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"Writing a novel"

God damn it's difficult. I can't for the life of me decide what style to do it in, and I'm such a bloody perfectionist I can't get the thing off the ground.

It's due to belief as well, losing faith in the story. Animation teaches that you draw the keyframes, then use your imagination and skill to fill in the rest.. and that's kinda how I like to write, going creatively from one position to another.

Is anyone writing a novel at the moment? Any tips? I'm so desperate to get this done, but I can't seem to get around to being happy with how it's going. Stupid writer's block doesn't help either.

Game wrote:
"If I gave any advice, it would be never to write something to fill on the gaps. "

Know what you mean, that's why I'm trying to have as many main points as possible, squeeze them in so every scene has meaning, etc.

"Does it involve a certain Tortoise, by any chance?"

It doesn't actually, the fantastic tortoise was a half drunk idea that became more of my motto than a true concept, although there is a certain little story I'd love to animate, involving a motorcycle and a few nasty looking bunnies.

That's a really bad analogy. If you make a sandwich and don't add filling to make it attractive you end up with a soggy boring sandwich :)

If I gave any advice, it would be never to write something to fill on the gaps. If you make a sandwich and add fillings to make it look better, it will taste bad. Also, don't go over the top on describing something that's not important. ie. John was sitting next to a fence, a metal one, made from 56.98% compressed Aluminium, corregated with 2.5 inch diamond cuttings etcsblahblah... you get the point. You're telling a story, not writing a documentary, or reading out of a diary.

All the best... hope it goes well.

Send it to me, when you're done. Or at least a link to the page where I buy it.

Does it involve a certain Tortoise, by any chance?


Game

If I make it into the performance business (which I never stop going on about), I reckon I could do a pretty entertaining autobiography.

I know where my story is going as well.

But the thoughts of the lead character are the nicer thoughts of me, whilst the thoughts of the bad character (although you rarely hear these) are the nastier side of me.

For that reason what the characters end up thinking depends on my mood for the day :D

So it keeps things fresh.

If you want to make a ridiculous idea seem realistic then take a leaf out of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wrights film Shaun of the Dead. Get rid of the massive amounts of comedy you have a zombie film set placed in a domestic setting.

If you feel the story maybe a little farfetched then ground it in a realistic setting.

My story features a Ghost that believes 3 magical stones can bring him to life. It is kinda silly but the lead character who is forced to find these 3 stones is having girlfriend trouble and argueing with his best mate a lot. He also writes in a diary and leads a pretty dull village life.

It is a rather fantasy idea stuck in an everyday world.

I like the contrast.

Imagine it as a film, it might help, how you'd like it look and so forth. Think about it the camera views etc... (which is useful for descriptive settings)... add in a load of thought processes and internal conflict and you've done the hard part :D

Worked for me, may not for you.

Novels are poo.

Rock on me.

I've got an idea, I'll storyboard it.

I'll cut out loads of tiny pieces of paper, then write down the scene, what happens etc, then assort them like a pack of cards. I'll keep adding to it until I've got a nice fat story.

But you can't.
It'll never die and just ... keep .... niggling ....

Until one day you'll get so p!ssed off, you'll just sit down and write the whole thing out.

I hope.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> And be careful - once you start into it, you won't be able to stop
> thinking about it. Every little plot detail runs through your head,
> trying to work itself into something believable.
> It's pretty tiring.

I've been in that stage for years now, it's terrible, I can't escape thinking about it.. it's just taking it and putting it into the story, it's so damn hard.

I want to just screw it all up, kill it dead and start on something new.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> That's the hardest bit, actually writing it when you know
> what's going to happen - but can't put it down properly in words.

That's what I wanted to say, but I couldn't phrase it!