During some writing sessions I feel like my content is just bland and flat. Yet, during other sessions, I feel like my writing is vivid and compelling. Is this normal? Is this acceptable? I realize that many parts of even great books might not be exciting, but they are essential for building characters and plots. My "editor" friend hasn't said anything derogatory about my plot so far, so I guess I have to assume that it's okay. She actually commented on how she liked the turns that it has taken so far.
Creativity in general is tied to ones mood and confidence. Not that one can't create when in a bad mood, but if you are in a particularly good mood for writing you'll have more fun with it and become less critical of your work. It ties in with inspiration and motivation: when you are inspired every idea is brilliant, when you're unmotivated they don't seem worth it. I'd say it's pretty natural. As for "acceptable", I don't see how it can be unacceptable, except to you personally. That's of for you to decide.
I think everyone struggles with this at some point, some more regularly than others. I can't write a single story without starting off thinking, "Yeah, this is really interesting," then thinking, "Oh gods this is atrocious," and then coming to terms with it. It's almost always tied with my mood when I'm writing (as the poster above me mentioned). Also, some scenes just aren't as interesting as others to write. Maybe they're not as fun, or as fresh, or you've gone over them too many times, or you're just not into writing about your MC's date with his girlfriend at the shopping mall, especially when nothing cool happens there, but it's integral to the plot (for some reason or the other). Whatever the reason, sometimes writing certain scenes can be a chore. But that doesn't mean reading them (not as the author, but as a second-party) has to be. I think it is the writer's task to make those "uninteresting" bits interesting for the reader. That's the truly tricky part about writing (well, one of them, at least). Plus, I find character development (as a reader and an author) to be very exciting in and of itself. Not everything has to advance the plot in some dramatic way in order to be compelling, vivid, or exciting, after all. Cheers, ~Christian
I can't give you specific advice from a writer's standpoint because I'm new to the game. I can tell you from somone who has studied a little bit of psychology that your state will definitely affect your work. It affects how you think and how you feel about your work. When I write, I make sure to get myself "pumped up" or purposly put myself in the correct state so I can write about the content at hand. Obviously, you don't always want to be in an overjoyous state. That could seriously damper a darker piece
I have to say that this problem is independent of my state. When I write, I write. My mood has very little to do with this problem. It's more about the aforementioned chore feeling about the content. Some types of content flow naturally, and some do not. If it takes too much extra effort to think about what I'm writing, it's difficult to get focused. I have this perception - or perhaps misperception - that "real" writers work flawlessly, and that all sections of their novels flow effortlessly from their fingertips. Of course, I'm also using a structured method to compose this particular novel, meaning that some things are unavoidable, as it's part of "the plan". Also, my mood follows what I'm writing, not the other way around. If I'm writing about a serene time, that's where I am in my mind. If I am writing about an emotional upheaval, that's what I experience in my mind. However, sometimes I have difficulty envisioning the whole situation that I am writing. Sometimes I have written what I perceive to be dynamite pieces on very simple subject matter. The idea that some chapters will just be a chore is a good way of thinking about it. Those chapters simply link the interesting parts of the story together. Thanks all!
I have to say that this problem is independent of my state. When I write, I write. My mood has very little to do with this problem. It's more about the aforementioned chore feeling about the content. Some types of content flow naturally, and some do not. If it takes too much extra effort to think about what I'm writing, it's difficult to get focused. I have this perception - or perhaps misperception - that "real" writers work flawlessly, and that all sections of their novels flow effortlessly from their fingertips. Of course, I'm also using a structured method to compose this particular novel, meaning that some things are unavoidable, as it's part of "the plan". Also, my mood follows what I'm writing, not the other way around. If I'm writing about a serene time, that's where I am in my mind. If I am writing about an emotional upheaval, that's what I experience in my mind. However, sometimes I have difficulty envisioning the whole situation that I am writing. Sometimes I have written what I perceive to be dynamite pieces on very simple subject matter. The idea that some chapters will just be a chore is a good way of thinking about it. Those chapters simply link the interesting parts of the story together. Thanks all!
I would propose that you ask yourself how you can enjoy writing those chapters which you do not feel inspired about. Figure out a way to pump some fun into the situation. Isn't writing supposed to be fun and exciting? I don't know about you but I hate chores and I'm sure that would show through in my work.
Yeah, I think if you have bits of your novel that you hate writing, then either (a) don't write them at all, cuz it will show, or (b) find out why you don't enjoy them and fix it. Most books I read don't have "boring" bits, so if yours does, it might need some fixing.
i know what you're talking about, and when i feel that way, i dont write. even if it takes weeks for that feeling to go away, because when i finally get a spontaneous urge to write the next section, it turns out better than it would have been had i forced myself. this is why i never finished my previous novel. parts of them felt like they were chores, and i forced my way all the way through chapter 2 (which was ironically enough titled "Work Ethic") just to get to the part i thought i would enjoy. oddly enough though, i didnt enjoy that part. so i never finished it. now all i can do is hope for the day when i'll want to write it again. so if you dont enjoy writing a certain part, get rid of it and think of something better. make the links more interesting. remove any illusion that what you're writing is essential to the story, because if you're bored writing it, they'll be bored reading it. dont get yourself stuck in the same rut i did, where i lost the drive to write it altogether before i realized that's what i had to do.
I don't think consistency in your daily work matters. All that matters is consistent quality in the final product. Some of might be your own perception of how you are working.
Thanks everyone. I plan to go back over the whole thing once I'm done with the first draft. If I still have the same opinion about what I've written then I will rewrite/change sections.
Actually, I plan to be in the mindset of a typical reader. If I'm reading my work and it looks bland and boring, I'll know that I failed as a writer. I've already come up with 4 chapters that I need to go back and add just from thinking about what I've got. Think of it as the mortar that goes between the bricks....
