The 5 Main Thoughts that Hinder Novel-Writing ... and How to Conquer Them
This is going to sound a lot like a Writer's Digest article:
1. "My story is no good. Nobody will want to read it."
1. "My story is no good. Nobody will want to read it."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Try to identify what the problem with your story is. Why would nobody want to read it? Also, even if your story really does stink, it's unlikely that nobody will want to read it. For example, if your characters aren't deep enough, write character sketches.
2. "My story's too much like one that already exists. Nobody will want to read it."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Remember that everyone has a unique story to tell, even if more than one person starts out with the same basic idea. A story about robots becoming self-aware and wreaking havoc, for example? I'd write that story very differently from the way you'd end up writing it. It's okay if your story's a little bit similar to another one. For example, think about It's a Wonderful Life and The Family Man. Same basic idea, but both unique: a mysterious being gives the out-of-touch protagonist a taste of what might have been. However, if The Family Man had included, for example, a scene where the protagonist stands on a bridge, contemplating suicide, and is saved by an angel, that might have ended up being a copyright problem. Don't try to write the story the way somebody else would/did.
3. "I don't know what to write next."
How to Go About Conquering It:
THIS is the real butt-kicker: writer's block. It's happened to every writer ever to live. But which ones became published authors? The ones that pushed through. Just read great books, watch great movies, take some needed time off from the particular novel. Come back to it with a fresh view. Revisit your plot and characters; remind yourself of the now-dormant excitement that fueled you to first put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you have the grit, and the story has the potential, you can push through that writer's block. Use that brain of yours!
4. "I don't know where to start."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Many a great idea has been tossed in the trash because the author didn't know where to start. That first line is so important. It had better be good to hook the reader, but don't let that importance overwhelm you and scare you off. If you go to writersdigest.com, there are several great articles on writing an opening hook.
5. "Nobody will publish this."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Ignore it! That doesn't matter while you're in the middle of the first draft. Do you know how many publishers turned down Harry Potter? Yeah, I don't remember either, but it was a lot. Just keep writing and worry about that later.
2. "My story's too much like one that already exists. Nobody will want to read it."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Remember that everyone has a unique story to tell, even if more than one person starts out with the same basic idea. A story about robots becoming self-aware and wreaking havoc, for example? I'd write that story very differently from the way you'd end up writing it. It's okay if your story's a little bit similar to another one. For example, think about It's a Wonderful Life and The Family Man. Same basic idea, but both unique: a mysterious being gives the out-of-touch protagonist a taste of what might have been. However, if The Family Man had included, for example, a scene where the protagonist stands on a bridge, contemplating suicide, and is saved by an angel, that might have ended up being a copyright problem. Don't try to write the story the way somebody else would/did.
3. "I don't know what to write next."
How to Go About Conquering It:
THIS is the real butt-kicker: writer's block. It's happened to every writer ever to live. But which ones became published authors? The ones that pushed through. Just read great books, watch great movies, take some needed time off from the particular novel. Come back to it with a fresh view. Revisit your plot and characters; remind yourself of the now-dormant excitement that fueled you to first put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you have the grit, and the story has the potential, you can push through that writer's block. Use that brain of yours!
4. "I don't know where to start."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Many a great idea has been tossed in the trash because the author didn't know where to start. That first line is so important. It had better be good to hook the reader, but don't let that importance overwhelm you and scare you off. If you go to writersdigest.com, there are several great articles on writing an opening hook.
5. "Nobody will publish this."
How to Go About Conquering It:
Ignore it! That doesn't matter while you're in the middle of the first draft. Do you know how many publishers turned down Harry Potter? Yeah, I don't remember either, but it was a lot. Just keep writing and worry about that later.
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