Sometimes the writing just goes slowly. There are people who write quickly, and people who don't; you may simply be in the latter category. The thing is to keep writing, keep plugging at it, until the work gets finished. I've had bad days and good days. I've finished long short stories in a few frantic hours, and written 65,000 words of a novel very slowly over a whole summer. But if you are producing, even slowly, you may not really be "blocked." Besides, if you are new to writing stories or books (whatever you're working on), the writing will tend to be slower than if you've been doing this for five years already.
One reason may be that you are trying to write it perfect.... whatever you come up with just seem short of that perfection you want your writing to be. It's okay to want to write it perfect, but remember it is just your first draft and you'll have plenty of time to perfect it later. For the moment just concentrate on writing the story down on paper. How do you go about it... I think people before me have given you enough suggestions.
I have a similar issue to Maureen myself. I have an internal censor that starts saying.. "should you really write that?" "Are you sure anyone would like it?" For me it's more self doubt and over analyzing than anything. Try to identify if you have an inner dialogue like that going on when you try to write. It sounds like you may be over-analyzing it and convincing yourself that it won't be good before you even start. You have to shut that out and push on through it. Best of luck.
I can definitely relate to that, I was dealing with the exact same problem before my novel really kicked off (I'm on Ch 2 right now, it took me forever to get Ch 1 where I want it but now writing my novel is a major addiction of mine). I call your current situation the Great Blank Word Doc Dilemma. It stems from the feeling of staring at a word doc (or in your case, piece of paper) thinking "Okay, this is where I start to write" and not being able to pen it the way you want it. The solution I found it, get your plot ideas typed out before you start to write, even though you may have it all mapped out in your head. You don't have to make it a summary or anything--I personally do "scene checklists," basically a bulleted list of events that will happen in that chapter, preferably listed in order, before I write the chapter. Having something typed out before you have to write is a helpful tactic, at least for me--it's a bit empowering to know that you have a word doc with some substantial stuff in it. Getting out a paper and drawing a plot diagram helps too. This way you can be more creative with arrows pointing from one thing to another and what not, which you can't do as free-flowingly as in a word doc. My problem was always picking a key scene to kick off the story with. You can always go back and add that scene later. I do advocate that it's best to start off with action or dialogue, not someone waking up and starting their day. Best of luck! If you need plot help or beginning help, then please PLEASE feel free to PM me!!
You may be putting yourself under to much internal pressure. What I would suggest doing is putting it to one side for a few hours/days/weeks and focus on something else. Either write a short story or do something which you really enjoy. When you do come back to it you should be more relaxed and the plot should hopefully flow onto the paper.
ok picture this. you're writing a scene, the biggest scene you've ever written and it's going wonderfully. you're in the best zone you've ever hit. then you have to go to work, in the middle of it. so you're happy because it's going so well, but in agony because it got interrupted. next day, you are trying to finish the scene and as you suspected it just feels horrible, the rest of the scene is just horrible because you can't get over the fact that yesterday you had to leave in the middle of something special. what would you do? should i wait until i'm in a better mood, should I try to finish it even though i think it's garbage. what would u do???
I personally wouldn't force it, but I'm the type to write whatever scene I feel like in my book, instead of doing it from Chapter 1 and moving on from there. If a scene doesn't strike me that day, I'll move on to one that does. That scene that was flowing so well for you that day may not "feel good" for weeks. But one day you'll have that stroke of inspiration again and want to write it. A suggestion: write when you know you had a block of time and won't have to be interrupted.
ugh i know but i just couldn't resist i had like 4 or 5 hours and i knew it was risky but i tried and of course ended up getting really inspired like right around when i had to go to work ha I almost didn't show up to work but then i might have gotten fired
your only problem as i see it is just making such a big 'poor me!' deal out of it... that sort of thing is a fact of life for writers... get over it and just write what you can, when you can and be glad you've any time at all...
Maybe delete it or rewrite it on another page? I find it helps if I start from the beginning of the scene again. Its heartbreaking to do but I can then get the flow back.
