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Mikes
03-17-2010, 12:00 AM
Another possible title would be 'staying on track', or perhaps 'how to stay interested'.

Anyone here who's written a novel, or is part way through their first (I'm raising my hand here) will tell you that it takes time. Even the most prolific published writer doesn't manage more than one book per year; that's a steady working on one peice for 12 months, give a take a few weeks for holidays.

My current project is my second, well, nearly third attempt at a novel. My first was me being completely green and putting pen to paper with a vague idea in my head. I ended up making a dog's ear of it andafter 30,000 words put it to one side and started again with a different tact, which, as it turned out, also didn't work. And so, that went to one side after 10,000 words (I fully intent to go back to them, and I still hold the main idea is sound, but I want to do it justice).

So, i ploughed on with my second. I'm not 30,000 words into it and.... well, I don't know if there's a well used term for it, but I could see myself getting bored with the subject matter, given that if I carry on at the same pace I still have another two months before I get even the first very rough draft down.

Does anyone else ever feel this way? How do you handle it?

chrisj
03-17-2010, 02:01 AM
I believe it took Mark Twain 9 years to write Huckleberry Finn and he was in his late 50s. My advice to you Mark, not that I am a distinguished novelist or anything, but you're writing the story, change the subject matter so it interests you.

Mikes
03-17-2010, 04:04 AM
You're completely right.

I'm not stopping, and I'm going on with the book, I think I just had an attack of 'It's crap! everything I write is crap!' this morning.


I've got over it now :rolleyes:

Maeve
03-18-2010, 01:39 PM
Mikes,
Welcome to the crowd. Ernest Hemingway is quoted with this saying that many writers post over their computers:


All first drafts are shit.
:)