That's funny. But yeah, it also sounds true. I see there is a 'for fun' thread on the forum ...the 6-word story. My response is "Why?" That might be useful if you're learning to write newspaper headlines. But that doesn't teach you to write stories. It encourages a certain kind of cleverness—which in this day of 140-word online profundities might be useful. But it's just a game, isn't it? It's very short-term writing, and, as you say, relies on hints to convey a meaning. I don't see it as being very helpful to any writer, in the long run. I don't see verbosity as meaning 'lots of words.' I see it as taking lots of words to convey a simple idea. If you use lots of words to convey lots of complex ideas? That seems normal to me. I like the author (can't remember who it was) who reacted to a request for a synopsis by saying, "If I could have told my story in 500 words, I wouldn't have bothered to write a novel."
I play in the six word stories thread from time to time, but yeah, that's not a very instructive place to live. On the other hand, I have been slogging through a Lovecraft story for... I don't know how long. It's the one about the guy who goes into a lucid dream to reach Kadath in the frozen wastes, and it just goes on and on like Howard was getting paid, not by the word, but by the number of readers who just gave up. As a reader, I like flash fiction because I'm quite often busy, and the opportunity to read a short story in a short break is very appealing. As a writer, it helped my problem (not speaking for or to anyone else) of just vomiting unconsidered words onto the page by forcing me to think about the use and impact of every single keystroke. Now, however, I need to break free of some of those restrictions and be like Bob Ross, just slinging paint (or ink) around the page, confident that, overall, I can produce what I want, even if every stroke doesn't align perfectly. Maybe I need to do a reverse timed exercise: Turn off the monitor and write for an hour, no breaks. Huh...
Newbie, here! Based on the title of your post, I was going to suggest writing some flash fic. Oops. Now, I got nuttin'. Um... When I am supposed to be writing, I usually go to my writer's Twitter page and find some stuff to re-tweet, or maybe find something to put on my blog. Maybe you could spend some time on self-promotion/preparation for promotion?
With regards to word count, you do have to be mindful of it if you plan on being published, because you need to keep track of pacing and making sure that your novel is at the appropriate length for its genre (for what a publisher would be willing to work with). If you're writing a novel that has pages and pages of boring descriptions of each item and clocks in at 400,000 words, or if a middle-grade novel takes 20,000 words to even get to the point about what the plot is going to be, then there's an issue. Likewise with if you come up painfully short. Obviously it's stupid to get so hung up on w/c that you're writing crappy filler just to hit numbers, but it's also unwise to completely disregard it. Unless you're still in an exploratory stage and are just looking to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks, which is a great way to come up with ideas when you're still fleshing something out. If you're bored with your story, you won't be as creative on it, and the readers will probably be bored too. It's probably a sign that the characters are too flat, the plots are cliche, there's not enough suspense or action (or even if there is, it's flat) etc. Solution = make less boring (if you're far along) or just scrap it (if you've just started).
I am happy to report I'm slowly getting back into writing. i don't know what did it but what ever i did worked
I'm not sure how well this will work for other people, but for me personally, I write the first and last paragraphs of a chapter before doing anything else. This, more than anything else, motivates me to follow through; basically, I'm taunting myself with a hollow page that I need to fill. I feel motivated so long as I have a definitive finish line that is always visible.
It had taken me by surprise; I never anticipated how hard it would be to re-train my brain and writing voice to operate in such a vastly different way. But it's exciting! This conversation with you has really helped me unpack some of the things that were going on in my mind without me being aware of them. I feel much less frustrated with myself now; more aware of what I was actually struggling with, as opposed to what I assumed was inexplicable boredom. So, thanks for coaching me through that self reflection process! I'm delighted to go back to the drawing board with a renewed understanding of self and with fresh eyes to try a different approach with my project. Pretty much, yeah. "Make less boring, or scrap it." I mean. That's just disheartening 'advice', isn't it. I'm not sure if you read the entire thread before commenting, @FireWater , but I became quickly aware during the conversation that I had been mistaking feeling overwhelmed and rudderless with feeling bored. The story itself isn't boring, not does it deserve to be thrown out. I needed to find my feet, get my perspective back and gain some confidence in my project and myself. Given you don't know anything about my story, to say my problems are probably "flat characters", "cliche plots", and "insufficient or flat suspense/action" is assumptive, discouraging, uninspiring and, frankly, wrong. Thank you for offering your insight, though. As with all advice I receive from anywhere, I do weigh it up to see if there's is anything I can take from it. And when I assessed my story in light of your advice, it was satisfying to be able honestly to say that the story has a real live pulse of life. I'm happy to say that your assumptions on the flatness of my story helped me recognise that it is a fantastic story that I am honored to write.
I am an absolute sucker for the picture that emerges during the process of writing. I have a good imagination, but during writing itself all gets sharpened and draws breath. The blank screen fills with a person as the words shape him/her out of the void. That's not to say that the words are perfect, or say perfectly how that person wanted to express himself Writing itself is it's own goal. But maybe that's just me.
If you are anything like me, setting some time aside to focus only on writing is not enough. I have to have a clear goal for that time. However, instead of setting a page/word limit for that time, I focus on a certain goal for that time. What do I want to happen next in the story? "Okay... Shalazar needs to die... I can sleep when Shalazar dies." If you're an outliner, I think this is a good method to try. I am a heavy outliner, and if I don't use this mentality, I would only ever outline.
It's a fallacy to assume you can't put words onto the page because you are unmotivated. If that was the case, why sit down to write in the first place? Ask yourself how many novels/short stories of any draft number have you completed? If the answer is zero, it's possible the real reason you don't put down words onto a page is because you don't know how to write stories (or are not conditioned). Plain and simple.
