Fight For Your Write! - Finding Your Way · 7:56pm Apr 27th, 2015
Okay, that may be the stupidest pun to ever be typed, but it was all I could think of.
Hello, one and all! It is I, Dustin, aka "Famous", back once again with a blog to assist you new writers, or even you veteran writers who seem to have lost your mojo for whatever reason.
The subject of today's blog: Finding your way.
What does that mean, you may ask? Basically, a lot of us seem to, from time to time, lose our way when writing. We get sidetracked, we lose inspiration, we forget why we started, we stop having fun! My goal today is to help you identify, address, and maybe even overcome some issues that could be causing you to hit a slump with writing, which was most likely an activity you once enjoyed.
To do this, I'm going to briefly discuss 3 basic areas:
1. Inspiration
2. Plot Stagnation
3. Having Fun
INSPIRATION - THE FICKLE BEAST
Tell me if the following checklist sounds remotely familiar to you:
-Get epic story idea
-Write amazing first few chapters
-Have an epic middle and end planned
-Realize it's been 8 months since you last updated
I feel like we've all been there. We're making progress, taking names and kickin' fanfiction butt, then all of a sudden... we stop. Why? Because we've hit a little roadblock. A road block named 'inspiration'.
Loss of inspiration can be something that affects us in all areas of life: work, school, general activity, so it's no great surprise that it hits us in writing too. What causes it? Well there are quite a few possible reasons. Maybe you recieved some harsh criticism that threw you off. Perhaps you've begun to doubt your own abilities. Or maybe you're trying to switch up your writing style, but you don't know how to get off your feet (that's the exact boat I'm in). There could be all sorts of reasons, but it all comes down to one question.
How do I get past it?
Every situation is different, so it's pretty much impossible to give a blanket answer that will benefit everyone, so I won't try. But, what I can do is look to my own experience, and the experience of others to get ideas that may help. Here are just a few:
Remember Why You Started
We all started somehow. We all flipped open our laptops, turned on our PC's or powered up our mobile devices and made an account on here once upon a time. And then, most of us published a story.
Why did you publish that story?
Asking yourself that can be very pivotal into finding out what originally drove you to start writing, and can even help you determine why you stopped. Once upon a time, we all had a story to tell, and we weren't afraid to tell it. Try figuring out why you don't want to tell your story anymore, and maybe you'll be able to get back on track.
Regain Your Confidence
This story sucks. It did absolutely nothing to entertain me.
Hands up if you've ever received a comment in a similar vein to that one up there... Alright, you all can put your hands down now.
We've all had critics tell us we're no good, or that we don't have what it takes to be good. Maybe that critic was our own self? Either way, it can really damage your confidence and desire to write to feel unappreciated.
Maybe someone called you out on what they thought was a stupid story idea?
Maybe someone you respect disregarded your story without a second thought?
Maybe no one really read your story at all, and you really put a lot of effort into it?
Any of those previous scenarios hurt, and we've all suffered from at least one. I've suffered from all three, and each time I found it progressively harder to write out my ideas. I mean, what's the point when your stories don't get read or get shot down?
I'll tell you what the point is: You have the ability to write a good story.
Don't comment or tell yourself that you suck. For some of us, writing may come a bit easier than others, but we all have the ability to tell a story and make people smile. If one of your ideas doesn't get appreciated like you want, don't let it get you down. Get back to that keyboard and keep typing. Don't doubt yourself, because once you start, it's hard to turn back.
Think of it with this illustration:
When I was 12 I decided I wanted to learn how to skateboard. Easy right? Wrong. I fell almost every time I stepped on the board. I suffered two concussions, a sprained wrist and a fractured foot, and I still had issues with riding the darn thing. So what did I do? Did I give up?
Heck no.
I got right back on and showed that skateboard what was up. I practiced more and more, got better and better, and eventually found myself riding around and having fun. But, if I had given up, that never would have happened. Why didn't I give up, you may ask? Because, I got some great advice before I started:
"If you're not falling, you're not trying."
In other words, failure is the sign of achieving success. If you're not making mistakes, you're not putting your all into becoming the best writer you can be. Anyone can write "safe" stories that are guaranteed to be moderately successful, but those do nothing other than remain popular for a time, only to be quickly forgotten. The mark of a truly gifted writer is the ability to try new things, make mistakes, and become better.
So don't doubt yourself because you're not finding success right away. Instead, be grateful you have failures and mistakes to learn from.
Find New Inspiration
This one can be a little scary. The idea of trying new stuff is always scary. But sometimes, it's the only way out.
Let's say that you're first few fics were all inspired by a particular style of music. Now, you don't like that music anymore. Would it make sense to keep forcing it on yourself to try and get inspiration? Of course not.
