"I'm going to finish my damn story!": a support thread

[StillStunned]

If I wasn't so busy trying to finish my story, I'd chide the lot of you for injecting a distraction into a thread about focus.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I'm starting a new support group, Scribblers Anonymous. Whenever you get stuck, you call for help and everybody else in the groups comes to your office and threatens to shave your cats if you don't start producing again.

 

[yowser]

Sounds like your quagmire is unusual, but for many of us it's a seasonal effect. Winter, holidays, all manner of anti-focus factors at work. For me (and I've had a tale on dormant for maybe a month) it is a matter of starting. Anything. A couple sentences, a description, reworking even a sliver of some section of a draft already down on paper. Coming out of hibernation is normal and disorienting, but it is a regular, cyclical event that's happened before.

And you win Capt. Stunned, I'm closing this browser tab and pulling up my tale-in-progress.

 

[StillStunned]

The story I'm struggling through at the moment is about my characters Sligh and Avilia from my sword & sorcery series The Rivals. I started ages ago, wrote 2.5k words and then stalled. A few weeks ago I picked it up again, and added another 7.5k words because I could see where it was going.

But when I finished the first version I wasn't happy with how it ended, and decided it needed another scene to tie up some loose ends. Now I'm writing that, and it's mostly turning into a sex scene. The problem is that it feels like it's tagged on for the sake of having a sex scene, and doesn't add anything to the plot of the story. And that's sapping my will to write the scene.

My goal is to finish the whole thing this weekend, or Monday at the latest. Help me, Authors' Hangout, you're my only hope!

Status update: I've written the scene. Nearly 800 words - not very long for a sex scene, but it's a very straightforward one anyway. Tonight or tomorrow I'll read the whole thing and see whether it works.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Status update: I've written the scene. Nearly 800 words - not very long for a sex scene, but it's a very straightforward one anyway. Tonight or tomorrow I'll read the whole thing and see whether it works.

Let me know if you need a beta. Infer from that what you will, with the redhead's permission, of course.

 

[Bexy555]

I have a 13k words cougar story that's been stalled for years. It still needs a quite a bit of 'tutoring a young guy' but I just can't bring myself to write and finish it. I'm excellent at coming up with new ideas for new stories, and when I keep them short I actually manage to finish them. I think the longer stuff perhaps just isn't for me. I seem to lose interest and it becomes a 'chore' instead of a joy to write.

 

[StillStunned]

Let me know if you need a beta. Infer from that what you will, with the redhead's permission, of course.

Thanks, I might take you up on the offer if I can't figure it out by myself.

 

[StillStunned]

I have a 13k words cougar story that's been stalled for years. It still needs a quite a bit of 'tutoring a young guy' but I just can't bring myself to write and finish it. I'm excellent at coming up with new ideas for new stories, and when I keep them short I actually manage to finish them. I think the longer stuff perhaps just isn't for me. I seem to lose interest and it becomes a 'chore' instead of a joy to write.

I tend to lose interest if I plot too far ahead. Then there's always a new story that's more exciting to explore.

Perhaps this thread can help you maintain your discipline long enough to finish?

 

[Devinter]

Who's in?

I am in!

My goal is to finish the whole thing this weekend, or Monday at the latest. Help me, Authors' Hangout, you're my only hope!

Then you better reach that goal, or else I shall morph into the most dreaded of all states: Disappointed!

(But I am not worried. I believe in you.)

 

[Bexy555]

I tend to lose interest if I plot too far ahead. Then there's always a new story that's more exciting to explore.

Perhaps this thread can help you maintain your discipline long enough to finish?

Hm, I don't actually plot very far ahead. I tend to have a general idea and then almost let it organically unfold in the ways it feels right in the moment. It works great for shorter stories, but with longer stories, especially the smut heavy ones it can become a challenge because I don't want the smut to become repetitive. I've been thinking about fastforwarding it into the future but I'm afraid readers will hate that because then it kinda skips over 'the main course.'

 

[StillStunned]

Then you better reach that goal, or else I shall morph into the most dreaded of all states: Disappointed!

Noooo!

(But I am not worried. I believe in you.)

I've managed to complete the first version. If this thread accomplishes nothing else, it least it's done that.

 

[Bazzle]

I have got a Jane and Sue part 5 sitting with The End on it. Yet I'm not happy.
I've got 18 thousand words of Enid Kirkwood story that is 4/5 complete that won't finish.
I've started my fan fiction story with the wrong narrator so it needs a rewrite.
I want to write but I don't want to write

 

[Djmac1031]

I'm at least glad to know it's not just me.

I had roughly 11k words of my new story written and it was flowing quite well. Then I got sick for over two weeks. A double whammy. Week 1 - stomach bug. Week 2 - sinus infection.

Needless to say I was a fucking mess.

Fully recovered now but my writing has absolutely stalled and I'm doing the usual thing of overthinking every choice. Problem is I have too many options to move forward and can't choose. And none of them feel quite right. Then im finding a flaw in my original premise. And realized I set something up I haven't bother led to pay off yet.

And here I am on a Saturday with absolutely nothing better to do than write this thing and yet I can't focus.

There's just this fog I cant see through yet.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'm starting a new support group, Scribblers Anonymous. Whenever you get stuck, you call for help and everybody else in the groups comes to your office and threatens to shave your cats if you don't start producing again.

