my current writing problem is...

[preyer]

over-thinking a scenario. man, i hate that, but damned if i can't stop doing it. it stems from working in a factory (at least until feb. 28th when i get my buy-out-- yay), where i stand there for eight hours more or less by myself with nothing but myself for company and my brain for entertainment.

in the meantime, my brain just continues to work on stories, fantasies, the song i last heard on the radio, whatever. by the time i sit down to write something out, i've thought of so many variations and paths to go down i'm not sure which one i want to pick sometimes, knowing that the slightest deviation will have long-term effects in the story. they usually work themselves out once i get them on paper, but sometimes they linger til they drive me crazy.

no wonder my hair is turning gray.

[Nateskate]

Been there, doing that.

One of the worst problems with editing for me is that I will have a better idea that will impact a large portion of the story. That is a problem when you write a long fantasy.

At first, I wanted a vague antagonist, one that was more Alfred Hitchcock, in that you didn't know what you were dealing with until later in the story.

The problem with that approach was that the story was so long, that any change was a major change. I didn't plan on changing the antagonist(s) at first, and was simply ready to ship the book out. It was the first part of a written trilogy.

However, I was writing a subsequent story, which is a combination Prequel/Sequel, that takes place in two ages, and I evolved the antagonist. In my mind that worked better, and so, I went back and began rewriting the trilogy

[katdad]

they linger til they drive me crazy
That's the curse of a creative mind. I however don't recommend the power drill technique used in the movie "pi".

If focus is a problem, first I'd suggest removing all distractions -- turn off the music, remove any visual stuff from your immediate field of view, and concentrate on the computer screen (or tablet).

Then, try to put your mind into the mindview of your character. Think like your character, and "take dictation" when your character speaks.

This should help. And the narrative will also seem more authentic.

[maestrowork]

There's a thing called "trying too hard." Relax. It'll straighten itself out.

[anatole ghio]

If focus is a problem, first I'd suggest removing all distractions -- turn off the music, remove any visual stuff from your immediate field of view, and concentrate on the computer screen (or tablet).

Another trick for someone who has an over-engaged left brain is to overstimulate it before engaging in a creative activity; try composing lists or doing really dull math problems... organize your closet and then reorganize it.

It should be easier to do your creative activity after you have done this (free-writing is a similar exercise in that you over-engage the left brain by writing down everything that it gives you).

Part of this, also, is a symptom of not having enough writing under your belt... that's why you focus so much on what to say before you even say it.

So relaxing won't help so much until you have written enough that you will stop trying to say the write thing, and will just write it... but learning how to shut off the left brain just before you write should help somewhat.

- Anatole

[preyer]

lack of writing experience isn't really an issue. and i generally write most at work during breaks, right after doing a repetitive, mundane job which does require a modicum of paying attention (unless i get bored of having fingers, that is). i appreciate the advice, and i'm sure it's got merit, just in this particular case, me, neither really apply to the extent that one or both would be a cure-all.

consequently, i don't feel it's a lack of focus. i know the characters and what the story is about, even the ending. if anything, perhaps i'm over-focused, if that makes sense. it's the middle and how to get to where i want to be that's presenting almost too many roads to travel. it's funny, too, because i've never had this problem til now. the other books i've written were by far simpler to write down for some reason. something else about distractions: i operate best when there's music playing or the t.v.'s on in the next room. utter silence is deafening, but then again i crave a little bit of chaos, heh heh.

writing-wise i feel very out of my element lately and i can't pinpoint the reasons why. it's not writer's block, nor a lack of confidence. for some strange reason i've temporarily lost the ability to choose which fork to take.

it sucks, is all i've got to say, lol.

[ElizabethJames]

It must have been Yogi Bera who said, 'When you come to a fork in the road, take it.'

Pretty good advice, no?

[katdad]

i can't pinpoint the reasons why
If it's not writer's block, you may have simply hit a small dead spot. Writing is usually on a curve anyway, with ups and downs in creativity.

Let me suggest this, something I do when I seem to be stuck: Jump ahead in your story to a chapter or spot that you are particularly interested in writing.

This assumes that you have a general idea of how the story will proceed, even if you don't have a detailed outline.

