Finishing what I start

by Elizabeth
(US)

I have been attempting to write a book since the 8th grade. I love reading and writing books, and i get ideas for stories EVERYWHERE! it seems like everytime I start a book i get an idea for another book. I am now in the 11th grade and have yet to finish one of my ideas from begining to end. Do you have any clue as to how I can avoid this problem?

ANSWER

Yes, ideas are everywhere. But they're not easy to write into book form. Writing a book is a long process that requires special skills and a lot of perseverance. If you have not studied creative writing, you may be running into problems because you don't know how to sustain the momentum you begin with.

Start by developing a strong character, and place that character in situations that test his or her ability to get what is desired. Read the articles on this page: https://www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-help.html, particularly the ones about writing scenes. Choose a story idea and stick with it. When a new idea comes to you, think about how it can fit into the story you're working on, with the characters you've already created, and write a scene about it. Choosing one idea and sticking with it is important, or you will have a lot of beginnings and nothing else.

If you make everything fit into that story, before long, you will have an accumulation of scenes that you may be able to shape into a book.