Struggling Writers discussion

I started writing this book in my junior year of high school for a project, and I was and still am very serious about getting it published some day. Unfortunately, I haven't touched it since my junior year of high school, mostly because I am at a completely loss as to how to continue where I left off. I would be eternally grateful if someone could help me brainstorm and figure out how I should continue because I REALLY want to write more for it.

Did you have an idea of the overall story when you first started writing it?

Yes.

Then what is your problem in continuing?

Janae wrote: "I started writing this book in my junior year of high school for a project, and I was and still am very serious about getting it published some day. Unfortunately, I haven't touched it since my jun..."

I suggest reading through what you have already written and edit as you go. Believe me, if it's been a long time it is really important you do this, writing styles change with age, your perspective on life too, what seemed cool in junior high is probably way past its sell by date by now!

V.W. wrote: "Then what is your problem in continuing?"

I don't know how to go from where I stopped. For the most part, I know what I want to do and all the major scenes. I just don't know how I could continue from the point I'm at right now. I don't know if I'm explaining it the right way so you know what I mean... It's like having all the ideas of a story in your mind, but not knowing how to start it. You get what I mean?

Every story starts with one word. Start typing and see what comes of it. If you have a major scene later in the story and you're just not sure how to get from where you are to that scene, write that scene anyway. The first draft is really just for getting ideas down. You can connect them later in rewrites. Even if you write twenty pages tonight and nineteen turn out not to be what you want, you at least have a page done. It's better to do that than to continue looking at a blank screen not knowing how to start.

And don't let naysayers who say that what seemed "cool in junior high" is past the sell date now. Hogwash. If the story is important to you, WRITE IT!

Janae wrote: "V.W. wrote: "Then what is your problem in continuing?"

I don't know how to go from where I stopped. For the most part, I know what I want to do and all the major scenes. I just don't know how I co..."

You might want to try backtracking a bit and see if you can find a point in your work where you can visualise how the story will move forward, and continue writing from there instead of just picking up from the last line.

Dwayne wrote: "Every story starts with one word. Start typing and see what comes of it. If you have a major scene later in the story and you're just not sure how to get from where you are to that scene, write tha..."

Precisely how many books do you have published, Dwayne? Just so I can get a grip on exactly where you are 'coming from'.

If every author published their first musings 'as is' people would stop reading! I never said not to write it, I said to read it through and decide where the story is going, and if the writing comes across as immature, change it!

Sarah wrote: "Precisely how many books do you have published, Dwayne? Just so I can get a grip on exactly where you are 'coming from'."

At least twenty-five. You can look it up, if you want. I'm actually not worried about if you get where I'm "coming from" (whatever this means) or not. My message was for Janae.

Sarah wrote: "If every author published their first musings 'as is' people would stop reading!"

Yes, and I encouraged Janae to write and then fix any problems in rewrites. You must have missed it somehow.