Just
about anyone with professional writing experience will
tell you that in order to be successful, first you need
to write and next you need to finish what you write.
Following
this good advice has never presented a problem for me
when it comes to non-fiction. I can usually turn out a
finished draft of a 1500 to 3000 word article in under
an hour (provided research is not required). Books take
only a few days, a couple of months at most.
When
it comes to fiction...well that's another story.
Plotting
- no problem. World building (thanks to my game design
work) no problem. Pacing - I'd like to think I have a
handle on that. Characterization - when are you ever finished
learning how to do that?
Finishing.
That's the bug-a-boo. I finally licked that one by imposing
a hard and fast rule: I am not allowed to start writing
the next great idea until the previous one is finished.
(I do let myself note take, but no actual writing.)
Sticking
to this self-imposed rule has seen me finish a novella,
almost finish a novellette and get several chapters of
two different novels completed.
As
you can see, I had to change the rule. Novels are now
separate projects from other work and I'm allowed to pick
them up and put them back down whenever I please.
The
first novella is in circulation. It's already been rejected
once (I was very pleased with myself when that happened
as it didn't phase me in the slightest). The second short
piece only requires maybe another two hours of work and
that will be done also.
The
first novel is pretty involved and I like the way it is
coming along. The second is only for fun and is entitled
Paintballers Conquer the Universe.
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