The perils of novels

[skip.knox]

This from Ray Bradbury in 2010

"A novel has all kinds of pitfalls because it takes longer and you are around people, and if you’re not careful you will talk about it. "

 

[Electric Bone Flute]

Talking about unfinished projects somehow leads to it not getting done, for some reason. I can't talk about nine-minute music pieces, only three minute ones, or else they will never get done. Funny enough, I just finished a seven-minute piece, and it helps that I never talked about it.

 

[Ned Marcus]

I think a series of novels has even more pitfalls.

 

[Mad Swede]

I'm not sure. In many ways I prefer writing long stories, despite my dyslexia. I feel there's more opportunity to develop the story, the settings and the characters. I think Bradbury was right when he implied that the story would develop and change as the author wrote it. I think it does, certainly mine do, and in some ways its like my characters have a life of their own when I'm not looking and writing. I think this is a good thing, because it gives a flexibility to develop the story if something interesting develops as you write. That said, I think you need some self discipline to ensure that your writing doesn't get totally derailed by some tangent you're following. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing short stories as well, but they have their own challenges.

 

[Insolent Lad]

Talking about my novel(s) in progress actually helps me come up with new ideas for them.