"You can do it, son. " "But Daddy..." "No, buts. If you believe you can make it all the way to that island. You can. You just put one arm in front of the other. There's nothing else to it." "But I don't know how to swim."
Ladies & Gentlemen, a shark in the kiddy pool. Please evacuate one moment, I'll fetch a lifeguard. Keep writing everybody.
i'm a daydreamer. i have a penchant for randomly staring off in to the distance because i suck at staying focused on one linear task for more than 10-15 minutes, and from a clinical perspective you might say i have ADD. so it kind of follows that i like to fall in to fantasies in my own head. it's a wonder that i'm not in to renaissance role playing or comicon cosplay, really. for me, writing is fun because i like to take all of these ethereal ideas that spin and float in my head and make them something tangible. it may be a random moment, or it may be the beginnings of a novel. i have no freaking clue. but the point is that i don't force it, i just let it happen. the minute i try to bend my will around it, the spark fizzles out. that said, the biggest lesson i've learned so far is to stop thinking about what i "should" write. when i sit down at my computer and think "i'm going to focus on X character today," that's the surest way to shut down all creative juices. the greatest challenge i've come upon is creating some kind of structure to work within (so my book becomes an actual book) while still giving my brain enough free license to zip from idea to idea like a caffeinated moth.
Good, I am glad that you're confident in your work. I'm sure it's great. I hadn't read the full thread, and didn't mean to personally give you a middle finger in any type of way. I admit I may have posted in haste with a bias due to reading other threads from people bored with their WIPs who didn't have their shit together anywhere near as well as you do. Hope you can forgive me I can relate to feeling that way when you've been working on something for a really long time. As writers, for some of us, it can be easy to tack on these huge expectations, like a Stephen King-style "write 2,000 words a day no matter what!" type of self-pressure. Also, other people -- both writers and non-writers alike -- can make it seem like you have to be in love with your work every single second, or else it's wrong. It's okay to need breaks sometimes. Either to let your work breathe, or just because you're busy with other parts of your life and can't always keep up everything at once. Taking a break for a little while (whether it's a few days, weeks, or longer) can help you feel more naturally excited about it again in due time, instead of thinking of it like some kind of school project or work report that you "have" to do. That's totally normal and valid. I wish you all the best, apologize for my previous hasty judgment, and hope I didn't piss in your cornflakes too much. Happy writing yo.
Let yourself waffle. Details can be deleted much more easily than they can be added, so even when you feel like you're waffling, if that scene seems important to you at the time, write it. I always have some part of my story that I'm aiming for, like a major plot development, and I often want to just skip to them and write them out. I used to let myself skip to those scenes, but what that caused in me was a feeling that all the connecting bits were boring or insignificant. Instead, I now just keep that scene in mind and enjoy the journey up to it. That scene's changed more often than once, and sometimes it bounces around in the future and a better one sticks where it used to be, so it's worked out very well for me (but I'm very much a pantser). Try forcing yourself not to write out those scenes--maybe just do a basic summary so you don't forget important details--and focus on the getting there. That scene will act as a reward and will encourage you to continue to the next reward.
No hard feelings! Thank you. This was actually really encouraging. Thank you! And my cornflakes are doing just fine. I appreciate you taking the time to consider my response and reply respectfully! Sorry if I snapped back a little harshly. (Ah, the joys of written communication...) Isn't it ridiculous, that we sometimes need to feel like we have been 'given permission' for something like this? And yet, your response has just made me feel that bit more like it's okay for me to relax and let my writing take its course without having to be or do anything special or remarkable or 'get it right'... I like your idea about using the interesting scenes as a reward to work towards. I think I might employ that tactic and see if it helps change the way I feel about the in-between journey.
I've been in a writing funk for quite a while now and the things I normally do get myself out aren't working this time. So I'm asking you to share what you do when you find yourself in a similar situation..... I write paranormal romance, and this is where I'm having the mojo issue. I just need to jumpstart my writing in general, to get ideas and scenarios flowing again. I can take it from there......... Thanks
Depends on why you are in a funk - all of them have different solutions for me. - Overload from a just finished scene: Wait it out and sharpen the picture of the next scene in your head - Scene wants to play out a different way than you thought: Write as it wants to be written and adjust *shrug* - Something doesn't sit right with the prior storyline: Find the solution and adjust *shrug* That's pretty much it I'm afraid. My own 'funk's can all be categorized in the above. Sorry for not being more help.
Have you tried taking some time off from writing your story? I personally find that the best way to get you inspiration back is to put your work on the back-burner for a while, and do something else that you love; go take a nature walk (if the weather permits), do some yoga, origami, work on another story, anything to get your mind off the writers block. Don't write unless you feel inspired to again; forcing yourself to do so won't help. It will come back to you in time.
(furiously folding paper, teeth grind, sweat flies) "Swan my ass!" (crumples paper, gets up, makes drink)
Have you tried gathering material from other sources? There's a great article on this very website about where ideas come from, located here: https://www.writingforums.org/articles/where-do-ideas-come-from-ill-tell-you/ It encourages you to look in unlikely places for inspiration, since the major way people create is combining two existing ideas into one new one. Since you write paranormal romance, why not look waaaaaaaay outside the genre at something like history or a crime thriller? You might find something in those genres that, when you apply it to your own, gets you eager to explore and write about it!
It really is ridiculous! But that's why we've joined a community of "permission givers". I'm glad I could help, and I hope you find your sweet spot soon!
