One thing that might help is doing some short stories or flash fiction for a while, things that you can finish quickly before your interests change. It can be really satisfying and encouraging to get a story finished, no matter the length. Once you've gotten into the habit of finishing short stories, you can try to work your way up. Plus, the shorts can be used to inspire or flesh out your longer ideas. You've got this idea for this fantasy world split up by seasons? Write a short story set in this fantasy world, or with those characters.
Well, I have AD(h)D and I feel like it's been a long journey to figure out how to actually finish writing things. I've said it before, but the prospect of making money self publishing I think is solely responsible for me being able to finish anything at all. As far as new project ideas... I let them sit in my head a few days or so to see if the new idea keeps hounding me or if it fades away. If it stays stuck in my head then I will give myself a day or two to write out what's in my head. After that's done, the idea quiets down and I go back to the main project. Also, I try and combine all current inspiration/obsessions into the current main project instead of using them as inspiration for multiple different stories. For instance, I'm sort of obsessed with a historic murderer at the moment and so I've decided to base my villain completely on him. Any and all tv, movies, books, and music that's running on repeat in my mind I try and figure out how to make it work in the project I'm working on. I was obsessed with this one manga while I started writing my last project and the entire first scene is completely inspired by it. I became obsessed with Bates Motel and had my main character repeat some of the same language. Etc. Try and use it all!
Oh that part about combining inspirations in the story you're actually working on is a really good idea! I'll definitely try that, thanks!
Again, I don't want to make a thread just for this. Also, I've caught too much attention already recently. Anyone ever feel like they write in some sort of liminal space? Obviously publishing is difficult enough already, but it's not helped when you write things that aren't typical of any given genre. I recently said that I've never written any story by first asking what the publisher wants, I only write what I want to write. This means I'm writing dark stories that have some kind of element of redemption. I write about outsiders, mostly, and the voices of my protags aren't harsh or acerbic. The problem is I can't go to The Dark Magazine or Black Static or Three-Lobed Burning Eye because my stuff really isn't as dark as they'd require. I also don't write typical fantasy as most of my work is set within the real world and only hints at the fantastical. My stories are a weird cross between Shirley Jackson, Gormenghast and a Tim Burton film. Some stories are just not horror or fantasy at all, like my flash fiction piece The Bookworm. I can already foresee how difficult it'll be to get my next short story published since it'll be 1) not set in a secondary world, 2) not straight horror, 3) not straight fantasy. After an ecological disaster, a deformed boy is pushed around in a trolley by a delusional mother. Except the story is called Turniphead, the title based on the name given to the boy by his older brother. It should have heart to it, if I write it well. I'm doomed, aren't I? Edit: My flash fiction The Bookworm is a good example. It's not indie and trendy enough to be put into safe journals, but it's not tacky horror about zombies...
Do you want to get published, or do you want to write whatever you want with absolute freedom? Those are 2 very different things. Some of my favorite comic book artists draw in a loose, free style that in the 60's and 70's was not favored by the comic book publishers. I know you're not a comic book fan, but for those who are I mean artists like Frank Miller, Walt Simonson, and Bill Sienkiewicz. I discovered much later that none of them were allowed to draw like that in the beginning. First they had to establish themselves as good 'company men', meaning they had to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (meaning draw like Jack Kirby). In fact each of them had to 'prove himself' for a good 10 years and rise through the ranks to become a well-respected and in-demand artist before they were allowed to get all crazy and just do what they wanted. The publishers were very wary of experimental art. But something strange happened in the 80's. After putting in his decade of drawing the accepted way, Frank Miller got ahold of Daredevil and was allowed to draw it exactly the way he wanted, and it was a runaway success. So much so that suddenly every comic publisher started frantically searching for artists who could draw in a similar loose, sketchy style, and they turned loose all the artists who had been asking to do that for the last decade. The face of comics publishing changed. Book publishing seems to be in a very conservative phase right now, at least from what you've been saying. At times like that, unless some publisher decides to take a chance, you might need to toe the line in order to get published. But once you get your foot in the door and a few publishers take you in, you might be allowed to stretch your wings more.
I see what you're saying, Xoic. But it's not as if there aren't niche markets out there. There's no "in style" that I need to work toward and if I don't go for that I'll never be published. I mean, there's pulpy horror mags and there's literary and serious mags. The choice is there and nothing seems overly homogenized. The issue I'm seeing, however, is that my work and its tone doesn't often fit any of these more traditional dichotomies, the horror/non-horror/dark or the light/the fantastic and the non-fantastic. It's not like I'm doing anything experimental. I'm not trying to write Finnegan's Wake. Take the example of my story The Twofold Jar. Who do you think will take a story that is about two older men in the Devon countryside, one of whom might be mentally ill and who collects strange objects as a substitute for the imaginative world/plane he thinks exists on the other side of a portal? It's not fantasy, it's not horror, it's set in the real world but it's also not some straight edged literary piece. A lot of my stuff is like this, I find. So yeah, it might be better to target a particular type of market and write more for them but there is at least a decent amount of options. I just... fall outside of even those options! By the way, I like comic/graphic art.
