The Mighty Pen Writing Club discussion

Confession: I have about 6 WIPs, but I've only finished 2 novels EVER :S

What about you all?

haha that makes me feel better! Usually I think of a new project before I finish the one I'm currently writing

Over winter I started 5 projects (in a month) and finished exactly none of them. Actually, I only even got above 10k words on one of them. Two of the ideas I'm still madly in love with, and will return to later. One of them I'm so-so about... who knows. The other two... total crap. Will not ever go back to those ideas. Probably.

I have 3 "completed" manuscripts as in they've got beginnings, middles, and ends, but I am loath to call them "finished" because I'm still revising. I don't feel like they've reached their full potential, so they aren't done.

Amelia! Thats the same with me.

I start writing, and then another story comes up. ANd another and another.

I have about 5 WIP, and none finished.

Of Course there are a bunch of short stories ive completed, but they dont really count.

THis next confession makes me feel guilty:
Im half way through the first (unedited) draft of my novel-and ive already got detailed descriptions for another 2 sequels.
And the sequels are better then the one im already writing.

They have better imagery, scenes, in depth characters and better plot. I want to start it now, but i cant!!!

Amber wrote: "Haha....I kinda have writers ADD, so I never really end up finishing any of my novel ideas...oops."

Writers ADD lol thats perfect!
I have one technically finished one that I wrote last summer but I was really just writing for my friends so it was kinda bad.
I have a million WIPs, I move on when I get stuck or bored lol

Jillian posted a status a while ago...something about drunken butterflies? That's how I feel. :)

Booklover23 wrote: "Amelia! Thats the same with me.

I start writing, and then another story comes up. ANd another and another.

I have about 5 WIP, and none finished.

Of Course there are a bunch of short stories ..."

*gasp* I'm having the same problem!
I have a novel that's halfway or 2/3 completed and I can't seem to get the rest out but the sequel I'm planning is way better. I've actually written the first page...and it's just, way better... :/
I feel your pain!

Found it!

Jillian wrote: "You know what? I really hate that I flit from idea to idea like a drunk butterfly. I really need to change that bad habit of mine."

:D

Jordan wrote: "Found it!

Jillian wrote: "You know what? I really hate that I flit from idea to idea like a drunk butterfly. I really need to change that bad habit of mine."

:D"

Lol thats perfect thats so me!! I am now officially also a drunk butterfly

Hope wrote: "Booklover23 wrote: "Amelia! Thats the same with me.

I start writing, and then another story comes up. ANd another and another.

I have about 5 WIP, and none finished.

Of Course there are a bun..."

I get stuck so easily. :P

I have ten WIP and none finished... Plus all the ideas I haven't formed in a story yet... >_<

I hate that! Like i always have tese scenes in my head and i wanna put them together but i just cant!

Tell me about it! Jeez it is so freaking hard to connect some scenes into the main story!

I know!! And especially since it's like, 2 stories in one and it all evolves around the first one but if i try to go in the order of the stty i realize i cant cuz i havent written the first one yet!! Ugh!!

It just gives you a headache, doesn't it?

YES!

sometimes I need Panadol to make the voices shut up!

I just published my first novel in Amazon.com! It was my NaNoWriMo project last year.
Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Smarties-Ayunda...

well done!!!!

I am soon going to order it.

Ooh, thank you very much!! If you don't want to buy it, you can just read it in my blog soon.

Aaah, I can't finish a book to save my life.

Yeah, me neither. BUT! authors who have written like, BAD books have manah=ged to do so. Don't want to sound all self-centered but we can do better.
:)

Jillian -always aspiring- wrote: "Yeah, I have to agree. It's odd to say, but all the bad or even mediocre books I have read over the years actually gave me some hope that I -- with what limited talent I have -- will someday be pu..."

But there's SO MANY aspiring writers though. Sometimes when I see all the people what want to be authors it discourages me.

