Fiction writing is difficult

Discussion in 'Author Discussions' started by Braxx, Aug 8, 2019.

  1. Braxx

    Braxx Well-Known Member

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    Yesterday I started to write my first novel. My best friend convinced me that its better for me to make an attempt at it, instead of finding an agency and an author to write it for us. He said it doesnt matter if its bad, just try and do it. Fail, then try again and fail better.

    So I was convinced to give it a go. And I sat for 1-2 hours just thinking how should I start it ... and then I realized, fiction writing is very difficult. In my head its epic, but how can I translate it in writing format ?
    Its very difficult.

    But before I started typing, I said to myself that I should follow a writers philosophy. In the end I settled for R.L. Stine and Neil Gaiman.

    R.L. Stine's way is to write the ending first, so you can pull the reader by nose and fool him around the entire novel.
    Neil Gaiman's way is "Writing a novel is like driving through a fog with one headlight out. You cant see very far ahead of yourself, but every now and again , the mists will clear."
    And what I love about Neil is his way of describing Worldbuilding "Worldbuilding is honestly the joy of getting to play God. Every little detail that you can smuggle with you into your fiction, makes the world more real for your reader."

    So im not going to write the ending first. I just have an idea on how the ending will be. Just a few points, not the entire thing.
    So I will be writing as the ideas come up in my head, untill I get to the second half of the novel, where I will try and make it look like I knew what I was doing all along.


    As a writer , how do you put your imagination into words, for example when I started to write I could not find words to describe a scene where one holds a weapons so tight that his hand is shaking ? And how important is the first chapter to you ?
     
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  2. joey183

    joey183 The Mysterious Entity

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    The first chapter is very important. Normally I'll just write in point form first so that I can highlight the plot out. Once the plot is set, I'll then flesh out the points, using google to find words and phrases each time I'm stuck on describing a character/event etc.
    I do keep things like world-building vague so that I can add on things throughout the chapter. When I write, I visualise the story from the pov of the characters in order to keep the story flowing.
     
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  3. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

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    as failure writer cuz I'm simple too lazy

    write~ write~ write~
    review~
    edit~ edit~ edit~
    review~
    write~ write~ write~
    edit~ edit~ edit~
    review~
    write~ write~ write~
    edit~ edit~ edit~
    review~
    write~ write~ write~
    edit~ edit~ edit~
    review~

    for me it similar to talking on audience~ presentation and such thing~ (yeah I do it a lot of time on past)
    practice make perfect
    oh general plan do help a lot to make sure I'm not too much derailed from topic~
     
  4. WinByDying

    WinByDying I can count to four

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    Start small.
     
  5. Ner0

    Ner0 Well-Known Member

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    "Yesterday I started to write my first novel. My best friend convinced me"

    Are you trying to write a novel due to your own determination or is someone else influencing you?
    Writing a novel require a lot of energy and courage, it's not something you can pick up because someone told you to, otherwise you'll give up once you realise how difficult it is.
     
  6. Dolidza

    Dolidza Well-Known Member

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    Remember you dont need to include every little world detail you have thought of into the story
     
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  7. Feng Tian

    Feng Tian Well-Known Member

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    The first chapter is ironically indeed the one you almost never write first. Unless it is the inspiration for the entire project to bin with.
     
  8. KazuXSora

    KazuXSora Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, also note that writing one volume can take several months to complete..
    And take years to finish it.
     
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  9. Ner0

    Ner0 Well-Known Member

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    Sad truth.
    Been months since I'm struggling to write a single chapter, after deciding to rewrite the whole story.
    Feeling that your story is not good enough, yet not knowing what to change is a painful experience.
     
  10. ebonykun

    ebonykun Well-Known Member

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    well, are you having fun with it?
    put aside tips, tricks, philosophies and whatnot... and just write first. write everything that comes to your mind. what do you want to happen? write that. don't think about too much details, or the whys and hows. write first. throw every worry away and write all the stuff you want to happen.

    then when you're done, reread everything, search for inconsistencies and plotholes -- fix them.

    good writing is editing, editing, and more editing.
    it's why a good audience is a nitpicky one who can catch even the smallest mistakes/plotholes!
     
