Comments on: Just Write The Fucking Thing http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/ The online presence of British science fiction author Gareth L Powell Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:49:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Joey http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-47611 Joey Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:19:49 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-47611 Damn right. Best advice anyone ever gave me - "Don't get it right, get it written". Screw-ups are what first drafts are for! Damn right. Best advice anyone ever gave me – “Don’t get it right, get it written”. Screw-ups are what first drafts are for!

]]> By: Dean http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-47609 Dean Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:42:18 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-47609 Absolutely - writers write! That's the critical bit. I had a drawing teacher years ago whose best advice was to stop worrying about producing a masterpiece every time - it wasn't going to happen. Fear of the blank page is a killer. Get over it. Absolutely – writers write! That’s the critical bit. I had a drawing teacher years ago whose best advice was to stop worrying about producing a masterpiece every time – it wasn’t going to happen. Fear of the blank page is a killer. Get over it.

]]> By: David Griffin http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-47608 David Griffin Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:41:12 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-47608 Spot on, Gareth. That sums it up! One important thing to add though is, however important it is to edit in subsequent drafts, there has to be a limit; something I've only consciously registered relatively recently. Case in point: both my novels are decades old and I've been editing them ever since they were written. And despite a gap of almost 20 years without creative writing, 20,000 words into my third is still a pretty poor show. I read recently about Iain Banks whose first two novels never saw the light of day but he kept on writing... For interest, my new year's resolution (or something) is to polish off the third novel first draft in six months or less, and spend no more than another six months redrafting/editing. And do that every time: a novel a year. Yup, I'm convinced I can do it. One final thing, relevant to your words, is a YouTube video by Stephen J. Cannell I found a while back; your excellent advice said in a different way. :-) Spot on, Gareth. That sums it up! One important thing to add though is, however important it is to edit in subsequent drafts, there has to be a limit; something I’ve only consciously registered relatively recently. Case in point: both my novels are decades old and I’ve been editing them ever since they were written. And despite a gap of almost 20 years without creative writing, 20,000 words into my third is still a pretty poor show.

I read recently about Iain Banks whose first two novels never saw the light of day but he kept on writing…

For interest, my new year’s resolution (or something) is to polish off the third novel first draft in six months or less, and spend no more than another six months redrafting/editing. And do that every time: a novel a year. Yup, I’m convinced I can do it.

One final thing, relevant to your words, is a YouTube video by Stephen J. Cannell I found a while back; your excellent advice said in a different way. :-)

]]> By: Professional Proofreader http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-7991 Professional Proofreader Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:53:50 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-7991 Just write sounds so simple, but for some of us, getting over that perfection attitude is the most important step in being able to just write. Just write sounds so simple, but for some of us, getting over that perfection attitude is the most important step in being able to just write.

]]> By: Gareth L Powell http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5077 Gareth L Powell Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:18:40 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-5077 Thanks Deanna. I still struggle with my inner editor, but re-reading this helps me to keep going. Thanks Deanna. I still struggle with my inner editor, but re-reading this helps me to keep going.

]]> By: Deanna Schrayer http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5065 Deanna Schrayer Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:42:36 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-5065 Amen is right! Perfect advice Garth. I started writing my first novel about six months ago, but because I was used to writing articles or newsletters on such a tight deadline, writing wasn't my problem - I could do that easy, but I had a horrific time training myself not to look back over each page and correct errors, or even feel it was so bad I needed to start over. "Just write" sounds so simple, but for some of us, getting over that "perfection" attitude is the most important step in being able to "just write". And that's anything but easy. Amen is right! Perfect advice Garth. I started writing my first novel about six months ago, but because I was used to writing articles or newsletters on such a tight deadline, writing wasn’t my problem – I could do that easy, but I had a horrific time training myself not to look back over each page and correct errors, or even feel it was so bad I needed to start over.
“Just write” sounds so simple, but for some of us, getting over that “perfection” attitude is the most important step in being able to “just write”. And that’s anything but easy.

]]> By: teahouse on the tracks - StartTags.com http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-1951 teahouse on the tracks - StartTags.com Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:40:44 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-1951 [...] ... RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL. Leave a comment. Name (required) Mail ...Just Write The Fucking Thing | Gareth L Powell - science ...Someone contacted me via the comments on this blog and asked for advice on how to start writing a [...] [...] … RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL. Leave a comment. Name (required) Mail …Just Write The Fucking Thing | Gareth L Powell – science …Someone contacted me via the comments on this blog and asked for advice on how to start writing a [...]

]]> By: Twitted by keri_sqjtq http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-653 Twitted by keri_sqjtq Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:19:22 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-653 [...] This post was Twitted by keri_sqjtq [...] [...] This post was Twitted by keri_sqjtq [...]

]]> By: Greg O'Byrne http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-279 Greg O'Byrne Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:59:00 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-279 You should write a book on how to write with just one page.<br/><br/>"Just Fucking Write the Thing."<br/><br/>Awesome and actually inspirational.<br/><br/>Reminds me of what I tell my kids with regards to homework.<br/><br/>"The NOT-doing takes the time, the doing goes quick." You should write a book on how to write with just one page.

“Just Fucking Write the Thing.”

Awesome and actually inspirational.

Reminds me of what I tell my kids with regards to homework.

“The NOT-doing takes the time, the doing goes quick.”

]]> By: notenoughwords http://www.garethlpowell.com/just-write-the-fucking-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-278 notenoughwords Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:26:00 +0000 http://garethlynpowell.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/just-write-the-fucking-thing/#comment-278 AMEN! AMEN!

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