Did a little digging and couldn't find a thread on this, but I don't want to clog up the forum so if there is one feel free to move/remove this! I can write every day, and mostly I do. And most days, I can write 1-2000 words, which I'm fairly happy with. This is only first draft speed, and the editing process takes longer, but even then I do a little every day. The problem is... When I stop, I stop. I've just had a week away, and I didn't write a thing for that week. I came back home and even the thought of getting back to my story made me cringe. This is a story that I'm really pleased with so far, and really excited about... But I just couldn't. I finally managed to get some done this morning, and I made 3000 words because I was happy to finally be back in and it felt good to be pushing forward. I turned my computer on just now and had to stop myself carrying on because I know that whatever I write at this point will just be awful. But I'm worried about stopping - even until tomorrow morning - because I worry that I won't get back in. Does anyone else struggle with this? That is, the feeling that stopping writing, even for a day or just a night, will ruin your motivation? I'd be interested to hear what people have experienced, and if anyone knows a way of figuring out a situation like it. Thanks, everyone! Piper
Yeah. I think I'm going through something similar. I hit chapter eleven and easily wrote two thirds of it... then sorta got stuck. I know where everything is going that isn't the problem, It just feels like molasses, it isn't flowing like it usually does. I took a week off as well, and when I came back I forced myself to write another few paragraphs, but like you said... I'm worried that it'll be awful when I look back on it. I need something to jump start me back into it. I know a lot of it this time is depression... I'm feeling insecure about my work. I posted my first chapter here and got a lot of really good advice. Did my rewrite and re-posted and got nothing... and so my insecurities take over. It's not a reason to quit or give up... but I am having a problem getting past it. I have been considering working on a different project for a while. Not sure if this will help. And clearly, I don't have an answer. It's probably something we each have to figure out for ourselves.
Sounds very similar, yeah. I know depression is a big issue for myself and many of us on here and it's a real bitch, I know this isn't the place to go into depth on that but all I'll say is if you (or anyone else reading this) ever need a conversation or a little encouragement I'm always here and I'm sure many others are too. But you're absolutely right, that initial jumpstart is the issue. And I'm sure it's a very individual problem, and everyone probably has very different solutions, and it'd be interesting to see what some of those are. If you ever get no reply in the workshop, though, don't be discouraged at all. This isn't a straight rule, but generally the more people that comment, the more you have to work on. And that, in itself, is a good thing. Could be other stuff, too, like maybe your extract was too long to critique or maybe it just got buried! So don't ever let that, or any other insecurities, put you off your work. Anyway, before I completely derail my own thread...
Don't stop. I write 5 days a week. If I take a vacation, I know going into it that I have to make up for every single one of those days that I missed. I come home and work even harder. The only time I ever pause is when I'm really sick and even then, I try to make it out of bed to write something and when I'm better, all of those missing words get made up. I don't accept excuses. I just write.
I've given up writing for more than a year. Sure, maybe I was a little rusty when I came back to it, but I believe I am a better writer for it. I also don't write every day. That causes me to burn out. So, I write a few days a week. I am a professional writer. I don't have a novel out, but I do have a good number of short stories and essays that have been published, and I sell my stuff on a regular basis (somewhat). I day off really isn't going to change anything. I don't think even a year off changes that much. I did continue reading when I wasn't writing, but at the time I didn't really have any intentions coming back to it. I work on my novel in between other things. Sometimes we have to let things simmer. I like my novel and even working on it operatically it's still coming together, probably better than I thought it would. Don't get me wrong. I like a writing routine and I am in favor of having one, but that doesn't mean you're going to write any different by taking some time off. I'm also not suggesting time off. I'm just saying it's not going to kill you or your writing if that's what you need.
It's a mistake, IMO, to feel you MUST write EVERY SINGLE DAY OR ELSE. I know there are advocates of this way of working, but it doesn't suit everybody. As long as you are producing more or less regularly, I'd say that's normal. Maybe pay attention to what motivates you to finally go back? Perhaps a niggly story problem has solved itself during your time away? Magic, I know. But it happens. I think the worst thing you can do is 'worry.' That eats up your confidence. Instead, maybe just say, "I'll go back to it when I'm ready and not before!" I suppose it's different if you have deadlines to meet, but if you don't? Just have faith that you work best in bursts, and that slow and steady does not always win the race, despite what we've been told. The Hare and the Tortoise have a lot to answer for.
I think you might have hit on a particular problem. Insecurities. And by the way, it's very common to post revisions of work here that nobody looks at. They see the title of your work, think ...I've already looked at that ...and then go on to something else. The thing is, while it's good to get feedback, it's not a good idea to keep giving it back to the same people until they pronounce it 'perfect.' The fact that you know where everything is going doesn't mean that you have a motivation problem. It could be that, nagging deep down, is a sense that maybe you've missed something. Perhaps your original vision isn't quite right, or doesn't quite emerge as you expected it to. Are you attempting to force the story into a mold that it really doesn't fit any more? I've heard some writers say that when they reach this stage and everything stagnates, they do something to shake it up. Make something happen that you didn't expect. You don't have to write this and spend a lot of time writing something you're later going to need to totally revise. But just do it in your head. Instead of James heading to Nevada on a Greyhound Bus, he suddenly decides to walk from Oklahoma. Or instead of marrying Brian on Saturday at the Registry Office, Nancy decides to visit her home town instead. See where these flights of fancy take you. It does no harm, it keeps you thinking about your story, and it might either send your story in another new and exciting direction, OR you'll come back to the idea that no, the bus is a better idea because James would end up stopping and going back otherwise. Or maybe deserting Brian and running off isn't Nancy's 'way' after all. Either way, you will probably be motivated to get back to writing.
It happens. I wrote almost everyday for a long time. Then my Grandfather died and it really killed my imagination for many years. A few days is nothing to worry about. You might just need to give your mind a rest and let it reset so you can go at it again fresh. Writing just to write might not be productive.