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  11. Braxx

    Braxx Well-Known Member

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    Nah. I mean that I wanted to write it a side thing for a long time, but I honestly doubt myself in this. Me and my friend even tried contacting an agency to find an author who would write the novel for me. I would just give him my idea and a few points and let him write it. But my friend told me that it would be better if I just try the thing myself, no matter how bad it turns out. And its honestly just for myself. So he conviced me
     
  12. Braxx

    Braxx Well-Known Member

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    Yeah im having fun with it. Tho trying to make each chapter between 1000- 2000 words is hard.
    For some reason I also try to add fancy words to it xD which also makes it difficult. But I dont stress myself. I write when I feel like it just for fun. Tho writing 1 or 2 paragraphs ,takes me about an hour or so xd
     
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  13. GDLiZy

    GDLiZy Wise Deepsea Mermaid

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    It's all fun and game until you started revisiting your old chapter.

    Oh my god, what is this god-forsaken grammar? This— what is this idiotic sentence? No wonder why it's not popular...
     
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  14. Master_Arch

    Master_Arch New Member

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    Writing is extremely difficult. But like anything, practice makes perfect. Read a lot, study how your favorite authors do it, then try to emulate them, then try to find your own style. But don't wait to start writing. Try to do it every day if you want to get better.

    The first chapter is what sucks your readers in. If you fail to do this, they'll put the book back on the shelf or click another link and never return.
     
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  15. Silver Snake

    Silver Snake Magician of NUF|Show-off|Awkward|Genius

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    I wouldn't say writing is difficult. Writing well is difficult though. If you can't think think of the words then you need to read more books/increase your vocabulary. The first chapter should be as important as all of your chapters. Though it also depends on your intent behind it. Do you want to catch the reader's attention or do you want set up the dominoes? The start can seem important when first starting out, but it's best not to let the thought overshadow what must come next.
     
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  16. Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale | Sublime Goddess Of Chance |

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  17. Silver Snake

    Silver Snake Magician of NUF|Show-off|Awkward|Genius

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    Pretty words, but they ring fairly hollow without reason behind them. A person who wants to want to write won't suddenly be motivated. Much like characters, a person's motivation is everything. If they want to write then they will write, and if they don't they won't. Only those who truly want to change ever do. And a person cannot be changed only by pretty words.

    I'm extremely bored.
     
  18. Femme Fatale

    Femme Fatale | Sublime Goddess Of Chance |

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    My words aren't hollow. They were said with the sincerest intent and comes with oodles of experience behind it. Maybe ask more questions before you make obnoxious remarks? There's a bit of well intended advice for you @Silver Snake based on my observations of your comments over time. ^.^
     
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  19. Silver Snake

    Silver Snake Magician of NUF|Show-off|Awkward|Genius

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    Intent is hardly ever enough. Perhaps I was too forthright. I apologize for my behavior over time. But I probably won't change it.
     
  20. namio

    namio Well-Known Member

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    For me, the hardest part of writing is to actually finish the darn thing. This is especially true when you're starting out and you're going "I'm going to write a NOVEL!" and immediately go for book 1 of 4 where book 1 is the setup with 120k word count goal. I often get stuck after 17-20k words-- not because I ran out of plot or inspiration, I just ran out of steam.

    Writing consistently and writing well are two different things needed to be a writer of anything longer than a chapter or 5k words. Even moreso than that, I want to ask-- are you intending to fully delve into writing, or are you just planning to write this one thing and then drop the hobby? If it's the former, I suggest the word-goal-per-day method like NaNoWriMo but adjusted to your level of free time. After your first draft you'll get a TON of inspiration and internal feedback about what works and what doesn't, so you can do an ~edit~, which is just purgatory on earth except you get to do it several times. If you're intending to do the latter, I still suggest NaNoWriMo style. Why? Because you're just getting the words out anyway. Don't overthink it at first. You DON'T know what works for you as an author yet.

    One tip I can give is probably to have an actual outline of things happening. Try to make it a bit more detailed, it helps-- like important actions you need the characters to do to advance the plot, some scene details (time, location), maybe some little tidbits about the world you'd like to slip in and mention. If you're able, you can even try having the outlines be divided into chapters. Really helps with writing with clarity of direction.

    Some people might mention quality-related advice, but at this stage, I really recommend focusing more on getting that first draft out. It WILL be shit. My first attempt at a novel is nigh unreadable, it's disgusting. But that's the nature of it-- takes decades to learn, takes months and years to even finish one novel. At least if you finish typing that first attempt, you'll have something finished. I still can't recommend learning writing just to write a single novel and no more, though. Waste of time and waste of tons of brainpower.
     
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