Well, Ricky, I'm not really sure what it is that you would really love to hear from us. If you really don't enjoy writing, then you shouldn't do it. I understand that you've always thought of yourself as a good writer, but just because someone can do something or is good at it, that doesn't mean that they necessarily must do it. Life is too short to spend large amounts of time doing something that brings you no enjoyment whatsoever. There's a very famous saying, and I'm sure someone on here will be able to give it proper attribution, as right now I can't recall who said it or exactly how it is worded, but it goes something like this: Don't write because you want to say something. Write because you have something to say. If you don't have anything that you really want to say, why bother? What is it that makes you feel like you need to write? Did you enjoy writing previously? If so, what was it that you enjoyed? Maybe novels aren't your thing. Maybe you should try out short stories or essays, or some sort of non-fiction, which would involve research as well as writing. (Of course, novel writing can require research as well.)
Good point. In my case, I longed for years to be able to write novels, but too often didn't have the time because everything I wrote was advocacy. I'm pretty good at it, and I admit that it was always good to see in print, but that didn't change the fact that it wasn't what I most wanted to do.
I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. If there's another form of writing I should be doing. I'm going to start with short stories. I know me, and if I don't set some kind of daily quota, I won't do much writing if any. When I said I hated writing, I only felt that way after I had spent 6 straight hrs every day doing it for 8 months. Try having sex that often and see how you feel about it after.
Writing is art... Art is fueled by passion.... If ya wanna make money write a kids book.... If you want to enjoy art then stick with what works for you. A miserable man with a title is still a miserable man... If you write for six hours and find no joy then you are a fool.... Yet if you write for six minutes and enjoy every second then you might be a genius... Tra lalalala I love spaghetti
Well, I suppose 6 hours of actual sex might get old... but I'm not trying to earn a living through it, either ;-) But, a lot of people might like 6 hours of sex-related activities -- maybe some sex, some romance, lying around in bed, talking, reading, sleeping, watching porn or non-porn, etc. (But no outside interruptions -- no kids, phones, going to the supermarket, etc.) Maybe you could try six hours of doing things related to writing -- if you take a class, for example, or get into a critique group, maybe you could count reading and critiquing the works of others, (or critiquing online pieces at sites like this one), reading books about the craft of writing, reading books that are in the genre you want to write, doing some writing exercises, which may or not involve the characters and specific story you're working on. Sometimes, time spent away from your novel, and allowing yourself to ruminate can be more helpful than sitting at a computer.
There's no guarantee this will work. There are a LOT of kid's books published each year, and way more that never make it. And you have to have artistic talent, too, unless you work with an illustrator. If it were easy, everyone would do it.
Percentages... Much more likely to make money from kids books than any other avenue. My point was that writing on a schedule makes no sense if you don't enjoy it
Do you have some sort of article or chart that shows this? I'm curious as to who put this out and what the methodology was, and what the definition of "make money" is.
Oh yes the chart. I have charts about the chart. "Make money" means exactly what it says.... Being paid. I find it odd that you are stuck on one sentence of my comment whilst completely ignoring the point of my comment. If you don't enjoy writing on a schedule for prolonged periods... Don't do it... That was my point
How do you get past it? I can't really avoid writing this scene because it won't seem as realistic if I don't write it. Advice?
I just doubt my ability to think of interesting action points for it, and on top of that, I don't know much about the subject. Admittedly, I need to do more research on the subject, but it seems like there's no information available for this topic.
I'm stalling off the ending of the story I'm working on because I'm possibly killing off the mc and I partially don't want to because I know it has to have an emotional impact and whenever I get serious in a story, I never think I can pull it off. This is usually when I brainstorm for a bit - all you do is write down things pertaining to the scene a list not in order, totally random, bits of dialogue, emotions, follow a thought get off topic. Just keep writing until you feel your finished then sort through it. There's bound to be some gems in there. As for the research - don't just stop at the internet, look to libraries - local or there's one online called Open Library where you can borrow digital copies of the books. Or find someone online or offline that you can talk to about the subject.
Ah, understood. My answer is yes. I have a large portion of my story that takes place aboard a large sailing vessel that doesn't really have a counterpart in Earthly history since it's a fishing vessel, but much larger than what is used in modern times and constructed through the equivalent of 15th-16th century technology. My nautical knowledge is squat, zippo, nada.
For research if you can't find it online the best place to go is ask a Subject matter expert , usually via forums or chat rooms. I have scenes I dread also (usually action or romance sceNes). Although others tell me they come out great I feel they are always lacking and thus I hate writing them. What I do: force myself to write it anyway. I know it's not really a trick or anything, but just willpower yourself through it.
I wouldn't call it 'dread', because all the scenes I plan to write I actually like and want to see in the book. Some might be difficult, though. It might take me multiple attempts to make them right, and sometimes I have to leave them behind and move on, then come back later, when I feel more ready. The best way to get past the resistance, if you have it, is to ask yourself what would make you passionate about that scene. A point you want to make, an event or character development, something has to hook you as the writer in order for the scene to hook your reader.
