On Plowing On Through

There comes a time while writing your Great American Novel when you will probably think that it is stupid.

Or, possibly, you don't know where you're going with it and why didn't you think it out ahead of time well it's too late now.

Then there's always, why did I start writing anyway it's a waste of my time because who will ever read it.

I know that I've definitely had thoughts similar to this. My work is junk, I'll have to start over if I want to save it, etc, etc, etc.

But you know what? This isn't the part of you that should be writing your novel. This is the very worst, the critical stick-in-the-mud voice in the back of your mind. Whatever you do, DON'T listen to it! It doesn't know what it's talking about! And if you listen to it, you could lose the passion for your story, and that's just not right.

You have to acknowledge that yes, there will be some completely crappy elements of any first (or second...or third...or sixty-fourth) draft. And that is perfectly okay. Because you can fix it later. Now is the time to get that story out onto paper (or computer) and not WORRY at ALL about what problems you run into. Now is the time to Plow On Through and see where it gets you.

Best of luck!

Inky

Resources

One of the most important things for any writer to have is a plethora of resources to turn to if they are in need of information. Here are a few of my favorite references.

1. Wikipedia. Look, I KNOW it's a wiki and therefore can be edited by that one and is therefore not good for looking up stuff for an essay or something that's supposed to be nonfiction, but say you need a list of places in England, or a bio of an author? It's good. It's veeeeery good.

2. Writers' Digest. The ultimate site to find all things writer-y, including articles on how to be a better writer, creativity boosters, and 101 Best Sites for Writers.

3. Baby Names. Having trouble naming your characters? Then may I recommend babynames.com. You can search for names of a specific origin, meaning, beginning letter, and many things besides!

4. Dictionary.com. It has a thesaurus, it has a reference, it has a dictionary, it has a web search! What more do you need? For wordy needs, this is a top-notch site.

5. Word Central. Along the same line but maybe a little more accessable than Dictionary.com, this Merriam-Webster-based website with a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a rhyming dictionary. It also has games, a build-your-own-dictionary feature, and a daily buzzword. This is fun as well as useful.

There are more, I'm sure, but those are some of my favorite resources.

Best writing,

Inky