In his blog today, Neil says:
The best thing about writing fiction is that moment where the story
catches fire and comes to life on the page, and suddenly it all makes
sense and you know what it’s about and why you’re doing it and what
these people are saying and doing, and you get to feel like both the
creator and the audience. Everything is suddenly both obvious and
surprising ("but of course that’s why he was doing that, and that means that…") and it’s magic and wonderful and strange.
I’ve felt that with the narrative non-fiction that I write, especially while I was working on Just A Geek, and it’s the reason I keep trying to (privately) write fiction, even though I get terrified and give up after a few hundred words each time I do it.
A good friend of mine recently quit his very lucrative, very safe, very reliable job to pursue his dream to be an actor. I was equally horrified and impressed when he said he had to ditch what he called his safety net so he would be hungry and devoted and dedicated to the acting journey. I’ve done that journey, and it’s one of the most difficult journeys available to the hopeful artist. My friend is outrageously talented, though, so of course he instantly booked a job in a big budget movie with an impressive cast. He may not have the safety net beneath him, but it’s looking like he’s not going to need it.
Me? I can’t afford to cut away the safety net, because if I fall to my death, I take down the three other people who rely on me to support them.
I want to be a writer with a capital W, though, and it drives me crazy that I can’t just make something up and take a reader on a journey through someone else’s life the way I do with my own. I mean, I love to read fiction, I love to improvise scenes on stage, and I had more fun writing the Star Trek manga than I thought possible . . . but I get massive stage fright when I try to completely make stuff up. The last time I tried it and foolishly published the works in progress on my blog, it was a spectacular disaster. Oh well, at least it was spectacular.
I like writing, and I like blogging. Despite what many of us who keep blogs have argued over the years, I’m starting to believe that these are two different things, requiring different disciplines and abilities. While they use the same basic skill sets, the difference between them (for me, at least) is the difference between playing third base and right field. If I were to cut away the safety net, I’d have to stop blogging, I think, and just focus full time on being a student of creative writing. Yeah, I’m about fifteen years too late for that one.
However, when I wanted to be a comedy writer and improviser, I took classes to help me take my desire and whatever raw talent I had, and shape it into something useful, so I’m doing the same thing with writing. I read a lot, and not just as an audience member, but as a student. I have a couple of books on writing technique, specifically pertaining to short stories. I’ve been working through them, and the suggestions they give for technique — structure, finding stuff that I’m passionate about and using it as inspiration for a story — all seems so obvious to me when I read it, I’m surprised and not surprised all at once that I haven’t already thought of it.
I’m getting good advice and guidance from these books and blogs I’m reading by and about capital "W" Writers, and though it’s intimidating and overwhelming just about every step of the way (The Voice of Self Doubt keeps pushing his face up against the window of my soul and making scary faces at me, knowing that I’m unable to fully draw the drapes) Neil’s affirmation has been printed out and pasted on the wall right above my computer, so I can look at it and stay on target:
You
don’t live there always when you write. Mostly it’s a long hard walk.
Sometimes it’s a trudge through fog and you’re scared you’ve lost your
way and can’t remember why you set out in the first place.But sometimes you fly, and that pays for everything.
If Neil Fucking Gaiman can admit to feeling scared, if Neil Fucking Gaiman can admit that, even for him, it’s a long hard walk, then I can also admit that it feels like that to me every single time I sit down and try to write fiction, and remember something John Scalzi said to me during dinner last week: "Don’t be afraid to suck."
It seems so simple, doesn’t it? It’s the advice I give to actors who are going in on auditions: "Don’t be afraid to suck, and don’t be afraid to do your own thing. The important thing is to entertain yourself and forget about the result."
Why can’t I take my own advice when it comes to writing? Probably because I have less experience as a writer than I do as an actor, and because I care about writing a hell of a lot more than I care about acting.
Maybe if I spend enough time trudging through the fog, I’ll run into Neil, and he can help me find my way out.
