So I spoke too soon, Plot and Structure was in fact good for something.
I made my first actual plot outline yesterday and filled it in – it’s a little shy of 10 pages long. Brought attention to one gaping hole that I need to fill in (I think I can, I think I can). Brainstormed for a bit, but got discouraged and put the laptop aside.
I don’t know if it’s the typical dark cloud that slides over me every Sunday (or Monday on a long weekend) night, but I am starting to doubt myself. Yeah, I know. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just put black on white, no matter how much it sucks, and make it not suck later. But still. It’s not like my attempt at the career I was “supposed to” want has really been all that successful, who’s to say this writing thing will be any different? I’m getting all intimidated by the myriad who have gone before me – what if someone, somewhere, has already had my idea and published it? How am I ever going to manage to be as good as So-and-so? What if I can’t manage to stand out from the crowd? And so forth.
It just sucks because I feel much happier and more motivated when I’m writing than at any job I have had. I love to write. I just don’t know how good I am, or how marketable my writing is.
Almost certainly every idea ever had has already been published in one form or another. You almost certainly, on the other hand, will develop it in your own individualistic style. The story will be wholly yours and the characters will be made flesh from your very soul.
Comment by Stephen — February 7, 2007 @ 4:43 am