Some easy ways to NOT finish writing your book

Hello to all!

Ever had one of those days when you have a marvelous idea for a novel, you can see the characters, almost smell the action and are full of enthusiasm? You charge into it, all guns blazing, and have a wonderful time.

For about ten-twenty minutes.

Then the rot sets in. The scene you thought would take up at least ten pages from start to finish is flat out generating text enough for three pages and,  furthermore, walks itself right into a dead end with no way out, apart from one that is  extremely lame.

To make matters worse, the hero is suddenly developing very unpleasant tendencies that you had never imagined, or, possibly worse, becoming a full-blown wimp! So how many times have you struggled with one or another of these scenarios?

Well, I know I have. So much so that several books, almost finished and in the fiction genre, are gathering dust on my hard-drive. Another problem I have is: if I have never experienced the actual action I am trying to describe, I cannot get it right. Tara Moss, take a bow for being brave enough to actually set yourself on fire and all sorts of other things to bring authenticity to your writing. You leave me gasping with admiration.

I really must be the only person who has not at least dabbled in Fifty Shades of Grey. But that is for the simple reason that sort of thing does not appeal to me. I just can't read that sort of thing, but good luck to the author. I wasn't wrapped in Twilight either, so I am either far too fussy or straight-out culture-deprived.

I also have a bad habit of taking a book I have really enjoyed and trying to create my own. Surprisingly it has worked quite well and I also have three of these on my hard drive, waiting for me to grow some courage and publish them. I mean, what could be easier? I don't even have to use my own name.

Nor do I have to worry for months on end as to where my darling manuscript has got to. No matter how many people have told me to stop worrying about it and get on with the next one, I still cannot completely shake this thought that it has been buried in some tomb, never to see the light of day.

You have to agree, it's rather a depressing thought.

I have touched on a few subjects here that I think are worth expanding in the next few posts.So wait around for them. I can guarantee you, they will not be rehashed old stuff.