I am learning very quickly that life often gets in the way of passion. Very often. Pick yourself up, brush yourself off and go at it again. I would NOT, however, delete anything. If you feel you must start over...fine. Start over. But you may want to look back in a few weeks at the inspired writing and incorporate it back in. Or blend the two together. Writing ANYTHING is never wrong. It may be wrong for THAT scene...but it could very well lead to inspiration in another one. So stop beating yourself up over it (I guarantee it's not helping you get the flow back) and just keep writing. Happy typing! ~Bree
I found this very sound advice. I stil have a habit of deleting my previous drafts and scribbles, but I tend to end up wanting to reread something on...yep, -those- papers!
finish it. you can always change what you have written or just throw it out. it will not hurt to just keep going. Feel your pain...
yea you guys are right. I actually took a walk and stuff and i think that helped. i'm not in a bad mood anymore at least
Especially when writing a first draft, you have no obligation to write your story chronologically or have it make sense in any way, shape, or form. Personally, I just use rough drafts to "discover" the story anyway so I think I would be a lot better off if I could learn to just write whatever scene I feel at the time and not get bogged down trying to make my first draft publishable (or understandable). As long as write something at least vaguely related to your story, you are making progress. The worst case scenario is that you throw out part of it, but then you've at least learned what not to put in your story.
Hi there! I have read a lot of threads about people with writers block. I just can't really relate to that. All day I get ideas for my writings and all, but everytime I sit in front of my laptop or paper I shut down. All my ideas are gone and I have a black-out like when making a test at school... It seems I got cold feet when it comes to writing. I just chicken out, which is strange because I love writing (when it does happen) Does anyone here have the same problem? If so, what can I do about it? It is sooo frustrating! I know the story but can't seem to write it! Help!
Don't feel like you have to begin your writing (I mean, the actual story itself) the second you sit down. Instead, make a list of scenes you want to happen in the 1st chapter; make a character list; etc. Having some stuff in the word doc will help you get away from the "Great Blank Word Doc Dilemma," which can easily give anyone cold feet.
Look around this forum. You'll find several threads discussing exactly this problem. With any luck you'll find help there; at the very least, you'll find what a lot of writers here have to say about it. Good luck!
I'm not having writer's block or anything of the like (yay!) but I'm having a new type of problem -- I have some scenes mapped out perfectly, they really accelerate my plot and I love them, but I hate the way I write them, or the way my writing style looks with them I suppose. I'm not asking for help or anything. I know that the obvious solution is to just go back and tweak the writing so I like it better. But can anyone relate?
I get the same. In my head I can imagine very vivid pictures and scenes of what I would like to write, then ill write them down, read it back and it reads comnpletely different to how I imagined it. I just keep re-writing it untill im happy.
I find it easier to go into detail about plans and scenes before I actually start to write, so that I have got everything ready that I can refer to while writing.
I can completely relate. Often I'll write & think I'm doing a horrible job, like nothing is clicking and my writing is sloppy. Sometimes it will just be a case of stopping until later, and sometimes I'm starting my thought process in the wrong place. A very frustrating thing, when it happens, being too critical of yourself... Though, I think there's a fine line between being perfectly critical and too critical.
Coming up with ideas and living the scenes in your head is the fun part; actually sitting down and writing them out for someone else to experience is where the work begins. And you can fail at that work. Many would-be authors do. Easy to get discouraged, huh? But try not to. Like other people have already said, just put something--anything--into that blank document so that it's not blank anymore. (Easy advice to give, not always easy advice to follow.) Try not to think about the end game when you're starting. Your first draft will most likely stink, but you don't have to show it to anyone, and by the time you're ready to, it'll be so much better. So relax and just try to write. Even if you only put in an hour today, or shoot for two more paragraphs, it's still better than nothing. You'd also be surprised how often starting with a small goal can lead you into a full, productive day at the keyboard. We all know what you're going through. Take heart, and good luck!
I cant relate personally but i can relate as a know people who shared the same sort of problems in writing and drawing. I think the problem inside mostly and not in the text. Write more, learn to understand and love your strength and understand and wok on your weaknesses. And learn that the first sketch of any painting looks like some blurry gray lines that isn't particularly fantastic but they still is the foundation for any finished painting that might look fantastic.
