I've never been asked to send a whole ms, I'd take it as a very good sign indeed
Just about come to end of novel. Fiddling with it. Getting opinions. At a bit of a loose end really! Have the ghost of another one in my head but fancy some shorter stuff, stories, first. A summer of stories for me, I think!

Summer of stories sounds fab. I usually think of plots during the summer holidays, have done for years. I hope it all works out, I apologised for sending her 4 manuscripts, I get so carried away. 3 are picture books though so it's not tooo bad. Well done! The end's a great place.

hello, I've just found this wonderful thread. I wonder if I can ask you guys how you come up with plots??

I think my writing is not bad, and I've been dying to write a novel for years - I have numerous pieces of writing and character notes, but I'm a complete failure when it comes to major plot. Before long my stories become cliches.

Do you have it all planned out beforehand or do you just let it follow it's own course, and how much do you take from your own life??

Hello sheflies

I've no idea where mine come from, usually the cloud that's shaped like a bunny rabbit or a friend chatting about dragons. I do a little planning, just basic plot and character details, then let it all flow and see where it goes. I don't take too much from my own life, there's bits in there though. I'm not too helpful am I!

O damn I was hoping there'd be a grand secret

Thank you, belle (lol dragons). Maybe I should do more daydreaming like I used to before dd...

Daydreaming is good. I had an idea for a picture book from watching the rain falling which was cool. All I can say is to look around you and listen to what people are saying, then make notes. Something will grab your attention.

Which genre are you planning? Romance/children/horror etc?

Hi all,

Newbie to this thread (though not to MN or to writing!)

Hoping someone can help me with a confidence issue:
I have a couple of (I think) really good ideas for novels (one is chicklit and one more of a nick hornby type story) but all I have is the basic one-liner elevator pitch idea, which sounds really good, but I don't know how to go about getting the substance in place.

Should I just start writing, or will I tie myself in knots without a clear plan? Do I need a plot outline first? How detailed should it be?

Probably the most often asked questions I know! But they are my current obstacle. I feel if someone could tell me it's ok to go one way or the other, I will feel safe to move forwards. Make any sense?

Thank you all

I'll tell you what I do. I have an idea in my mind which persists for long enough that I think I can develop it to novel length. A what would happen if kind of idea .. I have other ideas, too, that are less compelling over time, these I set aside for use in shorter pieces of work.
I then rough out a list of say 30 chapters, with my initial plan of how the plot might progress. I carry on thinking about the plot, jotting down notes and character ideas. I hold off on the actual writing until, say the 1st of the month. I then write 500-1000 words a day until I am at least halfway through. I don't read back, edit or revise at this stage. Depending on the plot structure, I may break midway (I tend to like a part one/part two kind of set up, stopping at 35kish) when I might do more thinking, note taking, or revision of what I have written to date. Then I go full steam to finish.
Then I edit, edit and edit. I print and bind a user friendly copy of the ms and send it out to people I know will give me constructive feedback.
I edit again. When I am happy with it I send it out and wait for the rejection letters.
This job has no rules, you need to find what works for you.

Thanks Ninah - that is really useful. I understand I'll need to take a 'suck it and see' approach, but it is really helpful to be able to visualise a way forward, even if I find I naturally take my own direction after step 2!

Thank you

Hi TheMightyToosh

Have you thought about point of view?

Are you going to write in the first or third person?

Have you thought about the timeframe of the novel - does it take place in one day, a week, a year? That can give you a bit of structure.

Then think about what starts it all off. Are you going to have flashbacks? If so, will they take up whole chapters, or be a paragraph in italics in between chapters?

What's the climax to the story? Obviously that should go right at the end, either in the last or second to last chapter.

How many major characters do you need? What about subsidiary characters?

Just a start!