Does anyone else experience this frustration?

[Jemeralddragoon]

I have almost no drive to actually write. It sucks because I've garnered a wonderful amount of followers in such a small amount of time with very few stories. Those same stories have gotten amazing reception and I feel really happy about my writing. Yet, I struggle to actually work on the stories I need to finish. What really sucks is that I know exactly how I want these stories to go, but when it comes time to sit down and actually write, I either don't want to do it or I get so caught up in the minutiae because I feel the story isn't following an organic path and I just get so damn frustrated. Not at writing, just at myself. Does anyone else get where I'm coming from?

 

[Smuttyandfun]

I have almost no drive to actually write. It sucks because I've garnered a wonderful amount of followers in such a small amount of time with very few stories. Those same stories have gotten amazing reception and I feel really happy about my writing. Yet, I struggle to actually work on the stories I need to finish. What really sucks is that I know exactly how I want these stories to go, but when it comes time to sit down and actually write, I either don't want to do it or I get so caught up in the minutiae because I feel the story isn't following an organic path and I just get so damn frustrated. Not at writing, just at myself. Does anyone else get where I'm coming from?

I often drag my feet and find reasons not to write. Sometimes I feel stuck. Other times I just don't feel motivated enough to want to write. Luckily my muse has never totally deserted me, so I still sit and plunk away at the keys hoping to come up with something. And I'm sure you'll get back into it, too.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Yeah I've been kinda going through something similar myself. I get this incredible urge to write, and I know roughly how the next scene should go, but then I sit down to type and wind up just staring blankly at the screen. It's like there's bubbles just floating around in my head, or ants crawling around keeping the thoughts from marshaling properly. Tonight I was really proud of myself for managing to write one whole sentence.

You just gotta take it a little at a time I suppose. Find something that puts you in the proper mood. For me that's a nice scented candle and some music playing in the background. And even then it can be hard to focus, but it's less stressful. And also set yourself small goals, whether your goal is to type five sentences, fifty words or for five minutes, so that even if the drive to write isn't there you don't feel like you're letting yourself and your fans down completely.

 

[Naughtylit81]

I think all writers experience this at some point or another. The muse seems to be on vacation and instead of that sexy siren voice tickling your... ear you get the nasaled whine of Francine from Accounting pissing in your ear about details and every unsexy thing that can exist (no offense to accounts or numerophiles).

You just need to wait it out as best you can. Try writing something different to see if the new will help clear the block. Otherwise take a short break from writing at all. Unfortunately there is no prescriptive approach to dealing with this because what may unplug my work stoppage may weld your cork in place.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Yet, I struggle to actually work on the stories I need to finish.

Maybe considering writing as work and needing to finish something is the problem?

I have accepted that writing is a minor hobby, and just puttering around without finishing anything is fine. Going years between posting stories is not a problem. I only write when inspired, and inspiration makes words flow easily. But those inspired periods are few and sometimes far between.

It works for me, but probably not for many others. Best wishes.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Another thing that I notice helps me, is when I start to read an unfinished story again from the beginning. I'll do some editing, and quite often I'll keep on writing because it helps me get back into the flow of the story, and the rest just seems to come.

 

[RejectReality]

Sounds like you're similar to me, and fighting it just makes it worse. Once you hit that point of quagmire and it's sucking all creativity/motivation out of you, walk away. Play a video game. Binge a television show you haven't seen in a while. Do some project around the house. Don't keep beating your head against a brick wall.

Open things up every once in a while, read through what you've written, and see if anything sparks. If you get a brand new idea that's screaming at you, by all means, run with it. Most of my slow crawls out of the quicksand have started with some brand new idea that wouldn't leave me alone. As soon as I finish it, the momentum carries me through half a dozen other unfinished stories and a few new ones.

Most often, that happens between Thanksgiving and New Years for me. I take a buttload of time off in that period every year, burning all my remaining vacation time when nobody else has any left. No luck this year, unfortunately — unless it hits me during my week of vacation next week that's the final hoorah of my year end time off.

 

[ronde]

The important thing to remember is that you should write what you feel driven to write. Writing a story just because you think you need to write one will lead to a story that doesn't make sense to a reader. Writing is like anything else. You have to have some investment in the outcome or it will fail.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

When you write, some parts come easy and flow onto the page like a mountain stream. Some parts are tough and need to be powered through. That's just the nature of writing and if you want to do it badly enough, you will find a way to get it done.