For example, if there's a new, intriguing character upcoming, go ahead and write that introductory chapter. Or if there's a particularly important plot twist in the "future" of your novel's timeline, skip ahead to that spot and write a while.

I do this all the time, and then go back and find renewed energy to write the intervening chapters. And I can always revise those "ahead" chapters as needed to fit the proper sequence.

[sc211]

I know the feeling of doing mundane work and writing out long letters in your head and getting back home and... nothing. You already wrote it, got the feelings/thoughts out, and nothing there.

One thing I might suggest for that time at work is to quiet the mind. You know - go the Zen way. Saw this documentary on old-time Japanese carpenters, where they'd spent half the day sharpening their tools on sandstones, and they said they'd quiet their minds and get into a state of flow with it.

If you can do it, it's quite a cool feeling. That total presence deal.

[preyer]

k, you haven't been paying attention to what i post, have you? lol. i skip around all the time. i've written in a linear fashion. the story and words don't suffer, it's simply not as entertaining to actually write. chaos, confusion, randomness, distraction... these are my friends. i would have made a great war correspondent or bartender. those are the things that propel me forward. i wish utter calm did the trick, but it doesn't. that's probably why i loathe fishing as i do.

you know what the problem is? i've figured it out. i'm a hack. so when a story idea strikes, it's already pre-planned in my head. the problem may be, i hope, that this is actually a decent story and i'm afraid of fcuking it up, heh heh.

[Nateskate]

I never had this problem until I tried an Epic Fantasy. In past stories, I had a basic theme, characters, and it all came together.

I think the Epic Fantasy tapped into a creative part of my brain with no shutoff valve. I did finish the story "Once", but it balooned in the rewite. Either it is getting much better or I'm ruining it, and I'm not sure at this point. But the fact that it seems like the Never Ending Story bothers me. The problem is that the end line seems to get further the farther I go, and not nearer.

[Takvah]

Same problem here preyer. I have a great story in my head that, I have worked up in my mind's eye. I know every twist and every turn. I know the outcome. What has this done for me? Well it has given me a great bit of entertainment, and when I describe the story people are always like, "WRITE THAT!" The problem is that the story is over for me. It is really tough to gather myself up in front of the computer and to be excited about writing this. It doesn't matter that it's a great story. What matters to me is that the work isn't really going to hold any surprises for me. Some people might find it whacky that I lose interest in a story because it is complete and well thought. The deal is though, that writing for me is like one of those cheesy choose your adventure books. In the case of this great story, I've overdeveloped it. My protagonist and the supporting players hold no surprises... and that bores me.

[Nateskate]

Takvah, I understand completely. Being a bit ADHD, my attention span is much keener the first time I write something. I love the creative process. However, forcing myself to read the story over again is very difficult, because my mind is distracted after I know where my own story is going.

In a sense, that is one of the difficult parts for me, and it takes discipline to force myself to do it. In fact, it would be easier for me to write a whole new story than to edit a story I've written. The initial ideas come to me very quickly.

One of the reasons I never published in the past, was that I wrote stories freehand, and by the time I learned to type, the stories were no longer fresh.

[Daughter of Faulkner]

Thinking can be a good thing but like with everything else do it in moderation! Balance is the key.

[Mya Bell]

Writing is like walking in the forest--so many paths to take. But you can't take them all. Abandoning all those good ideas is tough, really tough, but if you don't, you'll end up going in circles and you'll be stuck in the forest without a book.

Tell yourself, you're going to follow one path and, when it gets done, tackle the others (even if you never do--it's just a way of getting focused). Sure a book can have different scenarios, that's what hypertext is all about, but in a printed book, it's really only comfortable to read one storyline at a time.

If you can't let go of the other ideas, jot them down as you're writing the main one, and spin them into short stories if you have time later.

Don't beat yourself up about not being able to get it all on paper. It's a fact of life that we have to make choices and set priorities. Writing isn't about writing every story (or every variation of a story); it's about writing the best ones--the very best ones. Choose the path that leads you home and dig in.

Think about how great you'll feel when it's done.

--- Mya Bell

[Man with twohanded sword]

Preyer: Try outlining or writing in summary form, so you can see where each branch might lead before your draft it - works for me, at any rate. (Usual caveats apply.)