Awww thanks. You just gave me the strength to write on. xD

Jillian -always aspiring- wrote: "And I say to that: YOU CAN'T THINK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING. When you write, you are allowed to be purely selfish when it comes to your tastes, your stories, and your character..."

I think at some point you should consider your audience. Like, from a readers' standpoint, I think it's absolutely ludicrous for authors to whine about people taking them out of context or misunderstanding them, IF they put content in their books that they know is going to be bad.
Like for example, I don't care how "authentic" an author wants to sound, multiple F-bombs does not an authentic author make. :P Or if you have characters who are casually sexually active...you know that that's likely to upset/offend certain people, and people will question your position (if you have one)...

BUT in the writing process...I agree with Jillian. It's your story. It's just that when you make the decision to share your story with the "world," you should probably try and think about what impact your words will have on readers...just because I've been in both positions :D

Poindextεrr. wrote: "Jillian -always aspiring- wrote: "Yeah, I have to agree. It's odd to say, but all the bad or even mediocre books I have read over the years actually gave me some hope that I -- with what limited t..."
Yes, there are a lot of people who want to become authors, but just remember that lots of those people don't want to put in the work. I have a couple family members like this, and only three of us (out of my extended family) are actually actively writing. Just because someone says they want to write doesn't mean they're willing to put in the time.

Also, we are all different and so are our writting style and stories. So other people wanting to become authors means that there will be more variety!
Let's be positive about it!

I love Stephenie Meyer. I always will. I don't care if she writes a story in which her MC burns down an orphanage on Christmas Eve. I'll always love her :P

She said in an interview that while writing ECLIPSE, her publishers were pushing her to have the characters have sex, but she told them that she would not write that. To stand up to a $$$$ publishing company took a lot of guts, and when she was faced with a choice, she was true to herself. Bravo, Stephenie! It's little things like that. She wasn't trying to send a message or change anybody, but she didn't purposefully go against her beliefs in order to be popular. :D

Oh and Jillian, I was reading over my original post, and because I type in a very informal manner, it sounded like when I said "you" I meant YOU - and I didn't! Sorry my dear! :DD

I started several books years ago and never completed them thanks to an obsession with editing.

Last November, I entered the NaNo contest and completed my first manuscript all the way through.

It's now a book.

I was about 80% done editing my second novel but we had to set it aside due to a pothole. Now I'm gearing up to start writing a new book that I want to have complete by Halloween.

I love Halloween, so I figured it was a good goal!

Danielle

Thanks,Jo!

Good Luck!!!
ive been writing mine for over a year now, and im still not any where near finished the first draft.

Thanks! I've managed a bit over a thousand words. Soon it'll be 10, and then 20, and upward. :)

The process is demanding but oh-so fun.

I used to have the problem with not finishing my MS. Then I learned that I can't keep chasing ideas. I started keeping separate files when I have new book ideas (16 currently). In each file, I keep a word doc where I can simply throw in notes as they interrupt my current MS writing. This allows me to not feel like I'm losing something if I don't write it, and still allows me to continue writing my current MS.

I know this technique may not work for everyone, but I've completed 3 MS now, and am currently 1/3 of the way through my 4th. Plus, thanks to the notes, I've written 1/4 of two more novels (when I decide to dedicate my time to those two MS, I'll be ahead).

Hope that helps.

And I agree, they are never done. I had to create an additional folder that says "finished" just so I remind myself not to go back and edit yet again!

Now if I could ever figure out how to pitch them to an agent so they get read...lol

We've all done that, I think! Good thing work doesn't know...lol.
What are you researching? I'm currently writing a fantasy novel. I needed a break from my romance series.

nice! sounds like fun :)

I'm back in my writing slump. At the rate I'm going, I'll be graduated and employed for at least 2-3 years before I'm even READY to consider publishing.

That might be however if it means that when that happens you will be confident of writting it's all worth the wait, right?

i have so many WIPs and no motivation to work on any of them....its bad