How do you keep on it?

[jelly_bean]

Hey guys

I am a writer(an obviously amateur one), I do it for fun mainly and to release some of my creative steam. I write pretty well, too, as I am an avid bookworm and I get style ideas from the books I read. My problem isn't what to write, but how to keep writing. I don't think I have ever finished a story in my life. And it's ironic because on any given day I can think of at least one good plot for a story. A lot of times I'm overwhelmed by ideas! But when I actually start writing... yikes. I get stuck very easily and just do not know how to get motivated to continue and to finish it. It drives me crazy, not being able to actually finish what I start.

Any tips on how to actually finish off a decent-sized story?

 

[Eskarina]

I don't know about tips, but I can let you know that you aren't alone. I'm terrible for that.

 

[Eskarina]

Oh, but you can try getting what my university instructor refers to a "writing buddy". Someone you can share your work with. They can tell you if your stories make sense, help with editting, encourage you to keep writing, and much more. I don't like them though, because I don't like others to see my work if I don't think it's good enough yet

 

[Tariel]

First of all, at least write down the basic concept for all those ideas. You might be surprised to one day look back at all of them and discover that they're all part of one larger story (it's happened to me). At least you can come up with ideas; you're already ahead of several writers.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm only throwing out ideas. It sounds like though you have a lot of ideas, they're relatively shallow ideas. That's why you have a difficult time actually writing. I would suggest that you pick one and let it develop a little bit more. Once your characters are well-developed and you have a better idea of how the story's gonna work, I think you'll have an easier time writing it. Another thing is to GET ACCOUNTABILITY. Have AT LEAST one person (probably more would be preferable) who will get on your case if you don't have the next part done by a certain time. (That's why I'm posting my story Alurax on CF). If you will feel guilty if you're late, or if other people won't leave you alone, you'll feel more inspired.

Hope this helped.

 

[Joy_Everlasting]

Hey guys

I am a writer(an obviously amateur one), I do it for fun mainly and to release some of my creative steam. I write pretty well, too, as I am an avid bookworm and I get style ideas from the books I read. My problem isn't what to write, but how to keep writing. I don't think I have ever finished a story in my life. And it's ironic because on any given day I can think of at least one good plot for a story. A lot of times I'm overwhelmed by ideas! But when I actually start writing... yikes. I get stuck very easily and just do not know how to get motivated to continue and to finish it. It drives me crazy, not being able to actually finish what I start.

Any tips on how to actually finish off a decent-sized story?

We must be related! Or something of the sort... You have no idea how many first sentences I have scattered around in notebooks or on computers.

So yeah... I guess I don't have any advice, except the whole you're-not-alone thing, which has already been said.

 

[rocklife]

when I made an amateur comic book, I pretty much had a daily goal of making one comic a day. the comic was about 1 page long (8 boxes, then fill in the boxes, coloring was bonus). some times also bonus when they ran over to the next page (wow, 2 pages).

the daily small goal helped turn out a big fat book of about 80 pages, which is a lot for a teenager.

to do any more than that, usually the goal of getting it published probably motivates a lot of people, and setting aside time to do it daily, probably more than one page even and some books are filled with short stories, don't count that out.

these other tips here are interesting too, having someone else to read your work and help you with ideas and editing will probably make the work much better, I think that is what professionals do too.

in here, you can even submit your work in progess in the writing area, up at top, and get feedback. that might be helpful.

one last idea is maybe write down your original idea, and if you want to keep going with it, try writing an outline, maybe a very long one, then make a rough draft from that (if you want a long story, make the outline full of different things you want to include, and if you are drawing a blank, maybe submit your idea for sharing with others too)

 

[oncewaslost]

i usually just guilt myself into writing more. i don't know how i do it. like, right now i have the beginnings of a novel and i haven't touched it since the end of november. yes, i'm feeling particularly guilty about that one. graduation and life afterward isn't helping either. i only have time for occassional flashfic.

 

[Lessien]

Wow....Am I related to all of you?

I have trouble keeping writing, too. The only thing I can keep writing for is RPGs, because people grouch at you if you don't post enough. Not much help writing a novel, though....

