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Anyone writing a book??

124 replies

mrsmalumbas · 10/05/2007 17:48

Hi all

Has anyone out there written a book (novel)? Or in the process of writing one?

I have always had this feeling that I have a book inside me somewehere, but I'm not sure how to go about finding it!

Would love to share tips/ideas/experiences with other budding authors.

OP posts:
Genidef · 15/05/2007 21:44

shoot I just started a mills and boon thread under other subjects...this answered many of my questions. My biggest problem is what other posters have said - how on earth to write a book when I've never been inclined to read any of this type?? I agree you've got to write what you enjoy. But it remains an enduring fantasy - cranking out a few a year to keep things ticking over financially as Buckets said.

Genidef · 15/05/2007 21:45

Dimpled I would still go on a "so you think you can write a mills & boon" workshop though, just to see.

Genidef · 17/05/2007 23:04

please is there anyone who wants to keep talking about this?

TooTicky · 17/05/2007 23:09

I have several stories for children on the go - but it's hard to find time for them. And I am a procrastinator. Maybe a bit scared too. I was just the same with my English coursework

pillowcase · 18/05/2007 00:02

I've been writing since I was 16 and have 'completed' 2 novels, but after a coule of rejection slips have given up for the time being. But I really want to start again. And would love a thread to keep me focused! (I've just joined mumsnet for this thread)

aikigypsy · 18/05/2007 01:45

I am slogging away. I'm determined to get this book into publishable shape in time to market it to agents before the baby (my first) comes out (due in November). I'm afraid I'm getting a bit too fixated on the book -- I just realized that I've almost stopped exercising, mostly because I'm working on the novel so much. And I wonder if it's worth it. Here I was telling myself that my first priority was staying healthy, and now that seems to be loosing ground to The Book.

Genidef · 18/05/2007 14:05

has anyone done writing courses in London? Would like to attend something regular to get moving.

Genidef · 18/05/2007 14:06

Or has anyone found courses totally useless?

ggglimpopo · 18/05/2007 14:07

I have written one book and am on a second. I have an agent but no publisher.......

LittleWonder · 18/05/2007 14:09

You can do an online course with the Open University - just finished mine. Look for Creative Writing, there is a very short course A174 and a longer one A215.

aikigypsy · 18/05/2007 18:21

I've taken a couple of courses, mostly weekend workshop type things, and I find that it really all depends on who's in the class with you. This is also true for writers' groups, which I've done a lot more of. Ideally, you meet a group of writers who are at your level or a little better, and that peer group support and motivation is, for me, the main benefit of classes -- apart from getting you to write. I took one on-line class, and I have to say it wasn't as good as meeting people face to face. It was cheaper and more convenient, but I've gotten more out of most books about writing than I did from that class.

I think a class could be worth it, but a local writers' group is better, if it's any good at all.

PeppermintStick · 19/05/2007 08:30

Started my 5th novel start this year... but this feels like It, I am excited by it and the first draft is coming on nicely. We'll see when I reach 20000 words as that's when I've given up a couple of others. But like I said, this feels right.

I've had a couple of short stories published in small circulation magazines.

I've actually signed up for the long OU Creative Writing course to start in September, part of my degree in English Lang/Lit with them.

A writing group is a fab thing to have, I was part of one before we moved back to England. You can learn a lot from critiquing others work, as much as you can from having your own critiqued.

RubberDuck · 19/05/2007 08:35

I have a first draft, but am still stuck on editing chapter one. I just can't seem to get through the editing stage at all and then just itch to get onto the next project.

I have two different finished first drafts now, and no desire to do anything with them, which feels a bit of a waste

pillowcase · 19/05/2007 23:04

I love the writing first draft stage, all that freeflow, ideas building up in your head as you go about your day, dying to set them down. Then I read back over my draft and realise it's total s**t so I put it away for a few months, then I read again and think it's quite good, and start the hard slog of the edit, then I do that again, then I do that again, then I send it out and get rejection slips

But I do love writing that first draft

lazycat · 20/05/2007 00:01

I think you can buy software on Amazon that helps you to write a novel, with places where you fill in notes about the characters etc. Not sure how different it is from a word processor.

I'd love to write a book, but it's so daunting! Um, and I don't have any plot ideas...

aikigypsy · 20/05/2007 01:02

Pillowcase speaks the truth, there!

Lazycat -- I don't believe in special writing software. Most people I know who actually write books do their planning on paper with a pen/pencil/crayons then do drafts on an ordinary word processor. Works for me. The software could be fun, but I think it would be a distraction.

RubberDuck -- I did a couple of partial drafts before I did one that inspired completion and re-writing. Don't worry. If those manuscripte want to be edited, I'm sure they'll let you know.

Genidef · 20/05/2007 12:15

I'm looking at my "draft" instead of writing a note for work I need to do.

Do you pretty much always outline the full story before you begin?? How much detail in your mind do you have with the characters? Have you tried -I think they're called - scene cards where you write out different episodes then arrange? Do you know what I mean?!

pudding77 · 20/05/2007 13:13

Just come across this thread so I hope you don't mind me jumping in! I've written on and off ever since I was little but I've always been to nervous to send anything to be published

Genidef, I've done a couple of short courses at Birkbeck Uni which were quite useful. It does depend on who's in the class with you and how serious they are, I found with mine loads of people dropped out once it came to the reading your work aloud (not that you have to btw!).

I also went to see a couple of authors talk the other day and they said writing groups are useful as long as you find one where they do give you good feedback & criticism rather than a 'yes, yours is very good, now lets read mine' iyswim.

I was inspired by the female author who said that she'd always written but when she had her first child and decided to be a SAHM, she would give it 5 years to get published. & she did! That's inspired me to try and do some writing everyday when ds is asleep!

Sorry that's a bit long, so well done if you've read it all

aikigypsy · 20/05/2007 13:54

I outline at the beginning, in the middle, and in between drafts to get an overview. Things tend to change (at least for me) as the story gets actually written. I've tried scene cards, too, but don't use them consistently. I know a lot of people get a lot out of those, though. The advantage is that you can do a batch of cards and get a good overview of the plot pretty quickly. I don't know why I don't use them more.

Genidef · 20/05/2007 14:25

Pudding - not too long. I'm really pleased this is going on.

The trouble I have in planning a story is getting to the end - what to do wit these people? I thought maybe more of a structured outline might help. Sometimes I don't really know what I would want to achieve from a piece, I tend to think in terms of characters and what bring them together, and they start to intrigue me. But I'm missing an idea - the 'so what?' component

pudding77 · 20/05/2007 14:30

I'm kind of the same as you, I can start a story and have the characters and the idea in place but then always end up getting stuck, I can't see where its going to go after a certain point.

Does anyone else have/had this problem and how did you get past it?

NappiesGalore · 20/05/2007 14:54

i am.
i am in the contemplation stage before i get going.
its going to be a long stage.

RubberDuck · 20/05/2007 15:23

I used the Marshall Plan to outline my second one and it did make for a more structured coherent plot.

Used cards for the first one - which was easier, but I think needs more editing as a result.

pudding77 · 20/05/2007 18:08

What's the Marshall Plan?

RubberDuck · 20/05/2007 19:33

The Marshall Plan