Hello! My name's Melyssa and I am brand new here!
I would just like to say hello to everyone and if you wouldn't mind, I could really use a little help.
I have just started writing a book (that’s the dream anyway) but everyone I know does not believe I'm any good at writing and my family laugh at my attempts. Normally I would follow my heart and continue but I must admit they are beginning to bring me down and making me think twice about even attempting again.
Out of all of my favourite author's homepages I have never found a group of people so supportive of each other as you guys and never have I come across such inspiring advice! So I would really appreciate a favour that I will return to all of you anytime.

I have posted the beginning of my story at

http://groups.msn.com/MythMagicandFantasy/writershaven.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=3048&LastModified=4675415675848062591


and I would be honoured for any advice you could offer me - and as much criticism as you like please, I would really love to know if I have what it takes.
Thankyou so much in advance for taking the time to read it.
Luv Melyssa

Melyssa, try not to let other people's opinions ruin your dream. If you believe in yourself and keep working towards your goal, then eventually everyone else will start to take you seriously.
I know, the same thing happened to me. It has taken years - I mean years - for them to finally have as much faith in my dream as I do.
Don't give up, brecause that will give all their doubts and lack of faith credence. You have to be seen to believe in your self.

If you love writing and stories come into you head without any invitation, then write and keep writing.
We all have to start somewhere. Every word we write down helps us improve. Every line of dialogue our characters speak sounds better, more real .

From reading your story you posted on that link, I see talent there. If you keep writing it will improve and you will develop your own style, your own unique voice.

One snippet of advice, if you don't mind, Melyssa. :)Try to tone down the "describing words" just a wee bit. Sometimes 'less is more' when writing. Readers have their own imagination. You do not have to describe things in such detail.

I think you should keep going. You have that gift to write in there, deep down. Don't let others drown it out.

deb

i didnt read all of it (sorry) but from what in read your writing had potentual and i must say with your family against you it must be really tough! my mother supports me all the way so my advice is get as much support as possible and this is the place to get it i agree with debs advice, you use a bit too much description but it takes months and years to find the style that suits you so my advice is to experiment! too much description turns peoples attention off, more action is more interesting (i hope im not being too blunt) less is more just like deb said. have you planned your book??? it helps if you plan it so you dont get lost along the way because your book has lost its direction. just keep that in mind and good luck!

Try keeping a journal. Any sort of notebook will do, and write in it, about anything and everything as often as you can. Cut out interesting newspaper/magazine articles. Read.

Ignore them. If you don't believe in yourself, why should anyone else? prove them wrong, consider it a challenge rather than a hindrance or ask them to do better.

Sk.

Melyssa!

Prepare yourself for a looooong hello!

So glad you stumbled upon our corner of the world. It is a great supportive group and we are always willing to share each others dreams and downfalls so we can help each other back up to our dreams again.

I read you story and your language is truly beautiful. Very poetic and imaginative. It really shows your love of the written word so it so spoke to me! I agree with Deb that sometimes less is more. I was always one who described every little flutter of an eyelid to the nth detail and have taught myself to rein it in. The story is the thing. Whatever does not propel the story and keep the reader hooked does not need to be there.

But, that can all be fixed in editing. Write the whole story, beginning to end then you can cut and chop and add as you please.

Join our book in a year PROJECT MUSE! Come and chat on Sunday nights at 7pm on this site and we can answer any questions you may have. Can't wait...

One more thing Lou has always reminded us is that once you have posted your work on the internet it is considered 'published' so no matter how much you want to, it's best not to do it as one day someone may want to make it into a real book and if it has already been given away for free...

Don't listen to anyone who tells you you can't do it. But do take constuructive criticism as if you want to be published one say there will be rejection, there will be revisions, there will be people who don't get your work. But above all of that is your love of writing, and the possibility that one day you will see your words bound between two covers on bookshelves around the world.

Hang onto your dream, honey and live it!!!

Alyson

Thankyou so much for all of your wonderful guidance and inspiration! I was just about ready to give up!
But not any more!
Thankyou all for your advice on my describing words - I was panicking thinking, "what if people read it and I don’t give them enough images to work with and they think my story is ridiculous?" So I suppose I went a little overboard to be on the safe side.
I think I let everyone get to me because I had never considered writing until two months ago, for no reason at all, a story came to me - so with no advice to work with I was beginning to take all the insults to heart.
I will defiantly be coming to chat this Sunday and I cannot wait to talk to you all!
Thankyou all so much again!
luv Melyssa

Melyssa, is this messageboard good or what ?  In the space of 24 hours you've had more encouragement that I think I received in my first twelve months of writing!  Times have changed, thank goodness, and we no longer need to be alone.  Sharing your dreams is hard, particularly when you've received such negative feedback about them from family and friends, but you took the chance to share them with us and I'm so very glad you did.

Writers are sensitive people, we have to be to create the characters and give them life, but that also makes us extremely sensitive to criticism, and you're just finding out how hard that can be to cope with.  I've found that the people most likely to try and squash your dreams are the ones who feel they didn't achieve their own dreams (so they don't want anyone else to either).  On this site, we're all living our dreams, writing and reaching for publication to give us that wonderful connection with the reader.  So you won't get any "get a haircut and get a real job" lectures here.  I promise.

I also agree with all off the above advice, and particularly that you should join PROJECT MUSE and share your ups and downs with us - let us cheer when you cross each 10,000 word threshold and commiserate when you've got the "muddy glasses" on and it all seems too hard.  Writing itself is a solitary job, but that doesn't mean you have to do the whole thing alone. 

I have a few pages on my website under 'writing resources' that you might find it helpful to read.  There are some how-to books there that I found invaluable, if you'd like to start thinking about that too.  But the best thing to do when you start to write is just write heaps.  That's the best teacher - practise.  And don't worry that it has to be perfect, just practise getting the story down.  As everyone else has said, over time your own unique style will develop and you will discover that your work will be cleaner and leaner. 

Beginnings are such exciting times...