Losing Steam :(

[illegalamigo]

Hi,
Everytime I start writing I start second-guessing my work and can never finish. I either think that it's a story nobody would want to read or I think it just isn't strong enough to support itself. Does this happen to any of you? It's not exactly writer's block because I have an idea of what I'd like to say, but after so long it turns into a chore and loses it's fun. I lose momentum. Is this familiar to any of you?

[Lindsey]

Oh yes... almost every time I sit down to write it happens to me. What I do is I force myself to write, and think that if it isn't strong enough, or anything else, that you can always go back and edit it. Don't worry about if your story is not good enough to read, I think that every time as well.

About the fun? Hmm.... writing often seems like a chore to me too. What I suggest is to throw a small loop in the story while your writing... make it exiting so that your ideas come so fast your hands can't keep up. Nothing big or anything that would affect the plot, just a little twist.:)

Over all, yes, I believe what you have described happens to ALL authors, and is just one of the hard things about writing.

[azbikergirl]

Yup. It sure does. That's usually the point when I ask myself "what's the worst thing that can happen to my character right now?" (aside from getting killed) Then I make it happen. :D It's amazing how much more interesting the story gets then!

[Cathy C]

Uncle Jim gives the best advice --- BIC (Butt in Chair)! Sit down, type out the next page, and the next and the one after. Don't worry about the "finished product" or whether you can sell it. Don't worry about marketing or agents or editors. Just WRITE. Write it for you, because you're really enjoying the story. The rest will follow. :D

[AdamH]

I have the very same problem sometimes Cathy. The BIC method is always best. I have a laptop for all my writing, so I have the benefit of portability and change of scenery. Or, if all else fails, I just write ideas out in my little note book for later use.
And putting pressure on yourself to make the first draft good never works. I learned that too. Just get the story out. Make it pretty later.
Also, and this is more of a personal thing, I only write as much as I feel like in a day instead of forcing a 5 page quota. If I only write for 10 mins, I'm happy with that. At least, I'm 10 mins further into the story I was before. Plus I'm not forcing it with any deadlines.

[Coco82]

I've been having this same problem for a while now. I know what I want to do, but can't get it out. It's frustrating, but I figure I'm not in a rush to finish it. I don't have a deadline. So I'm going to take my time and w/any luck (crossed fingers) it'll eventually get finished. :)

Best of luck to everyone.

[Honey Nut Loop]

Its always gonna happen but thats the wonderful ting about computers.You can always go back and change something later on.

[Vomaxx]

We all have days when we think that the best way to edit our work would be with a can of gasoline and a match. Don't worry. That will pass.

[alaskamatt17]

For the first time ever, I just finished a chapter in my book without running out of steam. t was a real juggernaut of a chapter that just pulled me right along for the ride. It ended up being a monster of a cahpter, too ... 13,249 words!

But most of the time, that sort of thing doesn't happen to me. I just plod along, following my outline, and jumping for joy whenever I hit a little spark of something interesting. Just keep writing. Force yourself to. Even the worst drivel is more readable than the best idea that never got written down.

[Nateskate]

Here's a trick. Write down five names. Don't think hard, just write them down. Now write down a definition next to each name, and don't even think how they relate to the story.

The less thinking the better.
Bill- Axe murderer/Doubles as a pizza delivery man.
Sue- Insane aunt who lives in a house over the garage. People wonder if she's dead because they never see her.
Debbie- has a thing for dangerous people. Doesn't know why she craves her oddball neighbor. She thinks it's his hair.

Now, take each of these people and describe them in more detail.
Bill- Long black wavy hair, a long body and shirts that are always too shirt and pull out
Sue-Has worn the same dress for four years, tattered like something dragged out of a Gidget movie.
Debbie- Thinks she stylish, but always...

Now think of where they live. How do they relate to each other?

It's important to get a mental picture of your characters and why they are important. The odder the better, especially for a story.
The fun in writing is creating. But the difficulty is getting the pictures into words. But one simple character can add so much to your story.

[AdamH]

Here's a trick. Write down five names. Don't think hard, just write them down. Now write down a definition next to each name, and don't even think how they relate to the story.

I really like that idea. :Clap: I'm going to try using it for my next story. Thanks!

[Supafly]

When starting my latest book, I sat down and wrote the first chapter. I was bored and I hadn't planned on doing anything past that point. I just knew I was never going to write it again, just another idea I had the would end up in my desk as a unused floppy. However, I decided a week later to do another couple chapters and I introduced a couple more characters, even though I really did not want to do it. Needless to say, the first few chapters are by far the worst writing in the book. What I had originally planned on being something to kill an hour or so ended up what it is now, a nearly completed juggernaut of 615,000 words and counting. My point is even when you doubt yourself upon starting a project, stick with it for just a couple days, or even a week. Do a little writing. The beginning is always the most boring part of writing a book because there typically is nothing happening (except for introducing characters). I even changed the original story and now its something that is beyond anything I've done before, and although I'm not published yet, I have several other projects that I had considered BIG.

Just stick with it. Maybe it will be more than you thought. Hey, Stephen King threw Carrie into the trash before his wife talked him into publishing it.

[l.stormgaye]

It haps to the best of us. You will prevail if you continue to surround yourself with other writers. Geniune competitiveness will keep you focused. Also, listen to or read success stories and keep reading books in your genre. That will keep you focused, too.

[Coco82]

I find also if you have a good cast of supporting characters you have all the more people, situations for your character(s) to be involved in.