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I have been reading you since August of 2001, and I have enjoyed your perspective on life, the universe and everything. I’ll wait patiently for you to find your way and your voice because I believe it will rawk. Good luck.
Dude, just write. So what if its crap? (It won’t be)
Create a scenario, add some characters, and start writing. UNDERSTAND your characters and they’ll write the book for you. Don’t stick to one scene for too long. Don’t stick to one plotline for too long. Bounce back and forth between three or four plots.
It will write itself.
Man, Wil, I’ve read your books. I’ve read your blog. If you’re not a writer with a capital W, then I don’t know what a writer is.
The trick isn’t making the first draft pretty. The trick is making the first draft. Something ridiculous (like, 90% or whatever) of all novels started by amateur writers don’t get finished. If you FINISH the book, then you’re better then a ridiculously amount of writers-with-lower-case-w’s.
You have THREE books! THREE! How many books does is take for you to be a Writer?
Stop getting down on yourself. Don’t get a big head about it either, but face the facts. You ARE a Writer. The rest is just semantics.
Why can’t you take your own advice? Because you’re human, Wil, just like the rest of us.
There’s a Beautiful South song, “Window Shopping for Blinds,” that has my most favoritest quote in it:
How do you know you can’t swim until you have drowned?
Go ahead–take the plunge!
NaNoWriMo! It’s right around the corner…
Wil, I understand how writing fiction and writing about your life are two different things. But remember, when you first started writing about your life in your blog, you were rough. It took you a little to find your voice. It’s a voice I love to read. I know that if you focus you will find your fiction voice, and you won’t believe how easy it will be when you find it. Start writing fiction based off of what you know: poker, gaming, Star Trek, family, being a geek. Soon you’ll find a character and a story that you can’t wait to write about to see what happens next:)
~~TARA~~
I love to read fiction . . . but I get massive stage fright when I try to completely make stuff up.
Holy crap, Wil, you just absolutely nailed what’s been going on in my own head lately. I get this itch, and when I’m not creating something–sketching ideas for a story, writing poetry, prep for a tabletop RPG–that itch doesn’t get scratched. I start feeling antsy and frustrated and bored with life. I read stories, and that ones that really fire me up make me think, “I want to create stories like that, too!” But if I even get to the point where I start on a story, I get stage fright, I second guess myself, I scare myself into giving it up. I know it’s stupid to give up, I know I shouldn’t worry about sucking, I know…but I do.
Earlier today I was thinking about your post where you talked about “it’s the journey, not the destination,” and I thought that the problem with my fiction writing is that even when I enjoy the journey, what I’m most excited about is the destination. I really hope I can teach myself how to stop focusing on the destination and to just groove on the journey, but man is it hard.
“Why can’t I take my own advice when it comes to writing? Probably because … I care about writing a hell of a lot more than I care about acting.”
I think you’ve got it right there, Wil. It is precisely because you care so much – about your family, your craft, your compatriots, your readers – it generates this fear which frequently results in paralysis for many people. Your advantage is that you are not paralyzed by that fear, but you still feel it. Take heart in the fact that you do carry the courage to see this through; and those you care so much about will be there to help carry you through.
It’s always easier to give advice to others, and so much more difficult to take the same advice yourself.
Anything, man, when it comes to the creative arts it’s always like that. I’m discovering it myself as well… somehow I gotta keep the urge to experiment in the forefront, and not give ground to that fear.
Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi at dinner … I don’t know which of you I’m more jealous of.
And I’m a very regular reader, but I don’t remember any spectacular disasters …
Wil:
Go get the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. It is well worth the read for anyone who wants to be an artist of any type, and is especially good for those wanting to be a writer. I found the book highly inspirational. Go to your nearest bookstore and get it now, or get it from Amazon. It will be one of the best books you’ve bought this month!
Wil,
Just go for it. I remember reading the bits of the short stories/fiction that you would post and felt absolutely blown away by it. So maybe you won’t be up on Gaiman’s level when you first write, but who cares? Every writer has to take that first step. You’ve already taken yours. You started with a blog and have completed THREE books. Not very many people can say that.
