RE: How (Not) To Write A Novel - Energy Reflections
Nice Post. I tried to finish mine in a month, failed, learned, put it down. I came at it again with a more measured, patient, and in depth approach. Failed, learned, put it down.
I'm back at it and gaining momentum.
I really like how you broke it down. My spirit was in rebellion of messing with my methodology..
The new approach I've taken starts with a truth. One that I had to discover before I could honestly write anything.
-Writing is not more important than my happiness. Not more important than my life. Not more important than me, who I am, my personal story.-
I don't want to be a great writer if it means drinking myself to death(bukowski) or trying to walk into the propeller blade of my own private jet(hemmingway).
I need to enjoy the process better. Have fun writing it, don't over think it, and have faith in myself that my ability(skill + talent) will produce something of quality on its own.
Glad to see you back.
It's absolutely not more important than your life.
When the story wants to be told, the words flow freely. It's hard for me to consciously direct a story. I tend to start with the idea that the story already exists, and I just need to find it.
It's almost funny to me now that I ever thought I could explore all of the layers of complexity needed to build a story in a month. At least without being able to devote all of my time to it.
I do wish you luck in continuing to build your own!
The way too look at it, then, is to realize the complexity of this thing we've seen ourselves do. To tell a compelling story. It's so complicated that reverse engineering it is beyond our initial expectations of difficulty. Yet when it's suppose to happen, we do it effortlessly. :)