Ok, you just don't like comic book movies. Or superhero movies to be more precise. Got it. But you're missing my point. There are 2 basic ways to approach writing (2 that apply here)—Art for Art's Sake, where you write exactly what you want, and Art Tailored to the Requirements of a Publisher. You seem aware of both of these approaches, but something gets mixed up in your head and you start to wonder why you can't have your cake and eat it too, why you can't write exactly what you want with no thought for a particular publisher's guidelines and also get several of your first few submissions accepted. The point of my previous post was that sometimes, in certain industries, you need to be a company man (or woman) to get hired, and remain that way for some time before they'll let you spread your wings. Your mind has a way of dodging aside from people's actual points and focusing on irrelevancies. I think it's making it very hard for you to decide which way you want to take. Do you want to get published soon, or do you want to just write whatever you want with no restrictions? People have been saying this to you for a long time now on various threads, and you keep misunderstanding them.
I understand this, but I don't necessarily agree that there are these restrictions. That's what I'm trying to say. I don't think that there exists the dichotomy of Art for Art's Sake and Art Restricted/Tailored, at least in terms of short story submissions to magazines. That's why I talked about the range of options available in my last post. This might seem ironic given that I've said I'm struggling to find suitable places, but, again, I was trying to say that there are actually places which allow you to be who you want to be as a writer. There are so many places out there that you could get accepted just for writing what you want. That's what I mean. I don't quite agree that the dichotomy exists, although I know what you mean by it. Take someone who wants to submit to Three Lobed Burning Eye. That's going to be pretty niche and horrific stuff, not very "literary" and serious. The work submitted will by its very nature be more rebellious and off the beaten track. Someone sending there will probably be writing for themselves more often than not, though they will obviously still have to tailor it a little. There'll always be an element of tailoring one's story to fit. I'm just finding that even in these more obscure and free form journals and magazines, that my work doesn't fit despite their being more open. I hope that makes sense. It's a bit nuanced, but rest assured I understand what you mean.
Here's your problem right here: I finished that for you, you left part of it off. Yes, the dichotomy exists. It always has and always will. If you refuse to accept reality then you'll keep banging your head against it and refusing to see what's stopping you from advancing.
You didn't need to add the publisher part at the end. I know what you mean. My saying, "Art Restricted/Tailored" was just shorthand for your full, "Art Tailored to the Requirements of a Publisher." I even used the same word choices as you did. And I just spent that entire paragraph saying I understand the dichotomy. My point is that it exists but there are magazines which let you write what you want in a way since some of them are niche or they're "avantgarde" or whatever you want to call it. I would be insane to suggest that the dichotomy doesn't exist--I misspoke in one part of my last message--since of course everything has restrictions and everything has guidelines. I even said that in my last post to you. I guess what I'm saying is, yes, it logically exists, but there are gradations. Anyway, this is turning into something else.
Good afternoon everyone. I'm not exactly a writer. Just a few months ago, I published my first book and am now finishing my second. Writing is not my job and is not the way to make money. In my case, writing is a way for me to express myself and be happy. Writing for me is the possibility to relax from my main job and say to myself that I can do more than even expected. And this gives me the possibility to come back to my main job with more energy and a good mood. Perhaps the opposite approach could work for those people for whom writing is the main source of income and the main job. If you will find something that will allow you to "switch" from writing to some activity that makes you happy, you will be able to change your emotional stage. And after that, go back to writing with new strength and energy
Thank you! It is compliment from your side! My dream is to help people find their meaning in life. And I'm just at the beginning of this journey. For me to call myself a real writer, I have to do a little more than write a book - I have to understand that this book benefits people
That's a bit like saying you won't consider yourself a real social worker until you do a little more than help people- that you have to understand that helping people will benefit your writing.
Honestly if you have ADHD that's an issue as I'm sure you're aware. If I were you I'd starve myself of all the media, books, etc. That sends your mind into overdrive. Like take a total break from it all and just let your mind settle back into YOUR thoughts. Write from a place thats honest to who you are and what you think. I would NOT suggest you feed the ADHD by having a bazillion WIP.
Deep thought Not every social worker loves their job. It is not important for every social worker what will happen to the person they helped. In my case, it's like a closed circle of creating motivation. I feel motivated in case if my work gives benefit to people, which pushes me to write more and thus help more, which gives more and more motivation to write more ... Do you write philosophical books?
My mental illness hindered my writing. I have anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. What scares me is that these things try to undermine my writing efforts! Sometimes, when I think of the plot or background of a story, my brain begins to examine it. Make sure that I don't plagiarize or spread anything that violates the bottom line of human morality. But even if the content does not constitute plagiarism or violate the bottom line of human morality, I will continue to check carefully to ensure safety until I am satisfied. Otherwise, it's like there's a stone on the road that can't go around and write down. Even if I don't intend to publish my work, I will not allow myself to write what is considered to constitute plagiarism and dissemination of human beings, because I will be condemned by my conscience. Oh，It's too painful.
Dear Mr magician, Unfortunately, I cannot help you with your point But, I think that you can find answers to your points in the books related to mental and physicals conditions. I had the possibility to read one of the books from Don Colbert about emotions. I was soo happy to find this book and personally I took a lot of useful things to improve my condition. Maybe, you can also read something similar
