What's been making me crazy is how fuzzy it all is. I've been reading from the beginning, and I can see places where my plot changes might be integrated; but how do I know I need them there? What if I miss some things, and I don't realize it until I'm at the end? Then I'll have to backtrack and do it all over again.
Oh, Silver. What a tough place to be in--and one I can well relate to. I think we all go through this at some point. How long has it been since you started feeling this way? Have you tried taking a break? Writing something completely different?
Hugs, hugs, hugs. It's an awful feeling.
I haven't been able to get back into the groove of it since I did Nano Camp. That's the only reason why I'm worried about getting back into the groove of it.
Truthfully, it's a been a while since I've written for myself, solely for myself. Just to write something I would enjoy. I've gotten too caught up in the Will-I-Try-To-Publish-It-Or-Won't-I thing as well as wondering how/if I've following "genre guidelines". But most of it has been "What am I going to do with this story?", not "Is this for me or something else?".I wonder, though - when was the last time you wrote just for yourself? Not for word count, or to progress toward something finished - just to express something you wanted to express? For me, especially if I'm working on something I'm trying to turn into Something[tm], I can lose all sense of joy and artistry. Sometimes you need a break - and sometimes you just need to put some words on paper with no goals and no conditions.
My advice would be to take a step into something just for you. Write a story that is different to your normal style. Play around with different things. Maybe take up another creative hobby - music, drama, dancing, baking, knitting, whatever you like. Do something imaginative every day, even if it's as small as doodling on the corner of a telephone pad. Forget whether something falls into genre conventions, whether it might be publishable or even readable. Make something you love.
And then come and tell us all about it, 'cos we're nosey parkers. Plus there's chocolate and hugs.
I can't believe I'm saying this. But do you think that maybe, just maybe I should write a little....fan fiction? Just to get my brain working again? Maybe even experiment with the genres I'm trying to write now a little more or something? Maybe? I don't necessarily have to post it I guess but just to write it.
Silver, I know you already know, but - fan fiction can be HUGELY fun to write. Whether you share it or not is up to you; but if it would bring you pleasure, by all means, DO IT.
You seem like you could use some joy in your life. I would suggest you worry less about what is "publishable" and have some fun. If it's not fun - who cares if it's publishable?
If you enjoy writing fan fiction, I say do it. Ignore anyone who says it's not "proper" writing. Who gets to decide what's "proper" or not? There's no-one standing at the end of the line to read all our humble offerings, waiting to pass judgement down on whether This Is A Proper Use Of Your Writing Ability. Although if you could include that guy in a story I would totally bow down to you.
I say writing should be fun!
Silver - it sounds almost like you wrote down what's in my head right now as well. I really get where you are, and the advice above is really good. And yeah, I actually went back and scribbled a bit of fan fiction when I was really stuck. I don't care about the 'thou must not write fanfiction' camps because it was fan fiction that got me writing in the first place, back when I was about 11 or something. I went back to it for pretty much the reasons you've mentioned, that I remembered when I used to write that stuff, I actually enjoyed it. Nowadays it's getting impossible to shut out all the 'writers' advice', thinking about target audiences, whether the quality is publishable or not, no matter how much I try to switch it off and it felt for a long while like I couldn't just shut off and enjoy writing. Doing the wee bit of fan fiction got me back in the mood again, enough to have a look again at the MS. If the urge is there, I'd say go with it.
Thanks you guys.
I actually use to write fan fiction and original fiction side-by-side, like I explained. I know this is going to sound wrong. But I started trying to shy away from fan fiction because I was told that I was slightly wasting my time and energy with it. Also, due to some books that were formerly fan fiction becoming published fiction and all of the mess/issues surround it, is another reason why I was trying to shy away from it as well.
But I guess I'm either just not ready, or maybe I'm just one of the those people who just has to write(and maybe even read) both fan fiction and original fiction. You know?
I shied away because I was involved in a forum for other people who liked to write fan fiction and the bitchiness was just unbelievable. Plus, I started to get ideas for my own stuff that kind of took over. But I still find it a good 'scratch pad' almost. When I dabble with fan fiction it's like my brain is freed up a bit from thinking about the WIP, and as you say, it's a way to get some practice writing for different arenas and genres.
But whatever you end up doing, hopefully this is just a bump along the way, Silver, and you'll find your happiness in writing again! (((hugs)))
Wonder - I'm heading off for a little break tomorrow and that'll be my way of getting back into writing, I hope. I find Scotland is just not a good environment for me, creatively, maybe because I dislike living here so much that that sort of depressed state gets in the way. Getting out for a while, hopefully, will be the break I need. Looking forward to it.
Thanks for the kind words.
Quick question though, what are you all's opinions on plot generators/story starters/prompts/etc.?
I will demonstrate my ignorance by saying I'm not quite sure what you're referring to here.
But I am 100% FOR anything that gets a person writing. Starting is 9/10ths of the battle.
Oh wow. Um, generators or prompts can be a host of anything. It can be a single word. It can be a phrase, as in your story must contain this phrase or your story must start with this phrase. It can be a grouping of words, including only nouns, only verbs, or a combination of the two, sometimes even adjectives. It can be a phrase that says what your story is about overall, in a very, very, very, very general form. (ex: Like your story is about a witch who meets a vampire and saves the magical world). It can be a bunch of different stuff; it just depends on which generators you can find and which you like. It can even be an image prompt, a picture is the "inspiring moment" or whatever you want to say.
And, because my husband and I were discussing this earlier, I will add: Writing advice is of limited usefulness. While there is almost always someone who will benefit from one tip or another, it won't be everyone. Each of us approaches our art differently - some with great detail and planning, some with just a word or image in mind.
Do what feeds YOUR art - not mine, not the art of a bunch of people who think prompts (or fan fiction, for that matter) are the "wrong" way to start. Wrong for them doesn't mean wrong for you.
Isn't that how all stories start? Something you've seen, someone you've met, someone else's tale you imagine ending differently?
Sounds like a pretty good exercise to me. I'm sure there are people who object; but I'm all for taking your ideas from wherever they come.
And, because my husband and I were discussing this earlier, I will add: Writing advice is of limited usefulness. While there is almost always someone who will benefit from one tip or another, it won't be everyone. Each of us approaches our art differently - some with great detail and planning, some with just a word or image in mind.
Do what feeds YOUR art - not mine, not the art of a bunch of people who think prompts (or fan fiction, for that matter) are the "wrong" way to start. Wrong for them doesn't mean wrong for you.