Goodness- I haven't posted here in forever. Anyway, I've just recently moved into a new apartment so I now have my own space to write in (small office) which will GREATLY help me focus. Having said that, I'm just now coming to terms with my biggest issue when trying to continue on a single project. Here's my problem: I tend to over analyze my plots and characters. I think of it as excessive digestion. I can't help it. I think of a story that I fall in love with. Characters are born smoothly, their personalities grow along the way and I'm so into the story, it's very exciting. Then, slowly over time as I write a little here and there, think about it more, I start to just... fall out of love with it. Not that I don't like it anymore, but I grow bored. You see, this is how I work- when I think of a story, I think about it every waking second of every day, and I often dream about it too. I digest it, mentally, over and over again as if it isn't my story but a story written for me to enjoy. And enjoy it I do! But, over time, I suck all of the pleasure out of it by experiencing it over and over again until I simply do not have much interest in it anymore, making the writing process very boring and lackluster. I've tried altering my writing style so I just sit and write and let it take me away, but that's just not how I work. I can't do that-- I need (at the bare minimum) a rough skeletal outline of important key points and scenes that I'm obsessed with. I also can't possibly stop my mind from thinking about it, it simply will not work. So, I have a question... does anyone else experience this problem? If so, have you been able to overcome it? Does anyone have any tips for me (other than "just sit down and start writing, don't think it through before you do!", you little rhymer you)? Thanks!
Keep calm, take a few deep breaths and write whatever's coming to you. Sometimes it's good to just sink deeply into your thoughts, however do not mistake deeply with excessively often. Go for a little stroll outside and jog mindlessly for about half an hour. That should help
I think everyone does it to some degree or another. You just have to force yourself to develop some discipline. Ideas can come to fast for the story and often, though they sound great, the only way you can use them, is force it in. That's why I'll write ideas down but stick to the main story. Once done, if I can use something I'll add it, if not, I still have it to use in some other story.
If you can't get excited about your own work, how do you expect others to be excited about it? Being really into your work is a great thing. You have to understand that your mind works way faster than your hands. It's easy to ignore all the bad stuff and only focus on the good. We all do it. We all fantasize about being rich and famous, but we never think about all the hard work it would take to get there. There is no "easy button" in life. You have to be dedicated and you have to work your ass off. You simply have to "man up" (or "woman up") and just do it.
I do the whole living through my story and characters thing in my everyday life too. I have a job that isn't too mentally taxing, so I tend to ponder while at work. What I do, is think about characters as soon as possible. I rarely get bored with a character. Then I do a rough outline of my plot, a bare skeletal thing. Then when my mind turns to plot events, that's when I start writing the first draft of chapters. True, things might need to be changed, but once you get that first draft down, the initial enthusiasm is right there with it: the excitement, the suspense, etc. Even when revision time comes, it's easy to see which passages keep that enthusiasm, and thus to build on them from there.
i have that same exact problem. but consider yourself lucky because i can only think about this one story i feel as if im killing the characters that ive spent so long molding and when i try to something different i feel as if im betraying that story its weird i have an over active imagination when it comes to stories...