I have a few techniques for this myself.

1~ Sometimes just come back another time. Sometimes during a couple of days at work or while driving, new ideas will hit to solve the block. Sometimes the energy in the chair is just better on another day.

2 ~ I don't hold myself to chronological writing. That is that I don't start at the start and write to the end. I start wherever the words are coming fastest and jump around from end to middle and back again. If chapter 3 has me stuck, I jump ahead to chapter 4 or 5 and come back to chapter 3 at a better time. This technique isn't for everyone, but you will probably find that the more you edit the easier it will get to draft non-chronologically.

3 ~ Just power through. I rarely get anything good when I force myself in this way, so it's a last resort, but half the time it at least dislodges the block in some way and I can re-write the section (usually heavily) and it will get done.

4 ~ Think of the satisfaction of finishing and publishing. Rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard part is ALWAYS WORTH IT when you finish and get it out there to be read. The satisfaction is so immense that you will barely remember the effort.

Bottom line though, at some point a writer has to get off his butt to pull it together and get it done. I know it's not the magic pill answer, but it's the answer, the truth as a sugar-coated pat on the back will not help you - and this is the difference between wanting to be a writer and being a wannabe writer. There are writers and then there are people who want to be writers without putting in the effort. The second group usually ends up not being writers.

Good luck. You can do it.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Sometimes it's simply an inability to transfer the words in your head through your fingers.

Here's how I tackle the situation:

1. I open the notes application on my smartphone
2. I tap the little microphone symbol
3. I sit back and close my eyes
4. I then tell the scene in my head.

It's then easy to transfer the speech-to-text content and edit as necessary.

 

[StillStunned]

I've been feeling very low on energy for the last few weeks. This morning I remembered that I have a massive daylight lamp, so I brought it out and put it on my desk. The difference is noticeable within minutes.

I don't know whether this will help with my writing, but at least I'm feeling more alive.

 

[happyyy_]

I either don't want to do it or I get so caught up in the minutiae because I feel the story isn't following an organic path and I just get so damn frustrated

Do you think the plot could be part of the problem? For me personally whenever I feel unmotivated and “blocked” it always comes down to some issue with the plot I can’t get past. And sometimes I don’t even realize it until I approach the scene or plot point from a completely different angle. Maybe discussing the story with a writing friend and going over what works/doesn’t might help?

 

[SimonDoom]

I experience frustration as a writer all the time. My pace of production is highly inconsistent.

Since I don't get paid to do this, I try to go easy on myself and not to take it too seriously.

I find that the problem for me is not true "writer's block," because if I force myself to open up a story and position my fingers over the keyboard, I usually can write something. It's disciplining myself to get set up that poses more problems.

One tactic I use is to take the easiest path possible. At any given point, I have numerous unfinished stories. So I'll take the one that's closest to completion, or perhaps that I am most inspired to write, and I'll write that one.

 

[yowser]

Make sure you have a long list of unpleasant chores you've been putting off but need to be done. Writing suddenly seems like a Spring Break of escape.

 

[Wifetheif]

I have almost no drive to actually write. It sucks because I've garnered a wonderful amount of followers in such a small amount of time with very few stories. Those same stories have gotten amazing reception and I feel really happy about my writing. Yet, I struggle to actually work on the stories I need to finish. What really sucks is that I know exactly how I want these stories to go, but when it comes time to sit down and actually write, I either don't want to do it or I get so caught up in the minutiae because I feel the story isn't following an organic path and I just get so damn frustrated. Not at writing, just at myself. Does anyone else get where I'm coming from?

Buck up! It happens to even the best writers. Fredrick Brown, noted SF author who wrote full-time HATED the actual writing process. He would ride the bus around town all day or get hung up in household chores for hours and hours until he found the courage to face his typewriter.

 

[SimonDoom]

Some tips by Hemingway:

https://www.openculture.com/2013/02/seven_tips_from_ernest_hemingway_on_how_to_write_fiction.html.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

It ebbs and flows. I've written stories like Pirate's Paradox in a day.(~14K words) Others have taken a year to get to the point I feel comfortable enough to publish them. My muse is a fickle bitch, I guess.

