The Cup Spills Over

I've finished chapter 4. (Yay!) Apparently I had planned too much for this chapter, so it spilled over into chapter 5. Maybe someday I'll gain enough writing experience to tell in advance when I have too much for one chapter, who knows. For the meantime, I usually can't tell until I reach a naturally conclusion or end, that's the only time I'll realize, oh, that's it for this chapter, time to move on to the next.

The good news is I have a lot of material for chapter 5, so I'm hoping that means it won't take me long at all. Also, although I discovered a lot of new things while writing chapter 4, only 2 minor tweaks were needed for chapter 1 and 2. Apparently chapter 3 is fine as is. I'm definitely rolling now with this story.

When authors give the advice of 'keep writing,' what they're talking about is this creative process I've been describing since the prologue. I know a lot of aspiring authors find that statement frustrating because it's like, how do I keep writing? Where do I get started? What do I write about? What are the guidelines?

And this is why I often remind people that creative writing is not a job, it's craft. Same as taking a ball of yarn and keep knitting until you have a finished scarf. Some people like to knit while watching TV. Some like to knit in the living room during family time. Some people prefer to knit alone. It's up to the individual. And here's the best news of all. Because writing is a craft, it's up to the individual to answer all questions for themselves. You are in control. It's your writing. Do what you want.

Other than spelling and grammar, there really aren't any rules. It's creative writing. The sky's the limit. And just keep writing ;)