A New Author

[Summerwood]

To my fellow readers and writers, I am a new author working on my first book using Dabble. It is a big responsibility. Bringing a world together that feels real and building trust with the readers. As a writer, how do you feel when you start a new project or finish one you put your heart and soul into?

 

[hitmouse]

@mods please move to the writing forum

 

[tinkerdan]

First I'm excited,
then enervated,
then frustrated,
until I find a voice,
meaning narrator;
then secretary mode kicks in:
taking dictation;
and no more responsibilities:
uttering Bliss.

 

[Wayne Mack]

When I start, I am certain that it will be the most wonderful thing ever written. After a chapter or so, I am certain that the story is utter garbage. After a few more pages, it becomes good again, but then later reverts to doubt. When I finally type 'The End,' I have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. When I go back and make an editing pass, I wonder who could have written such drivel. Eventually, it all seems good, yet again.

 

[Laura R Hepworth]

My feelings are pretty much the same at both the beginning and ending of writing a book: nervous mixed with excitement. The only difference at the end, is that there is also extreme relief at having finally finished. In the middle though is where things get messy and you'll see tears of frustration (or in my case grief when your laptop turns against you and eats your manuscript), lots of sighing and huffing when your brain isn't cooperating and you're staring for hours at a screen having only typed (maybe) a half-dozen words, and jubilant shouts when inspiration finally strikes and you're off writing at a good pace again.

 

[Flaviosky]

Well, I can't speak about finishing something yet but as for me the starting something new is like teenage love: Shallow, full of expectations and dreams. Having everything on your head, imagining the scenes, the moments, like picturing the movie before the novel even exists.

But then reality kicks in and it's time to write.

First, the "core", those key moments, what happens, and then seeing that those lousy and general paragraphs need to be transformed into prose and dialogue to turn it into a real story.

Then the head works slower, because it's not that movie that looks good in your mind anymore, but a text that needs attention and lots of editing to look the way it's supposed to.

So you find that many of the scenes you thought were perfect are in fact very lousy, full of plot holes and easy resolutions.

Then despair.

But after days of stagnation and frenzy, the story starts to feel alive, so you keep going

 

[Droflet]

Well, I can't speak about finishing something yet but as for me the starting something new is like teenage love: Shallow, full of expectations and dreams. Having everything on your head, imagining the scenes, the moments, like picturing the movie before the novel even exists.

But then reality kicks in and it's time to write.

First, the "core", those key moments, what happens, and then seeing that those lousy and general paragraphs need to be transformed into prose and dialogue to turn it into a real story.

Then the head works slower, because it's not that movie that looks good in your mind anymore, but a text that needs attention and lots of editing to look the way it's supposed to.

So you find that many of the scenes you thought were perfect are in fact very lousy, full of plot holes and easy resolutions.

Then despair.

But after days of stagnation and frenzy, the story starts to feel alive, so you keep going

Hmm, sounds like what I call a first draft. Then comes the rewrites. Sigh.

 

[sknox]

I hate writing; I love having written. It's been said in a variety of ways by many writers.

 

[Biskit]

New projects start by accident, mostly. That's all fun and excitement.
They end in editing. That's like painting the Forth Bridge, but with better weather.

 

[Steve Harrison]

My favourite moment is staring at the blank page before starting a work, because for a brief time I am the equal of every great writer in history. That feeling is soon dispelled, but I am sustained through the entire process by the amazing realisation that I'm actually writing a novel.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Just going to add 'physically tired', as I didn't see it crop up. I think it's safe to say most writers do it as a hobby, so writing is another layer of stuff added onto the day. Something has to give, and it's probably gonna be sleep. My own attempt at a book won't trouble literary experts, but it still involved going about the place like a zombie.
Not posting to complain, it's something free to do or not; just that I reckon you will feel tired!

 

[GeorgeL]

I will take as an example the first draft of the fantasy novel that i almost finished (My first book).
At the start i really didn't know where exactly the story i had in my mind was heading.
I had a very rough outline of the story, which changed drastically as i continued to write the book.
After 50 pages approximately i realised the core ideas that my whole story had to contain.
At those 50 pages i did a lot of revise and editing because i felt were very weak when i first wrote them without doing any editing.
So for each story arc after those pages, i made detailed outlines before writing those arcs, which helped me a lot to progress fast with my work and also be consistent.
The start of the book was very fun until i realised my mistakes.
Then i needed much time to do those important revisions, this was one of the frustrating phases while i was writing the novel.
The middle was easier than the start because the outlines helped me a lot!
Though i tried many ways to make the middle story arcs more interesting than simple filler arcs for the story, so a lot of time invested there too.
When i finally reached the end of my story i felt very confident about my work.
The process from writing the end of the story, until it reached its climax, was a lot easier to write, because i had a very clear idea how the book should end from the start and i am glad the story will end this way.
Right now i am writing the climax of my story.
There are still three small chapters to finish the first draft of the whole book, but i have the detailed outlines i wrote to help me on the way
There were times that the process was both frustrating and tiring, but i believe that the final result will give me the same amount of satisfaction as the difficulties i had to endure to write the book.
Personally i enjoyed the whole process andi will be glad to do it again in the future

 

[mistri]

As I've got older, I've started feeling more anxiety about whether I have enough skill to accomplish what I want to do. When I was younger, excitement took over.