The one thing I do that helps most I picked up from a Master Class by Dan Brown; I write something every day. Be it a few hundred words or 14K, I take time to write. I mean @SimonDoom called out Hemingway. From what I understand Hemingway only wrote 500 words a day and look at what he did. And, like Brown, he wrote every day.

PS. I do recommend Master Class. There are some amazing online seminars by some wonderful writers. It has helped me a ton.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

I often drag my feet and find reasons not to write. Sometimes I feel stuck. Other times I just don't feel motivated enough to want to write. Luckily my muse has never totally deserted me, so I still sit and plunk away at the keys hoping to come up with something. And I'm sure you'll get back into it, too.

My muse left me years ago after my mom died and I've just been writing on fumes. I love writing, but I feel like I have no reason to anymore. That's why I finally took the plunge to submit my adult stories because I hoped it would give me the push to keep writing if people liked my stories.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

Yeah I've been kinda going through something similar myself. I get this incredible urge to write, and I know roughly how the next scene should go, but then I sit down to type and wind up just staring blankly at the screen. It's like there's bubbles just floating around in my head, or ants crawling around keeping the thoughts from marshaling properly. Tonight I was really proud of myself for managing to write one whole sentence.

You just gotta take it a little at a time I suppose. Find something that puts you in the proper mood. For me that's a nice scented candle and some music playing in the background. And even then it can be hard to focus, but it's less stressful. And also set yourself small goals, whether your goal is to type five sentences, fifty words or for five minutes, so that even if the drive to write isn't there you don't feel like you're letting yourself and your fans down completely.

This is really good advice, thank you so much. Maybe I am just really stressed out and need to relax a bit.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

Maybe considering writing as work and needing to finish something is the problem?

I have accepted that writing is a minor hobby, and just puttering around without finishing anything is fine. Going years between posting stories is not a problem. I only write when inspired, and inspiration makes words flow easily. But those inspired periods are few and sometimes far between.

It works for me, but probably not for many others. Best wishes.

The issue is that everything is work to me and I despise having to do any form of work. I used to really enjoy writing and it wasn't "work" by any means, but it's just so hard to feel the drive to do it anymore.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

Sounds like you're similar to me, and fighting it just makes it worse. Once you hit that point of quagmire and it's sucking all creativity/motivation out of you, walk away. Play a video game. Binge a television show you haven't seen in a while. Do some project around the house. Don't keep beating your head against a brick wall.

The issue is that's all I've been doing FOR MONTHS. All I do is play video games and watch tv and do housework outside of my actual job. Every time I think it's time to sit down and write something, I just stare at a blank page for hours. Months on end!

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

The important thing to remember is that you should write what you feel driven to write. Writing a story just because you think you need to write one will lead to a story that doesn't make sense to a reader. Writing is like anything else. You have to have some investment in the outcome or it will fail.

But that's the issue. I am driven to write this. I started this story years ago and I've been slowly working on it over time, making changes to the story and planning out where it's going. It's all planned out and I know exactly where it's going to go, but nothing I write feels like it's going to organically reach that conclusion and it all feels forced now.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

Sometimes it's simply an inability to transfer the words in your head through your fingers.

Here's how I tackle the situation:

1. I open the notes application on my smartphone
2. I tap the little microphone symbol
3. I sit back and close my eyes
4. I then tell the scene in my head.

It's then easy to transfer the speech-to-text content and edit as necessary.

I do that sometimes, perhaps I need to do it here. Thank you!

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

I've been feeling very low on energy for the last few weeks. This morning I remembered that I have a massive daylight lamp, so I brought it out and put it on my desk. The difference is noticeable within minutes.

I don't know whether this will help with my writing, but at least I'm feeling more alive.

Never heard of a 'daylight lamp', sounds interesting.

 

[Jemeralddragoon]

Do you think the plot could be part of the problem? For me personally whenever I feel unmotivated and “blocked” it always comes down to some issue with the plot I can’t get past. And sometimes I don’t even realize it until I approach the scene or plot point from a completely different angle. Maybe discussing the story with a writing friend and going over what works/doesn’t might help?

The plot is part of the problem. The story was planned out a certain way, but when I got to the most important scene in the first chapter, I found that I had 2 characters to choose from to participate and the story worked great no matter who I chose. So I went with the new choice instead of the original planned choice because it made the story feel much more organic and realistic, but now I have to write around that change when I had already wrote about 13 pages that followed the original plan. I put myself in this situation and now I have to deal with it.