This is a thread about writing. I have at least two writing projects that I'm supposed to be working on at the moment. One of them is [i:95815f8316]2001[/i:95815f8316]. The other is a story that I'm going to write for my sisters that will hopefully be publishable once it's done. In both cases, I have at least some rough plans for the plot, I have characters and background, and I have inspiration for what to do with those elements. I know I can write halfway decently, so I'm not afraid of that. What I'm missing is the motivation to sit down and do it. This is partly because I am reluctant to give up my freetime pursuits, such as reading, singing and playing the Sims 2, partly due to tiredness at the end of the working day, and partly due to apathy and fear and of failure. So, if you write, what do you do to make yourself do it? And do you have any tips? Even if you don't write, do you have any tips?
I have exactly the same problem as you Buzz, the ideas all there just I'm too bloody lazy to actually do it. Basically I find that forcing myself to sit there and write it works, cos once I get started it is easy. Also "motivating" myself through threats of punishment, ie removal of music, internet time and MSN access seems to work a treat. Good luck on the not-being-lazy-about-writing front.
Sometimes the same thing happens with me and drawing. I can be full of ideas and have it all planned out in my mind - but it's just too much [i:ccb665ea4e]effort[/i:ccb665ea4e] to actually get out paper and pencils and do something. However, usually this is what I do: I force myself to work and do something, and if it's completely terrible and pointless I throw it away, but by that point I'm in the right frame of mind and I can get something done.
I have the exact same problem all the time... and by the sounds of it I'm not alone! I think getting started is THE biggest problem - once I get going, I really enjoy it, but it's getting the initial momentum that's the problem. It might be helpful to have some one else "bully" you into doing it. I get on with things more if I have some one else constantly asking me "So, any progress yet?" I feel like such a twat saying "No, not really..." three weeks in a row that I'm more inclined to get motivated. It's almost like deadlines at school - except instead of fear of detention it's not wanting to let people down that drives me Gen xx
It must be the time of year, I've just been saying to Marcia this week that I'm going to start concentrating on writing again. The last time I actually wrote any of Sara's Story was September 2004, can't believe I've let a whole year go by without doing anything - I guess I was occupied in other ways. I have been wondering if it might be useful to go out somewhere to write, with a pen and paper; either somewhere outside in the sunshine, a nice spot with a view, or perhaps to the library or something. Somewhere to go and write that's different from where I normally do everything else, i.e. at my computer (if I had a garden I'd probably go there). Perhaps this will put me in the mindset for writing? Maybe you could try that?
Strangely enough, I never have a problem starting something. Its just continuing I find difficult I have begun so many pieces; I get an idea, I get excited about it and plan the thing out in my head, I get plans made out on paper, I have a few chapters written...then I sit back for a few days and get a better (or different, maybe not better) Idea and leave the first sitting at the side. I am always writting, I just can't seem to stick to anything. I find it is easier to have a few things going at a time, I do this with everything though it hasn't quite been adopted with my writing. It's most apparent when I read, I read about 3 or 4 books at once. I read the start of all of them then skip around depending on what I'm in the mood for. It seems to work for me. When it comes to actually finding the time to write, I tend to use writting as my way out of homework. So instead of finding other things that need to be done instead of writing, I use writing as a method of avoiding homework. The one thing I need to stop doing though is when I get frutrated with a piece, just giving up on it and doing something else.
I also find it really hard to actually sit down and write because of general laziness/procrastinaton, and then usually when I do I only write a paragraph or two because what I've written never seems to do justice to the ideas in my head. And I never get very far with any one project because I have about a million running at the same time, and every couple of weeks or so my interest focuses on one of them and then moves onto another.
I would also like tips to getting oneself motivated. I really should continue the translation of G!G!, you won't believe the tripe on the fantasy shelves here.
I usually just get bored with whatever I'm writing. I find putting it away helps, because when I think of it six months later, it's exciting enough to keep working. Sometimes stream of conciousness writing helps, or doodling. But only if I'm handwriting it, which makes my arm hurt after a while. For things I have to do, like school assignments, I'll handwrite an outline. It helps me to see the ideas i have and arrange them, so all I have to do is actually type them up with details.
