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@esther-c @godlyfantasy12 @freedomwriter76 @euodia-vision @keilah-h @whalekeeper @highscribeofaetherium @hybridlore @everyone!
I have been writing and adding a lot to my WIP and its been going great! I have it all planned and organized, but I just need to write it. Which is hard. š I re-read what I had written and thought “ugh, this is really bad.” Nothing seemed real, it all seemed so fake.Ā Should I continue to write? Should I work on a different WIP? I love working on this one, but nothing is working out. Or work onĀ creating my characters, extra characters and scenes for my main WIP? Should I delete what I had written (and save it in case) and try again? Thats a lot of questions, but right now I am stuck! š Thank you guys so much!š
"Would you kindly...?"
My advice to you is: Keep writing and donāt look back. My writing always feels cringey and bad when I read it. Silence your inner critic until the second draft. Finish the first draft before worrying about editing and all that stuff. As S.D. Smith said, āLet it be badā.
Hope this helps š
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“Let it be bad.” You know, that actually seems like good advice for this situation š Thanks!
"Would you kindly...?"
Yesss girl it’s just a first draft!! Ally Carter talks about this in her writing book, and compares writing to running a faucet. At first, it’s just dirty water! But the longer you run it, the better it gets.
I agree with @highscribeofaetherium. Don’t worry about it too much for now. If you think something in particular isn’t working, I’d be happy to help brainstorm ideas to fix it, but if you’re just worried about the quality of your writing, it will get better over time. Just keep using it, and reading other books (which helps a LOT at getting better).
Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. ~ C.S. Lewis
I agree with HighScribe, it isn’t going to look good at first, and that’s okay! Seriously okay, no one will be mad at you ā¤
But if it’s really bothering you, instead of looking at it as a whole, take one section and ask yourself why or how you should improve.
You mentioned it feeling fake. Why do you feel that way? Can you find places in your writing that feel more fake than others?
Let it sit for a while, if you’re emotional. It’s not good to make big decisions when you’re like that. Relax and follow your thoughts slowly.
And if you find what’s bothering you so much, we can talk about it ā¤
#ProtectAdolinKholin
Thank you! I guess I am trying to get perfection on my first draft. š I will tag you if I need help brainstorming!ššš
Well it seems fake, because everything seems to be to good to be true for the kids. Right now all the power in the world is out and they managed to take a shortcut through the woods (seeing no one) and then find an abandoned town that was recently abandoned, only a few nice family’s remain. š I feel like there should be more struggles for them (poor kids!) But I think that would make it better! I will tag you if I need to talkš„° and if you ever need to talk about anything, you can feel free to tag me!
Thank you guys, this helps so much!šš
"Would you kindly...?"
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I’ll definitely second everyone here, especially @highscribeofaetherium.
I used to think my writing was REALLY cringy too, and so I kept scrapping it…and scrapping it…and eventually, I hated writing altogether.
But when I just decided to justĀ writeĀ and worry about editing at a later date, it really helped me to write, and really helped me get my book as far as it has gotten.
It’s just first draft, and also, another thing to note:
Your writing is never, and I mean, NEVER, going to be perfect, because we’re not perfect.
Your writing can, is, and will be good…but it will never be perfect.
So take it one step at a time, and trust God with the outcome ā¤ļø
@freedomwriter76
That’s so encouraging!š„° Thank you so much!š
"Would you kindly...?"
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@acancello I’m so glad š You’re soooo welcome!! š„°š„°
Could you give me a summary of your WIP plot? Unless you don’t want to ā¤ That snippet doesn’t sound too perfect. If it’s a reward for all the struggles the main characters have been going through, that’s really great.
#ProtectAdolinKholin
Of course! Here it is! (Sorry its kind of long, I just love to talk about it š )
Trigger warning!! Scary!!!!!!!
Shauna Sarah Smith, a fourteen year old girl lives in Windy Pines with her two older brothers and her parents. She enjoys her life there in Windy Pines. Her best friend, Jean Walton lives six houses down on the block and everyone is friendly and knows each other.
