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?

Oh, thank you

I am really impressed by all the people on here who have finished books and stuff. I'm not writing a creative book, but a research/textbook one and I'm bored witless (as well as having no summer). Have written a lot but it's unedited and the time-frame is very tight. Any good advice on finishing as opposed to starting?

Hello Hardgoing I think you just need to knuckle down and get on with it. It's the only way sometimes. Being bored isn't going to help, it's important to write about something you're interested in or you'll lose motivation.

A lovely writer has offered to be my critique partner, she's gone through my first 3 chapters and it looks amazing now. I've changed a few things, such as repetitive words and I'm really, really happy with it. I sent it off to an agent last night. Keep your fingers crossed (please). I hope they don't want to see the rest just yet, I need to work on it.

Hi Belle - I am taking a deep breath and starting to write again.....

Just finished chapter 12.

Here goes chapter 13. I'm alternating POVs - does anyone else find it takes a little while to get back into the other's POV?

Well done grumpy and Imperial! Persistence is the key.

Thanks, belle! It's hard to get going sometimes, but always great when I'm in the middle of it. Wish I could bottle up that feeling for when I'm feeling lacklustre.

It's like abseiling sometimes, very hard to start off but once you knuckle down and throw yourself into it, it gets easier.

You're right, it's like throwing yourself into the void!

As Dory says, 'just keep swimming.'

I'm still struggling with motivation but slowly getting there, summer holidays aren't helping!
I've pretty much finished my current story but a couple of big changes I want to make so need to straighten it all out.
Had some good news last week, in that I passed my creative writing course with the OU, got quite high marks for my final assignment aswell, which was the first couple of chapters of a novel. So thats pretty encouraging, I must be doing something right.

That's great, Cassie, well done!

Is it a short story that you've just finished?

Are you going to continue with the novel?

I'm on ch 24, having written just over 50,000 words. I have a problem with time really, I could do with an extra 2 hours a day. My storyline kind of writes itself and I'm enjoying it then suddenly I have a major wobble and think, why do I think anyone will want to read this!!! But still I feel the need to do it.

Grr, I have been on the same chapter ALL week.

I will finish it tomorrow.

Or else.

It's a very rough first draft of a novel, Imperial. Still needs lots of work.
I want to continue with the story I wrote for my course, but it'll need some research so will leave it for a bit.
I'm on the verge of giving up trying to get anything done over the summer holidays, I'm not succeeding on getting much writing done on a day to day basis at all and my motivation is suffering.
allbie, I always think no one will want to read what I write, my confidence in myself is terrible, I start off a story well but then loose confidence as it goes. All I can say is stick with it, I am getting more confident in my ability the more I write.

I'm doing a lot of work in the evenings because of the school holidays, DandyLioness. Have deadlines, so don't have much choice. My biggest tip would be to avoid alcohol before/during/after dinner. I find if I drink anything at all (and I'm not a big drinker anyway), I just don't get as much work done, or any work at all. If you're really having problems knuckling down, I would put a limit on the amount of time you're expected to put in. So, put the oven timer on and do a flat out half hour, or 45 minutes if you can manage it. I squeeze things in all the time during the day -- take a few notes at the park while the kids run around etc.. When I've been truly desperate in the past and editing, I've printed pages, taken them to an indoor play centre and I find I usually get a good number of pages edited while I'm there!

No worries! We have dinner around 6.30pm and the kids are in bed around 8pm. While that gives me at least three hours before I go to bed, there's still the washing/folding/washing up to do like everyone else has, as well as emailing and so on. I've been managing to squeeze at least a solid hour of work in, though, which is good. I actually think that one of the big misconceptions about being 'creative' is that you need large chunks of time to do it in. You don't really. I get more done now, post-kids, than I did pre-kids (and I wrote full-time then, too). I had huge amounts of time pre-kids, but I did a lot of stuffing about that I simply can't do now.

Popping in and out again. No writing as real life getting in the way (nothing bad though). Hoping to resume next week.

Can I just ask those of you who are published authors - do you use your own names or nom de plumes? With so much information being available online, I wondered whether there was a safety in using a fake name, and whether using your own name could be a curse.

It's nice to think of school friends who bullied you knowing you're well known and successful, but I'd hate to have a public name and people who actually know you (who may have a grudge - eg old work colleagues) giving you bad reviews on Amazon etc.

I use my own name, but it's my maiden name, as I was first published before I was married. I find this quite useful as I can use my kids' and my husband's given names in the media and keep their/my family surname private.

I think it all depends on what you're writing. If it's racy, you'd probably want to use a pseudonym. If it's memoir, or creative non-fiction based on your personality, it could be very difficult to use a pseudonym. I've used pseudonyms twice. Sometimes I write books for educational publishers (school readers etc.) and I use a pseudonym for that work because I don't want it being mixed up with my mainstream published work. And I've also used a pseudonym once when a publisher insisted on it. I didn't want to, but it was pretty much a 'pseudonym or no contract' situation.

Thanks, Novelist. I can't tell you how much I'm dying to know who you are!

Have just messaged you. Don't get too excited, I'm far from J.K. Rowling in disguise!