Welcome to Gaia! ::

Wow, both the new members are just eager with questions and inspiring me with answes. wink

Anyways, I myself is constantly faced with the same problem. Basically what I do with something floating in my head, I get it out on paper.. mess around with it. Once I make something somewhat solid out of it, going in like with the meaning, plot, setting whatever (basically the basic idea written the way you want it with some filler- you know.. the stuff that makes the story, poem, etc. good).

Then show it to people. Get as many unbiased opinions you can. Not just family, close friends etc. Go ask some teachers.. random people.. coworkers. Because that is who you are writing for, along with yourself. If you question whether you like it.. go to the audience. See how they react.

I wrote a novel. And then I read it again, a year later.

I wanted to shred it too, but that's against my rules. And anyway, it's saved on my computer stare

But you know what? The next time i wrote a long story, it wasn't so awfully bad. and when I rewrote that one, it was pretty good. And when I rewrite it again, it'll be awesome.

Practice, darling.

I would say...make Kirby's rule. Never, ever, ever throw away something you've written. At the very least, you might re-read it, remember the idea, and end up taking it in a direction you actually like even though you hated it the first way you did it.

Plus, you can always edit.