One day scientists and the government launch a new moon into the sky to power all the new and modern electric items that have been invented in the world. The moon works out great, that is until it begins to bring too much power and the scientists begin to get worried. So does Rosie Anne Walker, the president’s daughter. The president in 20XX is Tom Kane Walker, a real nice man although he is very ill and obeys his daughters every command. Rosie senses trouble and creates a new facility. C.H.I.M.E. The C.H.I.M.E facility sends people of their choice letters summoning them to come to the facility for a test. If you refuse they will come and kidnap you. Jeans and her family get a letter, refuse and get kidnapped! Hugo was the only one left. He warns the Smiths that C.H.I.M.E actually does what they say. Later that night around three in the morning, Shauna is woken up by the screams of her brothers and Hugo. The Smiths’ parents had been kidnapped! The five kids set out on a dangerous and daring adventure all the way to Bermill, which is seven hours away driving. They first stop at the small facility in their town and come across shocking news. One set of parents were taken to Bermill and the other to Robello. The kids take a vote and decide to go to Bermill first. Bermill is seven hours from their location and Robello is eleven hours from Bermill (Only four from Windy Pines, but the Waltons were taken first.) They take a car (Scott the oldest Smith is 19) They are driving calmly and even having a bit of fun, but then BAM!!!!!!!!! An EMP happened! (Electromagnetic pulse!) All the power went out! Will the Smiths and Hugo make it to their parents and Jean in time? Will the power ever come back on? Who on earth thought the moon was a good idea? What is the president doing in these tough times? What does C.H.I.M.E stand for and what are they doing?
In my opinion it sounds great, a perfect and exciting dystopian/apocalyptic book, but let me know what you think!
If you want to know how any of these cliff hangers end (Or you can keep it a surprise) just let me know!
"Would you kindly...?"
@acancello I havenāt read others advice yet, but Iām sure itās great!! But I had to come on and say this: I HAVE BEEN THERE!!!
Iām serious, Iāve been in places where I seriously thought all of my writing sucked, I SHOULDNāT be a writer, I should just give up, etc.
So let me just say: DONāT GIVE UP! We are our own worst critic, trust me, and a lot of times our writing doesnāt feel real, especially at first.
Unless youāre writing nonfiction, it IS fiction, first of all, but yea, it doesnāt feel like a real book, especially when youāre first starting out.
I never really thought of myself having āImposter Syndromeā but I do actually thing thatās a part of it: not feeling like your story/book is aĀ realĀ work. A real story.
But it is.
Thats why itās called a WORK IN PROGRESS.
It has to start from an idea!
Think about the most famous story, or movie, etc, you love.
I know we hear all the time āThey struggled with the same thingsā but letās really break that down! Think about your favorite story, and then think about the BAREST OF BONES CONCEPT/IDEA that it couldāve came from!
Not the characters, or Worldbuilding, or things you love about it, but the barest of bones idea that may have sparked it.
Example: Lord of the rings-
Maybe this was the idea, A Christian fantasy where a small man inherits a magic ring.
Think about thatā¦JUST THAT. Not the characters we now know as Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, but just that idea. Donāt think about middle earth as we know itā¦but just that idea. No thatās probably not the exact idea Tolkien had, but thinking about it like that puts it into perspective!
Every story starts with an idea!
Toys come to life and one gets lost- Toy story
Chosen Girl sails the ocean to save her people- Moana
Kids travel to a fantasy world and meet a type and shadow of Christ- Narnia
A fox and a hound become friends-fox and the hound
When you look at it like that, it changes things š
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb
‘Nuff said.
Just kidding. . . but also not. xP The first draft is just the starting point – there’s a quote that says “you can’t edit a blank page”. There will be endless revisions and chances to tighten things up further down the road, but the story needs to exist to be made better. All you have to do right now is get it on the page, in all of its clichĆ©d, melodramatic, rambling mess. Your goal in future drafts will be to make it good. . . your goal in this draft is to make it.
So have fun! *offers your favorite snack and a motivational grasshopper* Enjoy hanging out with the characters, try, if possible, not to re-read as you write, and don’t give up. š Another quote says that the first draft is just shoveling sand that you’ll later use to make castles – and the more sand you have, the bigger the castle can be.
You’ve got this!
wonder | beauty | truth | love
Your so right! I’m glad I’m not the only one who has been through this š You wont believe how much this has helped! Thank you so much!š
"Would you kindly...?"
‘The first draft is just shoveling sand that youāll later use to make castles ā and the more sand you have, the bigger the castle can be.” That’s a great quote! My goal of my draft is to make it… I never though of it that way! Thank you so much! š
"Would you kindly...?"
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