orignovel feedback

[lobelia321]

Remember when I did nano and wrote a novel in a month over Easter? Well, I hadn't shown this to anybody until this week. Then, emboldened by the pillulettes and by another thing which I'll mention below, I showed it to some people and two have replied. T'h read it on the plane and really enjoyed it and laughed and wanted to know more! And another friend wrote this:

Well, the important thing first: you CAN REALLY WRITE FICTION!!. Your characters live, they have that life that only real novelists create. Don't ask me how but they live, they're real And not only that you can write in different voices, styles, milieus and tempos. So yes, you are a novellist and what is more a comic one. Congratulations, you have found your metier.

Well, it's no more than some of you have been telling me in feedback *g* but it's wonderfully reaffirming to hear it from people totally outside the world of fandom (so they've no OTP-bias *g*) and with characters that I've made up.

The other thing that emboldened me was another friend (a fellow academic) who last week suddenly came out with the news that he's been writing a novel and could we have a look over it? I was flabbergasted. And he sent me a whole lot of chapters. They have a plot, they've got lots of political knowledge but *whispers* they've got no characterisation and terrible dialogue and terrible similes. I rewrote one of the chapters and it was like doing fanfic: creating gold out of straw. It was fun, and I could do it so easily! And I thought, wow, not everyone can do this.

I think being surrounded by fabulous writers on LJ has given me a skewed view of the world. I've come to believe loads of people can write and I'm not very special. But in the real world, even very articulate people (and this friend has published three academic books so far) don't necessarily have the gift of creating fiction. And, for some reason, I am starting to believe that I do have it.

I still feel a bit diffident about posting such a positive and (to me) seemingly self-promoting post. But the pillules are enabling me to do it and to see good things about myself. So here is also a record for myself, in case of future darker days. :-)

One thing that both my first evah rl readers have said, though, is that they couldn't understand how all these characters in my novel could hang together and where the plot was going. And this is what I suspected already: that the nano plot sucks (to use American diction). So now I feel I perhaps need to let go of this baby (it is so hard! it clings to me!) and go and write something new. Something with a slightly less non-existent and manic ambitious plot structure. What do you think? Plot is my Achilles' heel, and perhaps (for a first novel -- or, counting nano, a second novel) playing to my strenghts is a better idea?

Comments

[grondfic.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the RL positive feedback.

I have the opposite problem from you - my plots take off wildly in all directions, and I have to haul back so the characters can jump aboard. I'd suggestin the first isnatnce, you consult your characters .....

But playing to strengths is always a good idea.

[sheldrake.livejournal.com]

This is great, and strangely enough I find it encouraging for myself, too! Any clue that someone, somewhere, thinks it's possible to do this impossible thing called 'writing a novel' encourages me. :)

Plot is my Achilles' heel

Oh, me too, me too...

[junalele.livejournal.com]

Yay for the empowering pillules! And yes, congratulation for the grande feedback! Also yes, totally understand what the friend meant about your characters being alive. I instantly had to think of that Cristiano/Wayne story from Wayne's pov. Wayne is so alive, so vibrant and colourful in this.

I can totally understand where all the fabulous lj writers can give you a skewed view. But nah, not everybody has your grasp on characterisation.

So yes, congrats again! Oh and yes, playing to your strengths might be a good idea for the second baby. *nods*

[msilverstar]

You've been a star even in fanfic, up there with the best of writers. It's a combination of your characters and your unique (I don't use that lightly) view of them and their world(s).

Definitely start with a simple plot -- manic extras can be added later if appropriate. But there aren't that many plots in the world, so you can go with a classic as a structure for your characters.