I am addicted to urban fantasy... vampires, werewolves, you name it. I am currently trying to put my love for the written word on paper aka trying to write a novel. Urban fantasy of course. However... it is much harder than what it seems. I would like to hear from other budding writers - I know you out there - about the problems they are facing...

[Spookiegal]

Hello there, I still consider myself a budding writer although I have published 2 books. There are many ways of "accomplishing" your task, and many forums to consider to publish your works. My best advice is to outline the story, write the fun parts, and then fill in the areas that are harder to finish - key story conncting sections, necessary conversations, etc. It is hard to ensure continuity of story line and keep your facts straight. Keep going and finish!! If it is just for your personal satisfaction, if you finish it, you can call yourself a writer!

[vang52]

There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.
–Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith

It's not really that bad... at least in my case. I have 1 novel [100,000 word young adult, urban fantasy] and a bit of poetry under my belt. Nothing is published and that's by my own choice for now. The poetry came about mostly during times of personal drama as a means of somehow venting the emotions that were raging. The book? Well that's a far different story. I wanted to take the paranormal themes that were becoming prevalent at the time and see if could give them a major twist... Could I pull it off and make it work? According to the friends relatives who have read it, I did. To me? I see areas where I could have phased something better, possibly been more descriptive, or fleshed out a character in clearer detail [hence my reluctance to distribute an "unfinished" work].

That aside, I could never sit down, make an outline, and then write by filling in the blanks. My writing came from "watching" the story unfold as a movie playing in my mind's eye. There was, of course, the continuous struggle to maintain continuity with what had already been written. But I understand completely when a writer says that one of their characters did something unexpected. It happened to me several times. Writer's block? Yep! If the movie ain't playing, the fingers ain't typing. However, that was a seldom occurrence. This was my experience in a nutshell and I hope it helps i some small way. Good luck!

Steve

[Spookiegal]

Steve, I am looking at Smashwords for future releases of my fiction. Nice to have something out there for others to read. Continuity is always a challange, as it dependence on using the same words and phrases. I start my works by scne, and then piece together and fill in gaps - probably a continuity nightmare waiting to happen. I would love to read your novel if you are wiling to share.

[vang52]

Don't mind sharing at all. Just remember the genre whilst making commentary regarding whither you find a tome worthy of your time or be it a pile of hopeless drivel. I'll PM.

[Mr FuFu]

Just thinking to sit down and start typing is intimidating me. So I just keep adding to my outline

[vang52]

A thought occurred to me at one point. If all I write is a page a day, then in only one year I have a respectable length 365 page long novel. Analysis paralysis is a disease. The cure is to sit down and put that little storyline running thru your head on paper one page at a time.

[mstigerlily]

I want to write but I'm afraid it won't be good enough. Also, I don't have much time, the time I do have is with my family, working, reading, chores, everyday life. But one day I would like to write a book.

I heard something the other day that really stuck with me. It must have been a movie because in my mind, I see a woman saying it to someone else. She said, "We die twice. The first time is the usual way. The second time is when the last person that remembers us dies."

So, not only do I want to write a book, I want to write a great book, one that matters to someone, one that keeps me alive a little longer. I don't expect to make much money writing, I think it is one of those things you do because you love it.

One of the expectations to get out of your head as a writer is the belief that everything you write will require the same process. Different stories will require different things of you. Sometimes the words will flow from inside somewhere and you wonder why it isn't always like this. Other times you get there by hard slog and discipline. Other times you will be sitting on a bus and overhear a single phrase that will trigger within your head the solution to the story's current problem.

I've had two books published with traditional publishers (one of short stories and one novel) and one ebook that I market myself (kids poetry). There was no single technique or element in the writing of these, that's the serendipity of it all.

What I've learned as an author is that if I don't write, nothing gets written. So the first thing to be doing is to sit down and write something.
Pen or keyboard doesn't matter (I use notebooks as well as computer), but start putting words down.
Start talking to somebody and tell them the story that you have in your head, then write down what you said. Some people need this kind of vocalizing to start off the writing.
Give yourself a set time in the day for writing and don't let other stuff get in the way.
Use a word processor that gives you an uncluttered space like OMMWriter.
Use writer's tools like Scrivener to organize scenes and chapters etc.
Set a daily word target.
You will never have as much time as you do now.
There are lots of writing tips floating around, but the real work starts when you stop giving yourself reasons to not write.