Perhaps while blogging, keep a dream journal and a separate place for your other writing. Daydream of characters and situations and like others mentioned before…jump in with both hands and feet.
You won’t know unless you try and as an artist, you have to scratch that itch.
I’m with you, Wil.
I’m a graduate of a fine creative writer’s program. Unfortunately for my family’s income, I’m a poet by nature and training. I love narrative non-fiction and essays, though fiction is elusive (and sucky)when I attempt it.
I’m still trying fiction, though I only let one person read it and comment. I’d started blogging as a way to practice personal essays, but I’m finding, as you mention, that blogging is something different from Writing.
Keep plugging away. As a long time reader of your blog, your voice has grown and strengthened so much over the years. You’re very talented and you’re willing to work at it. That’s a lot of the battle, right there.
I feel the same way about my photography. Intellectually, I know what I need to do to create a good photograph, but when I go out and try to create in the field… I freeze up. I shoot crap and feel like crap because of it. Mostly this is because I am a perfectionist and I am afraid to produce anything less than something totally brilliant.
I offer two quotes that I have found in my photographic journey that have helped me, at times, “unfreeze” my creativity (although I’m always struggling):
“Pursue perfection, but be willing to accept excellent accomplishment as a compromise to stagnation.” – Brooks Jensen, editor of LensWork
“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.” – Ansel Adams (he shot thousands of negatives a year to get his “twelve good ones”)
My own philosophy is that you have to take chances and probably create a bunch of crap along the way in order to achieve your vision. Nobody will remember the crap, just the gems.
As you have written, it’s the journey and not the destination. I’ll add that one to my inspirational quotes.
Good luck and good writing.
I can’t recommend Stephen King’s On Writing enough. But, I’m not sure that I would take any advice from me. I’m lousy at completing writing projects that I start.
Dude, several people have hit important ‘reveals’ you’ve made about why you’re blocking yourself from trying to dip your toe in the ‘big, bad Pool o’ Fiction(tm)’.
One that I’ve noticing is this – you’re a perfectionist; you always worry about whether *anything* you’re doing is good enough/long enough/funny enough/strong enough/ad nauseam.
…and if you wanna make sh…er, shtuff up, you’re going to HAVE to put that perfectionism aside and just start out and make some UTTER CRAP.
You *don’t* have to let ANYONE know about it (even your family); just take some situation like “a pained-looking man is smoking and drinking at the bar; he sighs, and thinks about…” and whip out a quick scene, or vignette, or whatever.
and here’s the secret; then you THROW IT AWAY.
That was just an exercise; practice at this different art.
An eon ago, I actually dabbled in narrative fiction – mostly as a way to communicate with my long-distance sweetheart (cheap gift that shows I care – a stuffed toy cost postage and a couple of weeks to get to her; emailing a story was ISP fees I was already paying and maybe 5min transmission time)
Maybe two years of that, and I pumped out a fair amount of prose. And I look back on some of the stuff I wrote and it was complete and utter drivel – simplistic, flat characters; jarring, contrived plots; and everything was SOAKED in saccharine happy endings (but then, remember my audience 🙂 ).
…but I also got better through that. It took those first fumbling efforts to GET to some of my later stuff that I can actually feel proud of even years later.
I wager I could write a *competent* short story if pressed…I don’t as a hobby since my main impetus – an absent sweetheart – is no longer influencing me – she’s now sitting five feet away.
But enough about me – the best thing you should do is just WRITE, as others have said.
And unlike others, I’ll be honest and agree with you that the first attempts ARE going to suck, but that’s how it will have to be. You’ve got to make a story with a protagonist lacking in motivation in order to LEARN how to put the ‘whys’ behind characters’ actions, etc.
You’ll have to write up some short-shorts, look them over, and learn from what they lack.