I agree with Dragonflame. Accountability would definitely help. Also, listen to music that inspires you. It'll help you figure out where to go next.

 

[Eskarina]

See, you're far from alone jelly_bean. You just latch on to a couple of these tips and you'll be writing full-length novels in no time

 

[RobinOLocksley]

This is a very common problem. I've heard a couple of professional writers lecture at college and say they couldn't write for more than a few hours a day because it was so draining and that it took a lot of discipline to stay focused. They also said it was very important to keep writing every day.

I would say you should make a set time period each day to write without distractions or interruptions. Even if you can't write anything, think about writing your story.

Don't be a perfectionist. A lot of a book is written in the 'second draft' phase. If you try to get it just right the first time, you are more likely to get bogged down and lose your pace. The first time through can just be a rough story with plot holes and everything. By the time you finish the first draft, you will have a much better idea of what your story is trying to say and where it is going anyways.

Write about characters you love. If you care about your characters, you are more likely to want to continue their story and see where they go.

If you keep getting new ideas for little stories, try to incorporate them into the story you are writing instead of starting a new story.

Some people have said to have accountability to another person for motivation. I can see how that would work for some, but I think it depends on your temperament. Personally, I get discouraged too much, even by constructive criticism, so it works better for me to keep a work to myself until I've worked out all the rough spots that I can find, then show it to others and see if they can find anything more. By that time, I'm already so invested in the story that I don't get so discouraged.

Anyways, good luck!

 

[Tariel]

Wow....Am I related to all of you?

I have trouble keeping writing, too. The only thing I can keep writing for is RPGs, because people grouch at you if you don't post enough. Not much help writing a novel, though....

I agree with Dragonflame. Accountability would definitely help. Also, listen to music that inspires you. It'll help you figure out where to go next.

yeah...I think all writers are related at some level

 

[CelticRose]

Writing is not the problem ~ it's what is written that is the problem. Letters? Posts? Complete trivia? Not a problem. My beloved novel? Aaaargh!!! Careing seems to tie me in knots & does terrible things stylistically! In my procrastination I argue all writing is profitable & helpful in the long run; that's my story & I'm sticking to it.

 

[jelly_bean]

Oh, but you can try getting what my university instructor refers to a "writing buddy". Someone you can share your work with. They can tell you if your stories make sense, help with editting, encourage you to keep writing, and much more. I don't like them though, because I don't like others to see my work if I don't think it's good enough yet

Yes, I definitely want a writing buddy... but I'm so self-conscious I don't know who I could try and get help from. Maybe I could kidnap someone from CF

First of all, at least write down the basic concept for all those ideas. You might be surprised to one day look back at all of them and discover that they're all part of one larger story (it's happened to me). At least you can come up with ideas; you're already ahead of several writers.

I actually think of a lot of things in my head, which is probably bad but I've used and overused many notebooks, don't really have a central idea-headquarters for my writing. I know, right? Some are like, "I have no plot!" I'm like, "I have 50 plots and NO STORIES. BEAT THAT."

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm only throwing out ideas. It sounds like though you have a lot of ideas, they're relatively shallow ideas.

Oh, no, you're completely right! A ton of ideas I have, I either encorporate it into my story(novels are extremely long things, even just 100 pages, so the more little stories/events help a whole bunch) or it's just not enough to make an actual decent-sized story.

That's why you have a difficult time actually writing. I would suggest that you pick one and let it develop a little bit more.

That's my problem... I have no idea to really dig in and develop stuff. I'm just like, "HUGE ISSUE, okay, moving on..." either that or I ramble for ages and that's not good either.

Once your characters are well-developed and you have a better idea of how the story's gonna work, I think you'll have an easier time writing it. Another thing is to GET ACCOUNTABILITY. Have AT LEAST one person (probably more would be preferable) who will get on your case if you don't have the next part done by a certain time. (That's why I'm posting my story Alurax on CF). If you will feel guilty if you're late, or if other people won't leave you alone, you'll feel more inspired.

Hope this helped.

That actually doesn't help too much... I'm a devoted procrastinator when I really, honestly do not need to have something done. I've tried that, and yes, it did work... eventually. Or maybe I need someone meaner than last time. Yes, that's it! She was too nice.

