Writer's Paradise discussion

Alright, so I've been working on a couple of stories for a while now, almost a year. But for the past about four months, I just haven't been in the mood to write. What changed and what can I do to get that feeling back?

I'd start writing something else it'll refresh your mind and allow you to get back to your ideas later

Hmm ... have you plotted the entire book out? Gotten the background of your character? If you haven't, sometimes it's a good idea to give yourself a place to reach- somewhere to anchor yourself.

Maybe you're not feeling very connected to the story because you're not sure of your characters. Take some time and talk to them, learn about them, study them.

If you have plotted your entire book, maybe it's that you already know what's going to happen. The sense of, "What happens if I put THIS in there?" is gone, leaving you with an already playing show. Throw in a couple of surprises here and there, change it up a bit. Explore.

go to a place you love, if it's a coffee shop endulge in a drink and dessert, if it's a restaurant get your favorite meal, if it's the beach or a park go for a run or a walk, just get out and clear your head, taking time for yourself tends to loosen you up creatively.

For me music helps. Whenever I explore new music that I've never listened to, I indulge in the lyrics. I find the message that is being protrayed through the song, and I instantly figure out a new plot for my story(ies).

But of course, that's just me. Maybe if you just laid around for awhile, relaxing, sleeping, even shower, keep your mind trained on your characters, what would they do in this situation, how would they react. What would happen if this happened? Try to figure out who your characters are so you can use them more often.

Simple "what if" questoins also help. Like what if sally jumped off a cliff? What would happen? What if Sally died? What would happen? What if Sally decided to go for a walk in the forest? What would happen?

I hope that you can overcome this writers block, and that you can continue writing with a passion. :D

I faced this kind of thing when I was writing for NaNoWriMo, and I felt like giving up on it and starting a new one, but I was encouraged by this message in the words of Meg Cabot:

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,
I know what you’re doing. You’re thinking about cheating, aren’t you?

Ha! Caught you!

Come on. One cheater knows another. You think I’ve never been there?

Maybe for some of you it’s not too late: you haven’t crossed the line…maybe you’re just entertaining the idea of abandoning the story you’re currently working on.

Maybe you’re just thinking of taking a break to jot down a few notes about the story you just thought of--that ultra-fresh, totally cool, sure-to-be-a-bestseller you dreamed up the other morning while you were supposed to be figuring out where you took the wrong turn on your work-in-progress.

But I’m here to let you know: That’s how it starts. The next thing you know, you’re doing character sketches. Then a little dialogue. Then whole scenes.

And then you’re through. You’ve given up on your work-in-progress entirely, and the next thing you know, you’ve started working full-time on this new story you thought up. I know only too well what comes next. The excuses. The rationalization: “So what? So I switched stories. I’ve still got a work-in-progress. It’s just not my original work-in-progress. So I’m a little behind in my word count. I’m still writing, right?”

Sure, it seems innocent enough. But the problem with doing this is that of course the new story always seems better than that old busted up, out-of-control story you’ve been working on for so long. That new story has the aura of dewy freshness to it. It’s calling to you! It’s all, “Yoo-hoo…look at me! I don’t have any plot problems and my characters are way-intriguing and some of them wear leather jackets and oh, yeah, you know that weird transition thing you’ve got going on near chapter four that you can’t figure out? I don’t have that!”

I know. It sounds good.

But how long until some other story idea comes along and twitches its enticing little characters at you, and you decide to abandon this new one for it? How many words will you have then?

Not enough for a whole book, that’s how many. And here’s the thing: If you keep doing this, you never will.

Do you think I haven’t been there? Cheating on your current work-in-progress with a new one is the oldest trick in the book! I have a plastic milk crate crammed full of stories I started and never finished because I cheated on them, t hen got so enamored of my new story, I never went back to the old one. Over and over and over again.

And that, my friends, is how you never finish a book. Take it from someone who has hundreds (maybe even a few thousand) of unfinished stories because of this phenomenon.

So stop right now! Stop using a new story idea (or whatever excuse you’ve come up with) to avoid the work you still have to do on your current work-in-progress!

Put the Shiny New Story away for later, when you’re done with your WIP! If your Shiny New Story is that good, it will still be there waiting for you.
And please…don’t end up like me, with a plastic milk crate full of half-finished stories. Think about what made you fall in love with your work-in-progress in the first place. Shower it with the attention it deserves.

And whatever you do, don’t let it end up in the Milk Crate of Shame. Think of where we’d be if all the great stories we love today ended up there, uncared for and forgotten by their authors, because they got distracted by some Shiny New Idea while they were working.

Take a deep breath. There. Feel better?
Yeah. So do I.

Now let’s get back to work.

And about the cheating…I won’t tell if you won’t.

Meg

Ooh I remember that letter! I still have all of those from Nano!!

Sorry to sound naive, but what's NaNoWriMo?

It's National Novel Writing Month. the website is Nanowrimo.org And basically it's where you write 50,000 words in a month. It does it every year in November. It's way exciting. "D

Oh. I see. Thanks :)

By the way, thanks for all the help, guys.

You're welcome

I <3 Meg Cabot. LOL

Reading something really great usually makes me want to write ^-^ or hearing other writers talk about their characters and what they're doing.

that letter is funny xD I think I got it too.