Other Written your own book?

[Devildoghd]

Has anyone here attempted to do this or actually had one published? I have started two and hit a block on both. Any tips for aspiring authors or ways you have overcome writer's block?

 

[Eye of Nowhere]

I'm also on the journey of writing a novel. What I do to circumvent writer's block is writing random stories in the lives of the characters. It helps shaping their characters and making their actions and feelings coherent across the story. I also write, even when I have writer's block. Just exploratory bits and pieces of scenes that could take place. Most of it is trashbin-worthy garbage, but it helps the block.

 

[Devildoghd]

I'm also on the journey of writing a novel. What I do to circumvent writer's block is writing random stories in the lives of the characters. It helps shaping their characters and making their actions and feelings coherent across the story. I also write, even when I have writer's block. Just exploratory bits and pieces of scenes that could take place. Most of it is trashbin-worthy garbage, but it helps the block.

I've never thought to do side stories to give the characters depth! Great idea, thank you! How far are you along in your novel?

 

[Best Trekkie.]

I have written a book or two. The most recent one i named , 'Fallout Equestria War Relics of Future Past'. It has around 40 chapters and each chapter contains about 20 pages.

 

[Best Trekkie.]

I suggest listening to classical music. Or maybe taking 2 minute breaks to clear your head of the stress.

 

[Eye of Nowhere]

I've never thought to do side stories to give the characters depth! Great idea, thank you! How far are you along in your novel?

Nowhere. I've spent over a year worldbuilding to make sure the setting makes sense. You know, looking for that basic level of relatable logic that makes the world you read about sound believable. No 'simply making stuff up along the way', realizing two months after the fact that that giant laser had no place in fantasy-land. Now i'm working on a skeleton for the plot and organizing the vast selection of possible characters I could toss in.

Also I want to slip some hint of contemporary political satire into it. Just for shits 'n' giggles. I feel that too few books do that nowadays.

It's gonna be a lengthy process. But It's alright. I'm not a professional writer who lives off this stuff. So I got the time. I'll probably publish it once it's done, though.

 

[LittleGemstone]

I'm uh...trying to write about twenty books at the same time.
When I say "trying to write"... I have the basic idea written out and characters drawn up and vague plot outlines.
I always get stuck in worldbuilding or I get sidetracked by the next shiny idea, but I'm trying to prohibit myself from starting any more until I at least get the first draft of something done

 

[Onmyoji]

It's actually a great advise to write side stories when you're having a writer's block on the main one. I'm doing it too.

One of the common causes of writer's block is that people are trying to edit while writing, wanting to write perfectly from the start. To overcome that you need to switch off your 'inner editor' and let yourself write 'badly' as long as you keep writing. And then leave the text aside for a while and edit it later. If you try to edit while writing you'll break the flow and encounter the infamous 'block'.

There is a nice motivational book by J. Cameron 'Right to write' that provides some tips on how to let yourself free on writing. It also suggest some excerices on free writing. Particularly, 'morning pages' (you can google it, there is a lot of stuff on that topic). The idea is to write 3 pages (about 750 words) every moring after you woke up. Basically it's an exercise on free writing.

 

[crumbelivable]

I edit a relative's fan-fiction, and I'm writing one of my own

Does that count?

 

[Lappi]

I've been working on a novel for a while. It's more of a side project that I dump my energy into when I have excess.

 

[BlackMoon]

I'm working on like twenty novels but have a few main ones. I've found that posting them on online sites such as forums like this one or story specific sites really helps me stay motivated to write them. One such story has a few followers and fans and seeing their comments really spurs me to create the next chapter and continue the story amidst my side tracked shiny new stories.

 

[BeautifulLoser]

I have written and had my novel copyrighted. Right now it's sitting with a publisher and she's going to read it and see if it's worth publishing which is super exciting.