Comments on: Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 33: How To Not Be Overwhelmed

By: bobman

bobman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:56:08 +0000

I like the G.I. abbreviation for “Golden Idea”. It’s also the abbr for gastrointestinal (ie. digestive tract). Metaphor: The longer you sit digesting your Golden Idea the more it turns into crap. Just get it out early and free yourself up for a new idea!

Thanks Writing Excuses hosts! This podcast (series as well as this episode) has been very educational and inspiring for me!

By: Tyson P

Tyson P — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:02:47 +0000

For me the problem was trying to get it right on the first try. I believe one of you mentioned that in the podcast. I was able to get over that by participating in Nanowrimo last year, as a few other posters have mentioned above. That got me to just write and not worry about quality. One result was a 66K word first novel that needed a lot of work, but another result was the sense of accomplishment that I could actually do it. Now I’m doing a rewrite and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s okay if it isn’t any good. I can always scrap a chapter and rewrite it. The new problem for me is trying to judge between good enough to move on, and needs to be rewritten.

By: Raethe

Raethe — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:31:26 +0000

Mike: It doesn’t quite, no.

By: Tami Richards

Tami Richards — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:49:22 +0000

I will have to admit that I am one of those aspiring writers who has been working on the same story since my senior year in high school (13 years ago). The reason being I had to set it aside to pay attention to events going on in my life during those years. High School graduation. Parents divorce. Mission. College. But even with all that going on, I still kept at it. As I did, the story evolved into something I believe and hope is better than what I started out with. The original idea I had was this. Four friends go camping, they go swimming in a lake that is laced with toxic waste. lightening strikes the lake causing them to be cursed with immortality. As the years passed I began thinking about this original idea and one of the questions I had asked myself is: Why are they immortal? I was also working on another story at the time and my brother suggested that I some how connect the two books. So with the question ‘Why are these people immortal? and the idea of connecting the two stories sparked more ideas and eventually evolved into what I am currently working as well as fueling more story line ideas. I am actually hesitant to say what my current idea is. I am quite protective of my work and usually only share it with my husband and close friends, which is a flaw I know I need to get over if I ever hope to join a writing group.
As far as being overwhelmed is concerned, I actually don’t feel overwhelmed. My biggest fear, if I ever publish, is that I will be successful. I’m not saying that I’m any good or think that any publishing companies will want to publish what I want, in fact I think the opposite. But I am going to continue writing, because it’s fun, and at least pitch my stories to different writing companies, just to see if any will publish my books.

By: Mike Barker

Mike Barker — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:46:19 +0000

Thanks, Raethe. I should have known… although burning the digital lighter at both ends just doesn’t stretch the analogy quite the same way, does it?

By: Raethe

Raethe — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:53:59 +0000

No. It’s a digital lighter.

By: Mike Barker

Mike Barker — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:49:43 +0000

Wait a minute, Jen. It’s not just your fix. We’re all hanging on by the edge of our fingernails here, waiting for the golden words, the injection of wry humor, the mental stimulation that starts the week and tells us that it will be all right… Do you suppose it’s a test, to see just how addicted we’ve grown?

Let’s just quietly join in a chorus of that old camp song…

Where have all the writing excuses gone,
Long time passing?
Where have all our episodes gone,
MP3 players waiting…
Where have all the writing excuses gone,
Long time passing,
Young writers butts in chairs,
Hands on keyboards everyone
When will they ever learn,
When will they post the new episode…

Is there a candle flickering in cyberspace?

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:58:52 +0000

Wah? Where’s Season 3 Episode 1?!?! I need my WE fix!!! My entire life has been turned upside down into a bedlam roil of chaos! This is the worst Monday ever!!!!!!!!!!!

(Did I mention that I borrowed the Hyperbole Machine from The Onion?)

By: Clifton Hill

Clifton Hill — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:25:36 +0000

Great advice. I know I had to put my own Golden Idea to bed for a while as I work on short stories connected to it to help me figure out exactly how I’ll get through the Golden Idea. I know where I want to go with the story, but getting there for me is the difficult part as I want it to be massive, incredible, exciting and different.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:46:13 +0000

Glad to hear the reassuring things you guys have to say! I’ve been throwing away or revising my ideas for ages. It is nice to hear I’m not just completely retarded (as a few siblings have said when I tossed work on the second volume in a trilogy because the first volume came out lacking).

Thanks. Time for me to get back to writing SOMETHING.