Total newb alert

[Dragon tea]

Hello everyone. I am an aspiring-wannabe-maybe-someday-before-I-die author. The only novel experience I have is reading them. I LOVE to read. Not much I'd rather do honestly, but my 3 yo does't give me the oportunity unless he's asleep or not in the house

I've never decided I was going to SERIOUSLY try and wrrite anything before, but I am jotting down any ideas that come to me in one way or other. I lsay seriously, because I'm pretty sure there are old exercise books from when I was like 12-23 in which I may have started writing something that I thought was brilliant, only to rediscover it weeks or years later and shiver with disgust and embarrassment! But I have always dreamed of writing my own novel someday. I decided to join this forum because this is damned scary and daunting!! I never would have thought that research was necessary for something like a fantasy or sci-fi novel!?

I may not post much while here, but since there is an OVERWHELMING number of existing threads and forums, I apologize in advance if I ask a question that has already been discussed. I am very much looking forward to getting some much needed advice to maybe help me actually accomplish this dream. Oh yeah, no one else knows, so shh! don't tell

 

[pmmg]

I wont say a thing. Welcome here dragon tea.

 

[ThinkerX]

Welcome.

First bit of advice -to become a writer, one must write. Try getting into the daily habit of writing something every day.

Second bit of advice - Your first effort - your 'first draft' - will bear scant resemblance to the ideas in your head. Don't worry about it. Rule of thumb is the first draft sucks - it is just words, a starting point. Regardless of how bad it seems, don't give up or go back and attempt to rewrite it. Instead, make a few notes and press on.


Those are the biggies common to pretty much all genres.

A couple other points considered a bit debatable by some.

Start with short stories. A 5000 words short story goes much quicker than a 90,000 words novel. The difference between a week and a year.

Once you finish the first draft, set it aside for a few weeks or months. That way it will 'read fresh' come rewrite time, making that easier. Figure on multiple rewrites.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Welcome. Make yourself at home. We do have lots of dragons and lots of tea, so you should fit right in

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Welcome! I'm sure you'll find plenty of folks who have been disgusted by their youthful work here. Me included. Although I still write in the same world as I did then, it's just way more complex.

 

[Malik]

Welcome!

And don't worry. As an avid reader, you'll find you've got a lot under your belt. It's much, much better to be a voracious reader who wants to learn to write than a wannabe writer who thinks they don't need to read.

"Reading is breathing in. Writing is breathing out."
-- Pam Allen, LitWorld

 

[Dragon tea]

Welcome!

And don't worry. As an avid reader, you'll find you've got a lot under your belt. It's much, much better to be a voracious reader who wants to learn to write than a wannabe writer who thinks they don't need to read.

"Reading is breathing in. Writing is breathing out."
-- Pam Allen, LitWorld

that is SO true. my niece is 8 an my god she does not want to read at all and it pains both me and my mother to the very core!! how can anyone not want to read???

 

[Dragon tea]

Welcome! I'm sure you'll find plenty of folks who have been disgusted by their youthful work here. Me included. Although I still write in the same world as I did then, it's just way more complex.

ahaha, yes I imagine you are quite correct

 

[Dragon tea]

Welcome. Make yourself at home. We do have lots of dragons and lots of tea, so you should fit right in

Thank you and I'm very glad for lots of both

 

[Dragon tea]

Welcome.

First bit of advice -to become a writer, one must write. Try getting into the daily habit of writing something every day.

Second bit of advice - Your first effort - your 'first draft' - will bear scant resemblance to the ideas in your head. Don't worry about it. Rule of thumb is the first draft sucks - it is just words, a starting point. Regardless of how bad it seems, don't give up or go back and attempt to rewrite it. Instead, make a few notes and press on.


Those are the biggies common to pretty much all genres.

A couple other points considered a bit debatable by some.

Start with short stories. A 5000 words short story goes much quicker than a 90,000 words novel. The difference between a week and a year.

Once you finish the first draft, set it aside for a few weeks or months. That way it will 'read fresh' come rewrite time, making that easier. Figure on multiple rewrites.

I was reading something and it did mention about how different your first and last drafts will be from each other! I'm not surprised by that at all.
thanks for the pointers!!

 

[pmmg]

that is SO true. my niece is 8 an my god she does not want to read at all and it pains both me and my mother to the very core!! how can anyone not want to read???