And then you’ll have to *let them go*. I know you’ll have a compulsion to go back and revise and edit and fix, but remember that all these first stories are EXERCISES, they’re PRACTICE.
Don’t go back and fix some inconsistent lines of dialog in the old story, write a NEW story with a mostly different setting/characters/plot that happens to converge with the old one on that moment of dialog, and do it better in THAT story.
Diversify yourself; try out first-person and third-person, and learn the differences needed for each and benefits of each; vary your protagonist – don’t have your focal character always be a witty, funny cute-bordering-on-handsome (so my wife thinks…thanks BTW ^_^) WASP-ish male in his thirties. 😉
But one thing to try is ‘quickies’ – just whip out a scene; ‘sketch out’ a room with figurative language, or just describe a single character.
Even try a ‘game’ my wife & I would play that I think we got from Artie Doyle: make up a ‘backstory’ about someone you see.
Just like Sherlock Holmes could examine a person and detect minor details that helped reveal their background and history, so she or I would take that businessman waiting across the aisle from us at the airport boarding gate – he’s impatient; is he wanting to get back to the wife he wears a wedding band for? Or his mistress? Or has he *murdered* his mistress _here_ and wants to hurry home and establish his alibi? Is he merely needing to go to the bathroom, but doesn’t wanna leave the gate for fear of missing his boarding call?
Just take someone you see and start MAKING SHTUFF UP about them, and the more fanciful and improbable? The BETTER.
And again, this is all just ‘homework’ – you don’t have to tell US about ANY of it. Put it to one side, and maybe keep this shorty that you first did something special, or that one where you first figured out how to interweave a flashback in one character’s head *while* she was talking in the present to another character, etc.
But WRITE; write crap, write beautiful, write pr0n, write stereo instructions, write love poems, write shopping lists; just KEEP WRITING. Narrative fiction is something you admit you’re rusty at, and you’ll never get any better unless you PRACTICE and exercise those unused muscles you’ve got next to the ‘blog-making’ ones and the ‘reminiscing’ ones that work so well, already.
I know you will be a good fiction writer, but you’ve got to take the chance on failing – to stick with the analogy you and Neil use: you’ve got to go out and risk getting lost in that fog if you’re EVER going to have a chance to learn where anything is out there.
And here I thought it was Neil “Scary Trousers” Gaiman…
The maxim I have posted over my desk comes from Tim Robbins. “I hate writing,” he said. “It’s really hard to do.”
It is hard. Really hard. Hard and scary.
Will,
I’m a long time reader, but a first time poster who felt he just had to say something. I completely understand that fear you spoke of. Part of my own fear is the fear of sucking too. This fear has prevented me from trying to get what I already have written published. You, however: have written three books, keep regular updates on this blog, as well as do regular posts for other online syndications. What makes you think you aren’t a Writer?
You know exactly what happens when your fears control your life. When you let the monkey take the wheel, it doesn’t drive nicely, and seldom does it drive where you want it to.
Write dammit! You know people will read it and you know if it sucks they will tell you and tell you exactly how to fix it. (some advice from someone who can’t take his own either lol)
You want to write? Abandon the romantic view. Take the pragmatic, Heinleinian (if that’s a word) view:
Rule One: You Must Write
Rule Two: Finish What Your Start
Rule Three: You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order
Rule Four: You Must Put Your Story on the Market
Rule Five: You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold
http://www.sfwriter.com/ow05.htm
Two choices for you:
Do it.
Or don’t do it.
There is no try.
I started to write about a method which worked for a friend.
I have decided that would be unproductive advice. But having been involved with several productive authors from various venues, let me say one thing: they all wrote for at least 2 hours a day.
It doesn’t matter that what you produce any one day is good or not – but it will provide a framework to either dump (because it’s wobbly), or something to build upon.
I have been closely involved with both fiction and (mostly) non-fiction writers. They have ALL felt the paralysis of doubt.
