Second guessing yourself?

[CTStanley]

Hi!

I'm pretty new to the writing side of fiction having been far to engrossed in reading the epics for the last 15 years or so. I have wanted to write for years but every time I start I begin to scrutinise my writing style to the point I exasperate myself! I've read multiple books on writing, I've studied books by my favourite authors who write in a multitude of styles, I've outlines my whole novel, have characters with back stories, conflicts, motivations. But when it comes to actually writing I just don't know if it's up to par...

Here's a small excerpt from within the first chapter, can anyone help to give some pointers. I kind of like the way I write, but not sure if it lacks depth/description.

Thanks in advance.

The loud trumpeting of horns woke Eliska from a fitful sleep. A groan escaped her lips as she focused on the intrusive noise. Horns. Why would there be horns? The army. That thought hit her hard, as she leapt out of the small bed. The Kings Army never brought good news. Eli dragged on an old tunic and some worn leggings, pulling her boots on roughly. Dragging her fingers through the tangles in her hair she drew it into a long braid. Taking the rickety stairs two at a time, she burst out the front door into the bright morning.
"Damn," The street was crowded. It looked like everyone was heading for the main square. Turning back was tempting but she didn't know where Ivor was, and didn't want him anywhere near that square. Knowing him, he'd be at the front intrigued in whatever commotion was taking place. Eli cursed under her breath and headed into the crowded path. She wasn't known for being particularly polite, but her attitude was doing her no favours. Elbowing a woman in the side to get past got her a grumble of annoyance; pushing a man out of the way almost got her clipped round the ear, but she pressed forward, weaving her way through the gathering people. She wasn't prepared for the heat and stink when she reached the square. The town didn't often gather in such large numbers, and the poverty ridden people didn't have washing at the top of their priorities. With a deep breath she headed into the heart of the throng.

 

[Chilari]

Second guessing yourself is normal. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a writer who doesn't. I'm either worried I'm not good enough to do a story justice, or that my concept and plan for a story is just generally inferior. Sometimes both (ie, I'm not good enough to write this and it'd still be rubbish if I was). I want to say "you just have to ignore those doubts and write" but it's difficult advice to follow.

In terms of feedback, I'd say you've got a solid start, but you use too many "ing" words. Cut out as many of them as you can. It's okay to have a few, but overuse them and your writing will be too passive. The passive voice saps the urgency of the situation; it can be appropriate at times but if Eliska is in a hurry, you should use active language: she dragged, she took, she pulled, she elbowed. You can play with the sentence structure to prevent "she" from starting every sentence, but as it is you're starting too many sentences with passive verbs.

When you have a few more posts, try taking advantage of the Showcase forum, where you can post examples of your writing and gain feedback, thus helping you improve. It won't stop you second guessing yourself, but will give you more ammo to pelt the doubts with.

The answer, really, is to write and keep writing in spite of doubts. That's how to get better. Write and finish things even if there are doubts. It doesn't matter if it's bad, because it's a step towards getting better, and once you have something that is finished you're in a better position to improve than if you have half a dozen unfinished things.

 

[BWFoster78]

A couple of years ago, I was in the same position you are in now.

Here's what I suggest:

Write a couple thousand words.
Edit it until it's the best work you can produce
Find a critique group. Try meetup.com. If there are none in your area, find one online.
Get your work torn apart.
Repeat the process until your feel confident in your ability.
Continue writing. Make yourself finish something.
Refine the piece until you're happy with it.

That's what got me to where I am. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

 

[CTStanley]

Thanks guys.

I guess it's better to doubt and want to improve than be over confident with twaddle Will check on my -ing words, try to make the writing more active.

 

[shangrila]

To get better at writing you have to write. Honestly, that's all there is to it.

I know it sounds cliche but I can almost guarantee that if you write, say, 1000 words a day you'll find it becoming much, much easier in a week or two. So just write, write and write some more. When you're happy with it, post it here or somewhere else and see what needs improving. I can guarantee with certainty nobody will rip you apart on these boards; all criticism is constructive. Then you take what feedback you got and try to improve on the areas you feel need improvement.

That's about it. So long as you follow that you should be fine. Personally, I've found sticking to writing every day to be the hardest part.

 

[Penpilot]

Thanks guys.

I guess it's better to doubt and want to improve than be over confident with twaddle

This is the way I like to think too. One thing you should keep in mind. If you're not good enough yet, the only way to get good enough is to practice.

A second thing is don't force things. If you try too hard, your voice and that of your characters will ring false. Your prose will sound dishonest like someone trying too hard to be funny, or too deep, or too... what ever.

For me, the best way to go about things is to just write the first draft and let it be complete sh!t, then work on improving it. What's that saying? You learn more from your mistakes than from your successes.

Allow yourself to make mistakes. BIG ONES. Ones that make you cringe and want to burn your manuscript. Ones that make your eyes bleed when you read the awfulness. IMHO it's a right of passage for all writers. If you haven't written something utterly terrible, then you're not trying hard enough.

 

[CTStanley]

Thanks Penpilot. I think it's the bit I'm struggling with. I've written the first 4000 words or so, but wasn't sure whether to keep on going or go back and edit first. I enjoy the writing bit, but the editing seems pretty daunting and wasn't sure whether to edit as I go (at least a quick edit) or save it 'til the end.

The thought of writing a whole book and it being utter codswallop is terrifying!

 

[Steerpike]

There's a fine line that you have to cross at some point.

You don't want to put out an inferior product, of course. There is, however, no such thing as the perfect novel (even if there were, I doubt the writer would ever reach a point of being 100% satisfied with it). The vision of the story you have in your mind will always be inferior, even if only slightly, to what you put on paper. Your vision is the thing itself, and your words are mere symbols by which you want to impart that thing to another human being.

While you certainly want to make the writing the best you can, and improve upon it when you find it lacking, at some point you have to reach the state where you decide it is "ready," flaws and all, and then you submit or self-publish it, or whatever you plan to do with it. The alternative is to end up with desk drawers full of stories that no one will ever see.

 

[Leif Notae]

One thing to remember: writing is a very solitary act. Often you can feel alone, stranded, or mildly insane in the case of some people like myself. However, we have a supportive group here and we can always be of assistance whenever it is needed. We've been where you are, and we can help you see there's more.

Don't hesitate to post a question, use the feedback boards, or even send a PM. My inbox is always open if you just need to vent to someone.