Im writing my first novel

[BcRedneck]

I'm a bit over 30k words into a novel now I've never wrote anything it before. I just spent 2 years locked up (not prison but close) reading every day. I read all the Asimov foundation books and a few others. Every sci-fi gorge rr Martin wrote and fever dream the entire ice and fire set and more others than i can remember.
I have intense vivid dreams so I used one as my base idea. The characters in the book are f*** ups and addicts the main character is a little psychotic but I wrote it in a way that it all seems to be part of his reality. There is no way to actually prove its his own head or real.
I did this because I have way to much experience with addicts and mental health. I have myself experienced advanced psychosis. I am very lucky that I only have it when using stimulants and lack sleep here is the last paragraph I wrote.

 

[BcRedneck]

I noticed my writing I'm my post is bad. I write better on my computer. It does not connect to the internet so I'm using my phone.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I noticed my writing I'm my post is bad. I write better on my computer. It does not connect to the internet so I'm using my phone.

Don’t worry. I use my phone too. I’m always posting messages full of typos

welcome to Chrons

 

[BcRedneck]

As it is now my book probably is pretty bad at the start I'm going to rewrite most of it. At first I didn't really know what I was doing but I believe I started to get it figured out after the 15k mark. It's probably still bad though

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

As it is now my book probably is pretty bad at the start I'm going to rewrite most of it. At first I didn't really know what I was doing but I believe I started to get it figured out after the 15k mark. It's probably still bad though

I’d say most of us have been there. The more you write, the better you will get. I began writing in 2014, full of enthusiasm and with zero skills. Now I’m a successful author.

Tips:

1. Finish the damn book before trying to edit what you’ve already written

2. Find people to read it (once it’s finished and you’ve had a go at editing it), preferably people who read and write in your genre

3. Grow a thick skin because not everyone’s going to be nice about your writing.

4. Be prepared to work really hard, unlearning bad habits, learning good technique.

5. Have faith in yourself. You can do this.

It also helps, in the meantime, to critique other people’s writing. You’d be amazed at how easy it is to see poor writing and mistakes in someone else’s work — and how impossible to do the same in your own! By critiquing others, you’ll find it easier to spot issues with your own writing.

But most of all, don’t ever lose that flush of excitement when a great phrase leaks out of your brain onto the page, or a character suddenly comes alive and starts thinking for themselves.

I’m so excited for you. You have such a roller coaster of experience ahead of you. Enjoy it.

Oh, and welcome to Chrons!

 

[BcRedneck]

I'm now at 37600 words in one week. I'm now thinking I'll end the first draft tomorrow at around 45k. I have not edited anything yet but have built up a solid plan. I didn't do to many descriptions of people I decided to get to know each one better first. There's a lot of stuff to go back and fill in replace and work on. I believe I'll spend a few solid days on that before repairing my sh*t grammar (9th grade dropout here) once that's done I'd love if a couple people would take a look.

 

[BcRedneck]

As someone who has lived thru addiction and psychosis I have seen a side of my mind not many have escaped from. The main character may be psychotic. However the science fiction aspect constantly proves it's all real. This is something I put serious work into. during psychosis your mind constantly does exactly that. Once at my worst I personally attempted to telepathicly ask my friend to go roll a bowl (smoke meth) 10 seconds later he told me let's go roll that bowl. I'm 2 years clean now but you can see how that f***ed with me

 

[BcRedneck]

And I should mention yes I am a recovering addict but I don't get all preachy about the evils of dope. Hell the characters spend a good portion of the book on drugs of one kind or another. But they learn slowly

 

[Deke]

Hey I’m writing my first novel too, I have a crew of misfits, addicts, and psychos as part of my story maybe we could exchange notes one day lol.

PM me if you need a beta reader, I may not be good at writing yet but I’ve been an avid reader my whole life and could certainly give you my opinion on plot and style.

