OK, I’m writing a novel. For like 8 years. I’m on chapter 4. Sad. In my defense I did have two children in that time and a bout with one of them having cancer so my brain was elsewhere and the novel got tabled. But I’m trying to work on it again and I am STILL stumped.
I just don’t know what to do.
So far in the last like um.. two hours… I’ve written one sentance. I may just scrap this chapter and try to start it over. I am just not doing well at all. I don’t know what to do.
Someone told me to try to write from the ending back. I’m not even sure how to do that. But I have the main plot line. I just don’t know how to get to it from where I am still introducing the society and stuff.
If anyone has any ideas to kickstart my creative juices… I’m all for it. My brain is now exhausted from working so hard. Pretty sad since all I did was sit here and fiddle!
Lady Ozma's Journey 
lilangelem88 said:
hey
who had cancer? one of your boys? when and what kind? i’m sry! i’m glad they are better!
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: hey
oh sorry hun… you may not have realized. It’s all on my site. My older boy, Caramon was dx with Wilms Tumor in 2001. That’s a growth on the kidney. His cancer was in stage 4 at the time. It had spread into his lungs.
He’s better now. Hopefully he will stay that way. 🙂
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lilangelem88 said:
Re: hey
oh wow…that’s so amazing…i’m glad he’s alright!!
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: hey
He’s really doing great. such a big boy and into so much stuff. You wouldn’t know now that he was ever sick a day in his life! :)I hope to keep it that way too!
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clueliss said:
I keep telling ya
join the writer’s forum at Jokers. It is a great place and people there will offer suggestions to help (including me)
What are you stuck on. Plot? Characterization?
If you’re stuck on plot – read Screenplay by Sid Field. Yes it’s about screenwriting but it the best stuff on plot is in screenwriting books not novel books. Also helpful is The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler – which helps with plot as well as characterization and is based on mythic structures and the work of Joseph Campbell.
Also – don’t get stuck on making a perfect first draft. Get it done. Push through to the end and allow yourself to write what has been called (I think it was Natalie Godberg or Anne Lammont who said this) a shitty first draft.
If you lived in my area – I’d direct you to a very specific course at a local community college. It is a writer’s workshop only taught in the spring semester that forces you to write 10 pages per week (and is a graduate level course given at a junior college). Since you live in Ohio – check out local junior colleges. Many of them have inexpensive continuing ed (ie not credit) courses that sometimes include writing. Also – utilize your local library – check out those books on writing. And check out the net – there are sites for writers all over.
But my best advice is to join the writer’s forum at jokers because we have several great writers in there.
And hang in there. You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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lilangelem88 said:
Re: hey
lol…great!
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: I keep telling ya
((HuGS))
You are such a help… 🙂 Have I told you today I luvers you?
I am stuck on a scene and I am just not getting it said right. But it explains something I think is pretty important to the storyline. Explains something about the culture. I should probably skip it and just continue on but for some reason I just can’t. I don’t know why.
And I’ve looked, the colleges here seem to be all business and no real writing or other fine arts. Well except the art college which is supposed to be top notch. My only choice it seems at this venture is the private college of Otterbein that is mega bucks or OSU which is almost mega bucks.
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clueliss said:
Re: I keep telling ya
Don’t let yourself get stuck on “getting it said right.” Forge through explaining the culture the best you can now. Then when you do the next draft – you can fix it. But the most important part is just to get the first draft down.
If it were me – I’d write it the best I could then worry about pretting it up later.
Of course I’m an underwriter on a first draft. I tend to be heavy on dialouge and action on a first draft and have to go back and add exposition and description on rewrites.
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loadhan said:
Good luck! I don’t seem to have much time to work on my stories either. I did write a novel once but it needs to be revised … seriousily … and the only reason I got it done was because I ended up writing it for a class assignment in high school – had to write something each and every week. Well, writing a story wasn’t the assignment but …. I’ll tell you later when I have more time, heh. It’s a bit of a story, heh.
I like the ideas that suggested … I should look into those. Especially the screenwriting book cause I’m taking a screenwriting class next semester. 😀
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: I keep telling ya
I do that to. My first draft says something like Mark did this and that and the other thing and walked across the room and opened the fridge and pulled out the peanut butter all the while talking to cindy. Then I”ll add the dialogue. Then when I go through for the second draft I start throwing in descriptions and etc.
The trouble I’m having with this segment is that the two main characters are at this cultural event and it is going to go through like an interpretative dance type thing of the history of the culture where they had this cataclysmic type event and so the culture had to really band together. Anyway, so that’s what it is. But I am having trouble visualizing it. What I probably need to do is just create it in real life (yay dance training and sign language training and acting training) and video tape it or something (yay use for the camcorder) and then try to write it off of that.
I’m thinking about putting my first couple of chapters up as a friends only entry in LJ or something to see what people are thinking. It is a sci fi type book. I’m actually excited to get past this darned place because it has a pretty cool plot that I”d like to see how it goes… Some intrigue and that sort. I’ve never written anything like that so it might royally suck but I’m gonna give it my best.
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Lady Ozma said:
Hmmm that’s probably what I need to do
Try to write x amount each day/week. I just have this stumbling block. Go up the thread and read it. Just not sure what to do with it. That’s what I get for making something complex I suppose!
is aweesome and she does have some good ideas. And you never know, maybe that screenwriting book is a class book! HEHE Besides, you can never have too many writing books if you ask me. But I was studying writing in college. I really want to go back to college. *SIGH* I need to win like a million bucks.
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clueliss said:
Re: I keep telling ya
get your tush into the writers forum at jokers!
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Lady Ozma said:
Re: I keep telling ya
Hey you JUST told me and like I have had time this week? I don’t think I spent more than an hour on my computer yesterday. So busy with holiday stuff.
My husband however played on my computer and watched two movies on it while I slaved. Darned man was complaining of not feeling well. 😦 I think he’s just not wanting to do anything… hehe
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