A question for authors

In the November of 2023, while I was on a tour, I conceptualised an idea for a novel. I was fueled with emotion at the time and I managed to come up with a rough idea of the plot, how the characters would be, and where the story is headed. I wanted to begin writing it immediately after returning from the tour, but I got caught up in the midst of a lot of work, and could never get enough time to think and write the story. I did get maybe ten minutes here and there, but I thought it would be better to devote a substantial amount of time to actually think and write something, rather than just penning down a random assortment of ideas I come up with in ten minutes.

It kept getting delayed, but finally, I got a breathing room from my schedule over the past month. However, the emotion I had behind the story seems to have dried up due to this time period and a really mundane schedule of work. I am in the middle of the third chapter of my novel, but it isn't really turning out the way I want it to be. I mean, it seems to be just meh... nothing too interesting.

At this point of time, it just seems like a failed novel, but I don't want to give up on it because it is the best idea I ever had. My question is: Am I just being too hard on myself, have you also had the same experience? What should I be doing when I have such a busy routine and do not find any time to write? And how can I improve it when it already seems like a failed novel?

I'm not a writer so I don't know if I can give you advice but I think it's easy to lose motivation especially when you start to transform the "perfect idea" (I forgot what it's called but it's the first state of the idea that seems flawless before you verbalize and dissect it) into real world.

Idk how experienced you are so maybe you are missing some core elements every story should have. Brandon McNulty has a YT channel about writing advice and mentions a book by John Truby - The Anatomy of Story quite often. Maybe give it a read.

Neil Gaiman on plotting a book: "Write down everything that happens in the story, and then in your second draft make it look like you knew what you were doing all along." So maybe writing random assortment of ideas is not wrong either.

@i-bex said in #2:
> I think it's easy to lose motivation especially when you start to transform the "perfect idea" (I forgot what it's called but it's the first state of the idea that seems flawless before you verbalize and dissect it) into real world.

Yes, I have experienced that before. It's like I have an idea and it seems so flawless, but as I start to think about it more, loopholes start appearing, and I tire off the idea in a few days. However, in this case, even after such a long time of having the idea, I still think it has potential, but I am just not able to write it down properly.

@ForumPoster4242 said in #1:
> but it isn't really turning out the way I want it to be. I mean, it seems to be just meh... nothing too interesting.

You are the author is the story. You decide the direction it needs to go. You decide which road, and how it's going to end.

Most of the times when an author is experiencing "writers block", it's not that they can't write, but because they can't decide on a direction, or give their characters embarrassing human flaws/scenarios.

Ideas:
If it's not too interesting, then add some calamity to the story.
Don't be afraid to drag your favorite character through the dirt. I know you love them. But make them human, give them some faults, and give the readers a chance to relate and love them, or even hate them.
Who would remember Hercules, if not for his 12 trials? Or Faust?, if not for his corruption by the devil?
Romeo and Juliet, without the sad ending, would have been just another love story.

> I don't want to give up on it because it is the best idea I ever had.
Doesn't forgo your idea, because you are afraid to make hard decisions.
> My question is: Am I just being too hard on myself, have you also had the same experience? What should I be doing when I have such a busy routine and do not find any time to write? And how can I improve it when it already seems like a failed novel?

"Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to."
-Alan Watts (American philosophical entertainer)

@ForumPoster4242 said in #1:
> In the November of 2023, while I was on a tour, I conceptualised an idea for a novel. I was fueled with emotion at the time and I managed to come up with a rough idea of the plot, how the characters would be, and where the story is headed. I wanted to begin writing it immediately after returning from the tour, but I got caught up in the midst of a lot of work, and could never get enough time to think and write the story. I did get maybe ten minutes here and there, but I thought it would be better to devote a substantial amount of time to actually think and write something, rather than just penning down a random assortment of ideas I come up with in ten minutes.
>
> It kept getting delayed, but finally, I got a breathing room from my schedule over the past month. However, the emotion I had behind the story seems to have dried up due to this time period and a really mundane schedule of work. I am in the middle of the third chapter of my novel, but it isn't really turning out the way I want it to be. I mean, it seems to be just meh... nothing too interesting.
>
> At this point of time, it just seems like a failed novel, but I don't want to give up on it because it is the best idea I ever had. My question is: Am I just being too hard on myself, have you also had the same experience? What should I be doing when I have such a busy routine and do not find any time to write? And how can I improve it when it already seems like a failed novel?

you are too demanding of yourself. I write a lot, especially IRL, because online, on Lichess, I gave up because my texts could have shocked people. (if you get the idea, my style is somewhere between Kafka and Lovecraft).

find interesting elements and especially a high point or a falling point. seek to cultivate tension and do not hesitate to sacrifice important characters to dramatize the story. first, write freely then, adapt the story according to a form, model your novel like pottery

Just write. Write like a maniac.
Do the editing later.
And there is going to be editing.
No one writes their story/book/novel/scientific journals without having to edit, before submitting the final piece.

It may seem like doing the same work twice or thrice, but just write everything.
Written is hard... Editing is harder.
It's when editing, you have to self censor your words.
Perhaps you wrote a beautiful chapter, but even though beautiful, it doesn't fit the story or characters behaviour... Maybe you will have to delete it, somewhere along the way?
Write it anyway. There will be editing, harsh editing, but necessary.

Don't worry about mistakes.
Once I was so focused on written a traveling journal.
That I got too focused on writing with pretty handwriting, and using beautiful words and phrases, to the point where I stopped writing all together.
I wanted everything to be perfect from the start.

Nothing is ever perfect.
Write your story, and add/edit it along the way.

@NaturalBornTraveller It's not like my characters don't have any flaws or difficulties. In fact, most of the story deals with the flaws in people's personalities, and the difficulties they cause. The problem is I am feeling that it may not have a strong impact on the reader the way I want it to. But maybe you are right, I should focus on writing currently and fix the mistakes while editing later.

@CSKA_Moscou Thanks for your inputs. I will consider them.

You know it's a story idea, but how can you know it's going to be a novel? Perhaps it's more suitable for a short story. Get back to that feeling of inspiration and craft something that imbues it, no matter what form it will take.

Yeah, I gotta agree with NBT. I've trained myself to write the first draft as fast as possible, without worrying about such things as whether it's gonna stink or not. :) And incidentally, it almost always does look a good deal less impressive afterwards (maybe if I were Hemingway that wouldn't be such a problem).

Also, "great ideas" aren't necessarily worth all that much. It's what you get down on the page--and edit into its final form--that counts.

One advantage to writing fast is that you can get a lot done quickly. 3000 words in three weeks = a novel. Then afterwards--preferably a while afterwards--you can go back over the thing and see how it measures up.

Oh yeah, and one more point: if nothing's coming easily, there might well be something wrong with the whole business (the basic structure, or perhaps one of the characters). So it may be time to rethink things a bit; at least, that has often been my experience.

@s2numbuq35i Well, the way I conceptualised it, I thought it might turn out to be quite long. That's why I am dividing it into chapters. But I'm not sure whether or not it will actually turn out to be novel-length.

@MrPushwood Okay then, I will just focus on the writing part as of now, and not worry about the mistakes immediately. That shall be taken care of while revising and editing.

Thanks for replying, everyone :)