Okay, so I had this awesome idea for a novel one evening when I was sick. The idea came to me in full force, instantly. One minute I’m watching TV and the next minute I’m seeing characters and had a complete story in my head. I even saw the book cover, right down to the font used. The story blurb on the back was instantly conjured, too, and I had a title. It was definitely surreal.
Here’s the thing: I’m scared of it.
This idea is so good, I don’t want to muck it up. I’m not avoiding writing it, but I’m not above admitting that I’m not sure I can do it justice. I can watch the whole thing in my mind, like a movie, and yet I’m terrified that the words I use or the structure I go with will ruin it.
Have you ever felt this way, writer friends?
I know for a fact that if I can pull this off correctly it’ll sell. This is the real deal, not some murky idea I have that needs fleshing out and expanding. This story is complete, ready-to-go; I just need to pen the thing.
Never before have I wondered how to enter a story. That stuff just works itself out, as far as I’m concerned. With this one, though, I feel that the first page, how I set the tone, is going to be all-important. It’s the little decisions that sometimes make the biggest difference, eh?
Anyhow, I’m definitely going to write this epic tale, but it’s such a huge undertaking and I just hope I’m prepared for it and have all the tools I need. If not, the entire thing could fall down and flop on its face, and that would hurt badly because this is going to be more than a little work.
Off I go. Clackety-clack go the keys.
8 comments:
Sounds awesome, whatever it is! Keep us posted.
You definitely have the tools to do it.
I've had a similar problem, where I came up with characters but there's no story good enough.. Tried to write one for them last summer but it went badly. But you know what? Nobody ever has to see that. If you do muck it up, just consign the document to oblivion and start again - think of it as a practice run, you'd have changed stuff in the edit anyway!
Brick by brick, my friend. Remember, first drafts are shit. But Shit is the manure in which books grow.
I feel like this every few stories I start. It's crippling until I give myself permission to write a sh*tty first draft (a la Anne Lamott) and tell myself that I'll edit it into perfection if I can only get it down on the page. :)
(and I love this post, so I'll be tweeting it as World Weaver Press @worldweaver_wwp btw!)
I had that roughly this time last year, the results of which I wrote for ScriptFrenzy. To this date, it's not been finished as either a script or a novel and for the same reason - I need to do it right.
(Here via @worldweaver_wwp)
Thanks so much for all the nice comments. I have indeed started the story; I'm pretty good when it comes to just flowing, so we'll see what happens!
Helo Derek!!!!@
Ay gust wanted to say think you DO GRAAT job WRITING! the STORIES!! Ay have fealt tHis same way: many times IN THE past…. way IIIIN the past!!!But wen ay ended up YUST DOING IT!!! So ay hope you GOOD LUCK!!!! SOMETYIMES is WORKING!!!
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