The only way through is THROUGH! Write every day, even if you end up throwing much of yesterday’s out. It will always be better than you think. Writing about your own life’s events will be easier, of course. Writing fiction will be a stretch -but doesn’t a stretch feel wonderful?
Mary
Forgot to mention the other quote I have tacked up over my desk, from Noel Coward: “Work is more fun than fun.”
And so what if you don’t ever write a piece of fiction that gets published? Maybe your purpose in life IS to share your experiences so eloquently and interestingly that you inspire other people. It may be a bitter pill to swallow, but I believe you should embrace your strong points.
There’s nothing wrong with trying–or even failing–but look at your successes. You’ve had many, and YOU inspire people every day with not just your books but with mere ramblings on a blog.
My mind boggles when I read fiction. I just don’t have it in me to write like that. I excel at marketing writing and technical writing, and I like to think I’m a pretty decent editor. But I have little talent for the creative side of writing. And you know what? I’m just fine with that.
The best thing I can think of is the first page of the Klutz book on juggling. Something to the effect of: Take a ball. Drop it on the floor. Repeat this a few times. Get used to it. This will happen a lot.
Drop a few balls. I definitely subscribe to what Tara said. Your early blog may have been rough. But you’ve developed this skill, this voice. Fiction is a different skill set. You’re not gonna jump in and juggle 5 flaming axes your first time.
And, cripes, who cares if it sucks. What’s the worst that’s gonna happen? People will flame you. FFS, you’ve endured a shit-ton worse than that.
Y’know, writing fiction (whether novels, stories, screenplays, audio drama, whatever) has been a running duality — sometimes the easiest thing I’ve ever done, sometimes the most impossible task I ever gave myself. It can be dark and scary and even painful.
Part of the problem is that that most kinds of writing don’t give you immediate feedback…you’re navigating a minefield in the dark, often at a dead run. Blogging will get you immediate feedback, even if it’s some tool flaming you. Acting will generally get you immediate feedback from someone (and I envy you the type of voice acting gigs you do, for that reason; I’m doing stuff remotely, and feedback can take weeks.)
The way to do it, if you really want to write fiction *that* much, is to get stuck in…face the fear, face the solitude, just do it, word by bloody word, and keep it up until you finish something.
And for Christ’s sake, don’t stick it on the web for comments, or you’ll enjoy being a Toaster Pop. Don’t put it out there until you’ve gone over it, and maybe had one of the many pros you know take a gander at it and give you constructive criticism. If you’ve got a story to tell, get it told.
Banging on about how scared you get writing a few words of prose really isn’t a good way to go about it. Wheaton, you have the fucking cojones to expose yourself to the Hollywood acting cattle run *repeatedly* — I did that a couple of times and bailed on it; it’s a killer — and you seem to have some talent for writing. A man with brass balls the size of yours shouldn’t be balking at seriously trying what every brain-dead cocksucker in Los Angeles thinks they can do.
Do it. Dooooo eeeeeeeeeeet.
If you spent half as much time writing fiction as you do writing about not writing fiction..you’d be working on your third best seller. Just shut and write already.
Rather conversely, I find it much more difficult to write about my own experience than I do writing fiction.
It’s a lovely post, Wil. Thanks for sharing it. There seems to be a lot of helpful comments here.
For what it is worth, I recall a 100 word story you posted based off a photograph that I thought was quite good. Good luck and keep trying!
You know that homeless guy you saw on your way to buy groceries the other day? Write *his* story the way you write *your* stories. Fiction isn’t about making stuff up; it’s about telling the truth.
You’ve spent the last however-many years perfecting the use of a specific voice on your blog. I’m willing to wager you’re rather specifically trying to use something other than that voice in your Fiction. You’re trying (subconciously maybe) to emulate someone else’s voice, or what you *think* fiction sounds like.
Fiction sounds like you. Write your fiction as if you were writing a blog. Heck, write someone else’s blog. That would probably be a pretty interesting piece of fiction. It would get you working on the writing, you could do a “post” or two at a sitting, and you wouldn’t have the downward spiral of sitting and editing your old stuff as you read it to find your place as you start new stuff.
