(no subject)

[salinea]

I miss writing.

I never feel able to. I feel like writing, and I want to play, and then I look up to the list of little drabbles and half-written drafts I have everywhere, and all the things I didn't write on time, and realises that, no, I can't do it, and it's depressing.

Maybe I just can't write fanfics anymore. I was never very confident about appropriating other characters - not because I think it's unethical, but because I have trouble finding their voice.

Or maybe not. Maybe I'm just too cowardly right now to write anything. Meh.

Comments

[shisakura.livejournal.com]

Then try to write something original for a change?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

... yeah.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

*loves your writing but understands how you feel*

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

♥ thank you so much for saying so. I really wished I could write. It's a bit silly.

[millari.livejournal.com]

I understand this feeling. I myself find I go through peaks and valleys with the motivation to write. I tend to be somewhat monofannish, so sometimes, if I can't imagine writing for that one fandom I'm obsessed by, then I just can't do it at all. Or I've been through situation where I'm just done with a particular obsession, and the Muse sits in her sandpile and sulks, and that's just it.

You'd be surprised what motivates you. I remember one of the stories that currently sits on my fic journal sat unfinished like that for about a year. Then, almost randomly, bsg_hiatusthon got started and hosted a challenge with prompts. One of the prompts just happened to fit in with the fic I'd left unfinished, and so it made me go back and look at it. Once I looked at it again with the different perspective of trying to fit to a random prompt, it sparked an idea and I finally realized what I wanted to do with it.

I am convinced that supposed lack of motivation is your Muse's way of telling you that you don't know what you're trying to say with a particular fic, so you should stop trying to put words to page until you do. Or maybe you can't start something new because you haven't got something in you burning to be said. Sometimes we just don't. It's not something to beat yourself up over; it just means an inspired idea hasn't struck you yet. That's the Muse's fault, really. ;) Something will come along that cause an explosion of neurons in your brain and suddenly you won't be able to *stop* yourself from writing. It's happened before, it'll happen again. There's nothing wrong with waiting that out. (That being said, I bet your voices are better than you think. You're a secret perfectionist, aren't you?)

You might consider trying to find an external motivator like a challenge or even better, a comment ficlet battle (sometimes the need to keep it short and sweet and the fact that it's just a comment fic, after all... takes all the high stakes feeling out of writing.

There's currently a comment ficlet porn battle going on here (http://oxoniensis.livejournal.com/363932.html) (Porn is also a great way to not be too serious about your writing, and therefore take the pressure off.) You don't have to sign up or anything, just pick a prompt, fit it in a comment, and click! There's no consequences for backing out because no one knew you were going to post in the first place! There are BSG and ASOIAF prompts there, and since it's huge, probably lots of other fandoms that might inspire you.

Anyway, I realize after I write all this that I may come across as jumping in and trying to "fix" this, when maybe all you wanted was a moment to pout and have people *nod* in commiseration. If that's all you wanted, well, *nod* I totally get where you're coming from.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

wow, thank you for the great comment! Very helpful in many ways :)

I think I... I used to be very monofannish, but over the last year, I've gone through half a dozen of fandoms in terms of reading, and can't really pick any on of them with enough obsession to writer for them. I'm used to be monofanish, I need it for the modicrum of confidence I need to write characters, so I think that's one of the issue. The other is my muse as you say :) she's a real sadist.

You're a secret perfectionist, aren't you?
Heh. Very secret :) usually it just makes me lazy.

You might consider trying to find an external motivator like a challenge or even better, a comment ficlet battle
I've tried challenge, but it really backlashed when I wasn't able to write, failed the mods and as a result hated myself for it. Now I'm much more timid about challenges because of that. And when there's no real obligation... well I often don't finish. Maybe comment ficlet battle is a good idea, thank you for that link ♥ I bet I could find a ASOIA fic to write.

[solesakuma]

I so get you. I have so many ideas (that I'm quite sure nobody else will write... seriously, how many people want to write AUs based on America's Next Top Model?) and yet, I can't even finish translating some fics that only need some minor editing.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

sometimes it's difficult, just to start working.

[catrionamacnair.livejournal.com]

Well, I've never written anything I actually published on the internet, so I may be dreadful for advice, but..

I have this drawer underneath my bed. It's full of random pieces of paper and notebooks with ideas for stories. There is quite a bit of Remus Lupin/Walden MacNair smut that noone will ever see. But regardless of that, I love my drawer underneath the bed, and I write a story for it now and then.