Sacharissa, you're translating too? Wow! Is there a lot of competition with the Greek translations? I've seen enough Russian versions of Pratchett out there, to conclude that it would be a tight clique to break into. (Unfortunately, I've so far only seen ONE translation that I liked, and that online - a really good version of Witches Abroad). Buzz, I write very rarely and VERRRY little at a time, but I found that the ideas flow best at times when I'm supposed to be doing something else - like driving, working (at work) or working some more (at home, on the freelance stuff). So I try to jot down ideas and/or cool phrases whenever they occur, and then sort them out later, when I'm actually in the do-not-bug-me-I'm-writing mode.
Heh, I also find that about the only time I find the motivation to write is when I should be doing something else. It's great, I get loads done then!
Try writing a PhD :roll: You'd be amazed at the reasons I can come up with to avoid doing anything on it... I have the crossword, hours of spider solitaire, the board and if all else fails I read papers but then don't actually write anything. I often leave my office at work to come home and do work here, where I can get slightly more done. Although its tempting to go to the university's beach accommodation place I don't have the time to disappear I bet Bob wants to disappear too... Although the worse case of PhD procrastination i ever heard of was 12 years. I'd personally be ready to kill myself or someone else if I was still trying to do this thing in [i:4b1d728c05]12 years time aghghghg![/i:4b1d728c05]
In my bad dreams, I see myself ending up like that. What helps me though with writing is kind of luring myself back to work. Step by step, likt a child: come on, sit down in front of your computer. If you don't come up with anything to write, you can still surf the net. Open the document, just to take a short look at it. Remember the article? Didn't you make some notes on it? You could as well add it to what you've already typed. Change the layout of the document a little. Intersting question! Write it out! And suddenly, I find myself writing. Slowly progressing, but still.
Mowgli, I have done translations in the past, mostly articles for a friend of a friend and a technical manual my father wrote. The only books translated into greek from the DW series are the first five. Which are, in my mind, the weakest. So, at some point I started translating G!G! and contacted the publishers of the first five books with a sample chapter. They never got back to me. Mostly, I want to translate the books because not everyone in my family is as fluent in english as I am and I want everyone to enjoy such works of pure genius as "Jingo", "Small Gods" and "Interesting Times".
I agree with you Avgi. Share the genius! As many of you know and have read (thank you again), I wrote my novel this summer. It took me a total of five months, since I started it back in February, but for a while I was unable to write very much due to homework and school. Then Charles, my boyfriend, read the first three chapters, which I emailed him. From then on, once school was out, he basically spent hours on the phone with me talking about it, telling me he wanted more! he wanted to find out what would happen next! So the two of us agreed that since I had a month of nothing to do (July), and he imposed a deadline on me. Three chapters a week, or he wouldn't buy me lunch any more (which is big, since thats how I ate all through the last four months of school. I know, I'm hopeless :roll: ). And that's how it worked. For a week. Before I knew it, the ideas were coming faster. I was developing the story, and soon I was writing a chapter a day, then talking to Charles about it on the phone, then writing more. By the time I got to chapter twenty, I was writing two chapters a day, and then revising them after a long conversation with my unofficial editor. By the time it was finished, I had already planned out the sequel, which is currently awaiting free time to be written in (that may be next summers project). The moral of that long story is that I find that the best motivation is having someone who encourages you, who enjoys reading what you write but isn't afraid to tell you when it's not very good. All I can say is Chas and I are past the stage in the relationship where he tells 'lies-to-lora' (i.e. what I want to hear instead of what I need to hear). If the chapter wasn't detailed enough, he told me so. If a character was weak, he made suggestions on how to improve them. We spent hours figuring out the end, and he is the one who came up with the content of the Torture Scene (the end of Chapter 24 -- his initial idea, and the result of an hour of brainstorming. It's the grossest thing I've ever written). I have a feeling that if and when this book gets published, I will be giving him partial credit, since this book is his as much as it is mine. I really couldn't have written it without all his inspirational ideas, encouragement and criticism. So, that's my advice. Get an unofficial editor. Friends, family members, any one with time on their hands who isn't afraid to tell you what's good and what's not so good. It works :d
this was a good thread. i think i missed it first time around. i like to be comfortable to write. stretched out on a clean floor is best. and sometimes i bribe myself with snack food. but really, i just have to make myself do it. i almost always put 1. write __ on my to-do list, when i bother making to-do lists. that doesn't always make any difference, but sometimes. and anyway it keeps it on my mind. deadlines really do help too. especially if you get someone to enforce them.
