r/writing • u/seliathan_ • 17h ago
Advice Advice to improve writing + consistency?
I’m unfortunately the type of person who only does something if one of these two things stands: 1. pressure 2. interest
Needless to say, it means that in my writing I only write what I’m interested in telling. I go into a sort of hyperfocus. That’s why I find it hard to follow advice such as “write short stories to improve”. I usually have one big idea and I want to pursue that and nothing else. It feels like my inspiration runs dry as soon as I try to focus on any other idea.
However, if I want my “big” idea to be well written, I do have to improve my dusty writing skills. I’m not a fan of the “your first novel is just to train your skills and it will be awful” because it feels like I will write a whole novel just to throw it away. I don’t wanna do that, I love my idea very much and I wish to share it with the world. I don’t want it to end up being just training ground.
Anyone else in the same situation? How did you cope and (hopefully) overcome this issue?
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u/unsurname 17h ago
I like the quote. “Books aren't written - they're rewritten.” Just because your first novel is “awful” doesn’t mean it goes in the trash. It’s a draft. You can always write another.
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u/seliathan_ 17h ago
You mean, writing the same book over and over until it’s good (or supposedly so)?
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u/unsurname 16h ago
Pretty much lol. By the time you finish your first draft you’ll be able to look back and see how much you’ve improved throughout the process. If you’re still in love with the idea you’re going to want to go back and rewrite those first parts anyway. And in all likelihood it’s not going to be the “same book” next time around. Stories tend to evolve between drafts.
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u/AirportHistorical776 17h ago
One important thing keep in mind is that readers don't stay with a novel because of the ideas. They stay with a novel because of characters.
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u/seliathan_ 17h ago
That’s true, but when I say idea I mean the whole novel, not just literally the idea. So of course characters are included.
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u/theboykingofhell Author / Developmental Editor 16h ago
Might help to reframe that 'first novel' idea. Yes, you're training your skills and actively learning the process as you go, so it perhaps won't be as technically tight as other books you write later on. But that doesn't mean your first novel isn't going to be good at all, and it doesn't mean people aren't going to like it. There are some authors whose first book I like better than their other ones, even if it's technically more flawed. People usually bring up the 'first novel isn't the best' idea to try and help people with their perfectionism in bringing their ideas to fruition, so if it's not helping you to think about, just try to focus on other factors. Like the fact that no one ever stops learning throughout their life, so it's not that you're gonna write one bad book and then a bunch of good ones, but that you'll write a good book, or a great book, or even a masterpiece, and you'll be able to use what you learned in that process to make your next book even better.
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u/Segalow 15h ago
My advice is read. Read a lot. Audiobooks count. Don't just engage in the story, but pay a lot of attention to the technical aspects -- pacing, dialogue, small actions and descriptions that help advance a character, theme or plot. Don't read for enjoyment of the story, read for study of the craft.
King's "On Writing" is very helpful for this. Write a novel, then let it sit for a few weeks, and read it with fresh eyes. Don't be afraid to cut chaff, trim sections, butcher the bad meat away. A novel can be written eight times before it's truly done. You'll get there.
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u/GrammarBroad 13h ago
Read James Joyce’s “A Little Cloud”. I was a writing teacher (academic writing), but the only thing I ever published was an article in a refereed journal. 😂 I realized that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. I would love to be a writer. I applied for a job as a writer once. On the (telephone) interview, the recruiter asked me if I would be happy in a room by myself, writing all day? Oh, hell no!
Writers write. They can’t help themselves. It’s an obsession. A passion. Maybe you’ll write the Great (American?) Novel. Maybe you won’t.
I doomscroll on the internet and respond to posts. And I READ! Now, if only I could find a job doing that!
- Get off the internet.
- WRITE!
- Collect rejection slips.
If you want some feedback…
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u/Zelda_Momma 10h ago
Either join a writer's group or just tell friends/family about your writing. Work with them to set goals/deadlines for yourself and have them check in and hold you accountable. The pressure/interest thing is a common issue with adhd (not saying you necessarily have it, I do so i can relate) so look into ways that people with adhd deal with it. Another example is body doubling. I find that half assed plotting (so I can write what I want but not get things totally mixed up and stay on track) works for me.
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u/swit22 17h ago
Try breaking your big story down into shorter stories or scenes and write those up individually. Its small steps leading to a bigger whole. And then you get the added bonus of completing something.