tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post5296738775096169109..comments2024-03-08T09:28:10.145-05:00Comments on The Faux Fountain Pen: The Greatest/Worst Book Ever WrittenSarah Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-34554800510627563512013-06-06T18:26:50.956-04:002013-06-06T18:26:50.956-04:00That's a great metaphor. You don't want to...That's a great metaphor. You don't want to give up on your writing just because it isn't perfect--you want to work on it until it's better. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-78197062669304813712013-06-06T11:29:44.909-04:002013-06-06T11:29:44.909-04:00You sound like you know what you are talking about...You sound like you know what you are talking about! It's the worst when your novel has become that good looking person you dated and you were so excited and you showed him/her off to all your friends and they didn't see them like you saw them and then one day you didn't see their beauty anymore but all the flaws they had. <br /><br />Then you broke up with your novel for not being good enough. <br /><br />First, don't show it around. Some writers can do that but most find it to kill the momentum. Until you have that completed first draft, show no one. Don't tell people your plot. It doesn't feel as special once it's out there.<br /><br />Remember that just like in love, you will need to accept the flaws and even learn to appreciate them in order to move forward. Otherwise you'll just keep breaking up with your story. <br /><br />And so what if you write something horrible? It's good exercise. You don't get good, until you've allowed yourself to be lousy. Most writers do not spring fully formed from the head of Zeus with a pen in hand and a million dollar idea. They write. They suck. They get better. Christina Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01760329784127319240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-49242401674031773852013-06-06T09:26:55.369-04:002013-06-06T09:26:55.369-04:00Better to be realistic than pessimistic. Know that...Better to be realistic than pessimistic. Know that some things work, and others don't. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-1163568181370842632013-06-06T09:14:47.130-04:002013-06-06T09:14:47.130-04:00I try not to judge the first pages. Taking out the...I try not to judge the first pages. Taking out the sickle in the next draft wouldn't work if every word was precious and every darling dear. (plus some of the best transcendent images hide amidst the rubble of poorly chosen words.S. E. Toonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01779341199387862248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-21029419601851797132013-06-06T08:16:49.607-04:002013-06-06T08:16:49.607-04:00Thanks! It can be very frustrating, especially whe...Thanks! It can be very frustrating, especially when something you loved one day seems useless the next. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-22002776269697933922013-06-06T08:16:01.848-04:002013-06-06T08:16:01.848-04:00Self-doubt can end up dragging you down. It helps ...Self-doubt can end up dragging you down. It helps to turn those thoughts into more realistic ones--thinking that yes, there are things to fix, but you can do that, too.Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-26036591620511469122013-06-06T08:14:14.608-04:002013-06-06T08:14:14.608-04:00I know what you mean. The optimistic, brilliant th...I know what you mean. The optimistic, brilliant thoughts are usually rare, and the pessimistic thoughts fill the rest of the time. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-1564594356411705162013-06-06T08:13:05.062-04:002013-06-06T08:13:05.062-04:00I have a huge list of things to go back and fix, b...I have a huge list of things to go back and fix, but for now I'll just keep writing. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-8919341231476079172013-06-06T08:12:00.748-04:002013-06-06T08:12:00.748-04:00I always think that anything you write can be usef...I always think that anything you write can be useful, even if you end up scrapping it. It may help you figure out the plot or characters a little more.Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-44100060179354321422013-06-06T08:09:31.376-04:002013-06-06T08:09:31.376-04:00We often leave behind the old stories in favor of ...We often leave behind the old stories in favor of a new, better one. Just remember that the old one is still there. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-1652132234347146032013-06-06T08:07:51.533-04:002013-06-06T08:07:51.533-04:00Don't let self-doubt pull you down! Just push ...Don't let self-doubt pull you down! Just push through with your first draft and then turn that doubt into a realistic view when you go back and edit. Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-76567566218679091052013-06-06T08:04:55.939-04:002013-06-06T08:04:55.939-04:00Your newest writing project always seems better th...Your newest writing project always seems better than the last one, doesn't it? I guess it's because the more you write, the more you improve.Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-76461305634036160172013-06-06T01:04:29.502-04:002013-06-06T01:04:29.502-04:00Hey, Sarah!
