I have a short story in my head. Almost fully formed in my head. It'll probably end up around the 5 or 6 thousand word length by the time I'm finished. I have the characters detailed so well in my head that I swear one of them keeps talking to me during the day.
But I haven't written more than the first 100 words yet.
The reason is simple. I'm scared that I won't be able to do justice to this awesome idea I have. I'm scared that my descriptions won't be able to express the images I can see. I'm scared that the story will come out flat and emotionless. I'm actually scared to write it. In my personal opinion, it's the first story idea I've had that seems "perfect" straight away. It's something that is close to my heart, but also something that I know others might object to, or find uninteresting. That's not new - my penchant for writing morbid apocalyptic fic often distances me from potential readers who are looking for fluffy or literary stories - but I want other people to like this as much as I do.
This is insane, I'm fully aware. I know that all I need to do right now is get the words on the paper and then I can worry about making them perfect afterwards, but it seems like such a daunting prospect.
The other problem is that while this is in my head, it seems to be pushing aside every other thought. So I really, really need to write it. Maybe I should just sit at my desk and switch off my brain and just write. Let the words flow and not even think about it.
Any suggestions?
Don't focus so much on the "writing" part. Think of it more as painting a picture, with words.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry at first about telling the story. Paint the picture first, then flesh out the details in revision later. Close your eyes, see it in your mind, then tell people what you see, almost like being on a therapist's couch.
Write the story for you first. Don't worry about how it sounds to other people. Make it say what you want to say, and if it's a good story, then it'll appeal to others. If it's not, well at least you have it for yourself to enjoy.