Shahad
asked
Elan Mastai:
hey Elan, can I have tips? I'm writing my first book and I'm struggling...
Elan Mastai
Not knowing the specifics of your circumstances, it's a bit hard to answer. But generally speaking:
1. Give yourself permission to write badly. You're going to rewrite your book so many times anyway. It's always easier to rewrite something that exists than to create material from scratch. Just write it badly and fix it later.
2. Have you figured out your ending? Sometimes the struggle comes from not knowing where you're going, like packing the car for a road trip with no destination in mind. Why are you writing this book? What do you have to say, ultimately, about your character's journey? Choose an ending, even if you change it later, and then the book is all the things that have to happen to get you there.
3. Don't think about writing a book. Think about writing a page. Think about writing a paragraph. Small, manageable goals. I wrote my first draft 250-500 words a day for five months. I didn't think about writing a novel. I thought about writing 250-500 words a day. To put that in context, this answer is 188 words long.
Hope this helps!
1. Give yourself permission to write badly. You're going to rewrite your book so many times anyway. It's always easier to rewrite something that exists than to create material from scratch. Just write it badly and fix it later.
2. Have you figured out your ending? Sometimes the struggle comes from not knowing where you're going, like packing the car for a road trip with no destination in mind. Why are you writing this book? What do you have to say, ultimately, about your character's journey? Choose an ending, even if you change it later, and then the book is all the things that have to happen to get you there.
3. Don't think about writing a book. Think about writing a page. Think about writing a paragraph. Small, manageable goals. I wrote my first draft 250-500 words a day for five months. I didn't think about writing a novel. I thought about writing 250-500 words a day. To put that in context, this answer is 188 words long.
Hope this helps!
More Answered Questions
Hannah M.
asked
Elan Mastai:
I was wondering if you have any story ideas such as characters, items, or places that you've thrown out or given up on that I can use for one of my stories? The story that I'm thinking of is about an island where all story bits end up if they are thrown out or given up on. I've asked other authors so I can get a variety and some truth to the story. It's fine if you don't want to share any. Thanks. ~Hannah
S.G. Wilson
asked
Elan Mastai:
One of the many things I loved about "All Our Wrong Todays" was the way you built a vision of an alternate Jetsons-style present through small details here and there, rather than painting a full-scale picture. Did you have other details in mind that didn't make the final cut? The main character alludes to things about this alternate present that aren't so great. Had you mulled over any specifics along those lines?
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