Gillian Andrews
Just find ONE sentence and write it down. Just ONE.
In my case the answer is just to write anything, and gradually it becomes clearer to me where either I went wrong, or where the story should be going. Sometimes you know that something isn't the right way to go, but you can't quite see what the story needs, and that can block you from moving forwards. I have found that if you plough on even though you know something isn't quite as you would like it, then you can get it right in the end.
When I write a book, I have a file labelled "Oddities" which is where I put everything I decide not to include in the book, but want to keep just in case. Sometimes the Oddities file can be half as big as the book itself. All that is from mini blocks, where things just weren't turning out as planned.
I always imagined that I would have the book laid out in my head and just follow the plot, but it turns out I can't write like that. I never started anything when I tried.
Now I start my books by blocking up a rough cover, and making the music for the audiobooks; then I get down to that vital, first sentence.
The rest is a journey of exploration for me too. It is what makes writing fun.
In my case the answer is just to write anything, and gradually it becomes clearer to me where either I went wrong, or where the story should be going. Sometimes you know that something isn't the right way to go, but you can't quite see what the story needs, and that can block you from moving forwards. I have found that if you plough on even though you know something isn't quite as you would like it, then you can get it right in the end.
When I write a book, I have a file labelled "Oddities" which is where I put everything I decide not to include in the book, but want to keep just in case. Sometimes the Oddities file can be half as big as the book itself. All that is from mini blocks, where things just weren't turning out as planned.
I always imagined that I would have the book laid out in my head and just follow the plot, but it turns out I can't write like that. I never started anything when I tried.
Now I start my books by blocking up a rough cover, and making the music for the audiobooks; then I get down to that vital, first sentence.
The rest is a journey of exploration for me too. It is what makes writing fun.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more