Guilty as charged. But I'm still bashing away at my latest one hoping some day...
hands up if you're a Failed Writer
- Thread starter meems
- Start date
FridgeMagnet said:
This is my problem too. I think I come up with decent characters and dialogue, but people have complained ever since I first wrote longish stories at 14 that it's too traveloguey without a proper plot. Problem is that I tend to make it up as I go along. I really need to plot something out.
Dirty Martini
gets what he cant want
DotCommunist said:
Ah. No, mine have more hole than plot though, and not in a good or intriguing way.
dylanredefined
Not a house elf a tiger
Think I should stay at fan fic level .Did a creative writing course found out dont really have a story writing talent .
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
As a rule, if you're on the internet, you aren't writing. One of them has to go.
<unaccountably fails to disappear>
<unaccountably fails to disappear>
clandestino
no llevar papel
Donna Ferentes said:
This is very true.
QueenOfGoths
Fuck you Dave!
FridgeMagnet said:
Much the same for me. My ideas are good, I can write great little sections of dialogue or description but cannot seem to write anything of a decent length.
As for my poetry. Mmm .. there are a couple of poems I am really proud of. But as for the rest.... self-indulgent drivel comes to mind
Maurice Picarda
Actually, might as well flounce.
Alex B said:
Very, very true.
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Well, in my case I came through fanzines, probably wrote quite a lot that wasn't very good for a long time, but had a certain viewpoint and style which was original and distinctive. And I didn't get sidetracked into thinking that because I could write a good polemical piece about attitudes to Diego Maradona, this meant I could write a novel...
clandestino
no llevar papel
What was your book about, Donna?
Donna Ferentes
jubliado
Football.
If I get another one written, it'll be about something else.
If I get another one written, it'll be about something else.
Barking_Mad
Non sibi sed omnibus
i keep starting to write a novel, then part way in (usually not very far) I get a better idea and think, "Hmm ill write that instead!"
And so it goes......man needs to focus!
And so it goes......man needs to focus!
I won a regional short-story writing competition at the age of 9. This did me no favours. I started about 15 novels in the following years, up until the age of 18. Have entertained big ideas about being a writer of novels, but with no actual substance to them. Started putting together ideas for a smart-arsed novel last year. Did half a page. 
dessiato
4 years and I still cry sometimes
Written a few short things, been published a couple of times, never sold anything in sufficient number to worth it. OUP once offered to publish a book of mine on the EU single market and small business, but I never got round to finishing it, I guess I've missed the boat now.
I am beginning to think that I'd like another go though, but need a subject sufficiant to motivate me.
I am beginning to think that I'd like another go though, but need a subject sufficiant to motivate me.
Donna Ferentes said:
So so so so true. My biggest writing spurt was 99-2001 when I was in one room at Newham council with literally nothing to do, just me and a computer, no interweb, I sat and bashed out the story all day every day at work. Then I moved to another room and suddenly they gave us internet, which at first was great, but it hammered my writing.
Anyway I recommend nanowrimo to anyone suffering creative block. Last year (2006)'s one got me back into writing. The resultant project is now 200 pages and I'm nearing the conclusion.
It needs a loooooooooooooooooooooooooot of editing though!
It needs a loooooooooooooooooooooooooot of editing though!
Termite Man
zombie flesh eater
lack of talent , although I wanted to write and draw my own comics . I have ideas but not the talent to produce them
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
One thing I'd recommend to prospective writers who haven't done it: go buy a book about screenplay writing, and read it. Maybe you don't want to write screenplays, but the method outlined there will work fine for a novel.
Someone else said that people think they can write because they've written stuff before. But it seems there's more to writing a novel than just sitting down and trying to let the ideas flow. It's a procedure, just like playing the violin....
Someone else said that people think they can write because they've written stuff before. But it seems there's more to writing a novel than just sitting down and trying to let the ideas flow. It's a procedure, just like playing the violin....
I write -maybe I am a cult author (no typo here) which means a small select number know I exist. Lots of poems, one book 'Still Searching for the Big City Beats'.
I should take this advice to heart but if u want to write a novel, there is one key factor - discipline. There must be millions of unfinished novels out there, draw a plan -write one side of A4 a day, stick to it. By th end of the year u will have a novel.
Also some good advice is on no account fall into the trap of a publisher asking u for monies to publish your book. My real example was a publisher in Manchester asking me for £10,000 to help publish my novel!
No shame in self publishing (got a deal £600 for 600 books) at £6.99 a book u can do the maths. Have not become rich but all u writers -go, go and all the best.
I should take this advice to heart but if u want to write a novel, there is one key factor - discipline. There must be millions of unfinished novels out there, draw a plan -write one side of A4 a day, stick to it. By th end of the year u will have a novel.
Also some good advice is on no account fall into the trap of a publisher asking u for monies to publish your book. My real example was a publisher in Manchester asking me for £10,000 to help publish my novel!
No shame in self publishing (got a deal £600 for 600 books) at £6.99 a book u can do the maths. Have not become rich but all u writers -go, go and all the best.
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