Reving up but going nowhere

AngieBelle · Jun 24, 2011

I am forever getting stuck! I have no problem with free form writing. I can write journals, letters, posts on message boards with ease. If you say just write about what happened today, I'll have a whole passage down without a bit of stress. But I am forever caught in the gutter on stories! Even the story I wrote in 3rd grade about a witch who turned an orphan into a mouse never had a proper ending.

I'll try a story writing prompt and get maybe a few sentences down but after that, my mind goes blank. I can come up with random concepts, funny incidents, interesting setting...but what is all that without plot and conflict?

For example, I spent a couple weeks every summer at summer camp as a kid. I remember the details very well. So it should reason that I should be able to write a camp story. So I ask myself what should happen in this story? *blank stare*

Every once in a while, I'll get a complete story idea, and I do have finished stories, but it seems to be the slowest process in the world. It took me a whole two years to complete the 10 assignments for the Institute for Children's Literature course!

I have never written anything of novel length because I have enough trouble finishing short stories! Sometimes I'll have plenty of ideas for directions to take my stories, but one by one, I decide they won't work or I try them and get stuck again.

It is very frustrating to want to be an author when your brain feels as if it's full of cobwebs!

alleycat · Jun 24, 2011

A couple of random thoughts . . .

You might want to get a basic book on writing that deals with planning out and thinking through a story (some of the books published by Writer's Digest might work for this).

And, before you write, you might want to brainstorm more. Are you familiar with Mindmaps? It sounds like maybe you're the kind of person that could get some use out of "mindmapping" your stories. I'm assuming maybe you've tried outlining and that didn't quite work for you.

ylrebmik · Jun 24, 2011

I've had that happen to me a few times too. What I hate even more is when you get into the story and you can't make it work.

I was working on a WIP for quite a long time, but I just couldn't get the words out. And then 9 days ago, I had an idea. I wrote it down in my folder of ideas and decided to freewrite a little bit and it took off. I've noticed that my problem before was that I didn't develop my characters enough or have a set plan for the plot before I write. Figuring out that early, I've been able to write almost 17K in a little over a week.

I agree with alleycat... sit back and plan. Think of the characters you want to include and what the conflict is. Even if you don't have it all planned out, just freewrite a ton until you get it going.

Or just keep writing. If you get a few sentences down... keep going. Even if what your writing makes absolutely no sense and aren't even words. Start dialogues of characters, talk about what will happen, do a bunch of summaries. Just keep writing even when you go blank.

Good luck to you!

Celesta · Jul 25, 2011

One word NaNoWriMo. So good! It got me over that blockage. Ever since then I've been writing LOTS of good stories. Highly recommended.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

sally_laramie · Jul 27, 2011

The more planned out a story the easier it is to finish it. Write a breakdown of the plan story plots and then a chapter by chapter synopsis. Even if it is a rubbish idea and just what you did at summer camp, once it's written down you will be able to see what needs changing. Also if you think about the fact that the story needs to start normal, then an event happens which changes things. Then think slowly build up to the revelation and then the climax. That might help you commit to writing because once it's planned it'll seem easier to do.

I really struggle to commit to once story and switch a lot, so I over plan everything so it's very easy for my enthusiasm to stay high.

71writer · Jul 27, 2011

I know exactly how you feel. I have had the same problem. Now I read Stephen Kings book "On Writing" and in it he suggested not plotting but starting with a situation and just writing. And not to allow yourself to do any revising (I'm a perfectionist and this is very difficult for me) until you finish your first draft. I have built character profiles and that didn't work for me but I am considering trying again on this YA novel I am working on to do just that.
I don't know if there is any easy answer, as every writer is different but I am finally getting it through my thick skull that everyone has been right when they said, "Just write. Just write it down and go back later and flesh it out."

Mfraser · Sep 8, 2011

Celesta said:
One word NaNoWriMo. So good! It got me over that blockage. Ever since then I've been writing LOTS of good stories. Highly recommended.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

This is what got my first novel written. This.

Sventh · Sep 9, 2011

I usually don't get writer's block's. My mind wanders to another story which is weird in itself. But that's me I never planned out my first book I just wrote it. Have Faith in your abilities and you will eventually you will plow through your writer's block. Maybe try a different writing spot and see what happens. There is my suggestion.

jaksen · Sep 9, 2011

Maybe you have adult ADHD. My sister has this - she's not a writer - but she finds it hard to keep her focus on any one thing. As a result she is always doing six things at once. She teaches Math, but she jumps around a lot. A little bit of lesson. Kids at the white board. A few examples. More lesson. It actually is good in this case because she can teach in ten-fifteen minute spurts and for young kids with shorter attention spans (on the whole) it's not a bad thing.

But she can't read for more than ten minutes before tossing the book aside. TV quickly bores her and she is a champion channel-hopper. Even when you talk to her, she darts all over the place going from one topic to the next and rarely listens to the other person.

If any of this is you, maybe this is your reason for having difficulty finishing things.

Reving up but going nowhere

AngieBelle

alleycat

Still around

ylrebmik

Celesta

loves writing :)

sally_laramie

On the road to creativity

71writer

Mfraser

Hoping For the Best

Sventh

jaksen

Caped Codder