A question for any writers on the boards...

[Spankymac is sick of the swiss]

I'm an aspiring writer, but I have a problem with a part of my creative process. Every day, I have about a dozen of what I call "prototype ideas", or ideas that come to me not fully formed, but with the potential to turn into something. The problem is, I have a major issue opening my ideas up to anybody, because I'm spooked that they're just not good enough. Has anybody else ever had this problem, and if so, how did you get past it?

[strykerdarksilence]

Keep a notepad, write them down in as much detail as you can, even minute things that might seem insignificant and every so often go back, read over them and see what you can add/develop etc.

If you keep said ideas all in the same pad too, you might find a concept or some point from one idea actually fits in with and can develop another idea. I've even been able to transfer characters in the past and turn 2 or 3 ideas into one more complete one.

It's very much trial and error, but you never know what nuggets will become useful or occur to you in a different way in the future so it's worth writing them all down for reference.

[Deleted]

Just write. Don't worry about how they'll be received or how far you can develop them, just write. The fact is, most ideas that you have will be of a fragmentary nature and, even if you want to flesh them out further, you are better off just writing fragments. If you keep at it long enough, however, you'll stumble upon an idea that you can develop to a longer length, short story, long poem, novella, novel, what have you.

Don't write a novel just to write a novel. A lot of people do that and they tend not to be successful at it. Find the right idea or ideas, the right characters, that practically scream "write a book about me".

As for feeling self-conscious about your work, don't look at what you do as an expression of your deepest being, look at them as just your work. If you want to be a writer, you need to be larger than the stories that you write. Don't make the mistake of defining yourself by your output.

[Ian Austin]

It comes with experience.

[Deleted]

Just throw those ideas out there, you're always your own biggest critic

[Kash Flagg]

Write them down. Work on the ideas and when you think its well formed only then do you show it to someone you trust. I very rarely ever show incomplete work.

[bob]

Jan 1, 2011 14:04:32 GMT -5 @akeem said:

Just throw those ideas out there, you're always your own biggest critic

yup yup

just expend on the ideas and let the creative process flow

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Jan 1, 2011 10:15:41 GMT -5 @irontyger said:

As for feeling self-conscious about your work, don't look at what you do as an expression of your deepest being, look at them as just your work. If you want to be a writer, you need to be larger than the stories that you write. Don't make the mistake of defining yourself by your output.

Bingo. The more pressure you put on yourself to make a magnum opus every time out, the less fun you'll have writing. I found that so long as I don't take my work too seriously, I can get a lot accomplished.

[Glitch]

It's ok to have fragments here and there. Eventually you put together fragments that seem like they might fit together. All one big creativity puzzle to solve.
The only thing that actually makes me worry is somebody hearing my ideas and stealing them. Doesn't matter how bad an idea is for thieves.

[i.Sarita.com]

The majority of peoples ideas suck, but they never know what will or won't without getting them all out there and getting feedback.

[Deleted]

Write all of them out until you reach a point where you say for each indiividual one "I like it" or "This sucks." If the latter, keep the idea stored somewhere if for whatever reason you want to modify it. If the former, keep working on it until it's totally fleshed out and you're happy with your result.

Also, find someone to tell your ideas to. They can give you feedback and help you develop ideas a lot better than if you just go alone, sometimes.