Creativity
Writing a novel is an interesting experience. I go through these odd cycles where I can't do anything but think about it and talk about it, but little gets written, only little bits here and there. Then a bunch gets written over a period of a week or so. Then, I can't write another word, and can't think about what I want to do next--my creativity is compeltely spent.
50,000 words in the can though. I've never gotten anywhere near this far.
Oh, and they're good words too. ;-)
Become your novel. Quit talking and write it.
I take it you have characters? They should tell you what they want to do or say next. It goes back and forth. Like an argument. You want the outcome this way. The character needs to stay in character and can't accommodate your outcome.
One wins and 'compromise' is you finding a way to give your character a reason to accomplish your outcome. Not much of a compromise really. Yet, you're the one compromising. Your character won't. Don't be surprised when you outcome changes. Creativity is full of surprises. It is also hightly disciplined.
I need to not stop talking about it, thanks. We didn't get 50,000 solid, likely sellable words down in under 4 months by shutting up. :-)
As for characters a friend of mine said it best to me tonight: your characters start in a tree. You need to get them out of the tree. You need to figure out how each of them decides to do that.
It's been enormously rewarding so far.
So how many novels have you published, Observer?
I wasn't being adversarial Dean.
Sheesh.
Writing a novel is fairly easy, getting the bloody thing published is the hard thing.
Observer: Neither was I.
Andrew: We'll self-publish if need be, but I have a hunch it won't be necessary.
It would be alot easier if you'd just agree with me more...
Observer's observation is very true, I find. The characters write themselves. At least for me they do. I'm far, far from having anything in the publishable stage yet or at any time soon. Dean's novel, on the other hand... Terrific. Can't say more about it, but -- terrific.
What an honor. Thank you, Dean. Now, I'll shut up about it and just let him write.
I haven't published anything but short stories to this point, with a couple of stalled novels collecting dust on an out of the way shelf of my hard drive.
But to break up my block I'll be writing a hypertext novel online and posting it on Saturdays and Sundays. That way I'll have it done and published by the time I have it done and published.
Best of luck finishing, Dean.
The two novels I've written so far wrote themselves, for the most part. The again, I didn't collaborate like you and my brother have, so the dynamics of writing are different.
And A.I.D. is right - it's easier to write it than it is to get published. I've been trying for a couple of years now with no joy. So far everyone who's read my first novel have all said the same thing: "Why aren't you published yet?"