Hey, I'm Lena, 17 y/o and I write stories since I was in elementary school. It's just that I struggle with a few things and I thought, maybe being active in a writing forum could help, because I really like the concept of helping one another! (I write in german btw, sry if my english grammar is lacking) What I struggle the most with right now is the beginning. It's not that I don't have an idea or that I don't have a plot. I do have almost everything - like not too planned out - just the right amount you need to have to start writing. My idea is a gay romance / fantasy book about a pirate and a prince plus it's enemies to lovers btw. I love my story and in my head I'm so excited every time I think about it. I just need to start writing. Which is the problem. I'm scared to write and I don't know what to do. The last stories I tried to start writing ended like this: I wrote a few paragraphs and then I didn't like it and stopped. It didn't bring me the same joy like it used to. I didn't enjoy writing it. I wanted it to be perfect but it wasn't. I felt like I couldn't write anymore. But I loved writing once so much, still do in my head, in my heart, but when I start, instead of joy, there's just anxiety. From the moment that I think: "after that, I'm going to open my writing program to start writing", my body starts tensing up, my stomach aches and my body signals me: I'm fucking scared! That it won't be good, that I won't be able to write more than a few sentences, that my brain forgets how to write, idk. I know, the first draft is mostly always shit, I know that it's okay to not be content with it in the beginning, I now all of that but my body somehow doesn't understand. I used to love writing so much and I still do, it's just that I'm scared and I don't know how to fix it. It's been like this for almost 1½ years now and the only thing I was able to write during that time was poetry. My new story idea is great but I'm scared that it won't be great anymore when I start writing it. Does anybody have an idea how I should deal with this kind of problem? Cuz I don't know what to do anymore. I thought it was just a writer's block. But it's been so long and I just want to write but at the same time I feel like I can't... helppp
Hi Lena, and welcome to our little forum. One thing that can help a lot with anxiety is to realize that what you put down in the beginning is just a rough draft and will get edited, probably several times. It doesn't have to be great. In fact often if I don't know what to write for a certain part I'll just throw down something that's more like part of an outline than an actual story. Meaning I'll just write basically what needs to happen in that part. Especially for the beginning. Beginnings really can be difficult, because you want it to be really good and pull people in, but you don't know what to write there yet. That's ok. Usually writers don't come up with great beginnings on the first draft. I just throw something down to get the story started, with the knowedge that I'll be able to write up a better beginning later, usually after finishing the first draft (or possibly the second or third). Until you finish at least a draft you don't really know the shape of your entire story and the themes and ideas in it. You know what you might want them to be, but that isn't always what ends up on the page. So I usually don't worry about a good beginning (or any other part really) right away. Just throw down something that basically works, no matter how silly or bad it might be. In fact, I've heard it said that often the last thing that gets written for a story is the beginning.
Well, your English is very good. As for the rest, welcome to being a writer. The thing is to remember that writers write. Don't overthink the first draft, simply start. Easier said than done, I know, believe me. But it's obvious that you are a good writer.
I moved Xoic's post into this thread from the identical one you started in the General Writing forum and deleted that one. One only thread per question, please.
I'm sorry, I'm new to forums and I thought the question might fit better in the General Writing forum but I didn't know how to delete the other one. Thank you for moving the post
Thank you so much, this really helps me a lot. I'll try to keep that in mind and not to overthink, which is a bit hard for me bc I'm a perfectionist, but I'll do my best. Thank you for the advice ^-^
Hello and welcome to the forums! What you have described is not uncommon to the writing experience. Writing is hard. I know I have felt overwhelmed myself as I begin a new story. But it's important to remember it does not come all at once. For me at least, it is a slow step-wise process, and the most important thing is to just keep on going. I surprise myself sometimes with the things I come up with as I am writing, but it doesn't come all at once. The anxiety probably comes from making perfection your goal. Instead, make getting words on the page the goal. And remember that you can always edit!
Hey Lena, I'd be surprised if there isn't some struggle with writing. I always feel like I never have enough detail in the right spots for my stories. Whenever I feel like this is the case, I'd leave a little note for myself to go back on and edit once I finished the rough draft of the story. And, like Xoic said, there's always going to be edits following this rough draft. I usually make it a habit of going through my work at least twice before I can consider it finished.
Twice you say? I do it at least a dozen, if not multiple dozens of times, making small edits along the way each time, and mark areas that need revision or bigger edits to spend some time on. And sometimes I just start the whole story over with a new tone or feel to it. I've started some stories over several times because I realize the tone isn't quite right, or I need to change some things about a character or two.
Welcome to the forums, Lena. May I suggest you check out Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way. You can find a free pdf here: https://ia600209.us.archive.org/12/items/the-artists-way-julia-cameron_202403/The_Artists_Way_Julia_Cameron.pdf I'm not enthusiastic about some of Julia's later books, but this one was revolutionary in laying out a clear plan for overcoming creative fear. The full title is The Artist's Way: A Course inDiscovering and Recovering Your Creative Self. Based on sixty years of writing experience, my best advice to you as a beginning writer is write to entertain yourself. It does not matter if your writing isn't great right now. All that matters is that you put words on the paper regularly (known as practice) and learn to enjoy the process of writing again. Doesn't matter if you write the worst drek in the world at this point in your career, as long as you write. Be silly. Play. Deliberately produce the literary equivalent of stupid pet tricks. It's all practice, and practice is not wasted. You also don't have to start a story at the beginning. Start with the scene that appeals to you most and work out from there. You don't have to open a program on a computer. Scribble down the story on a napkin or in a notebook with Daffy Duck on the front cover. It's hard to remain intimidated when you're writing on napkins and in Daffy Duck notebooks. You can worry about computer intimidation on the second draft. Ich drück’ dir die Daumen. (I hope my German-speaking friend is being truthful when she tells me this is the way to tell you I wish you good luck. )
Yeah, I should get into the habit of doing a better job of it, especially as I'm expanding into far more expansive world on the sidelines to the story most of my focus is on.
Thank you so much! All these kind words of you all comfort me and make me feel better about writing again And thank you for the pdf! I'm definitely going to read it as it sounds really helpful for me And your friend is right, it's a german saying!
