6 February 2013

Taking the first step [IWSG]

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The journey of 1000 miles begins with buying a good pair of shoes

I was surprised at the response to my post last month on SMART writing goals; it was nice to see that wasn't the only one in need of some guidance when outlining a writing project. It made me realise that I've no excuses when it comes to getting the ideas from my head and onto the page - I just need to discipline myself into actually doing it.

So this is me doing it.

I won't say anything more than I've starting putting some tentative ideas down into a notebook about a basic story (it's not even a fully developed arc yet, just the sort of world building and back story that you get in a teaser trailer). I'm not yet sure if I'll use an anonymous pen name, since I'd like to talk about my progress and  get writing tips but at the same time I want to keep that side of things completely separate from everything else. But that's for way down the line.

The important thing is I've taken a step.
I've not got a full manuscript.
I've not got a full outline.
I've not even got a full clue.
But I've made a start. And that feels pretty awesome.

What's making you feel awesome this month? Share your successes with me!

 [image source]


Insecure Writer's Support Group
This post is part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a monthly blog hop set up by the Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a place where writers and bloggers can share their anxieties and insecurities with one another, offer advice and support one another. You can find full details and a list of participants on the Insecure Writer's Support Group page, and you can also follow it on Twitter at #IWSG.
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48 comments:

  1. My stories all start with tentative thoughts scribbled down on something. I love that first step. Possibilities are endless.

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    1. I know you what you mean - I'm having trouble restraining things so they'll follow a plot, but my brain is firing all over the shop!

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  2. You only need half-a-clue to get started!


    mood
    Moody Writing

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    1. Right you are! I'm sure I'll pick up the other half sooner or later :)

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  3. It always feels great when you've played around with an idea for ages, and you make a breakthrough of some sort towards actually writing it properly.

    Best of luck!

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    1. I can't wait for that to happen - right now I'm playing it safe and doing a mitosis outline (1 sentence, then 2, then 4, then 8 etc) until I've a 1 page synopsis.

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  4. Beginning is half the battle!
    Use your real name. Nothing wrong with getting a little help here now and then. Besides, when your book comes out, you'll want people to know that it's YOU. (Besides, you'd have to start platform building with a pen name soon and that would just be a lot of hassle.)

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    1. You've a good point, Alex, though I wish I had a cooler default name to begin with :P

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  5. That's awesome, Jamie!

    I took a break from my novel project to write a few thousand words of what I think is going to be a short story. It was a nice break to have the easy progress I usually have with the first draft of a story instead of the plodding frustration I get with fiction revisions.

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    1. I'll keep that in mind; it might be good for me to write bits and pieces of unrelated fiction now and again. Thanks Callie :)

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  6. Awesome this month? Awesome... hmm... It's still early. And I'm tired.

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    1. I'll check back with you next month and pester you for a response ;)

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  7. Jamie, I really like this post. My wish for you is that your ideas will build on one another. That you'll find a string and that it'll wiggle a little bit and not let you go. That something in your jotted ideas will start to hum and levitate off the page and force you to follow it until you are finished and satisfied with what you have created. You're a good guy and it would make me very happy to see that kind of success be a part of your life.

    For myself, January has been extremely fertile with both hope and work. An excellent month that was a mix of both discipline and discovery. :):)

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    1. Thanks, Suze, it's much appreciated :) I hope I do you proud!
      Sounds like you had a good Jan, hope your Feb is just as awesome!

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  8. Excellent. Stories really are written a word at a time. :)

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    1. Very true. Let's hope I can repeat 'one word at a time' 80,000 times this year :)

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  9. Everything starts with the kernel of an idea and grows from there. Congratulations on starting!

    I spent January working on goals and getting myself out a funk. It worked, so I'm riding high now.

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  10. The first steps are the hardest. Good for you for getting out there and taking 'em!

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    1. Here's hoping I don't fall flat on my face. Thanks Nicole :)

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  12. Woo! Congrats! Baby steps. Yes, use your real name. We're all going to force you into telling us your pen name, anyway, and then it won't matter :P

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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    1. Hah, good point Allison! I'll have to think of a more authory pseudonym though - mine's a little too plain :P

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  13. Thank you for the reminder about the small steps!
    I'm feeling awesome that I'm getting used to people reading my words, awkward first steps that they might be, but still ... there are those gems worth saving.
    I'm excited to read about your progress, whatever name you decide to use. ;)

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    1. Thanks Kirsten :) Getting used to others reading your work (and showing them in the first place) is a pretty big step. Kudos to you :)

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  14. I'm feeling good about my fourth Futhark book being with the editor. I'm feeling good about having edits done on my next romance novel and have started on my next project.

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    1. Awesome - go you! Here's hoping the rest of this year is as good as January was!

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  15. The best way to write a book is to sit down and write. Those notes you're taking now will help you bring your world alive later.

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    1. I hope so, Natasha. It feels good to actually be putting the words down from my head onto something tangible (well, as tangible as a Word doc is, anyways!)

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  16. Beginnings always feel amazing. The possibilities, the promise. Enjoy every second and see where it takes you. Great IWSG posting!

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    1. Thanks Kiml I'm a massive fan of beginnings for the same reason. It's probably why I never finish anything!

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  17. The first step is always exciting! I love writing the first line of a project! You can do it! Good luck with your new adventure!

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    1. The first official line isn't down yet, but I've an 8 line summary of the plot, which is more than I've done in the past 2 years (another project I started for NaNoWriMo 2010 stopped at 10000 words).

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  18. That's fantastic! Things really progressed for me once I started writing my notes down in a notebook. Congrats on that first step!

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

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    1. I think that's what I needed is to actually open up a Word doc and type those first few words to get me going. let's hope the momentum keeps up!

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  19. It's always exciting when we start something new, I've got too many things on the go at the minute so February is a little less than awesome for me, but I'm sure it'll turn around!
    Good luck with your new project :)

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    1. Thanks Laura :) Here's hoping that March is better for you :)

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  20. This will sound weird, I started in November last year, and was working away at an idea, had 65k words, and on Monday, I scrapped them...deleted the lot. They weren't good enough. And bizarrely, it was liberating! I'm slowly starting again from scratch, completely different idea aimed at a different audience. And having made so many mistakes the first time around, this time, this time I feel like it's going to work :)

    So oddly..a Big Fail has done wonders for me!

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    1. Wow, kudos to you for having the willpower to scrap that much. I've got half finished stories from 10 years ago that I can't bring myself to get rid of.

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    2. Yours are, I'm sure, way less pants than my efforts!

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  21. Yay! Starting is definitely the only way to start :) Can't wait to hear more about it (if you share a little).

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    1. I'll probably share my methods of outlining (I'm doing a mitosis method; something I've not seen done elsewhere)

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  22. your "footprint" play on words made me smile...and i love to smile! keep forging, experience is treasure.

    newest follower, hi!

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  23. Good for you! :)

    I'm feeling pretty good about working on my NaNoWriMo novel. I have a better sense of where I'm going than I did a week ago and the words are coming easily.

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    1. Nice! Best of luck to you :) I haven't the strength to do NaNo, so I'm hoping my baby steps method will work instead :)

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  24. The first step is sometimes the hardest!
    If you'd asked me yesterday, I was a bit down, since I've been slacking on editing. But today I've got a new idea for how to organise myself!

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