As if I needed another reason not to own cats!

I don't need to, anyway - three local cats all think my garden is theirs and two think the house is, too.

On the story front, I've done a draft of a 750 story, but I'm near the start of a bunch of others, all of which need a lot of effort and include sad bits I don't want to write. I may go off and write some daft fanfic just because that often gets more engagement.

 

[StillStunned]

I have got a Jane and Sue part 5 sitting with The End on it. Yet I'm not happy.
I've got 18 thousand words of Enid Kirkwood story that is 4/5 complete that won't finish.
I've started my fan fiction story with the wrong narrator so it needs a rewrite.
I want to write but I don't want to write

Pick one and...

 

[StillStunned]

And here I am on a Saturday with absolutely nothing better to do than write this thing and yet I can't focus.

There's just this fog I cant see through yet.

Start with one word. That's progress.

 

[StillStunned]

Let me know if you need a beta. Infer from that what you will, with the redhead's permission, of course.

Just finished reading it, and I think it works. It's only 1.6k words on a total of 12.8k, and a chunk of that is winding up the "adventure" part of the story. The rest is balancing out the emotional/relationship aspect.

I'll do a Read Aloud tomorrow morning, and then upload it.

Watch this space for the next damn story I need to finish!

 

[StillStunned]

Hm, I don't actually plot very far ahead. I tend to have a general idea and then almost let it organically unfold in the ways it feels right in the moment. It works great for shorter stories, but with longer stories, especially the smut heavy ones it can become a challenge because I don't want the smut to become repetitive. I've been thinking about fastforwarding it into the future but I'm afraid readers will hate that because then it kinda skips over 'the main course.'

For a longer story that's sex-driven*, I find it's often best to plot out the sex like you'd plot out a story. Don't go all-in for the first scene. Instead, use the first sex scene to establish the mutual interest. Then in the next scene describe sex with some inhibitions or boundaries. Then in the third scene you can go all the way.

*As opposed, in my personal approach to erotica, to plot-driven and character-driven stories.

 

[Bexy555]

For a longer story that's sex-driven*, I find it's often best to plot out the sex like you'd plot out a story. Don't go all-in for the first scene. Instead, use the first sex scene to establish the mutual interest. Then in the next scene describe sex with some inhibitions or boundaries. Then in the third scene you can go all the way.

*As opposed, in my personal approach to erotica, to plot-driven and character-driven stories.

I get what you mean, but it's just a very specific story in which I've elaborately detailed every 'tutor' session and now I have to make the 'main course scene' just as extremely detailed as the previous material or it will be a break in style. It's like I've put the bar very high and now I feel like 'oh shit, so much work to reach it again' lol. So for now, I'm working on something lighter that actually gives me joy while I write it. Thanks for the tips though!

 

[PapaRomantic]

As if I needed another reason not to own cats!

I don't need to, anyway - three local cats all think my garden is theirs and two think the house is, too.

On the story front, I've done a draft of a 750 story, but I'm near the start of a bunch of others, all of which need a lot of effort and include sad bits I don't want to write. I may go off and write some daft fanfic just because that often gets more engagement.

I have been stuck on a story before that I either didn't know how to finish, or was afraid to finish. I finally said to hell with it and wrote out a shorter piece just to get something published.

It worked. I find I'm the most eager to write while the feeling of satisfaction I get after publishing is still strong. Got busy and finished the hard one next.

Don't know if this will help others, but it's worked for me before.

 

[ElectricBlue]

For a longer story that's sex-driven*, I find it's often best to plot out the sex like you'd plot out a story. Don't go all-in for the first scene. Instead, use the first sex scene to establish the mutual interest. Then in the next scene describe sex with some inhibitions or boundaries. Then in the third scene you can go all the way.

*As opposed, in my personal approach to erotica, to plot-driven and character-driven stories.

You're still procrastinating.

Twenty-four hours ago I had a response which I didn't send, but here you are, you're still here, still faffing about.

Don't come back here until you've got at least a thousand words written!

 

[StillStunned]

You're still procrastinating.

Twenty-four hours ago I had a response which I didn't send, but here you are, you're still here, still faffing about.

Don't come back here until you've got at least a thousand words written!

See above:

Just finished reading it, and I think it works. It's only 1.6k words on a total of 12.8k, and a chunk of that is winding up the "adventure" part of the story. The rest is balancing out the emotional/relationship aspect.

I'll do a Read Aloud tomorrow morning, and then upload it.

But also:

Watch this space for the next damn story I need to finish!

 

[Reshbod]

I don't usually do resolutions, but this year I have made one to finish and post some of the partial stories I have in my files. The one I am currently working on is an incest tale about a mom and son which is out of my comfort zone, but I really want to get it finished. So far, I have kept my motivation and am making progress. I am at about 3500 words and aim to double it this weekend. It's very rough and needs a lot of filling in, but so far, I'm sticking with it and not getting distracted with some of the other stories I also want to get finished.

 

[Djmac1031]

Start with one word. That's progress.

Got five paragraphs. thats something.

I'm picking away. I think once I sort something out it'll get back on track.

 

[Djmac1031]

The story I'm struggling through at the moment is about my characters Sligh and Avilia from my sword & sorcery series The Rivals.

if it helps motivate, I really enjoyed those stories and characters and look forward to more of their adventures.