What is the one thing that would make you stop writing?

[Leif Notae]

I thought about this while reading the "Telling vs. Showing" thread and thinking about my personal journey and all the speedbumps I had along the way. While we will never stop writing (it is a curse, or a call to the blood, or even fate for some), there are things which will stop us or even deter us from writing.

I am posting this here because I am sure there are many lurkers out there or new faces who need to see they aren't alone in their feelings or fears. Feel free to move this if it doesn't fit.

So, what would make you stop writing? What major change (in your life, in writing, in the world) would make it all go away?*

*And I am disregarding death. That is something we all fear, the end of a reflection.

 

[Clarence Matthews]

Lack of inspiration. Sometimes I just simply have no idea what to write about. I might have the desire to be working on something but when I put pen to paper nothing happens. Sometimes just out of the blue I am struck with a idea that I just cannot stop writing about, but when I don't know I can never seem to just write for the sake of writing.

 

[Caged Maiden]

When I began writing, it was an idle amusement to pass the time at a job i hated (selling cars). Now, the bug has bit me, and I LIVE for the next idea I can put on paper. For me, I guess I have a lot of hobbies, the desire to create, whether it's music, sewing, drawing, etc. I guess if I found something MORE creative, MORE artistic, than writing, I might be tempted to just give it up and embrace my new art forever. Like lovers, you can never have too many hobbies, I think. However, spreading your attention evenly over a load of creative ventures is hard.

 

[Aravelle]

I have a way of hitting a wall, of not knowing what to do next and nothing feeling right.
One time I had a break up that was so bad I gave up writing completely. Writing just felt stupid, mundane, and too hard.

 

[Christopher Wright]

If I were in a persistent vegetative state I think the entire process would be rather awkward.

 

[Steerpike]

I write because I want to. If that ever changes, I will stop.

 

[Sparkie]

So, what would make you stop writing? What major change (in your life, in writing, in the world) would make it all go away?*

*And I am disregarding death. That is something we all fear, the end of a reflection.

Knowing for sure that my writing sucks.

Let me explain. I write to entertain myself, but I do harbor dreams of having others enjoy what I've written. If the concensus view ever seems that my work has no entertaining value, I'll stop. There would be no real hope left for me in writing.

 

[FatCat]

I'm with you Sparkie. The idea that all the great ideas in my head may not be appreciated in the general public scares me. Although, despite this, I say **** 'em. I write because I want to. I saw your submission in the LS entry thread, it is great. Who cares what people think of your chosen hobby. Everyone is a critic, but few people really realize what it is they critique. The world, in my mind, is full of a lot of people trying for success. Why should any of us dream less because what we choose to write isn't considered 'relevant' or 'socially impactful'. I say fantasy is one of the greatest things in life. We have the ability to release the reader into a world that they have never known. What is better than that?

 

[Sparkie]

I say fantasy is one of the greatest things in life. We have the ability to release the reader into a world that they have never known. What is better than that?

Um, pizza maybe? Nah.

Seriously though, knowing that you like my story helps me. Thank you. Look forward to seeing your entry.

WARNING! SHAMELESS CHALLENGE PROMOTION!

Check out FatCat's upcoming story in Legendary Sidekick's Ultimate Sidekick Trigger Challenge.

 

[FatCat]

No! Don't do that! My story is terrible, although I've worked in Pizza my entire career life haha. I do like your story, for real. I don't lie, not on internet forums anyway. I just don't want to see a guy who has a great imagination be bullied into thinking that imagination is foolish. This is ****ing fantasy goddamnit, lets do this!

 

[Weaver]

I did stop writing for almost a decade.

Without going into details, I'll just say that some very bad things happened to me, my self-image was at an all-time low, and I stopped writing partly because I didn't want to tarnish the stories and characters I'd created by having them associated with me - or rather, with the person that most people around me insisted I was. I couldn't even think about writing (or anything else that could be called 'storytelling' in whatever form) for a while. Once I was able to at least think about stories again, I slowly worked my way out of my problems by thinking about someone else's (I think Alex Walotsky, fictional person though he is, may have saved my life, too) and dealing with things in fiction that I couldn't change in real life.

So I know exactly what could make me stop writing. Fortunately, that will never happen again.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

The loss of all my fingers might put a bit of a dampener on my writing!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Chime85]

Hi,

The loss of all my fingers might put a bit of a dampener on my writing!

Cheers, Greg.

Speech to text programs would solve that issue.

 

[SeverinR]

If I didn't write the stones would scream out... just kidding.

whats the one thing that would stop me from writing?
Dead computer. No writing program means handwriting and it doesn't flow well, and I can't read my own writing.
I write background or create monsters/ world building at work, but I won't write anymore at work. Since I decided to seek publishing, my work turned from hobby to possible money making venture, which would be unethical to do while getting paid to do another job.

 

[Weaver]

Hi,

The loss of all my fingers might put a bit of a dampener on my writing!

Cheers, Greg.

What about the loss of the use of your fingers?

That's something I fear. I've got fibromyalgia as well as arthritis, and either one acting up can make it nearly impossible for me to write/type. Am VERY much hoping that speech-to-text progams get better soon -- that or medical nanotech (which I will refer to as "critters" no matter what everyone else calls 'em) to just fix my hands before I do actually lose the use of them.

 

[SeverinR]

loss of fingers/ fingers broken, not working:
dragon software might help.
"I talk, it types"

I have never used it but I hear some people have.

 

[Lord Darkstorm]

Work, the kind that pays the bills. I suffer from it all the time. My job has me going to various places to work for different clients. Traveling is hard on sitting down to write...you would think that having a lack of all the normal distractions that exist at home would make it easier, but so far I haven't found that to be the case, there is less time somehow.

Anyways, I've never given up on writing, but when it comes to a reliable paycheck, it wins.

 

[WyrdMystic]

Just one thing?

Death.

 

[Anders Ämting]

Writer's block usually does the trick.

 

[WyrdMystic]

The inexplicable disappearance of words from existence?