Writing Fiction

» Jennifer Jensen - Need some advice

Wow. I suppose I've procrastinated on answering back because it's such a big question. So I'll take a stab at it (how's that for a cliche?), but if I think of other things later, I'll add further notes.

I, too, have a problem getting words on paper. I have a movie playing in my mind for a particular scene, but writing it out is gut-wrenching. But I'm all for playing mind games if it gets me where I want to be, and sometimes the problem is the whole idea of writing a novel and the sheer scope of how much there is to do. I think if you "play" with your characters and/or situations, you'll find that the novel emerges on its own, at least in a fashion that you have something to work with.

The more I write and the more I learn, the more I'm figuring out that "practice writing" isn't just time spent playing around, and it seems like something that might help you. Try taking the pressure off: sit down with a notepad and pen instead of the computer, and just write about one of your characters. Try a diary entry or letter from him/her, letting him tell what he thinks about another character, what he wants to do in a later part of the story, a letter from him to you about what really happened.

Don't worry about where it fits in the story. If it opens something up and you can go to the computer and write a scene or two, great. But more than that, it should free up your writing mind, hopefully get around the gut-wrenching process of words to paper, and since it's about your characters anyway, you'll probably get some good stuff out of it for your actual book.

Hmmm. I seem to have a lot to say on the subject, so maybe this needs to turn into an article. Anyway, let me know how it goes. What works, what doesn't, what questions or ideas do you have? Good luck, and don't give up!