When's the Last Time You Wrote a Good Story? · 12:42am Jan 10th, 2020
For years now I've felt the best of my writing is behind me, as my ADHD, depression, and anxiety plus general personal shittyness have continued to keep me barely functioning and certainly not thriving. I look back and I used to actually sometimes write good stories. I've always written shitfics, but it used to be I'd write more than just shitfics. Now it seems that's all I can write. And it makes me sad.
You know what's crazy? Just barely over a third of my stories don't have a random tag, as you can see here: https://www.fimfiction.net/user/116672/Super+Trampoline/stories?q=+-%23random&order=latest
The last story I wrote that doesn't have the random tag is from over a year ago:
. And before that, over a year and a half ago, and it doesn't even really count because it's just a collection of songs I had already written. Which reminds me I'm going to go add my song about Spitfire being a bitch to it:
The last truly great story I wrote? Is this one shaping up to be my magnum opus it seems:
Nearly two years ago. Also, two upvotes from 500, if any of you want to help a brother out.
So yeah, I want to write more serious stuff, but I just can't seem to get into it anymore, at least not without the characters being aware that they're imaginary characters. It's like I can't... I don't know what it's like. I just know I want to write good shit, but I don't seem to be able to anymore. And that's depressing. I'm not sure where I'm going with this.
So how about you, friends? How has your writing been going lately?
Practice, practice, practice. Just do it. I've had my moments too.
2016
Sorry, I already upvoted it. You want me to smurf?
I kind of know what you mean. My undeniable magnum opus is The Fishbowl, my only novel-length story, and one which took two years to write - and which is more than a year old now.
- MLP: FiM
- Equestria Girls
- Adventure
- Mystery
Vinyl remembers the doll. It's unmistakably hers. Except it's in Octavia's closet. Why do they have the same doll – and the same memory?Since then I've published two weird little stories and a filk. I've got a whole bunch of stories in progress, but none of them ever seem to progress much, and I just keep going round in a holding pattern. All my other good stories are three or four years old. I wrote Fate Of The UNS Moon Dancer in just a few weeks, since it was for a contest deadline; nowadays I spend a few weeks picking my toenails and half-heartedly picking at stray words.
- Equestria Girls
- Drama
- Sad
- Sci-Fi
New frontiers aren't always safe.I started a writing contest of my own, but my story for that is stuck in a plot hole and may never surface if I don't find a solution.
There's no mystery here. My main focus is on a project that has nothing to do with writing or ponies. But I do understand the feeling that what few great accomplishments I can claim are all in the past, written by a different me.
I always get a chuckle out of your stories, unless chuckles weren't intended.
Gosh, the last time I wrote a good story? I'm not sure that I've written any.
5183517
I'm genuinely glad to hear that :) Also let's collab sometime.
5183514
The fishbowl has been on my read later list for a hot minute. :/ I read more fimfiction blog words than actual pony words these days; I should really rectify that.
What's the big non-pony project you're working on, if I may ask?
I can definitely relate to a lot of this. I had a similar writing slump period early in 2019, where it felt like all I could bring myself to do was sillier stuff. Bouncing ides around with friends and working under a deadline seemed to snap me out of it a bit, though, since later that year I wrote this
- Equestria Girls
- Romance
- Tragedy
A princess from a magical land, with fiery hair, ruby lips and eyes that could melt stone. Rarity's diary reads like a fairytale. But something we tend to forget as we grow is how rarely fairytales end happily.Which I would say is one of my better stories. Actually, pretty much all the stories I've written that I would say are actually, like, pretty good were contest entries, so that's kind of my go-to recommendation for getting back into the swing of things, and I believe I've seen other people expressing a similar sentiment. So that might be something to look into--rope a friend into brainstorming and hashing out a more solid plot, maybe, see if that gets any ideas you can stay invested in long enough to write.
Hope things get better for you
5183512
What happened in 2016?
5183526
I keep missing the write offs and GAPJaxie's speedwrite contests. I keep asking people to text me when they're happening but I haven't been annoying enough or persistent enough for that to actually happen. (714) 496-3119
Also that story of yours is also in my read later, read sooner, and highly recommended folders so I might actually read it sooner than later.
My last story I felt was good is a year and a half old.
I don't think our best writing is behind us by any means, though. Just gotta keep moving forward until we hit our stride again.
I don't write much, but I have. Deleted it because it was utter garbage not worthy of a second glance. But I do have two stories for Fimfiction I'm working on infrequently. Don't know if they'll ever see the light of day, but they're there. I know I could write a good story if inspiration hit and I dedicated time and effort into it. The same is true for everything, really. You're more knowledgeable than you have ever been in your life. If you peak, it's because you hold yourself back. Personally, I don't care about quality or quantity. If I release a story I wrote, it'll be because I'm happy with it. It'll be a story I wrote because it was one I wanted to read.
Your writing peaked when your mindset changed from releasing stories you were satisfied with to releasing stories just to release stories. If you want to recapture those days, then do it. You're the only one stopping you.
5183525
I make customisable character sheets for Dungeons & Dragons. I'm currently working on a big project for the new Pathfinder Second Edition. If you don't do D&D, that won't be of much interest to you.
I also spend a lot of time editing The Princess's Bit for MitchH, since he writes about 100x faster than me.
5183526
Contests with strict deadlines do drag good stories out of me, but they also ruin me for months afterwards.
June 17 last year.
Weirdly, I still think my favourite story I've written is my second oldest. Maybe not objectively best, but my personal favourite.
- MLP: FiM
- Drama
- Slice of Life
Seeking shelter from a storm, a gryphon and a pony must share a small cave.5183535
My experiences with both those recurring events haven't been positive enough for me to stick with them, so I'm afraid you're not likely to get much help from me on that front
5183552
Oh that's cool! I've been meaning to get into D&D for like, over a decade now. Maybe some day I actually will >_>
Also I've been meaning to read Good Trooper Gilda for a while as well >_>
5183527
The last time I wrote a good story. A Follow Up Report.
That sucks, man. Hope you get your groove back at some point.
I'm in a bit of a weird spot myself. I'm great at starting projects, and yet I find myself constantly slamming into mental roadblocks once I'm a couple hundred or so words into them. Heck, the last time I published something, new FiM episodes were still premiering on Discovery Family (I suppose that’s my answer to the original question, then).
I feel somewhat confident that I'll finally make some larger strides this month, so at least I've got that going for me. It's still been pretty irritating, though.
/me looks in stories
26th Jul 2018, apparently.
Also wtf dude, change your fucking bio description thingy, ffs.
5183588
Do it. It's a blast of you've got a good DM