Hi everyone.
I'm another newbie who found their way to this site.
I do have some experience of getting my work published, but mainly short stories for women's mags, magazine articles (fitness etc) and the odd piece for academic journals.

But now I have decided to embark on the big one - my first novel.
I realise that my novel may well be rubbish and I will have to make use of beta writers and editors even when I have finally got past the third or subsequent draft.
And I think it is this which is slowing me down right now.

Knowing how hard it can be to get a short story accepted, I am floundering on committing myself to a full-length novel, when I could (in theory anyway) be producing a whole batch of short stories, some of which should sell. So my brain is telling me to go the short route rather than taking the time, energy and stress in working away day after day at the novel.

Is this procrastination of the worst kind?
(I have to admit I am a great procrastinator)
Or perhaps I really should be concentrating on something I know I can be successful at, rather than taking the plunge into the deep end without knowing how to swim.

Sorry for the meandering thoughts.
And thanks for listening to them

Hi, and welcome

There's quite a lively Commercial Short Story group on WW, and I know at least one member (Petal) who combines womag writing with novels.

I suppose it depends on how strongly you feel you have to get the novel out there - do you think you would be comfortable with trying to keep your hand in on the short story front while progressing the novel?

Welcome to the site.

I realise that my novel may well be rubbish

On the other hand, there's no reason why it should be. Worry about the problems that might arise at the end when and if they do. If producing a novel is what you really want to do, then do it. You'll only regret not having tried.

Chris

Hi Allana and welcome to WW.

I wonder if it would help to think about WHY you want to write a novel. What does writing it offer you, that shorts don't? What would getting it published offer you, that getting shorts published hasn't?

You'll only regret not having tried.

I think this is the thing - you can only try. You can only find out whether you've got a novel in you - and whether you're a novelist in a longer term sense - by writing one.

I guess that if you're only writing a novel because it might make more money, then that's asking for trouble. But if you really, really want to write a novel... then as Chris says, you'll always regret it if you didn't give it a go.

What you could do, is think about the stages involved in writing a novel - each draft - and promise yourself to write a story in between each gap. The novel will always be the better for your having a bit of time away from it, and writing something else is one of the best way to get some distance from it, for when you go back...

I blogged here about all the little voices which try to get you to procrastinate, and here about how those voices dress up as other people... which might help you think that side of things through a bit.

hello and welcome to the orum

I don't have any advice, but it looks like the other members have given some good advice anyway.
Look foward to seing you around
Kirsty

Hi Allana

Welcome to WriteWords. Good luck getting started on the novel and well done for already managing to get other work published.

Hi again.
Thanks to everyone for your replies and sorry for the delay in answering. I am trying to catch up after we have had an 18-hour power cut (the joys of spending time in the mountains of Spain...).

Astrea, the Commercial Short Story group is definitely one I am going to consider, now that I know there is at least one person on there who manages to combine womag with novel writing. Up until now I was wondering if that would be possible.

chris2, thanks for your confidence in my ability to write a novel
And yes, I feel that I will need to keep the short story work going, because I have so many ideas for stories rather than just the one (probably one of my problems when it comes to writing the novel).

EmmaD, I am a silent follower of your blog, but will read those posts again. (my Inner critic takes on so many roles it is sometimes difficult to catch her out).
I will admit that one of the reasons I WANT to write a novel is because other people have said to me: "why on earth haven't you written a book yet?"
But getting away from the perceptions of others, I have planned out several stories which would simply fit better into a novel than into a short story.
I am finding that the more I write, the more I want to expand on my secondary characters and their lives. I already have this issue with a particular short story. It was almost ready to send off when I realised that the characters needed more consideration than the short structure allowed. But whether the expansion of those characters would make a novel-length story, I have yet to find out.

Kirsty, thanks for the welcome and I agree with you. I have already received some excellent advice.

Sharley, I must admit that the first time one of my short stories was accepted by a woman's mag I could hardly believe it. I walked around with a big grin on my face for several days.
I still like that feeling now. So perhaps, as Emma says, I could write a short story between each draft of the novel. That way I get more to smile about

Hi Allana and welcome to WW. I hope you enjoy your time with us.

If you've been happy writing short stories why spoil it with all the misery of writing a novel? Try talking yourself out of it! But if you can't then you know you have to do it. And imagine the size of your smile if it all worked out!

So perhaps, as Emma says, I could write a short story between each draft of the novel.

Sounds good advice - and also possibly between those book banging moments (see Toast's thread), if your novel gets temporarily stuck.