Yeah, it was a good thread... A bit like Fairy, I easily get started writing, but continuing is the tough bit, especially regularly... It tends to just crop up on me and burst out, I can spend ages being bored and not knowing what to do even though I have a list a mile long (actually, maybe if I made a real list, it would help ?) and then suddenly when I'm supposed to be doing something else, I get a bursting urge to go write something... Grace, you have the best illustration in the world. Ever. It needs a story to go with it. Write it. Now ! Did that help ?
Heh. Thanks, Katcal. I know I'll start writing some story as soon as I sit down to write the college assignment I have pending...
[quote:99e958f56f="Buzzfloyd"]This is a thread about writing. I have at least two writing projects that I'm supposed to be working on at the moment. One of them is [i:99e958f56f]2001[/i:99e958f56f]. The other is a story that I'm going to write for my sisters that will hopefully be publishable once it's done. In both cases, I have at least some rough plans for the plot, I have characters and background, and I have inspiration for what to do with those elements. I know I can write halfway decently, so I'm not afraid of that. What I'm missing is the motivation to sit down and do it. This is partly because I am reluctant to give up my freetime pursuits, such as reading, singing and playing the Sims 2, partly due to tiredness at the end of the working day, and partly due to apathy and fear and of failure. So, if you write, what do you do to make yourself do it? And do you have any tips? Even if you don't write, do you have any tips?[/quote:99e958f56f] A lot of the time, I write to get feedback. I do various community stories in which members of the forums I post on are the characters. Normally I get feedback, and it's awesome when I do, because it keeps me going. So yeah, write to get feedback. Another thing to do is write even when you don't want to. Pratchett once said that's when he writes best, when he really can't be bothered. I often write in college, in break and when I've got nothing to do, because that's when I feel like I can be hothered; when there's other stuff going on that I can be bothered to do less. I've found that you can have a lot more motivation if you properly write about the characters you're doing. For example, I have 5 page profiles for various characters in my Eggsic books, that's a great motivation, when you really want to write about the characters. I know that this is a little late, but meh, whatever.
I definitely agree, Drunky. I used to post on a Discworld play-by-post roleplaying forum, which was amazing. Sometimes we'd sit up all night writing these incredible storylines. And good characters give birth to good storylines. Feedback certainly helps, but mainly with keeping going rather than getting started. Writing [i:7bc73b765e]with[/i:7bc73b765e] another person, as in roleplay, is intensely rewarding though. Despite my craptastic deadline-meeting abilities, I usually managed to keep writing for the [i:7bc73b765e]Doors of Doom[/i:7bc73b765e] fic I wrote with Lady Emma back on the old boards, because there was someone else to build it and share the excitement with.
For Starcustard, Plaid and I do it slightly differently. We lift her upside down and set her spinning on her head. As her momentum increases, she generates a significant amount of thoughts and ideas, and enough electricity to power a small village. We put the ideas in the story, and then use the electricity to boil some water for hot chocolate. Whenever we find figuring out some part of the plot difficult, it's usually helpful to spin her in the other direction.
