National Novel Writing Month

[Red Rock]

I've been thinking of writing something. I do not know what. I'm more of a nonfiction type person. I have always had a hard time "getting into" fiction. I have read many "how to" books on writing and the process.

I have thought about my life. But I think my life is boring. Nothing more or less than what all of TE members go through on an everyday basis. Work, eat, sleep, exercise and repeat to keep self sane and able to pay bills. I have thought about taking one part of my life and then writing about it. Like an activity??? But I have not done anything "fun or exciting" in a long time. Or mabe I have, I just have to think about it.

One of these days something will come to me and I can actually start the process.

Red Rock

[Melalvai]

I've been thinking of writing something. I do not know what. I'm more of a nonfiction type person...I have thought about my life. But I think my life is boring...One of these days something will come to me and I can actually start the process.

Some author (sorry I forget who) said that the first 100,000 words you write...throw away. So you may as well go ahead and write about something interesting to you to get that first 100,000 out of the way. If your life is interesting to you, it'll probably be interesting to someone else.

I've really lost my mojo. Is this one of those things where the closer you get to the goal the harder it is, like magnets of the same polarity? The first week, I wrote so much I was several days ahead. Now I'm not keeping up and while I haven't fallen behind, I'm slipping back. It was so easy when I knew exactly what the plot was and where it was going! Well, I still have a week left. I might make it!

[Red Rock]

Thanks Melalvai for your input. I can see how this whole writing thing can take some discipline for sure. In the books that I have read, I remember someone saying to write the 100,000 words and starting something interesting. That is a lot of writing.

Red Rock

[Melalvai]

Well, I did finish it. I really slowed down at the end. My problem was, my story had ended before I hit 50K words. I kept going back through it and adding a little here, a little there, and finally I was within 800 words-- so I dropped a time traveling alien into the middle. Literally into the middle. (My husband read it and said "The time traveling alien has to go.")

It felt like cheating, but oh well, I made it!

I actually posted my first draft here. If you have the patience & time to read it, feel free to give feedback (positive or negative). I have plans to completely re-work Part II. My husband has given me several suggestions where he thinks I need more, and so I think it'll end up longer than 50K even without the alien. (It's a fantasy story. The alien really doesn't belong!)

I do plan to work on it more. I sort of wanted to do that right away but I made myself wait. I'm making myself wait until the break, at least, if not after, but I'll probably start back on it after we're done traveling.