Advice on writing a short story?
I have to write a short story. Problem is, I've never written one before, I don't write fiction, I'm not a great writer of any kind, and I really don't have much of an idea on what to write. I don't even read short stories that often. But write one I must. The good news is, it's not due until May 1st, so I have some time to work with, although it won't all be devoted to writing and rewriting said story. Now, to the writers and short story aficionados, what should I know beforehand? About brainstorming, planning, plotting, writing, editing, anything and everything? Do I need to eat special waffles, or inject myself with creative juices each morning? Will wearing my lucky rocket ship underwear help me get good ideas, or will I have to do handstands for that? Thank you.
Do you think writing a book is tiresome and stressful?
I have a rule that I follow to the best of my ability: Never EVER compare yourself to other writers, especially the pros when you're still an amateur. Why disappoint yourself like that? The pros have been writing for years, decades even and you're comparing yourself to them? Stop that. Now. Writing is meant to be tiresome and stressful. I've been a professional writer for over seven years and not once has it been easy or stress-free. I am the deadline freak. The one who goes nuts if she's running off schedule or cannot provide a client quality work on time. It is annoying as all hell but it is part of my job. If you are that bothered by the stress and fatigue that comes with writing a novel then perhaps writing is not for you. It is hard work and complaining about it gets you nowhere. Try writing a business plan in three days knowing your client needs it right away. Now THAT is hard work and is exhausting. EDIT: 1. I'm not using you as a punching bag. I'm telling you the truth. Take it or leave it and don't be so damn sensitive. 2. Right now I am not working unfortunately. Economy and one hell of a crazy summer took care of that. I should have noted my work was in the past several months, not anything recent. EDIT 2: Awww crap. You two completely misunderstood me. I'm not saying I am better or more superior to ANYONE. I am giving my two cents. That's all. If it came off as arrogant it wasn't intended to. I'm incredibly tired right now and my mind is not functioning at full capacity (damn 530 mile drive home). I apologize for seeming critical or arrogant. What I should have said is that I *used* to compare myself all the time to writers more advanced than I am. Several of my writer friends have done the same thing. Guess what happened to all of us? We became too critical of our own work and started becoming self-destructive, acting like our work was never good enough when in fact it was. My writing is my writing...period. Comparing myself to others only made things more complicated and made me feel like I was a crap writer even though reviews from clients and colleagues argued otherwise.
Worthy of Publishing, read my novel?
I love it. I guess I answer a lot of your questions like this because it is honestly something I would read. I don't hold back with my answers, and if I don't like something, I would say so, so I'm not being nice. First off, everything will have the slight grammar or spelling mistake, I'm sure something can't be perfect in every way, shape or form. And mistakes can be fixed, and if you were to get this published, you would obviously get an editor to help you with mistakes. Secondly, Sure, some of her ideas have been used before. Everything has been used and with so much being published, there will be ideas the same, but I think with your writing skills and vivid descriptions, it will be written differently to whatever is out there, and will sure hook me. Thirdly, I LOVE IT! Sure, the ideas have been used before, but it sounds so interesting and captivating, I don't care. A lot of books don't hook me from the start, so I can't get into the book, but your writing gets me every time. Adding what you have is perfect, it's not to long, but not to short, so a reader won't get bored because it's super long and they won't get annoyed because it's tiny. Good job :)