[quote:677a1802a9="Buzzfloyd"]I definitely agree, Drunky. I used to post on a Discworld play-by-post roleplaying forum, which was amazing. Sometimes we'd sit up all night writing these incredible storylines. And good characters give birth to good storylines. Feedback certainly helps, but mainly with keeping going rather than getting started. Writing [i:677a1802a9]with[/i:677a1802a9] another person, as in roleplay, is intensely rewarding though. Despite my craptastic deadline-meeting abilities, I usually managed to keep writing for the [i:677a1802a9]Doors of Doom[/i:677a1802a9] fic I wrote with Lady Emma back on the old boards, because there was someone else to build it and share the excitement with.[/quote:677a1802a9]Yeah, roleplay forums own, but only if people don't mind their characters being taken over, and if the quality of the posting in general is good. I definitely agree with characters creating great storylines (especially in the case of Discworld). I never really thought of co-writing something, but it's certainly a good idea, conflicts can possibly arise, but I guess it definitely would be more fun, it'd be like a very big conversation. Speaking of which, we really should make a continue the story thread... [quote:677a1802a9="chrisjordan"]For Starcustard, Plaid and I do it slightly differently. We lift her upside down and set her spinning on her head. As her momentum increases, she generates a significant amount of thoughts and ideas, and enough electricity to power a small village. We put the ideas in the story, and then use the electricity to boil some water for hot chocolate. Whenever we find figuring out some part of the plot difficult, it's usually helpful to spin her in the other direction.[/quote:677a1802a9]Conservationists who write books; good idea!
I've started on the idea of writing something at least once a day, usually at night time, with no minimum amount. Sometimes it's just one sentence, in fact I prod myself with the idea that I must be able to write just one sentence. This often leads to more, but if it doesn't at least the story has expanded a little bit and feels as though it's growing - which it does when I go to bed and can't stop thinking about it. For instance I just added this onto the end of a little story I'm working on: [quote:4d5c04660d]It left her feeling cold and drained, like something had been taken from her soul that she’d never noticed before. “Ian!” She ran frantically down the hall, cannoning into her husband before he could answer, then held onto him as if he were her missing part. [/quote:4d5c04660d] And that's all the creative writing I'm going to do today. I was going to just go to bed and not bother doing anything, so it's a bonus.
LOL, CJ. Mal, that's actually quite a good technique I think. I should start making myself do that. I guess even if you only write a sentence a day, by the end of the week you probably have a paragraph. Drunky, I think there was a round robin story going at one point.
[quote:ff22489d7e="Buzzfloyd"]LOL, CJ. Mal, that's actually quite a good technique I think. I should start making myself do that. I guess even if you only write a sentence a day, by the end of the week you probably have a paragraph. Drunky, I think there was a round robin story going at one point.[/quote:ff22489d7e] I guess that sometimes you might want to write more than one sentence, because you want to develop what you have just said. I also think you could also get paranoid with thinking your text is disjointed because you've been writing at different periods of time.
Well the point is, like I said, that you normally write more than one sentence. It's a device that makes sure you at least write a little bit rather than not bothering at all. Anyway it works for me, I actually finished a whole short story last week using this method, right through to the end, which is something I haven't done in ages. It's just that usually I say to myself that I'll do some more tomorrow, then the next day et cetera - so now I say to myself, "Oh, come on, you can at least do one little sentence," which of course I can't deny because it only takes a few seconds. This often leads to more sentences and/or more ideas to develop the story further. And, of course, it's only the first draft of a story so it might sound a bit disjointed anyway - it will certainly need tidying up and correcting in places over two or three drafts no matter how you write it.
[quote:11d87787bb="Maljonic"]Well the point is, like I said, that you normally write more than one sentence. It's a device that makes sure you at least write a little bit rather than not bothering at all. Anyway it works for me, I actually finished a whole short story last week using this method, right through to the end, which is something I haven't done in ages.[/quote:11d87787bb] One of the only short stories I've ever actually finished was Zombies (which was basically a bit too much like Windle Poons and zombie rights for my liking, on hindsight), and that was for a short story competition for Tonto Press (which I didn't get in anyway, partly because of the similarities to the Discworld, and mostly because my writing style, while good, wasn't developed enough (I think it's a lot better now). It's not actually that hard for me to write a short story, but I'm in it for the long haul. What I tend to do is write other parts of my story (ie the later parts) when I can't be bothered with the part I'm doing now. In fact, I have about 5 characters, fully developed and given complex personalities (including my personal favourite, the gnome Big Chingo) and I haven't even written about them in my main project yet. [quote:11d87787bb]t's just that usually I say to myself that I'll do some more tomorrow, then the next day et cetera - so now I say to myself, "Oh, come on, you can at least do one little sentence," which of course I can't deny because it only takes a few seconds. This often leads to more sentences and/or more ideas to develop the story further. And, of course, it's only the first draft of a story so it might sound a bit disjointed anyway - it will certainly need tidying up and correcting in places over two or three drafts no matter how you write it.[/quote:11d87787bb] Ha, sometimes I get so lazy, I can't even be bothered to open Word because it takes a few seconds to load up. I definitely need more will-power in that way; it sounds really stupid writing it down. I'm going to try that suggestion though, I see no real reason why it couldn't work.