Well.... I write well.

 

[pmmg]

I was reading something and it did mention about how different your first and last drafts will be from each other! I'm not surprised by that at all.
thanks for the pointers!!

You will actually find that the writing skill improves while writing. It wont just be drafts. It will be the beginning of the story compared to the end. Thats what makes you want to do a new draft in the first place.

 

[Lynea]

Wow, what a nice welcome wagon Warms my heart. If you want to trim down the time you spend on research, the chat is a good place to ask veteran writers and get a feel for everything without having to sift through posts There’s also some fun writing things to get involved in, so check those out!

 

[Dragon tea]

Wow, what a nice welcome wagon Warms my heart. If you want to trim down the time you spend on research, the chat is a good place to ask veteran writers and get a feel for everything without having to sift through posts There’s also some fun writing things to get involved in, so check those out!

thats a great idea! thank you

 

[Lynea]

In fact, we’re all in the chat right now so don’t be shy!

 

[Prince of Spires]

how can anyone not want to read???

It's always possible they simply haven't found anything they liked reading. Brandon Sanderson tells the story that he very much disliked reading as a kid, simply because he found all the stories uninteresting and dull. That is until someone handed him a fantasy novel and he found books he liked.

 

[Dragon tea]

It's always possible they simply haven't found anything they liked reading. Brandon Sanderson tells the story that he very much disliked reading as a kid, simply because he found all the stories uninteresting and dull. That is until someone handed him a fantasy novel and he found books he liked.

this is a valid point. how old is too young to get em into Fantasy?

 

[pmmg]

Ppl like fantasy, even if they pretend not to. Older types included. They just may not want to say so in public.

 

[Prince of Spires]

this is a valid point. how old is too young to get em into Fantasy?

depends on the kid and on the definition of fantasy and on the specific book. I've read some fantasy stories to my 7 year old, but they were kids books. Writers like Roald Dahl or Astrid Lindgren could definitely count as fantasy writers for instance. But where I probably would read The Hobbit to my kid, I'd probably wait a few years before reading Lord of the Rings to her. Same with Harry Potter. Definitely Fantasy. The first one is probably aimed at 9 year old or something like that. The last one is more for 15 year olds.

My point wasn't so much that they need to read fantasy or adult books. His complaint was, which is something I can relate to, that many books for kids have the story dumbed down. Which can make for a boring read. Other books, which get people reading, tell a full story, just with language kids understand. There is a big difference there. So find something the kid finds interesting and find a book about that. Could be fantasy, but it could just as easily be something else. Just make sure it's a good book.

 

[Dragon tea]

depends on the kid and on the definition of fantasy and on the specific book. I've read some fantasy stories to my 7 year old, but they were kids books. Writers like Roald Dahl or Astrid Lindgren could definitely count as fantasy writers for instance. But where I probably would read The Hobbit to my kid, I'd probably wait a few years before reading Lord of the Rings to her. Same with Harry Potter. Definitely Fantasy. The first one is probably aimed at 9 year old or something like that. The last one is more for 15 year olds.

My point wasn't so much that they need to read fantasy or adult books. His complaint was, which is something I can relate to, that many books for kids have the story dumbed down. Which can make for a boring read. Other books, which get people reading, tell a full story, just with language kids understand. There is a big difference there. So find something the kid finds interesting and find a book about that. Could be fantasy, but it could just as easily be something else. Just make sure it's a good book.

I think this is wonderfully true! I'm not sure what would get my niece's attention and pique her interest in reading. Perhaps one of the Chronicles of Narnia books? I don't see her often enough to try and read it to her myself, and unfortunately my brother isn't much of a reader either so I can't try and get him to do it lol
My son is 3 years old as of November. For Christmas last year my husband gave me the Christmas Pig by JK Rowling, which I had never heard of but was intrigued. After all the christmas decorations came down post holiday, the book was laid on the table in our hallway for weeks probably. One night when putting my lo to bed, I asked him what story he wanted me to read to him and he said "Mommy's book" I had no idea what he was talking about so he got up out of bed and went into the halllway to retrieve the Christmas Pig. And would you believe that we read the whole thing, a chapter or two at a time every single night til we finished it?! I was so surprised and proud that my 2 year old not only asked to have one of mommy's books read to him, but that he actually followed along and new the characters names!! I will foster that fire for reading in him!!!