Your first book doesn’t have to be a best seller, it doesn’t ever have to be sold at all. But if you take something you know, the blog form, and morph it into a piece of short fiction, that would probably be a good way to get your feet wet.
And in the mean time, write a couple pages a day. Even if you never use them, just get in the habit of writing. Have someone in your family give you a word, or phrase, or something to use as inspiration, and run with it. It’s been said before, but writing’s a muscle; or rather, a whole musculature. You’re blog muscle is super-developed. Your fiction muscle isn’t as far along, so you’ve gotta get it there. Don’t expect it to be the same level as your blog work off the bat.
Paraphrasing a little bit, but otherwise QFT:
“Fiction is not the art of telling lies. Fiction is the art of telling other people’s truths.”
You have that ability, that gift. Put yourself into someone else’s shoes and let them walk you around awhile. Do short scenes for practice. Don’t worry about full plot, full characterizations, just write a scene here and there. Think of it as improv games, warm-up exercises to get your brain limber. And when one of those exercises catches fire and you don’t want to stop writing it, don’t stop writing it.
I don’t think I can properly describe the effect your words here has had on me, Will.
For all the other doubting writers out there, thanks for the perspective…
You should rent the DVD of Spalding Gray’s “Monster in a Box”. It’s the monologue he wrote and performed while he was working on his first (and only, AFAIK) novel. As brilliant and funny and insightful as he was, he was the first to admit he couldn’t make things up. Nothing wrong with that, and he still managed to be warm and entertaining. Well, until Tim Burton killed him. 😉
personally I’ll take interesting non-fiction over not-so-compelling fiction any day, but this isn’t about me. What do you want? If you want to be a Writer, you already are, end of story. If you want more than anything to be a fiction writer, do it, and keep doing it until you’re reasonably happy with what you produce or you decide it’s not feeding your soul in some fundamental way.
I think a lot of people have a Holy-Grail-type attitude about fiction, when really, how much crappy fiction is there out there? (Please note that I’m speaking generally, not about your writing.) People’s lives are interesting…creative nonfiction is getting more and more respect as a genre as time goes on…it’s a worthwhile creative endeavor where you are very much able to transport your reader to a world you create.
Of course, I’m the last person to say that good fiction isn’t amazing…I’ll have a PhD in English in a matter of months, and I didn’t decide to do that because I don’t like fiction (although I’m more interested in nonfiction). I’m just saying, it is what it is. It’s something that’s well worth it if it’s your dream and something you want to work to make happen, but it’s also not necessary to a) make you a Writer or b) give you an imaginative, creative outlet that is meaningful to your readers.
So…sign up for NaNoWriMo, then, and write crap. That’s the point of it, yeah?
I did, last week, and am scaring the crap out of myself by actually researching certain elements of the story I have in mind.
I bought, like, index cards and colored pens, even, for notes on my characters.
help me, mommy. I’m becoming organised, and it frightens me.
I don’t have much to offer with this whole writing thing, since I haven’t been remotely successful in my own efforts to even complete a story.
But I do have to say, I like how the “Fucking” in “Neil Fucking Gaiman” obviously means something completely different from the “Fucking” in “William Fucking Shatner”.
Once upon a time, in one of my comments, to one of your posts I asked, “Why don’t you write more Fiction?”
I guess I got my answer.
Dude, you’re a good writer. Your shit takes me back to, I guess, the Happiest Days of My Life. Hey, if I can sit there and pound out a twenty page detective fiction short story in eight hours, my feeling is you can too.
As for the Writer vs. Actor, for lack of a better term, ‘struggle’ you seem to be going through I have to say this:
First and foremost I see you as an actor. I’m not saying the writing is wrong, in fact it gives you this kinda renaisannce image. Wil Wheaton, Actor, Writer, Guitar Hero Hero. Renaisannce Wil!
