tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post515018908314431427..comments2024-03-20T02:49:17.606-07:00Comments on Between Fact and Fiction: What Are You Afraid Of?Natalie Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-67598804547254034742011-08-12T22:03:26.483-07:002011-08-12T22:03:26.483-07:00Thank you for this incredibly liberating post. I ...Thank you for this incredibly liberating post. I just finished my first novel, and I'm so proud of my words. It's terrifying to jump into writing my second novel, even though it's been burning tracks in my veins for over a week. It helps to know that not only is it okay to write crap, it'll be crap no matter how hard I try for perfectionism. I also love the idea that no idea sucks. Thanks for the much needed pep talk!Michele Zugnonihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12394802719932859470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-24247464855112054752011-01-08T07:20:01.244-08:002011-01-08T07:20:01.244-08:00*Climbs out from beneath trailer and dusts pen and...*Climbs out from beneath trailer and dusts pen and paper* Thanks for the reminder, Natalie! I shouldn't be afraid of writing too much of the wrong stuff, either... of "wasting" my time going the wrong direction. Is it wrong if it shows me the right way to go? Hmmmm... <br /><br />Great post!Debbie Burnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01982833536997960549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-71031966839469449412011-01-06T07:26:52.260-08:002011-01-06T07:26:52.260-08:00I love this. I'm in the middle of my first fir...I love this. I'm in the middle of my first first draft and it's been helpful to remember that it doesn't have to be good. That's what revisions are for!Ghenet Myrthilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12621168379560585094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-69564766734495405662011-01-06T04:43:38.084-08:002011-01-06T04:43:38.084-08:00All true! First drafts are for sucking to the 10t...All true! First drafts are for sucking to the 10th factor. And, then comes the fun of de-suckifying them (Yeah, I think that's a word) during revisions. We all fear someone reading our work, and telling us we're not fit to be writers -- that fear can be paralyzing. But, like you said, buck up people, and just get to it...You're a writer, and you're allowed to make mistakes. Just make sure you fix them ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-64361626360541505742011-01-05T21:21:44.712-08:002011-01-05T21:21:44.712-08:00What?! Other writers have trailers? Waaaah ::run...What?! Other writers have trailers? Waaaah ::runs into my closet that I pretend is a recording booth::<br /><br />(I don't really have one, but I think that's going to go in my next novel now.)<br /><br />So Natalie, how 'bout _this_ one (cuz you're like the guru and stuff): My fear is that even when I manage to eke out some good writing, I STILL won't get published.Sophia Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10946233873722107937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-49244635728774212712011-01-05T18:53:06.408-08:002011-01-05T18:53:06.408-08:00Good advice! It's what I needed to hear before...Good advice! It's what I needed to hear before jumping back into my book...that's no good...which apparently is good thing. For now.Jessie Oliveroshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06232456334069794107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-75172098757713378852011-01-05T18:25:06.362-08:002011-01-05T18:25:06.362-08:00Awesome post. Inspiring as always. :)Awesome post. Inspiring as always. :)Penhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06605428306080473273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-79217224045750915832011-01-05T16:42:14.701-08:002011-01-05T16:42:14.701-08:00I read somewhere today someone said they’d finishe...I read somewhere today someone said they’d finished their novel but had a lot of rewriting to do. That means they’ve not finished their novel. It’s semantics but it’s an important point. I expect to have my current novel ready to be read by the end of January and it will likely need tweaking. This doesn’t mean my novel sucks, it just means it’s not finished. I think of novel-writing more like working in clay. I write a skeleton of a story, get my characters to the end in the shortest space possible and then I start to slap lumps of text onto that frame and shape them. Once the framework is there the story is ‘finished’ in that I know how it will end but a lot of work has then got to go into grafting in and moulding the events within that story until it’s truly finished. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-7642694899371491682011-01-05T16:16:31.636-08:002011-01-05T16:16:31.636-08:00I love a blank document--and the freedom to write ...I love a blank document--and the freedom to write a lousy first draft. This was a great reminder-great post!Sara Harricharanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07050427684753490067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-16465130953218213732011-01-05T15:31:24.338-08:002011-01-05T15:31:24.338-08:00* Thanks, Natalie. Your encouraging words just ki...* Thanks, Natalie. Your encouraging words just kick-started my writing day.Gerri Lanierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07475596692128346842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-53441261067522392392011-01-05T14:19:12.364-08:002011-01-05T14:19:12.364-08:00Loved this. And Loved what jjdebendictis said. Whe...Loved this. And Loved what jjdebendictis said. Where's the like button? :0) Thanks for reminding me that I can't have perfection the first go-round and to just write the dang thing! :0)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-29560973920657068972011-01-05T13:39:41.774-08:002011-01-05T13:39:41.774-08:00Wow... This was like a psychic mind meld between u...Wow... This was like a psychic mind meld between us right here. Because today I wrote on my blog about having a really crappy first draft, and being so proud that I'd finally finished one, but being so scared that no matter what I do it's going to suck... Which is kind of what you're talking about here.