In similar fashion, if you're interests or ideas change one way or the other, you'll need to find some new forms of inspiration to go with it. Try switching up your writing routine. Listen to some new music styles. Watch some different movies or play different games. There are all sorts of stuff you can do to try and recapture you're writing vibe. It's not easy, not at all, but it's worth the attempt.
****
Anyway, that's all I'll care to go into on inspiration. I could probably go on for hours about it, but ain't no one got time for that. So just remember the basic points:
1. Find your original motivation.
2. Don't doubt yourself.
3. Try new things.
PLOT STAGNATION
Oh, lord... this is tough boss to fight. It's lvl. 99 and you're just barely past the tutorial. You're gonna need the strategy guide and probably some ultima weapons to take down this beast. Luckily, it's all at your disposal... if you know where to look.
I would define plot stagnation as any kind of stalling during a story you're writing. I'm currently dealing with this horrid ailment with a couple of mine. I mean, it's tough. You get decently far into your story, everything is going great, and BOOM! You completely lose track of where you were going and have no idea how to finish.
It sucks.
So, how does one overcome such a common, and destructive barrier? Unfortunately, I'm still searching for an answer. But, I can offer some tidbits of insight I've picked up from successful writers and real life friends.
I suppose the main thing to remember is that telling a story is as simple as driving from point A to point B. The problem lies when we hit a roadblock, and aren't sure where to go. If this were to happen in real life, I doubt any of us would abandon our cars just because there's a roadblock in front of us, so why would we abandon our stories?
As with a real life scenario, it's important to always be open about alternate routes. Maybe you've hit a stumbling block with your plot? Turn around and find street that bypasses that roadblock? Maybe one of your characters isn't steering your story in the right direction? Take him to the side, give him a map, and put him back in the drivers seat. Could your story be more interesting if you were to take a side route and explore the environment a bit? Then get off the freeway at the next exit and drive around town a bit. As long as you remember where you're headed, you can explore as much as you want.
The point is, we can't let a little thing like a roadblock make us give up on our stories. You obviously had a good idea somewhere or you wouldn't have started it. You just need to find it.
Remember kids, it's not about how you squeeze the utters. Just drink the milk.
HAVING FUN
I find it extremely ironic that many of us manage to get stressed out while writing fiction about fluffy ponies and cute dragons. But it's a fact. Sometimes, we just lose out on the fun we should be having.
Why is this a problem? Well, for one, having fun was most likely the reason write in the first place. It's relaxing, enjoyable, and we have a story to tell. So how on Earth can that feeling go away?
I believe it starts when we start making things bigger than they are. For example, we start getting obsessed with views, approval, timely release dates and the like. Basically, we get rid of the enjoyable part of writing, and replace it with a level of stress and discomfort usually reserved for things like work and family life. You know, things that actually have RL implications.
How do you combat this? If you feel you're not having fun anymore, how do you get back to having fun? Here are a few ways:
1. Remember what it is you're doing. - You're not running a business or trying to provide for a bunch of hungry mouths. Your writing about cartoon characters. Use it to unwind, not get wound up.
2. Take a break. - If you feel yourself getting stressed out or worked up over your stories, leave it alone for awhile. Maybe move on to another interest for a bit. That's what I do. When I get a bit stressed over my writing, I play through a good jrpg or dive myself into work, or work on my musical compositions. You know, something to remind me that life has more to it than a keyboard and empty doc.
3. Write some one-shots or something silly. - This may seem counterproductive, considering writing can be the cause of the problem, but I've found that focusing on something lighter as opposed to one of my well-known works goes lightyears into helping me get back on track. I just write a short one-shot or something to refine a particular aspect of my craft, or I write something silly that's just for fun and enjoyment, and usually it helps me gain back my ability to enjoy what I'm doing.
Anyway, like I've mentioned before, every situation is different, so there's no point in listing every option, but hopefully at least one of the ideas will help you.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Alright, so this wasn't an all-encompassing literary art or anything, but I do hope I was able to open up your mind a bit if you're having some issues publishing that great idea you've got, or even just finishing that new chapter you've been working on for months. Trust me, I've been there.
Anyway, that's all for now. I shall leave you with some Famous Last Words. Peace!
Thanks for taking the time to type this up. I enjoyed reading it, found it informative, and will keep it in mind as I write my stories.
3022552 Do so, young padawan. Greatness you will find.
jacquelineabelson.com/uploads/2/1/0/2/21022616/741275_orig.gif
yeah, these are me.
3022621 So are jolly ranchers, but they're awesome.
3022631 Me too.
3022664 haven't updated my biggest story since September of last year and it won't be updated till the chapters are redone.
Pony King, haven't even started on the next chapter.
Very inspiring and very well written. I hope people read this and feel empowered to write what their heart tells them.
The three things I've struggled with the most.
This post is exactly what I needed to read, thank you.
Well then, this helps immensely. Thanks for all these blogs, FLW!
4596957
Not a problem, man! I just speak from experience given all the issues I've had with learning to write.