You're a PC and You're 8 Years Old?

[Vice Nebulosa]

Good job. :3 I have so much trouble with long-term projects. I've never finished anything longer than a short story. I want to write a book, but anything I start I get two chapters in (at most) and end up abandoning. :mog: Any advice on staying focused and such?

Well, this is actually regurgitated advice, but I have found it to be quite beneficial: become an artistic monk. Cordon off a regular block of time (at least two hours; 7:00 - 9:00 pm worked for me, on weekdays, and an additional session was oftentimes added on weekends; this summer, sessions would basically continue indefinitely after I was finished work, more than once reaching 5-6 hours in length *_*). The bottom line, in my case, was that my book would never be finished if my only writing took place when I felt "inspired". There will be ruts; there will be instances in which you do not wish to reside in a particular scene any more than your characters do. Similarly, there will be instances in which your writing schedule and inspiration align perfectly, and you will be reminded why the project is worth undertaking. ^_^

For me, my "focus" was maintained by making the alternative more unpleasant. Either I would write for two hours, or accomplish nothing; force yourself to stay alone in the room, in any event, with those two options comprising your only ones. Hopefully you may find this useful. There are many ways to approach this one, though, so experimentation is certainly not out of the question.

I'm not surprised you could do something like this. You seem nice and in love with yourself.

Oh, snap! :laugh: Right in the narcissism.

I was one of the writers for a production in my high school. Most of my ideas didn’t end up in the final product, and actually... funny story actually, I have to mess my sentence up to write it but oh well. Anyway, some of my contemporaries actually uh... I guess, whatever, they worried about me or something, so they clandestinely organized sessions for me with the guidance counselor.
What happened to fiction!
Whatever. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. So looking at the dialog and characters and all, I barely had any input; however, I like to think that the basic structure was all my doing (you know, so I don’t feel too bad about myself at night (shucks, and at day too)).

Not really sure what all this meant, but I think I have just witnessed the baring of a disturbing trauma of your youth . . . "Sullied and unusual" describes the feeling pretty well. <_< >_>

[Shoeberto]

I wrote a movie script at 18. It wasn't anything mind blowing - it was for a mockumentary - but there's still a lot of stuff in it that I find to be genuinely hilarious, even two and a half years later.

I guess the most important thing is to let yourself be open to criticism! But congratulations and good luck in continuing with it.

[The Space Pope]

I still think I should write that screenplay about a retarded slave and his wacky antics set in 1832 Georgia.

But I'm too lazy and gripping a pencil with hooves is hard.

[The Jamie Star Scenario]

ITT too much italics.

[Old Manus]

I should have known you were a writer, what with the consistently HUGE posts.

[Heath]

I used to write a lot when I was around your age but I would often get annoyed with what I wrote and would end up not finishing the damn things. I think twice I got to about 45,000 words before - for one reason or another - I gave up. There's an idea that I've had in my head for a while that I started writing a bit of last summer and I go and add bits to it very, very occasionally. I'd love to actually finish something one day. I think I'll try and finish it before I finish uni though. So a nice, open target of two years there!

[Vice Nebulosa]

I wrote a movie script at 18. It wasn't anything mind blowing - it was for a mockumentary - but there's still a lot of stuff in it that I find to be genuinely hilarious, even two and a half years later.

Never written anything in a documentary format, myself (the "mock" variety or otherwise); it is something I have occasionally wondered about, and invariably something I believe I would struggle with. I am averse to interviewing others with any degree of formality, for one thing (least of all strangers, which pretty much finishes me in the social documentary style, I guess :\), and I have generally found that I am able to express my ideas better in a basic prose style than anything else. I certainly enjoy viewing a good documentary, though; what was your subject, out of curiosity? Any chance of hearing one of your more humorous lines?

I guess the most important thing is to let yourself be open to criticism!

True, that. Despite the disgust that most of my information on the publishing industry has evoked, I am actually quite appreciative of legitimate criticism, particularly when it illuminates a weakness that I am completely unaware of. Yes, it would frustrate the hell out of me to have to rewrite entire chapters based upon someone's criticism, but I would ultimately be gratified that the offending flaw was located, and relieved when the situation was rectified. But I must agree with the critical assessment, and it is when discussions of publishing economics (wordcounts) or social trends (say, removal of a character who the public at large is unlikely to identify with) are involved that I no longer care to listen, as it is clearly not my work being discussed, but the publisher's concerns for his business. A good literary discussion, though, I am almost perpetually up for. ^_^

But congratulations and good luck in continuing with it.

Accepted and appreciated.

I still think I should write that screenplay about a retarded slave and his wacky antics set in 1832 Georgia.

I'd read it.

[Raistlin]

I've written a fair amount of short stories, and even started on a much longer work but it couldn't hold my attention for too long. I have to be in a writing mood to do much substantive, and those don't last very long for me anymore.

Congratulations on finishing, though.