It really has. Anyway, introductions before I get into that. Hello from Northern California! I'm Bone_Dry, generally known as "BD" or "Kay." I'm a former fanficcer with a moderately large volume of stories to my credit. I say "former" because I haven't been able to finish anything since early June of last year. That's what finally drove me to come here. My former genre of choice was murder mystery, and the fandom for which I wrote it was Bones. I've since drifted away, tried and failed to write fic for X Files, and finally decided to flip everything upside down - write original work in the fantasy genre. I thought I had finally hit upon a solution after almost a week of extreme productivity. But then I stopped. And now it's been almost two months. I'm scared. What I come here hoping for is support. I have always struggled with plotting, and I've always pushed myself to do better than last time. However, without a community to post or direct questions to, my creativity and confidence has tanked. I have found that I no longer trust my instincts, and I no longer have any faith in what little I've managed to produce. My folders are littered with dead plots, scrawled ideas, and partially begun stories. Writing is something I love doing, but it has become clear to me that without help I probably won't be able to finish another story. And so I come here, heart bared, desk covered in notes, and hair in disarray to ask if there is any help for me and, if so, where I can find it, because my muse (Deleterious, or Deleii) and I are at each other's throats and I can't take his unhelpfulness anymore.
Heya! Well as with everyone here, you have my support if you want it! I hope this forum helps you out as much as it helps me out, and in turn help others out. So what that you havent finished much and your folder is full of more starts than you know what to do with - mines the same! Eventually you pick out the right ideas etc and make something that you can finish out of it! It takes time to get something complete out and those partially begun stories are great things to work with - maybe the idea wouldnt have worked out, you could use it for writing practice etc. Please dont be put off by what you think is a lack of progress. When I first started out I felt the same way, and even now I heavily question ability etc. Its natural. As long as you write something everyday, it doesnt matter what it is - what starts off small can gradually build to something much bigger. Ive created stories my folder of "randomness" just by piecing a few post-its of notes together! So keep going and eventually something longer will fall out of your head onto the paper! Persevere and you will succeed! Lit
My first novel was like that I told it in several genres and from ten different viewpoints before finding the one that worked best. If it gives you any hope it is now a 45,000 word young adult fantasy novel completed with a synopsis and query. If you like contact me and I am happy to help. -Charlotte.
*waves* Hellooo! Most people go through spots like that -even I have and I pretty much write non-stop normally. You get through them... And places like this do help.
Hi there, Welcome to the forums. As for dealing with writer's block, I'd strongly advise against doing anything that might land you in the Betty Ford clinic. Instead, I'd suggest interacting with this site and the forum dwellers here. They can be a very inspirational lot if you give them a chance. Review and critique some of the work posted here, spend some time in the lounge forum, exchange ideas in the plot ideas threads...with a bit of luck, it will get the old creative juices flowing again
Oh no, your brains have been eaten. Anyway, welcome BD/Kay, this forum will definitely help with your writer's block.
Hello Kay, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Somewhere among the dry bones and the corpses of stories are surely the trace evidence leading to the cause and manner of death of inspiration - or possibly motivation. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Welcome and good luck. It can be painful, but when I'm stuck or uninspired or what have you, I read through my old writing; excersices, failed ideas etc... and realize that a barely-literate nine-year-old can write better. Not wanting to equate myself to a barely-literate nine-year-old, I get comfortable in front of the keyboard and start writing, knowing that I can at the very least put out something a little better. Perhaps work my way up to a semi-literate twelve-year-old.
Thanks all! I've really got to start writing little one-shotty things again to get some thoughts going. In the meanwhile, I'll check around here. Who knows? Maybe I'll find the solution tucked away somewhere... And, Naiyn, I had just that experience the other day. I went back and looked at the first stuff I'd ever written and was then compelled to write something to prove I don't still sound like that. XD
The reason I'm "Zombie_Chinchilla" is because Writer's Block has killed me, also. ;] Maybe writing Critiques for other stories may help? Writer's Block is pure evil, and writing what isn't technically a story may help.
Hi Kay, I'm new too, I joined for pretty much the same reason as you (aside from having my brains eaten that is). For me it's been longer, though I feel I have some excuse having been busy looking after my squidglet (baby girl ). Today I just sat down and made myself write something, ANYTHING, and it was crap. But better than a blank page! Hope you find what you need here!