I have dreaded scenes before for largely the same reason: I have no idea how they should interact, what should be said, or I have virtually no knowledge of the subject, which causes me to fear writing an entire page of nonsense. If you have the stomach for it, you always have the opportunity to write it anyway, aimlessly splattering words on the page with the thin hope that it will be logical; then posting it on a forum so that it can be shredded asunder until you are a qivering, horrified, but more knowledgable, husk.
I'm procrastinating writing an intense couple scenes in my book. They are key scenes. I'm not dreading the scenes as my philosophy is, whatever my writing skill deficiency, I can learn. What I am concerned about is turning off a sub-section of readership. Torture scenes turn me off. A friend of mine had reviews where a lesbian sex scene turned reviewers off. My scenes involve sexual slavery and rape. I don't want the scenes to sound hokey, and they need to be credible. I have a lot of work to do learning how to write those scenes.
There are parts of my story that have to happen and events too. Some of which deviate from the plan I had, it scares me, but just write it as close to your plan as possible.
I dread writing the emotionally exhausting scenes. The crushingly sad ones that leave you sobbing and aching for the character. I have one scene that I have put off for three books, it's that bad. Deeply sad and I am not looking forward to it. There is one scene that I have only edited once. It is a snippet of a scene where a three year old girl asks if her father is going to die in the upcoming conflict. "Are you going to die daddy?" Everyone who has read that part said they bawled. GOOD! That was the intent and I'm glad it doesn't only affect me that way. Write those scenes. They are what makes the book great. Dobby? Dumbledore? WILSON!
I have only ever dreaded one scene. It's in our current WIP and I remember when we wrote the first draft a few years ago, how I stalled and stalled because I just didn't want to go there, but I also felt compelled to do it because I knew it had to be there and that it would work, it would serve the story. What made me uneasy was the content even though I can read / write explicit violence (guts and all) and sex (of all orientations) all day: it's not particularly graphic or gory (a lot of the stuff that goes on is implied or alluded to), but the sexual violence in it, the pain and humiliation the characters go through is... well, pretty harsh. In the end I just sat down alone and churned it out in one go. Afterwards I felt sad and sick to my stomach. When we started working on the next draft, we skipped that part and @KaTrian sometimes still prefers to skip it and I'd like to, but like all other scenes, it too still needs some work, so I just put aside my feelings and bite the bullet. Nowadays I'm pretty desensitized, so it doesn't bother me much anymore, but if I focus on it, read it like I would someone else's book, it still stings. Apart from that one, I've never dreaded any scenes. Sure, I've been worried, I haven't looked forward to some scenes because I haven't found the right angle yet etc, but things always work out in the end. Usually we just sit down and write the scene and even if we haven't found the right angle and it comes out stale and flat, once it exists, we can move on and later on brainstorm the scene, try to figure out why it doesn't work, what it still needs, what should be cut etc. Sometimes it takes someone with keener eyes than ours to point out what we're doing wrong, why a scene doesn't work (I'm looking at you two, @jannert & @obsidian_cicatrix ). Then when everything falls in place with a satisfying 'click,' we often facepalm, wondering how on Earth we didn't see it ourselves. Those moments are why we don't usually put off writing even the difficult scenes that just don't feel right because when you do figure it out in the end, however you accomplish that, it's incredibly satisfying and the sooner you write the first draft, the sooner you'll get it right.
@T.Trian Never underestimate a fresh pair of eyes, eh, T? There are two particular scenes in my WIP I have/had been dreading for two different reasons. One was to do with the re-purposing of a character I'd already established and one is an action sequence. In the first instance, the change had to do with streamlining my original plot and the change in that character was necessary from a motivational standpoint. It was a difficult choice to make as I was fond of the character, as originally written. I would probably still be feeling miffed but for the fact that, even from my biased vantage point, that decision made sense and seems to work, so I take comfort in that. The second, I simply feel a bit out of my depth. My usual style reads at a fairly languid, sedate pace, so the challenge in writing a full on action scene is something of a departure for me. I've started doing a bit of research and have spoken to several people who have the kind of real-life skills that will help bring this scene to life. It's an extended scene I'm hoping to give a real-time feel to, and I want my reader on the edge of their seat the whole time. That's what I want... whether I'll actually be able to achieve it is anybody's guess. I suspect it'll be one of the last scenes I write, as I have a firm grip on the purpose of the scene and how it starts and ends, so I'm in no hurry. The dots are already connected in every other sense. Myself and @T.Trian and @KaTrian have already bounced around some ideas and they have made some really solid suggestions as to how I might go about it. I love those little moments when something is said, and I feel the light bulb above my head burning brighter. The thought of writing it is still a bit daunting but the challenge of it is actually starting to appeal and it's encouraging that, should I come unstuck, there are those willing to pitch in and give me their honest opinion. So, I guess how I get past the dread is simply by talking about and exploring my options with others. Even inadvertent remarks can can start a chain reaction that helps me envisage the scene with more clarity. I'm of the opinion that once I 'see' and 'feel' it, I can write it.
