The gnashing sound you hear is my teeth

[megwrites]

Still angsting over what to work on for NaNoWriMo and whether any of my ideas are even worth my time. I know that ideas are only one part of the equation, and that the success of any idea depends on it's execution.

People say to write ideas that are different and dangerous, but how do you tell if an idea is dangerous or not? Danger implies that there is risk of harm, and I'm not sure how to apply that to my writing or to an idea or a story.

Besides, writing itself is a risky business. You risk dying in penniless obscurity, doomed to love doing something that may never work out for you.

So far I feel the only danger in my ideas is of them hurting people's brains.

I think part of my issue is that I have no way to gauge what my skill level is and whether I'm anywhere near being professional and publication-ready or if I need years of development yet. And I really wish that wasn't the case.

Even if finding out would mean knowing that I'm five or ten or twenty years away from being anywhere near professional, at least I'd know. At least I'd have some idea if I need to put in a lot more work than I'm already doing or what, or if I'm on the right track or not.

At least then I'd know that maybe I need to focus less on thinking about publication and more on development of basic skills, maybe I'd need to invest in a workshop here or there or in a writing class or something.

There should be signs on the road you know? 20 Miles 'til You Don't Suck or something.

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh, I can remember feeling like that. It's very frustrating.

::HUGS::

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Possibly it means dangerous for you? What scares you? What are you afraid to write? Not that this necessarily helps :)

However, I can tell you that I started on Bonedevil this week, and so far I'm enjoying it a lot more than the last published novel I read (author's name withheld to protect hurt feelings in an age of Google Alerts). So.

Try not to worry too much about the publication side of the equation, at least until you start revising. For now, write what you want to write (which doesn't need to be something you think you can publish) and have some fun with it...

[scififanatic.livejournal.com]

I agree with ecmyers. Write what you want and your passion will come through to the reader.

I'm not a quarter of the way through your manuscript yet but I am enjoying the reading. There is no way that your writing is even remotely gonna hurt anyone's brain.

As far as knowing when you're ready, I don't think any writer knows. You just revise your work as best as you can and then throw it out into the world.

I have a friend who's also a writer; she said the most inspiring thing to another friend of ours who is nervous about finishing up her picture book dummy. She told her to get the work in good shape and then send it off to her agent because the chances are that when you're signed with an editor at a publishing house, that editor is gonna want to make more changes.

No work is ever gonna be perfect. It only took Stephenie Meyers from draft to offer a total of six months. Some writers say their books are never finished, only abandoned. I think you'll know when to let go when the time's right and start submitting your work to agents. That could be next year--who knows? There's no set time to these things.

If you're still trying to figure out which idea to go with, feel free to email me. I'm going to email you my question from the NaNo board.

Danger, Will Robinson

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

You know, I've been pondering what it means to write dangerously for a while myself. It's one of those things, like art and pornography: I know it when I see it.

I think writing dangerously means not being lured by convention. To wrap the story up in an unexpected way. To surprise the reader, and yourself. Sometimes it's dangerous to take away the happy ending. Sometimes it's dangerous to give it. I would posit that Stephenie Meyers wrote dangerously, because it's all so clearly her personal wish-fulfillment and LDS issues out there on the page.

Oh, and that's one of the other pieces: I think a lot of writers are afraid to put stuff out there, for fear that people might think that the story is the author. I've had people tell me that: they're impressed I can write and submit because *gasp* what if people realize something about them?!?! Something secret! Something icky?

And one other thing that has occurred to me about dangerous writing... I think people are afraid of hurting other people's brains. Of not being understood. I think we're afraid to push the envelope because we might descend into absurdity. We see it too often, after all, when an artist's vanity and self-love overcome objectivity. Typically in film projects, but also, oh, well, case in point with the Stephenie Meyer and her fourth book, or Anne Rice for the last five years...

But. I've noticed that often the piece that I think is the dumbest part of my story--the part that's too sappy, too sweet, too stupid, too dramatic--the part I almost cut because I think it will get backlash--is the part that people like the best. But I think it's embarrassment on my part for putting something out there that's less than perfect, objective, detached, polished.

Re: Danger, Will Robinson

[scififanatic.livejournal.com]

And one other thing that has occurred to me about dangerous writing... I think people are afraid of hurting other people's brains. Of not being understood. I think we're afraid to push the envelope because we might descend into absurdity.

So true! I'm so glad you made this point because I needed to hear it too. Also, you just reminded me why I love this quote by Bette Davis:

Attempt the impossible in order to improve your work.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

What changed things for you, I mean, when did you stop feeling like this?

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

Possibly it means dangerous for you? What scares you? What are you afraid to write? Not that this necessarily helps :)

Yeah, I guess it's because I can't think of what I'm scared to write, besides something that's bad. I'm not afraid of plowing face first into issues of race and gender and sexuality and violence and things like that.

I can't think of much else that would even make me flinch. I generally tend to go for the wackiest ideas possible, but it seems like my sense of WTFery has deserted me.

However, I can tell you that I started on Bonedevil this week, and so far I'm enjoying it a lot more than the last published novel I read (author's name withheld to protect hurt feelings in an age of Google Alerts). So

Music to mine ears! I've been pretty damn nervous about what people's reactions would be, and I'll be very excited to see what your opinions are of it after you get through the whole thing.

[fiction-theory.livejournal.com]

I'm not a quarter of the way through your manuscript yet but I am enjoying the reading. There is no way that your writing is even remotely gonna hurt anyone's brain.

*sigh of relief*. That is very, very (VERY!) good to hear. I've been a bit anxious about it, and it's nice to know what at the very least, the story is enjoyable.

You just revise your work as best as you can and then throw it out into the world.

Smartly said. I think you're right. Maybe there never is a way to know, which is at odds with my nature sometimes. I like knowing things.