Losing the desire to write.

Nobby, i feel the same way when I write sometimes. Remember sometimes even if you only write a page or two a day, you are getting the story written down. As writers we know that writing the first draft is the toughest and most tedious part of the process. I started on my first draft in November and i only have 43 pages of it done so far. As long as always set aside even a few minutes of writing a day, we can finish. Writing a novel is not a race, it's more like putting a jigsaw puzzle. Never lose hope, and just keep writing. That goes for anyone who feels doubt about their own desire to write

 

You haven't? How strange. It's a perfectly logical defense mechanism. If you don't care about anything, nothing can hurt you.

 

When I struggle to write, I find that it is a lack of confidence in myself that triggers it. I was dismissed a lot by adults as a kid--not that most kids aren't--but for some reason it really stuck with me. I felt a constant sense of needing to prove myself, needing to prove that I had something worthwhile to say.

Most frequently, when I struggle to write, my internal dialogue is one of, "No one will want to read this anyway." It really goes back to that little-kid feeling that I will be dismissed out of hand. On the one hand, I still really want to prove that I can do this, but I'm used to thinking that no one really wants to listen anyway. So, the defense mechanism is this: "If I don't write, then no one can dismiss me."

(Not angling for sympathy. Just sharing my experience.)

What I'm trying to tell you is that blocks with writing come from all over the place, whether external or internal. For me, now that I really know what causes my writing struggles, I'm able to get past it a little more easily. A little introspection can help a lot. Bottom line, the tide of writing rises and falls; all you can do is ride the waves and trust that your nature as a writer will win out in the end. As someone on here recently told me, (I think is was A.E. Lowan) "Writer gotta write."

 

Ooops (I'm really going to have to learn how to use this flipping forum) The quote in my post was copied from Chesterama's original , everyone else had given good advice but I thought they'd missed that point.


Good point, Mythopoet, though!

In my defence I tend to bypass apathy completely and just get angry with myself when I struggle. (I actually have a rant document which I use to cuss myself out when I start getting precious about writing- funny thing is I never seem to suffer from any kind of block adding to that)

 

That's what I was going to say! I was like, "wait, what? Apathy is regularly used as a defense mechanism in both fiction and reality."

Although I think in this case it may be closer to ennui than apathy. The fact that this thread exists implies that there is some level of caring.

 

I think we all go through this once and awhile. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and recharge, or change our routine to infuse it with freshness again. Whenever I feel like this I take a notebook and go write somewhere where I wouldn't normally--outside, at a coffee shop, etc. Occasionally I have to remember I got the most joy writing when I first started back in jr high or high school, where I just cracked open a pad of paper or notebook and just wrote without thinking about things like word counts, plot structure, or character development and just let the ink flow. Going back to basics often helps me center myself in what I love most about writing.

 

Glad you're still fighting, Chesterama!

But don't judge your writing too harshly when you're dragging yourself out of the hole...if you see what I mean

As for apathy in fiction, it's a bit 'meh' to me

 

Remember, if what you truly want to do is to write a novel, then never give up. If you only write a sentence or two paragraphs a day, you are still making progress. Sooner or later, the first draft will be written. No matter how long it takes, the more you write the more you writing will improve. I already have 70 pages of my first draft written. And seeing it grow page by page, as I write it by hand, i see that much less I need to complete. so even if you write at a slow pace, never try to write more than you feel like writing at that time.

 

I am currently in the same predicament that the OP was describing: i want to write, but for whatever reason, i just can't. I've tried watching things that relate to what i want to write, but still, i'm getting nothing.

Maybe it's because I've also been simultaneously trying to get into the mood of every holiday/special occasion that comes my way (example: this month is June, so i'm hoping to get into the "Last Day of School" and Graduation mood), I don't know.

But part of me thinks that it's because i'm sort of acting on 2 deadlines. One of the three stories that i've decided to stick with in recent times is a fanfiction season 2 of a show that i like, and when i posted the "episodes" that i wrote online, a few other fans read and enjoyed them and wanted me to keep going. I don't want to let my "fans" down, especially since i want the fanon that i've created to keep going too. But it feels like i've reached a rut in my rewrites and i seem to be more fixated on the stories that i hope to write in the future.

Another story in the three that i'm sticking with right now is a fan-made Sequel series to another show that i like. I was trying to rally other fans of the aforementioned show to create a fan-made web-series but no dice. I was hoping that writing and posting my story online would help rally more followers, but even so, my writing juices have gone dry.

 

I'm feeling disillusioned with writing too right now. A couple of days ago I finished a short story and felt really good about it at first, but my reviewers saw all manner of plot and characterization holes and tore it apart. The gist I got from their comments was that I needed to rewrite the whole thing from scratch or at least edit it beyond recognition.

 

Jabrosky-

Learn from your mistakes and move on.

Some of the prior pieces you posted were pretty good. I liked the one with the female dinosaur hunters.

This one just didn't work. Salvage what you can, and tackle it again.

Sign up for the current 'Iron Pen' Challenge.

 

I believe it's a problem most writers face if they've been at it for a few years. But I wouldn't worry. It's your mind trying to send you the message that it's time for a break. It's very possible that you've been pushing yourself too hard lately. It's similar to doing anything physical. If you push your body too long or too hard, it's going to rebel in some way. Both the body and the mind know when it's time to ease off. Be kind to yourself. Take a month or two for your brain to reboot. Think of it as therapy for the writer's mind. There is no reason to feel guilty. If you broke your leg and took a couple of months to let it heal, would that be a reason to feel guilty? I think not. It's the smart and logical thing to do.

You're a writer by nature, Chesterama. The desire to write will return when your mind feels it appropriate. But until that happens, be as generous to yourself as you are to others. Take this time to reboot. Find something else you like to do and take full advantage of having a chunk of time in which you can benefit from an unexpected chance to shift your focus. It need only be temporary, but it can be a true gift to the spirit.

So, as I mentioned earlier, be kind to yourself. The desire to write will certainly return.

Just a bit of compassion from the hermit in the woods.

All my best,

-Ron-