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Some good advice from Neil Gaiman

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Camilla
Aristocracy

Joined: 16 Mar 2005
Posts: 1021
Location: Valkenswaard, Nederland

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:01 am Post subject: Some good advice from Neil Gaiman

From his blog entry at http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2007/10/on-being-venerable.html

The question:

Quote:

Dear Neil, I'm having an odd sort of writers block right at the moment and was wondering if you had ever experienced anything like it. I wrote the first chapter of a graphic novel and handed it to my friend who is going to do the art work (he has a lot more experience than I do in the world of comics and graphic novels) and he loved it. His wife then told me that they both loved it and said some really wonderful things. I've barely written a word since then. I know the answer is just write, the answer is always just write, but I feel positively frozen in place. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much,
MB

The answer:

Quote:

I think the main thing you've learned is that you're not someone who can show things to people until they're done. And sometimes it can really throw everything off when people read a chapter and love it (or hate it) (or simply comment on it). Other people really need to have someone seeing something as it goes to drive them. You've learned that -- on this at least -- you're not someone who should be showing stuff around.

Suggestions? Put it aside for a few days, or longer, do other things, try not to think about it. Then sit down and read it (printouts are best I find, but that's just me) as if you've never seen it before. Start at the beginning. Scribble on the manuscript as you go if you see anything you want to change. And often, when you get to the end you'll be both enthusiastic about it and know what the next few words are.

And you do it all one word at a time.

Yes. And me too.

_________________
I really like rats
They are furry, cute and sweet
Delicious, too
~Camilla's Rat Haiku

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