A little help...

[Runya]

Hello everyone, you can call me Runya. I am 16 years old, and I love to write.
Right now, I am writing a novel, but I am not sure if it is good enough to be completed. I love the idea of writing a book, and my English is pretty good But still, I am so not confident if my writing is good enough to have a public. Any help with that? Any ideas? Any suggestions? Critics? Opinions? Whatever...? Whichever...? lol

Thanks for letting me have a little of your time

[The Judge]

Hello Runya

Welcome to the Chronicles!

The only suggestions I can make are to read a lot, particularly classic authors, and to write a lot: write every day even if only for 10 minutes - writing is a craft and has to be practised.

Go over to the Introductions board and introduce yourself there with a little more detail about yourself. Then when you feel confident put a few paragraphs of your work up for critiquing - just make sure you read through the formatting guidelines first.

J

[chrispenycate]

First, assume you are good enough; after all, there are some pretty poor writers getting published (of course, it doesn't help that the survival characteristic in publishing is selling, not quality, and it is assumed anyone who can kick a football or take her clothes off in public can sell books, if not write them). After all, if you assume you are, and fail, you've wasted some time and not been to a few parties. If you assume you can't, it's a self-fulfilling prophesy, so you can go to the parties and waste time.

Of course, if possible this conviction should not be at the expense of some other technique for generating income; it can take a very long time for ability to be recognised.

Once you've convinced yourself you can, it only remains to convince others and, obviously, write the book.

Looks at the progress of the thread so far; coo, welcomed first by two nit-pickers; things do not bode well.

You'll get help here; a mixture of encouragement and brutal treatment of your manuscript which will either improve your writing or put you in a strait jacket (or both)

Remember you don't want to be impatient; you have an awful lot more time to improve your writing than I have (or, if it can't be improved, to slant it for audience, agents or publishers)

So welcome in; giving up is for sensible people.

[Michael01]

Hi, Runya. Welcome!

For 16, the writing of your post seems quite good. There are plenty of adults who aspire to write but still frame their forum posts with so little clarity* ... well, I'm sure you get the idea. I'm already impressed.

Like Judge said, read and write a lot, and when you have something you want us to glean, post it in critiques and everyone will be glad to help.

You'll get help here; a mixture of encouragement and brutal treatment of your manuscript which will either improve your writing or put you in a strait jacket (or both).

Definitely both in some cases, Chris!

*EDIT: Chrispenycate is not one of them...

[Precision Grace]

I'd say, read whatever info you can about writing (on the forum and off) and when you are feeling up to it, post an excerpt for critique. You will have to prepare yourself for possibility of some criticism, but you should try and not take it too much to heart (read all the info about critiquing you can find beforehand so you know what to expect). The idea is to learn as much as possible so you can develop your writing skills further.

If you enjoy writing - then write! Hopefully it is really good already and you will only need advice on how to polish it, but even if you discover that there is still a lot to learn - it will be a joyful process because you are doing this for fun and out of love and not because you have to.

And Welcome to the Crons!

[Sapheron]

You love writing? Then write your novel. By the time you finish it your writing will be good enough that you'll have a half decent redraft. Hopefully.

Hey, it's the theory I'm taking!

[Reyben]

Hello, Runya. I too am new here, and thus my advisory skills do not stand in the same sted as the veterans above. However, I do remember being in a mindset not too far from yours, not too many years ago.

My principle advice is a repeat of the common echo- write, and do not stop writing until you no longer have a pulse. This is the only universally accepted good counsil that one writer can pass to another.

I haven't submitted myself yet, but it would appear that this website is a perfect place for reviewal, critique and opinion. The anonymity of the forum is something many find emboldening, prompting a more cavalier, less tentative approach to displaying one's work. This is for the best, as a person's writing can only advance so far without external input. I myself wish I had come to this conclusion sooner.

Finally, finish your novel. As with many other things, the first time is always the worst. It really doesn't matter how good it is. As your first attempt, you will no doubt look back on it in later years and find it horribly primitive. This isn't important; whether the work is "good enough" or not is secondary and subjective. The important thing is that you finish. Becuase once you have written one, you will write another. And that will be better. And the next will be better still. There is nothing in the universe that does not deserve completion.

With luck, your confidence will attend to itself. Your voice is certainly promising. All you have to do is keep telling yourself: "I am damn good." Even if it's not true at the beginning, it will be by the end.

I'm afraid I've gone on a little bit, so I'll stop now save to wish you luck. I hope I haven't been totally unhelpful. Above all, this forum is a pleasant playground- calm but honest water, and as good a place to practice as any. So bring your pen, and we shall see what it can do.

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Runya

Hello everyone, you can call me Runya. I am 16 years old, and I love to write.
Right now, I am writing a novel, but I am not sure if it is good enough to be completed. I love the idea of writing a book, and my English is pretty good But still, I am so not confident if my writing is good enough to have a public. Any help with that? Any ideas? Any suggestions? Critics? Opinions? Whatever...? Whichever...? lol

Thanks for letting me have a little of your time

Love is all you need.

And a lot, lot, lot of patience.

I'm twice your age and I still have very low confidence in my fiction writing.

[Runya]

Thanks so much for all of your advice and ideas! I am soo glad I registered here. I will post some of my writing (really soon).

You cannot imagine how good it felt to read your posts!

And thanks Michael01, I understand what you mean. By the way, you made me blush ...

[Saeltari]

Welcome! Definitely keep writing! Read too! After reading some of the stuff that is already out there, you will know that you can be published.

And don't worry about hanging around here, the strait jacket I got has pretty colors on it... I spend hours just staring at the neat colors of my new jacket

[Runya]

Originally Posted by Saeltari

And don't worry about hanging around here, the strait jacket I got has pretty colors on it... I spend hours just staring at the neat colors of my new jacket

Umm... Saeltari, I really think you have a problem with writing coherent sentences.

Anywaaay... I like your jacket!! Pretty nice

[dreir]

Hello Runya, hope you enjoy your stay here

I'm personally taking the Sapheron approach. Or trying to, anyway.

They say I'm gonna get my own jacket very soon. I can't wait!

- Dreir -

[Runya]

Ok, I am really starting to think that you are plotting something against me! What's all that about the jacket?? O_O

[Saeltari]

Sorry, meant straitjacket as Chrispy mentioned above.
*staring down at his sleeves*

They are pretty colors aren't they...

[Runya]

Okay, okay... I got it... Hahaha! *Laughs out loud and blushes for not understanding the joke*