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Help and Advice - New to here and writing

edited October 2017 in Writing
Hi,

Always wanted to write and having found myself temporarily unemployed, took the opportunity to do so. I have written a couple of short stories. Turned one into a book which I have entered into a competition. Now have the urge to write and have no ideas that I think are any good. Have I only got one book in me? Help and advice welcome. Thanks

Leigh

Comments

  • Read, then! Reading gives you ideas.

    Good luck - others will be along soon to give more advice!
  • Reading is important, learning how to edit to help make your book as good as it can be.
    Join a good writers group or critique group.
    Join in the One Word Challenge on here each month.


  • Now have the urge to write and have no ideas that I think are any good.

    Hi and welcome, Leigh. If you don't think your ideas are any good, how about trying some 'free' writing instead of plotting a storyline? Just start with an interesting/unusual sentence and see where it leads you. It doesn't matter if it leads you into a dead end because all writing is good practise and it might develop organically into a story with legs.
    It's all trial and error to see what suits you. I have always had the same problem when writing fiction and I solved my 'block' by writing non-fiction instead.
  • Hi Leigh.
    Have I only got one book in me?
    Nope. There are lots. All you have to do is find them, write them and rewrite them until they're good.
  • Hi leigh. Even newspaper stories are a potential source of fiction, or that person you spoke to at the bus stop. The seeds are out there, and if you've written one book you can do it again.
  • A while ago I had an article in Writing Magazine called '101 places to find writing ideas'. My initial draft had far more than 101 and I kept thinking of more as I worked to pick out those I thought would be most helpful.

    The list appears in this book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Story-Idea-Reader-Patsy-Collins-ebook/dp/B01N919UV0/ref=sr_1_1?tag=patscoll04-21&s=digital-text
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