We must be related! Or something of the sort... You have no idea how many first sentences I have scattered around in notebooks or on computers.

So yeah... I guess I don't have any advice, except the whole you're-not-alone thing, which has already been said.

Of course we're related Arrrgh, though. I'm sad to hear about great stories that will never be.

when I made an amateur comic book, I pretty much had a daily goal of making one comic a day. the comic was about 1 page long (8 boxes, then fill in the boxes, coloring was bonus). some times also bonus when they ran over to the next page (wow, 2 pages).

I did that back when I was younger, back in 5th grade. I made one comic a day (I still love you Venny the Venus Flytrap) for my English teacher, and I totalled like, over 50 comics and I was just ten. But what about actual story lines? How do you manage that?

the daily small goal helped turn out a big fat book of about 80 pages, which is a lot for a teenager.

Daily small goal with a writing partner.... hey, this could work

one last idea is maybe write down your original idea, and if you want to keep going with it, try writing an outline, maybe a very long one, then make a rough draft from that (if you want a long story, make the outline full of different things you want to include, and if you are drawing a blank, maybe submit your idea for sharing with others too)

Huh.... you have a good point there. I think I'm going to try and make an outline. Yay!

i usually just guilt myself into writing more. i don't know how i do it. like, right now i have the beginnings of a novel and i haven't touched it since the end of november. yes, i'm feeling particularly guilty about that one. graduation and life afterward isn't helping either. i only have time for occassional flashfic.

LOLOL. SEE??? sometimes you just have to feel guilty and that's it. That is why that isn't so foolproof.

Wow....Am I related to all of you?

I have trouble keeping writing, too. The only thing I can keep writing for is RPGs, because people grouch at you if you don't post enough. Not much help writing a novel, though....

I agree with Dragonflame. Accountability would definitely help. Also, listen to music that inspires you. It'll help you figure out where to go next.

Sis!

I know, that's why I adore RPGs. Because I get stuck so often, there are other minds working on it who have different and usually better ideas. But with books, you just don't really work like that. :S

 

[Lessien]

Sis!

I know, that's why I adore RPGs. Because I get stuck so often, there are other minds working on it who have different and usually better ideas. But with books, you just don't really work like that. :S

Yeah. Wish they did...sometimes. I kind of like having complete control of the characters and storyline, but sometimes I wish I had some help....

 

[Joy_Everlasting]

Of course we're related Arrrgh, though. I'm sad to hear about great stories that will never be.

Clone-liness! Actually, not many of them were very good once I thought about them. There are only two that I wish I'd kept working on writing down.

 

[Lessien]

Clone-liness! Actually, not many of them were very good once I thought about them. There are only two that I wish I'd kept working on writing down.

Yeah. The first...I think four novels I started were pretty awful. Only the one I'm plotting right now is any good.

 

[Tariel]

Yeah. The first...I think four novels I started were pretty awful. Only the one I'm plotting right now is any good.

Everybody gets some bad ideas....I'll let you guys be the judge of my current project

 

[Eskarina]

Everybody gets some bad ideas....I'll let you guys be the judge of my current project

Hey, don't leave all the judging up to others. There will always be people who don't appreciate your work. In the end, you should be writing for you.

 

[nowbeginsforever]

I'm a deadline girl. I did NaNoWriMo in November, and I was amazed that I could sit down and write every day. However, I didn't write a thing in December because I didn't have the motivation.

Come January, though, I hopped on board for JaNo. Since then, I've been doing a solid 1000 words per day, about two pages. I usually write it during school and then type it up later. But, somehow, my book's progressing (I've even started to call it a book, not a story or "that thing I'm writing). It's just a simple thing, though, saying, "Okay, you can do this. Just get 28k by the end of the month!"

It works for me.

 

[Lessien]

Hey, don't leave all the judging up to others. There will always be people who don't appreciate your work. In the end, you should be writing for you.

Yeah. I write fantasy, and I know that when my mom reads my current project (once I get it written down), she'll say something along the lines of "It's too weird." I know that that's her opinion and she's entitled to it, and that once my story is written down, I'll be the final judge of whether I like it or not.