Getting back to the acting thing, it’s my feeling as well that you have more acting ability in your pinky toe than some of the hacks we see in tinseltown now a days.
When I saw Stand By Me a long time ago I knew there were four or five actors in it that were going to be wicked. Dreyfuss was already wicked, but Sutherland(partly because he was a Sutherland, and Canadian,) Cusack(even though his role was limited,) Feldman(played a great fucked up kid,) Phoenix(would have stolen roles from guys like Dicaprio,) and Wheaton.
Dude you had the most complex role in Stand By Me, and you nailed it. Then you went on to nail the role of Wesley, amongst others. You can still nail them in my opinion.
Hell, if Ricky Schroeder, and Mark Paul Gosselar from Saved By The Bell could get a role on NYPD Blue, then I’m sure there’s something out there for you bro.
The last couple of things I’m gonna say are, and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but, get in shape. Look at your buddy Jerry. He got tons of roles when he slimmed down and bulked up. Hey, you even said you’re not happy with your double chin shot in one of your previous posts. Get toned and look like one bad vato!
Also, maybe, just maybe, tone down the geek image you’ve slotted yourself into. It could be preventing you from getting certain roles. Last, get an Ari Gold type as your agent. Someone who’s gonna fight for ya. You should be doing tons of auditions.
In the boxing ring that’s become your acting career, I’m in your corner, and I’m not throwing in the towel. You shouldn’t either.
I’m your personal Tony Robbins,
Mark.
P.S. good try in the WBCOOP, better luck next time.
Hey, Wil, I feel your pain.
Much of what I have to say has been said already, so I’m just going to hit a few points:
First, I read any number of “how to write” books and articles. Not one of them was a valuable as just applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and the fingers to the keyboard. Just do it!
Sure, it might suck. Give yourself permission to suck. And give yourself a deadline.
I think you’ll surprise yourself.
Second, a lot of people have already suggested NaNoWriMo. I wrote two complete stories and about fifty “first three pages”. This was over the course of 20 years.
Three years ago, I did NaNoWriMo and I made my goal of 50K words. And it didn’t totally suck! Just mostly (no conflict — but that isn’t your problem).
You could write about a guy who has stage fright when he tries to write fiction…
You have to start somewhere Wil. You may not be able to pull off the level of writing you ultimately desire at this point but if you at least start doing a little every day then 2-5 years from now you’ll be that much closer to reaching your full potential. Maybe sooner.
One thing is for sure, you’ll never reach it if you don’t just jump in and pursue your passion with unbridled dedication.
WRITE, DON’T THINK.
USE YOUR INSTINCTS.
🙂
Nicole aka Louffi
Have you ever thought of publishing something under a pseudonym? It might be easier to get objective feedback that way, and you even could start writing Star Trek or Star Wars fan fiction, without being attacked.
Have you tried Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’. The tips are perhaps too basic for an experienced writer as yourself, but you may get some good tips on writing fiction from it
dear star trek boy, first of all, hearing about your blog, and knowing you were an interesting person sort of, of my generation, i’ve always been dissapointed that you HAVEN’T continued to pursue more interesting film or at least television roles. i don’t know if you think you’re just being honest and self effacing about the whole “i’m a geek thing” or if you’re still trying to capitalize on that as an easy character fit for anyone that would typecast you… but it’s lame either way. edward norton doesn’t do that, the opposite in fact and he’s hardly less geeky than you. and to the meat of the reason why i’ve bothered to sign up on this thing and comment on your blog: neil… discovering him by way of tori, is just brilliant, eh? love, love, love him. though haven’t gotten into his long form fiction as much. but give me sandman over jesus christ, or ice cream anyday… ok, maybe not ice cream. so anyway, if you look through or search mr gaiman’s blog you may find another brilliant ditty that he wrote.. which i’ve personally found inspirational. that is, just keep writing. but i would go one further. force yourself to write fiction. maybe something serial like they used to do in merry old nineteenth century english newspapers. just do it… start a story and continue it with a new 2500 word or more episode, no matter how crazy, stupid or bad it becomes, at least once a week… for a year, you know, like what happened to the star trek television franchise toward the end…. and post it on your blog and we’ll all read it… yay!