Yep, I know exactly what you're t...Hey, Sarah!<br /><br />Yep, I know exactly what you're talking about, and it drives me nuts! It's good I'm not the only one with a split personality when it comes to writing. :) Thanks for the great post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14326522346206157210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-90129853987177344782013-06-06T00:23:08.209-04:002013-06-06T00:23:08.209-04:00Self doubt is the enemy. Be true to yourself and k...Self doubt is the enemy. Be true to yourself and keep writing. Very good advice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-42049255225288327242013-06-05T23:27:16.374-04:002013-06-05T23:27:16.374-04:00The balance is very important. It's also what ...The balance is very important. It's also what I struggle with the most. I usually end up on the pessimistic self-doubt side.M.J. Fifieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15626475963328519693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-71929318408081787722013-06-05T20:34:59.375-04:002013-06-05T20:34:59.375-04:00I have tons of notes each day, reminding myself wh...I have tons of notes each day, reminding myself what I want to change or add later during the editing process. If I stop and fix it in real time, then I lose my momentum. Nice meeting you through IWSG!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-52955574296611417482013-06-05T19:54:54.670-04:002013-06-05T19:54:54.670-04:00I think you're on the right track. You learn ...I think you're on the right track. You learn something new every day, and what was brilliance yesterday can be improved in a dozen ways just by all the new things you've learned since writing it. That's how I see it. The first draft of my first novel was terrible; overdone descriptions, convenient plot twists, pointless characters. The thing is, much as I know how awful some of those scenes were, I still look at them fondly. I learned something from writing them, and I'll learn something from writing the next bad scene. I don't think its about being right or wrong, but about learning and changing. Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09247707812061900770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-71978544212133584502013-06-05T14:56:48.319-04:002013-06-05T14:56:48.319-04:00Lee says it like it is. haha. I wish we could all ...Lee says it like it is. haha. I wish we could all enjoy the process more then we do. I have gone through the same things with my first story. I made the decision to put it away for a while and if I come back to it, great. If not, that's ok, too. I just move on to the next story. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-58038225040911418582013-06-05T14:38:13.557-04:002013-06-05T14:38:13.557-04:00Oh my gosh, its too hard to know when you are actu...Oh my gosh, its too hard to know when you are actually right... <br />For me, at least I'm writing something. I love my ideas but then I'm so full of self doubt that I'm not sure I can pull it off lol loved this post ;)SK Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04601373778228160390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-27982816505545114662013-06-05T14:23:52.733-04:002013-06-05T14:23:52.733-04:00Yeah, the gremlins in your head...LOL! The way I l...Yeah, the gremlins in your head...LOL! The way I look at it, my best book is always the one I'm working on. The next one will be even better but I have to write this one first to get there. As for the roller coaster, acknowledge it but don't let it keep you from the thrill of riding (or writing).<br />Welcome to the IWSG!<br /><a href="http://lauraeno.com/blog" rel="nofollow">Laura Eno – A Shift in Dimensions</a>Laura Enohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09982794146667832204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-64651257158796759062013-06-05T13:55:57.480-04:002013-06-05T13:55:57.480-04:00That's a great way of looking at it--better to...That's a great way of looking at it--better to write something horrible than to let the fear make you give up altogether. Thanks for the follow!Sarah Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09481750127533816819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8203719610395611719.post-45697972313320139962013-06-05T13:27:18.787-04:002013-06-05T13:27:18.787-04:00It can be discouraging to make the discovery that ...It can be discouraging to make the discovery that you were only a genius in your own mind. But I think I'd rather be known for having written the worst book of all time than to have written nothing at all.<br /><br />Lee<br /><a href="http://wrotebyrote.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Wrote By Rote</a><br />Arlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.com