 

[BcRedneck]

You'll be the first to see it

 

[BcRedneck]

Ok my first draft is done 40485 words. I fell short of the 45000 mark I was going for (original goal was 60k) However it's how it worked out. I'm not going to drag things out to meet a arbitrary goal. The story wanted to end and that's were I'm getting my orders from anyway. The book will be a bit longer I have tons to go back fix fill and change. I did this in 6 days but I'm expecting to be editing longer than it took me to write it

 

[DLCroix]

You should really only think in terms of word length if you are entering a contest. Also according to an old theorem it is always possible to cut even 20 percent of any text, that has allowed me to reduce novels that originally had 120k to 85k and even less.

 

[BcRedneck]

I don't know any of that yet I just wanted to get a full novel out of it. But really I just let the story decide for me. Part of me wants to do another now but im going to see how the editing process works out

 

[DLCroix]

Ah, well the first thing, celebrate, you must value how important it is in itself just the act of putting the word "The End" (or whatever corresponds). Second, forget about the story for at least 3 weeks. If you have anxiety to continue writing, then make short stories, start another project if you want or you can even participate in the Crons challenges, but you need that your unconscious to do a mental reboot or you will get stuck and screw the whole project, so I insist, let those three weeks pass and then reread and add everything you should, you will be surprised by all the things you will find because, in effect, after that time you will be able to see the story with new eyes and a new attitude, and once you have made This first review will only then be in a position to move to a beta read, which will return with more suggestions and start a second review. But I repeat, for a successful first review the reboot or time-out, without reading anything related to that story or even touching a single comma, is a fundamental requirement.

 

[BcRedneck]

Should I go back and change what ive been planing to already. Im not a short story kind of person. i hate reading them I want to see a world and it's people and stick around for a while. The 2 years locked up whenever I didn't have a book and woke from a interesting dream I would let it play out in my head a few times for a whole week. 20 guys 2 tv's and not even allowed to have a pencil or pen. That was what kept me half sane

 

[DLCroix]

Ah, well what does not fly runs, and what does not run walks, and if it cannot walk then it crawls, but there is always a way, dear. In reality literature is like all other arts, it has rules such as playing the guitar, painting, etc., but since it involves a creative process then the Descartes method is recommended, for example, to go from the simplest to the most complicated. There are other systems, naturally, neuroprogramming, bilateral thinking, etc., but they all require an emotional openness and a healthy attitude and if you are going to be a writer I would advise you to think about what you are going to communicate because you are going to be influencing other minds, be careful what your stories are only written psychoanalysis. Deep down what you have to do is relax and if writing gives you some joy, well what the hell, enjoy it, but a writer knows both light and darkness, that's why he can write about that and obviously complacency or self-pity doesn't it is a viable option. Otherwise you will be exposed to the slightest criticism demoralizing you, @Kerrybuchanan is more right than a nun in point 3 (Grow a thick skin because not everyone's going to be nice about your writing), but, as she says, don't lose the faith. Good luck and welcome to the mountain, those of us who have been climbing for some time before you will help you as much as possible, surely yes, just as you will help others. This is a chain and here you can learn a lot, so you are in the right place. But be careful, you have to be very patient, I already said it before, when you reach thirty, you should continue to be patient, and when you reach forty even more and also when you reach fifty and so on. The important thing is to grow like a plant, you have to water it so that it lives.

Ha, that of the plant doesn't even come out for Yoda, heh, heh. But it serves to say that the plant does not bleed, everything serves it as a nutrient, the iron, the milk, the sun, the night and the rain, and since it does not bleed because of this literature, it takes things more calmly, it does not want everything right away.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Should I go back and change what ive been planing to already.

Do what seems natural to you.

I, personally, believe in going back and making updates when they are fresh in my mind. I often do this on the first pass through the story. If something I've previously written precludes a character from taking a desired action, I go back and correct that. If a character is going to take some action that seems unexpected, I will go back and set up or foreshadow the event. If I find that I need a gun in the third act, then I go back and put it out on the table in the first act. But that is just me.

If you feel energized to go back and make changes now, then do it. If you feel tired of looking at the story and dread rereading it, then put it aside for a while. Do what brings the most enjoyment and satisfaction to you.