I guess you can only write one word at time weaher it's on the computer of with pen and paper. Good advice all. I guess just knowing I'm not the only one who struggles with this is the greatest help of all.

I have a draft already. It's like 15 pages and it needs to be 1. Now the real work begins.

Sooty

a couple of short stories.

A bump post.

A huge, hairy, horrible dissertation for my masters. It's on the place of population pressure in political theory and it should be 20,000 words when it's finished. Anyway, i'm pleasantly surprised that with three months to go, I have already done 15, 000 words. Mind you , the final section is the most interesting and most difficult bit...

I just completed a short story entitled Crossing the Line .

D

just finished Big Blue, a dialogue riddled with superman references that serve as the clues to what's going on.

i'm keeping this one under wraps for now, but if a couple people wanna see it, send me a pm.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: APEX,

a science fiction novel...i just keep re-editing the ending obsessively.

Time seemingly has me in it's evil clutches, thus I haven't the time to write anything with any real meaning, but I've com up with a good begining, it'll just take some time...
But my boyfriend is quite creative and writes little adventurous tales constantly... which reminds me, I told him to join, but he hasn't had time, but when he does, I'll let you all know who he is, and he's very creative, and comes up with really good material.

just some more short stories and poems.

Writing a paper for American Poetry class.
Yay.

D

A very short paper on the role of voice in modern society -- as storytelling, though changed by the mediums that have appeared. Wish me luck,

actually...my introductory poem inspired me to write a rhyming children's book about a girl who doesn't age and goes looking for Father Time to fix the problem...except i think it's been done.

and this is keeping me from finishing my science fiction novel once and for all. i think i have a greater fear of success than i do of failure.

Good luck Mythos! Not really doing much at the moment - have dissertation block

Anyone have any info on Ronin Studios. They are a comic company that I am in talks with at the moment, but I know little about how they operate. Anyone know?

i should be writing right now...instead i am procrastinating, which i do so well...and that's why i'm here instead.

this and that. but mostly that.

my nanowrimo novel.

I apologize in advance if this question has been answered before. Didn't find it in a search, but wasn't sure what to look for.

I used to write all the time, but I've moved away from prose for some time. Trying to get the shoes back on and start running, I find myself tripping over my feet.

My goal is to finish a short story, just for myself.

I get an idea, I outline some key parts in my head, then I freeform to see what happens.

Here are my questions/problems:

- what do you do when you are stuck
(on a word, description, or unexpected kink in the story/motivation)
- what do you do when you stop writing
- Do you plan your stories out or free-form
o If you plan and edit to refine, do you freeform from an outline or plan scenes?
o If you freeform and find it leading nowhere, do you start over?
o Do you erase what you have written?

Thanks,

~T

Firstly, I must say this: consider carefully anything people on here tell you. I speak only for myself, but I suspect this goes most of the other emmbers. We are not published writers, we are, well, weekend writers, people who hold down other jobs (or, like myself, are in school) and for whom writing is nothing more than an aspiration. YOu may find good advice here (i'll give you some advice of my own in a moment) but remember the source. I'm not saying there aren't talented people on here, i'm just saying, use your own judgement; find your own muse.

"What do you do when you are stuck?"

My habits in that situation vary depending on what i'm writing and when i'm writing it. If it's a story I feel strongly about (I.E. something I really like and want to finish) i'll generally muscle my way through until I get to smoother sailing. I'll finish, and then, knowing where it's going, come back and polish up the parts where I wasn't feeling it.

"What do you do when you stop writing?"

I'm not sure I understand this question.

"Do you plan your stories out or free-form?"

Although this is largely a matter of taste, I would also posit that whether you outline or just wing it is based largely on the length of what you are writing. If you want to write a novel, or anything terribly long, then it will almost certainly help to outline. THat doesn't mean it's necessary, particularly if you don't know what's going to happen, but if you are able to write and outline, then go ahead, nothing to lose and you'll find it can be useful when you reach those problematic bits to be able to look at your 'Big picture.' For short stories, well, it's up to you. I never outline, but then, my stories are generally pretty simplistic. It's your choice, play around, figure out what works best for you.

"If you freeform and find it leading nowhere, do you start over?"

Sometimes. I have stories that i've written (not edited, mind you, but actually separately written) four or five different times because they just weren't working. But I ended up with something I was satisfied with. I also have a large folder on my desktop containing stories that I haven't finished. I have about as many unfinished stories as I do finished. Many of them, since they were based solely in my head, I have no idea what are. I look and scratch my head, wondering what on earth I had planned for that, or even if I did. Sometimes you can let such a piece sit for a while, come back, and finish it. Other times it's best to let it die. It's not a problem I face too often because most of my short stories begin with ending (meaning, I think of an ending then write towards it) but it can be difficult, I know. I'm writing a novel for nanowrimo now and, at the out-set anyways, I had no clue where I was going. I figured it out as i've gone along and now I have a goal in sight.

"Do you erase what you have written?"

All the time. To an extent. If I wrote an entire story that is utter crap i'll save it anyways. I'll file it away to laugh at later and, perhaps, re-write at some later date. It it's something small, a page, a paragraph, a sentance, then don't sweat it. If you're unsure whether you should delete it and start again or keep going then what I do is copy it, save it in a different file, and then delete and try it from there. If that works, you're set. If it doesn't work, then at least you didn't lose what you had before.

Hope this helped. See you in print.

I know I'm pretty new but was just wondering whether any of you guys would mine commenting on my novel opening. Its in the topic "Please read, preety please" (yep, I'm a tad desperate). As its for a piece of A level coursework for which i need audience feedback and i reckon you guys would be pretty good as you've obviously got a good taste in writers, if Neil is one of your favourites. Thank you so much Gen