Clary Fray. Human. Nephilim. Confused in love...along with the rest of us as we devoured the City of Bones series, am I right? I know I'm highlighting girl characters this month, but can we just have a moment of silence for my favorite literary character of all time who happens to by from this same series...Magnus Bane. *sighs* Man, I love that character.
Do you like Clary? Tell me some of your favorite "C" characters.
Today is also the first Wednesday of the month which means Insecure Writer's Support Group time. This past month has probably been the most challenging for me since I began writing a few years ago. I've been feeling All The Pressure of having to write something amazing as a follow-up to another one of my novels and not knowing if I can do it. I keep starting this new book over and over again because I'm not happy with it. The voice isn't as good, this opening scene is too boring, it feels sooo cliche, there's no spark here, etc.
I know we writers tend to be a jealous and insecure lot and compare ourselves to other writers/books way too much, but I've taken it to the next level and am comparing against myself! Ugh. How do I crawl my way out of this one?
"My name is not 'Little Girl'."
Do you like Clary? Tell me some of your favorite "C" characters.
Today is also the first Wednesday of the month which means Insecure Writer's Support Group time. This past month has probably been the most challenging for me since I began writing a few years ago. I've been feeling All The Pressure of having to write something amazing as a follow-up to another one of my novels and not knowing if I can do it. I keep starting this new book over and over again because I'm not happy with it. The voice isn't as good, this opening scene is too boring, it feels sooo cliche, there's no spark here, etc.
I know we writers tend to be a jealous and insecure lot and compare ourselves to other writers/books way too much, but I've taken it to the next level and am comparing against myself! Ugh. How do I crawl my way out of this one?
19 comments:
I love the quote. You tell them girl! I have the first book from the series but haven't really started reading it yet. I want to finish it before the movie comes out. And about your IWSG post, the only way to crawl out of this one is to well...crawl out and don't stop until you're out. You can write your next book, just keep going until everything that seems wrong with your book falls into place.
A fave C character for me is Celeana from Throne of Glass. This kick ass assassin can have you on pins and needles one moment and laughing the next. And the two main guys in her life are sometimes no better.
The only one expecting bigger and better is you. Relax. If you did it once, you'll do it again. Plus, it will be better because you have learned and grown since you wrote your last MS. :) Aloha!
Charlie as in the Chocolate Factory. He succeeded because he wasn't an arsehole like the other kids!
I love the Mortal Instruments series, I saw the trailer for it at the cinema yesterday and got embarrassingly excited!
I hate it when my writing feels like it's not good enough. It's usually better than I think, though, so maybe it's the same with yours :)
If you keep rewriting the beginning, you're definitely going to get bored with it. Write past it and carry on with the rest of the novel, then come back to it. The other advice I once heard is: throw away the first chapter. I wouldn't go that far, but you get the jist. I'm a new follower :-)
Annalisa Crawford, One of April's IWSG Co-Hosts
Clary is such a great C character. Great A to Z posts. And how to not compare ourselves to ourselves? Excellent question. I encourage the messy first draft and come back to the perfecting on the rewriting. I have to hide in a cave of this is my only focus and nothing else exists when I'm writing, otherwise I'm comparing all over the place.
I know you can do it. But also that you have to feel it. Maybe focus on some writing exercises or another incredible short story and give your new WIP some room to breathe for a bit.
*hugs*
I've been stuck in my novel for a bit, and then I decided to write out of order - write scenes that were speaking to me, begging to be written, conversations, etc. It felt freeing. :)
Hi Ilima, this is my first time by your blog, but I love the Insecure Writer's Support Group piece of this post. :) I'm actually in the middle of rewriting my second book now, and ack...I can commiserate. Second book insecurity is not a fun thing...
But I keep trying to tell myself to just push through it. To get out of my own head and into my characters' and stop comparing this story to my first. Easily said...not quite as easily done. :)
Another great C character: Coraline! The book version is better, in my opinion.
Good luck on the new book, and I love the new blog look. :)
I read about 150 pages of City of Bones and had a hard time getting through it. Maybe I'll try again :)
Don't worry about the beginning of the book. You might chuck it anyway. Move forward and come back to it when you're done. That's my motto--as I try and figure out a new opening line for mine. lol But it's done! =D
I just finished Clockwork Princess. That was THE best love triangle I've ever read. I hate them normally. It's all about selfishness. It wasn't the case with Will, Jess, and Tess. The last book's really light on action compared to her other books and kind of sappy toward the end. Too much of a good thing, because I'm all about emotion.
And I agree. I love Magnus Bane. It was fun seeing a younger version of him in the Infernal Devices.
Oh, Ilima!!!! We should have a party!!!! I'm sooooo with you!!!!!!!
(And love your theme for A-Z... so clever!)
I liked Clary. I'm very curious to see how she is on the big screen. And I TOTALLY know what you mean about comparing yourself to yourself. Haha. Not that I've been able to write the second book to anything of mine yet, but I've started it a few times for fun. Good luck!
Do what you can do. Really, that's it. Also, as someone who likes to obsess over first chapters, I'll tell you what I tell myself...it doesn't matter how fantastic the first is if there isn't a second, and as long as there is crap on a page, I can clean it up. Just write. :)
You need to brainstorm with someone. Is there another writer you trust? If so, let them read your opening, then get together and ask some questions. I'm not sure what else to suggest. In order to finish a huge undertaking, like a full length novel, it's imperative that you're excited. You don't sound like it. But maybe it's not you, but the protagonist you chose. Is there another character that needs to take over?
You just keep after it! I know that pressure of delivering a second book that's even better. Just relax and do the best you can.
Love, love, love Clary. She is one of my favorites.
And as far as the insecurity, you just keep doing what you are doing. Take it easy on yourself- try and find one thing, just one thing you like about your new story, and hang on to that and explore it. That advice was given to me by my little brother, and it really helped. xo
Competing against yourself is never an easy thing, but, hey, at least no matter who wins, you win!
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