<br /><br />Great post today. I like your reality check especially. :)Rebecca Wellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05175882543452643650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-63029333447849732382011-01-05T13:12:35.365-08:002011-01-05T13:12:35.365-08:00Such a great post! I was struggling with this rece...Such a great post! I was struggling with this recently myself. I love first drafting and I don't mind sucking while I'm getting the words out, but when I start editing, my perfectionist inner editor can't deal. Thing is - even your first editing pass doesn't have to make your story perfect, you can keep working on it until the suckage is gone. Now I just need to remember that :)Jamie Greyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07504892632149036762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-66060528627850282502011-01-05T13:08:02.767-08:002011-01-05T13:08:02.767-08:00All we ever read is final drafts, and when we fini...All we ever read is final drafts, and when we finish a project, all we remember is the final draft. When I start a first draft, I think to myself, "What is this? I've never read anything this bad before." That's the reason I have a hard time with rough drafts.Teralyn Rose Pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586129403789427592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-84634883671452162842011-01-05T12:58:23.772-08:002011-01-05T12:58:23.772-08:00Thanks for this encouraging post. I think I really...Thanks for this encouraging post. I think I really started to mature as a writer when I realized that first drafts, by nature, suck. It was a hard lesson, but a good one, to learn. Happy New Year!<br /><br />~ BessBess Weatherbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09873091527596352004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-82666151432900964902011-01-05T12:57:47.400-08:002011-01-05T12:57:47.400-08:00Sucky draft vs. sucky idea is a very important dis...Sucky draft vs. sucky idea is a very important distinction!<br /><br />And what jjdebenedictis said is true too.Kristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-68994239798631209062011-01-05T12:35:31.793-08:002011-01-05T12:35:31.793-08:00Also, when someone says, "I'm afraid my s...Also, when someone says, "I'm afraid my story will suck," what they often mean is, "I'm afraid <i>other people</i> will think my story sucks--and by extension that I do."<br /><br />Y'know what? No matter how good or how bad your story is, some people will think it sucks and some people will think it rules.<br /><br />Look at <i>Twilight</i>, or <i>Catcher in the Rye</i>, or <i>Paradise Lost</i>. Each of these books has both zealots and frothy-mouthed haters.<br /><br />You can't let your fear of other people's opinions keep you from living your life. Write.jjdebenedictishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16950592240599703771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-15863206333517467622011-01-05T12:23:47.255-08:002011-01-05T12:23:47.255-08:00So true. I used to worry that my stories would suc...So true. I used to worry that my stories would suck, but then I realised that it's just the foundations. I can build, edit and shift the rest of it around later. Now I get the story out. I can take care of the rest later. :)Lindsayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04313619484424363895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-36013717377305761632011-01-05T12:21:55.771-08:002011-01-05T12:21:55.771-08:00Love This!! Thx!Love This!! Thx!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07995267172282765794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-12452651802055322052011-01-05T12:21:00.952-08:002011-01-05T12:21:00.952-08:00P.S. If you want to see an awesome video about su...P.S. If you want to see an awesome video about sucking at writing, look up "Ira Glass on Storytelling." It's awesome and will remind us ALL that even though we some of our drafts suck, we all start somewhere.Becky Wallacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02880501542510014819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-34638002158085046152011-01-05T12:15:23.490-08:002011-01-05T12:15:23.490-08:00It's the folks who don't know their work s...It's the folks who don't know their work sucks that I worry about...especially when they get their first beta response back. Yikes.Becky Wallacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02880501542510014819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-8345100877539837362011-01-05T12:04:56.309-08:002011-01-05T12:04:56.309-08:00I think the fear of being bad at something as a re...I think the fear of being bad at something as a reason not to do it is the worst reason in the world. Take something like ice skating. Is there anyone in the history of the world who's been fantastic their first time stepping out onto ice? NO! Of course not!! You cannot expect to be great at something you've never done. Everything in life takes practice and patience. <br /><br />Great post!! :)Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17401931638397651614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-16684026119696622372011-01-05T11:53:03.686-08:002011-01-05T11:53:03.686-08:00Love this! And I would just add, even if you were ...Love this! And I would just add, even if you were painting on the wall....it is paint. You can paint over it anytime!!!!!!! Nothing is ever really carved in stone, is it?Christine Fonsecahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16986034666903054819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-89066450320248554702011-01-05T11:32:07.549-08:002011-01-05T11:32:07.549-08:00Very true. Thank you for the reminder.Very true. Thank you for the reminder.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11271149538259398956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-73195818501230250842011-01-05T11:17:11.860-08:002011-01-05T11:17:11.860-08:00Great post and so good to keep in mind when starin...Great post and so good to keep in mind when staring at that blank canvass or blank page!Cherie Reichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16663147386014122939noreply@blogger.com