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I Want to Write a Novel

I actually want to write an entire series of novels. An epic saga. I am setting it in future and having different types of sci-fi technology as well as fantasy elements. I am also going to include political issues in it as well as metaphors and parables for race, culture, religion, philosophy and the meaning of life. I am naming some of my characters after famous figures from history. I already have a basic idea for the plot of the entire series. The main thing I am struggling with is creating the setting, making it detailed and realistic and specific plot events and dialog. I am trying to do research for the book so that I will know what I am talking about and can describe and imagine how things would turn out realistically in the novel. I want to know what I am talking about and not seem like an amateur writing about stuff I know nothing about. The problem is that I spend all my time thinking up ideas for the novel and very little time actually writing.

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UndeadPrivateer · 31-35, M

The main thing you have to realize is that everyone starts off as an amateur no matter how much research they do. You just gotta crack down and let go of the perfectionism for a moment to let the words start flowing, there's no reason you can't come back and change things later as your skills improve. Especially when it comes to something as long as a novel, you're going to have quite the time investment on your hands and plenty of time to come back and correct.

If you want some aid in brainstorming things and laying down frameworks or hashing out outlines feel free to drop me a line, fellow writer over here and always enjoy bouncing ideas back and forth. Who knows, we both might be able to gain something out of it.

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UndeadPrivateer · 31-35, M

Are you writing a bible or are you simply brainstorming in your head? And no, I don't mean writing a bible as in getting a divine message from god, it's an entertainment industry term for what's basically a setting reference book. If you're not, I highly advise that you do so. Bibles vastly improve writing consistency, it gives you something you can quickly reference whenever you're unsure of fine details in the setting or have forgotten something.

ThePaleHorseman · 26-30, M

@UndeadPrivateer: I am indeed writing a Bible for my story. I have most of the Bible in my head right now but I plan to write it down. What I am afraid of is that I will spend all my time on the Bible and little time on the story.

UndeadPrivateer · 31-35, M

@TheDarkness: Having it in your head is all well and good but the brain is a highly mutable thing and those thoughts are unlikely to remain where and how they are until you actually put them on paper(or in pixels, if you will). If you don't sit down and actually write them down then you're probably going to end up stuck in an endless cycle of deliberation and never even actually get around to the bible writing let alone the novels themselves. This is a pitfall I ran into a lot in my early days, though I've gotten significantly better about it since.

As well, you don't necessarily need the bible to be finished, in fact most bibles are never really finished and are just open-ended reference documents, before you get around to writing the novel. There's no real reason why you can't be writing both in tandem.

softspokenman · M

You are still young, I have heard, read, that many writers have taken ten years to complete and publish a Special book, working on it off and on. In the meantime writing many other things even other books. What is the setting that you are living in now and know best?

ThePaleHorseman · 26-30, M

I live in West Virginia but was born in Denver, Colorado. I want to set the book there. I am planning on making the book a kind of Neo/ futuristic western.

softspokenman · M

@TheDarkness: Go for it dude!

Ben100 · 61-69, M

Cool. I'm glad your doing this

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