I keep starting stories and essays all over the place, but never seem to be able to finish them. Life and school always conspire to distract me. There is really nothing I want to accomplish as much as writing a novel. I'm not even particular about whether I can publish it or not - I just need to to know that I can actually finish a work of that size. Finish anything, really. If I could get to that point, I could probably bring myself to write something decent, knowing that I could actually do an idea justice.
I'm currently working on an idea of two years which has very detailed background, history, setting, and for some reason I cannot for the life of me get the plot moving. Characters recognize problem, but are stumped as to how to solve it. Are they even supposed to solve it? Many blank being drawn. I keep trying to draw up a plan, but I always get lost in the details and then lose momentum because I really don't know where it's going.

Quite often in my dreams, I write a novel or screenplay. I work really hard on it, and the plot is fantastic. I even think to myself that I have to remember it because it's so good.

And then I wake up and it's gone....

Mimi, your text color is so light I can't read it. I had to quote just so I could read it.
(or was that on purpose?)

I would really love to write a book because I think I have some really good ideas and I would like to share them.

I don't know wabout the awards, but I think I would get a bit famous, nothing serious or anything. But maybe I'd get a few dedicated followers.. ^^

Don't be shy.

If one wanted to write a book how would you start?
Does a plot line come first? How about the characters?

The best authors in my opinion are the ones who can really build up the characters. They make you care about them and feel that you can understand them.

I've been writing a story for about 3-4 years now and once I'm done with it it might be a book. Because it is that long.

Though I dream about making it into a manga more than giving it out as a book XD hehee.

It's kind of complicated to since I'm writing it in English though my native language is Estonian heheee.. So if I wanted to publish it I'd have to translate the whole thing heh.

I always start with an idea, then I make lengthy character sketches. NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) really helped me get through one of my stories, so I'm going to try the same strategy with the rest. With Nano, their motto is "No Plot? No Problem!" I had to just barrel through any problems I came across, or skip them, instead of agonizing. I wrote 30,000 words, but I need to rewrite the entire thing.

I've also finished one short story. I need to write more! My major problem is getting new ideas, then dropping them after a few weeks. I want to get to 10,000 words on my two main stories before i work o any others...

Thank you for that little tidbit actually LOL! I don't know much about publishing houses so, thank you so much!!!

I was going to ask about publishing... but I gotta learn to crawl before I can run. I think I need to actually *write* something first :P

ADD + Writing = Bad
 

I would LOVE to write a story that will be published someday. It's been a huge dream of mine since late high school when I realized hey, I'm not such a bad writer. You know all those authors who were like "Yeah, I was writing even as a kid." JK Rowling even mentions something about a bunny story she wrote when she was very young. Well, I wrote things too, and they all were horrible. And I mean horrible, horrible.

But I kept reading, kept coming up with ideas, and when I took a creative writing course just to get a few last credits in my senior year of high school, my teacher (and myself!) were rather surprised to discover that I was pretty decent. Problem was GETTING me to write. I'd have ideas, but at the time I thought I just lacked the motivation.

Fast forward 'bout five years and my mom finally pieces together something. My brother had been struggling in school in very similar ways to what I'd gone through. After some expert opinions and a lot of research, she realized that not only did my brother have ADD, but I did too. But while most people tend to 'out grow' this around their full maturity ('round the 20's), I still have it pretty badly.

And it makes writing a monster.

I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head. Some of which I think would make good novels, and would gain at least a steady fan base. I don't think I have the smarts for awards... but I'd like to think there are people out there who would enjoy my stories. The problem is the writing. I'll come up with full scenes in detail in my head... but the minute I try to write them down, I lose those details, and then I get bored, and then I'll walk away from the project.

I'm trying a few new things now in my attempt to get back into writing. One of them is carrying a small personal recorder around so I can just pour thoughts and ideas into it rather than trying to write them down on the spot. I'm really hoping that sometime in the next two years I'll have something worthy of trying to get published.

*realizes how much she wrote, blushes, and goes to hide under the couch*

Hi Ebony. While I was reading what you wrote, my first thought was... Recorder, recorder! Sounds like that's what you're doing.

Some people do well with the words through the fingers in typing, some is handwriting, others don't do well typing at all. You may be one that works better through the spoken word.

In that case you can always get somebody to transcribe what you've said.

Ooo, and interesting thought! Although it's kinda funny actually... *blush* because I actually have a speech impediment. I stutter a lot and often blend my words, usually when I'm thinking two words that could fit a situation, and when it comes time to say one, I smush them together into one word. XD It's like my mouth can't keep up with my brain.

But I'm hoping a recorder will help because I'll be able to sort out whatever raw jibberish I spit out and type it up neater later as opposed to trying to type from memory and having it bog me down.

Try singing it.

Some speech impediments like stuttering don't happen in a different format, and music seems to come from the other side of the brain.

Many stutterers can sing quite beautifully.

I mostly stick to writing short stories, but I've been thinking of diving back into working on a novel I started years ago. I created my own world for it, so I feel I should nourish it. I don't need the book to be popular or make me famous at all. If that's why someone is writing, more power to them, but I personally write simply to get it out onto paper (yes, I write most of it out by hand first). I take ages just to finish a short story, but that makes it all the more special because I know I've put a ton of thought into it. As for whether or not I'll ever get that novel finished, I'll just keep trying. I have a short story that is likely to end up as a novel (oops o.o). I guess since...I created my own world, the only way to make sure it continues to "exist" once I'm gone is to write about it. Again, I don't need to win awards or have fanboys/fangirls surround me. I write for me, not for anyone else.

I'm thinking that having a world first is the way to go.
Then you can populate it, and build up your characters from there.

My problem would be in trying to create a *new* world. One that's different from all the ones that I love to read about in my favorite books.

I already am trying to fulfill my dream of being an author... many reasons. I want to be known and respected in the literary community, the fame I would like, and the money would be extremely helpful. I want to become an ardent supporter of many causes for people in need and money would definitely help them.

I do hold some hope for being published and famous- I have been told my writing is good. I also think outside of the box which helps for unique ideas and stories. Just start on one small idea and build from it; like a single stone to an entire building. Read up on writing techniques, too, or take classes on it. And most importantly, have others read your work and give you constructive and honest criticism and opinions- if you can't accept them you'll never grow as a writer. And read, read, read!! But that's probably obvious, rofl.

I love writing, and i'd LOVE to write a full book one day, but my idea's always run away after 10 or so pages, it sucks :(

I hope i get the inspiration i need one day, even if it didn't get published at least i could say i wrote a novel, it'd be a grand feeling!

I LOVE WRITING STORIES!

my teachers always get mad at me because when we are supposed to write a short story i write WAY MORE! haha ^-^

i can never seem to get past 40 pages though...i just lost a story i was working on that i thought was pretty good so i started a new one. im only on page two though.

i think it would be awesome for one of my books to be made into a movie. i always write fantasy so it wouldnt be a boring film.

I would love to write a book but I'm an odd Gal hehe I don't know how well people would take portal traveling omnipotent followers of evil ect ect. every story I ever begain to right either started with an question "Does Destiny even exist - or is it something we created within our own minds to try and shift the blame onto something unseeable and uncontrolable" or something like that or Paraworlds. I adore paraworlds.

I don't think I'd win any awards I'm too meh I don't know really. My conversations sound too wooden (haha Coppelia of words)

I already have!

So far, I've had a few pieces of poetry, a few short stories and one childrens' book published.
I'm currently simultaneously working on my next childrens' book, and a novelette for adults.

It's the best job ever, I love it!