[quote:41717b2078="drunkymonkey"]Ha, sometimes I get so lazy, I can't even be bothered to open Word because it takes a few seconds to load up.[/quote:41717b2078] I know exactly that feeling! I have whole worlds, cultures, peoples and histories in my head, if only I would write them down. I often find I write more when my depression has really got the better of me - in some way, it helps me climb back up. The trouble is, I don't want to succumb to depression in order to be able to write!
[quote:3e1755a712="Buzzfloyd"][quote:3e1755a712="drunkymonkey"]Ha, sometimes I get so lazy, I can't even be bothered to open Word because it takes a few seconds to load up.[/quote:3e1755a712] I know exactly that feeling! I have whole worlds, cultures, peoples and histories in my head, if only I would write them down. I often find I write more when my depression has really got the better of me - in some way, it helps me climb back up. The trouble is, I don't want to succumb to depression in order to be able to write![/quote:3e1755a712] Yep. And normally, I want to write at inappropiate times; like in bed or at college. It's strange, really. I have lots of cultures and people and histories in my head (not so much worlds, considering I only focus on one), and a lot of the time, I can just remember them, but some I just forget (it's normally the best ones, too). I normally get ideas for scenes and stuff, and for conversations. Most of the time I just think of characters when I'm writing (and a lot of the minor, jokey ones have turned into real ones). I've even took a few from my old characters from older series (from when I was 4-12, strangely enough) and put them in again, so I feel more familiar about them (and thus, they become easier to write). Depression, I think, certainly helps. And you'd think it wouldn't help for humour, but some of the time it really does, because you're feeling more bitter, and you want to make fun of people more. It really makes you feel better as well, because you can get your characters to say what you think, or to take out your anger at them (which is really, really nasty, when I think about it).
When I have lots of free time, writing is a mountainous task best left for tomorrow. When I'm suffocating in exams, schoolwork, bureaucracy, world domination schemes or other stress-inducing phenomena, I yearn for some time to write. Other times, I am asleep. In the case of Jesnails, this can last a century or two while I wait for Ella. I find it's easier to write once you sit down and get into it. It's the sitting down bit that's hard, and once I'm sat down it's difficult not to drift across the room and be distracted by, say, a colourful paperclip. Edit: Or the internet. Damn you, internet.
[quote:7b48e23f82="chrisjordan"]When I have lots of free time, writing is a mountainous task best left for tomorrow.[/quote:7b48e23f82]Yeah. Because you'd ultimately like people to entertain you better. [quote:7b48e23f82]When I'm suffocating in exams, schoolwork, bureaucracy, world domination schemes or other stress-inducing phenomena, I yearn for some time to write.[/quote:7b48e23f82]Same here. Apart from the world domination schemes. I'm past that stuff now. It's universe destruction time for me... edit: and I totally agree about the damn Internet!
Agreed totally, but Plaid never wears that jingly hat when I tell her to. She's all, 'I can't, I'm at work.' Whatever.
[quote:a1fa7444f1="chrisjordan"][quote:a1fa7444f1="drunkymonkey"][quote:a1fa7444f1="chrisjordan"]When I have lots of free time, writing is a mountainous task best left for tomorrow.[/quote:a1fa7444f1]Yeah. Because you'd ultimately like people to entertain you better.[/quote:a1fa7444f1] Agreed totally, but Plaid never wears that jingly hat when I tell her to. She's all, 'I can't, I'm at work.' Whatever.[/quote:a1fa7444f1] In a way, I suppose when you get entertained yourself, it's much easier to be inspired; especially by jingly hats.
To pass the time at work, being without a radio and such, I make up stories or think about things. The problem is that when I leave work I forget all of the little things I was thinking about. I don't have the ability to write these thoughts and stories down while at work either. It gets on my nerves sometimes, but I still enjoy telling myself a good story.