Mattb5’s got it right. Juggling is a hobby of mine. When you’re learning a new trick, one that looks hard as hell, you drop the balls a lot. You drop stuff for weeks or months – heck, the number of times I hit myself in the face learning to juggle clubs still makes me wince! Gradually, you get better and then there’s a moment when you just *get* it and the trick flows like a waterfall.
If there’s one thing juggling taught me, it’s this: dropping isn’t failing, it’s *practicing*. Don’t be afraid to write crap. It’s not crap – it’s practice.
I’ve always wanted to write, but convinced myself to get a “real” job. I’m 32 now and being a full time writer, a dream I’ve had for 25 years. It’s never too late to start. I’m just about to finish my first draft of my first novel and it’s not wonderful, but that’s what revisions are for. Like everyone says, just write. First drafts are rarely the final product. They are a way to spew out the ideas in your head. You can redo or cut the crap after you’ve finished. Even 1000 words a day gives you a novel in three months. I had the same issue with not feeling my writing was good enough and kept stalling out on projects, but writing is like everything else practice makes perfect. Good luck on your fiction writing.
Amanda
PS Love the blog.
Why can’t you take your own advice when it comes to writing? Probably because writing is a LOT scarier than acting. If you do an acting audition, and you suck, the only place that performance sticks around is in your own memory. If you do an acting *job* and you suck, you can at least blame the director for accepting (asking for?) and publishing a sucky performance. If you suck at a writing audition, that shit could stick around forever. Especially if it hits teh nets. If you suck at a writing job (e.g. writing a book), you could try to blame the publishing house for accepting a bad book, but that’d be pretty weak.
Now that I’ve gone and reinforced your fears, let me just say that I’ve been avidly reading your writing for quite some time now, and you definitely have the ability to Not Suck.
I know it’s been mentioned a couple of times now, but NaNoWriMo is a really good way to go. Especially if you’re worried that what you write isn’t going to be good. Trust me when I say that it is going to suck, but that’s what first drafts are for. Especially ones written in 30 days.
What I wrote last year was terrible, but there were points that I was really invested with the characters, and enjoyed writing them.
The hardest part of the whole process is the first 1000 words. To get past that hump you need to just write without worrying about it sucking.
Hell, the first 2000 words of my story last year made no sense compared with the rest of it. The important thing was just to keep writing.
I would really, really recommend doing NaNoWriMo. If you do, feel free to add me as a writing buddy, in fact anyone who’s attempting this year can. My username on the site is chrishamilton
Whether you try NaNoWriMo or not, I’m sure you’ll be able to write some fiction, and I’m positive it will be good. You’re too good a writer for it not to be.
And always remember what Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit.”
Okay – here’s the thing.
Go to Robert J. Sawyer’s website and take a boo at his “how to write” short articles.
This is golden stuff.
Never give up and yeah, don’t give a crap if you write crap – just make sure it entertains/intrigues/fascinates you and all will be well.
I’ve had three short stories published already so I know it can be done.
Good luck.
I feel you brother. I am stuck in a comfortable well-paying job with bucket-loads of security. Did I mention how much I dislike what I do for a living (although, the people I work with are wonderful so it evens out). About 18 months ago I remembered a youthful dream of being published. Ever since I haven’t been able to let go of that dream. I am in no position to leave my “safety net” and go hungry as I have four people who depend on me. While I was struggling with my dreams now turned goals, my wife provided this guidance:
“Who cares how long it takes you to reach your goal. If your heart wants it bad enough you will have it, but remember the journey is what counts.”
So if you want to write fiction just do it! If you want it bad enough and you stick to it, you will have it.
What would you do, if you knew you couldn’t fail?