Sometimes, it's a pretty good story. I don't publish stories; but the fact that I have added a story which I like to my secret drawer makes me happy.

Maybe you need a time of having a secret drawer before you get back to the internet?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. I don't think I work that way. I think I'm just too much of an attention whore for that.

I kinda wish I could read your secret drawer though ^^

[catrionamacnair.livejournal.com]

My bad attempts at fanfiction will certainly make you laugh, so that might be a thought to cheer you up :)

[graymm.livejournal.com]

I miss your writing. <3

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I miss yours too!

[graymm.livejournal.com]

I signed up for x2009, which is kicking me to write again. Hopefully it'll turn out well. <3

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I'm tempted by that one too. Except I have no bunny yet, and I'm a bit burned out of challenges because I'm so bad with deadlines.

Yay for soon to be graymm fics!

[werthead.livejournal.com]

I know this feeling too well, as I'm in the mood to write fiction about once every three years. I get horrendously self-conscious and throw what I've written in the recycle bin. I'm much more at home writing reviews or episode guides or reference works than actually writing a story. Weird, I know.

If you feel like writing but fiction isn't doing it, how about something else? I sometimes sit down and plan out a whole D&D or Deadlands campaign even if I'm not due to GM for a while, just for the fun of it.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

That's a good point. I like worldbuilding, sometimes, it's a bit empty, I doubt I'll do anything with it, but it's relaxing. I have a community for it :)

[rebbe]

I've been in a slump since January, myself, so I understand (just a bit) how you feel. 'm sorry that you're falling out of your sync, and I hope you find it again ♥

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

sorry for your own slump ♥

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I really miss it as well. When I wrote that handful of haiku recently, it was so wonderful--but it was just a moment, because I've been way too busy to write anything else.

Someone recently emailed me with "I hate you because you haven't updated" and I'm still feeling sad.

*hugs* Maybe just putting a pentip to the paper will help?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

aww, what a mean e mail! *hugs*

Heeh, I tried writing a bit yesterday and it worked better. I just stopped when I needed to do research.

[sakanagi.livejournal.com]

I haven't written anything for about a month, and it feels really odd. I'm trying to get back into it by editing up the unfinished things I'd been working on before then.

Your writing is very good, so I'm sure you'll be able to get your spark back. As some of the people above were suggesting, maybe writing something original would help? Or maybe if you don't worry so much about getting the voices right. Good luck, anyway!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I don't really have more inspiration for something original. Threads of stories are too scattered, you know? but maybe I should concentrate on that anyway.

I've just realised, I didn't know you wrote fanfics! Where are they?

Thank you ^^

[sakanagi.livejournal.com]

Well, whatever works for you! ^^ I find that I treat original stuff and fanfics quite differently, but they're still both writing. I'm sure that doing one can help the other.

My fanfics are all over at sunny_aquarium. I WILL manage to finish something and update the poor neglected place this week. Probably.

[ashlynwashere.livejournal.com]

I definitely know how you feel. From February to June, I wasn't able to write anything. Either I wrote something and it seemed like utter crap to me, or I couldn't get the words out. I was on a forum one day when I came across a competition very much like NaNoWriMo, only it took place throughout the summer months. I joined up, and I have 30,000 words so far. I think I needed a reason to write. I also think it's helping that I'm not focusing on who is going to read it. As of now, I'm not planning on posting it anywhere or trying to get it published. It somehow is really helping me to know that. It's just sort of like "Phew! All the pressure is off! Thank God!"

Maybe try just doing what someone else suggested and just write for yourself, without the intention of letting anyone else see it. It's working so far for me.

Lots of luck! ):

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

thank you! Reason to write must help yeah, but I don't think I'm cut out for month marathon XD

[steph-annie2000.livejournal.com]

I so know how you feel. (as you have probably noticed) I haven't written anything in ages... I don't know what happened to me with fanfiction, I guess I just sort of burned out... but I still feel like writing occasionally. I really do miss that satisfaction of creating something with words. I don't have the time or the motivation or even the obsession at this point... but I'm keeping my mind open for November.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I miss your writing too, yes! But I understand burning out feeling... it just comes and goes. Do you intend to do Nanowrimo perhaps?

[steph-annie2000.livejournal.com]

yes, I am hoping to do it this year. I missed it last year but had a blast the year before, so I am convinving myself to start writing for NaNoWriMo no matter what... even if I don't finish I'd like to attempt it this year.