How do you make yourself write?

[MalReynolds]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

Not sure this post could be any more dramatic.

I've read your writings and it's obvious you tend to try and fill the void with rather uninteresting and bland sentence structure, rather than think it over for a bit and come up with something creative, which is why I disagree with your writing style.

Different strokes for different folks is all. I don't usually wake up wanting to write a story that Dorby is really going to like, so... there's that, I guess.

[igotrhythm]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

I'm in an English class right now, and the teacher has a few books as well as a regular column out there somewhere. The best piece of advice she has is to allow yourself to "do the dumb one." It doesn't have to be perfect, the point is to get the whole task of putting your thoughts in a more concrete form out of the way. A brain dump, if you will. Once that's done, you can edit and revise as necessary.

Also, she had a good point about right brain vs. left brain thinking. The right brain perceives things as a whole, whereas the left brain breaks everything up into parts. (It's a gross oversimplification, but bear with me.) To write a good story, you first have to visualize what it's like as a whole and the important events that happen along the way. Only then should you have your left brain kick in and work out the details.

[xObserveRx]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

Different strokes for different folks is all. I don't usually wake up wanting to write a story that Dorby is really going to like, so... there's that, I guess.

Priceless.

On topic though, I'm kinda in the same boat as Cavernio. I love the idea of writing, I (mostly) enjoy doing it, but when I sit down with a "grand" idea lurking, I suddenly feel overwhelmed and become annoyed/afraid, etc. I just don't know if I can/will finish, I lose confidence etc.

However, what I've found is that working on some short stories and stuff, completing things you start, fleshing out ideas originally very simple, seems to give a nice ego/confidence boost. Sure, they might not be the greatest stories in the world, but you're an amateur, they're not going to be the best stories ever, nor are they supposed to be. You just have to start somewhere.

Wow, at second glance, this reply seems very conflicted. Yeah, I'll stop.

P.S: I also find that showing some of your work and getting even a couple of encouraging remarks really can help you get through a rough patch. You should try it out.

[Zageron]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

To keep it short:
I used to write stories by telling a tale from beginning to end. I find now that writing is much easier if you start writing a summary of events, starting from the middle. Figure out where you want the story to have a turning point, and write in both directions from there. Spread yourself out, and do not focus on one thing.

[sakura080789]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

To keep it short:
I used to write stories by telling a tale from beginning to end. I find now that writing is much easier if you start writing a summary of events, starting from the middle. Figure out where you want the story to have a turning point, and write in both directions from there. Spread yourself out, and do not focus on one thing.

^this i like. i am going to start doing this for my manga's

[Treia]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

To keep it short:
I used to write stories by telling a tale from beginning to end. I find now that writing is much easier if you start writing a summary of events, starting from the middle. Figure out where you want the story to have a turning point, and write in both directions from there. Spread yourself out, and do not focus on one thing.

I thought of so many different ways to write it out before the solidified final form, but not this one. I really like it! Sounds like it can get a little messy, but seems like it will be a fun process nonetheless.

[Cavernio]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

Update:
Its going well guys! I'm at 26,000 words and counting.
I've taken to writing outside of my apt, its a huge help. I focus on it so much more, fewer distractions. Coffee shops, bars, the park...anywhere but home if I'm at home by myself. I feel pretentious, and I love it :-p Mostly I go somewhere close to my bf's work so that I'll have a reason to stay there until he's done work. It really helps a lot, it gives me a chunk of time where I don't have much to do besides write. (or post here, but whatever)

I've enjoyed almost all of the writing I've done once I get into it, with only one exception where it felt forced. I found myself trying to hurry my story, writing less than I thought I should've, simply to advance the story faster to get my writing done sooner.

Written it mainly chronologically, with one exception which I expect I will have to alter a fair bit, or break it up. It was great fun writing that part though, even if I will have to change a lot of it.

[ffraxis]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

writing is easy, you take a pen and start writing down words. Personally, i never met someone who had to restrain themselves and strap on locks and force themselves to write, that makes the work sloppy and messy, then again i don't hang out with "writers"

writing comes as thinking, whatever whenever.

kinda counter intuitive don't ya think?

[Cavernio]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

writing is easy, you take a pen and start writing down words. Personally, i never met someone who had to restrain themselves and strap on locks and force themselves to write, that makes the work sloppy and messy, then again i don't hang out with "writers"

writing comes as thinking, whatever whenever.

kinda counter intuitive don't ya think?

If you've never met anyone who had to force themselves to write, then why would you presume the writing they create is sloppy and messy? You also make it very unclear as to what you think is counter-intuitive. Your entire post is, well, sloppy and messy.

It's clear that you've also never met anyone who you know who has to force themselves out of bed in the morning. Obviously using your logic, sloppy and messy would adequately describe every aspect of their lives.

Thinking before you write or speak is a good habit to get into, perhaps you should try it sometime.

[ffraxis]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

If you've never met anyone who had to force themselves to write, then why would you presume the writing they create is sloppy and messy? You also make it very unclear as to what you think is counter-intuitive. Your entire post is, well, sloppy and messy.

It's clear that you've also never met anyone who you know who has to force themselves out of bed in the morning. Obviously using your logic, sloppy and messy would adequately describe every aspect of their lives.

Thinking before you write or speak is a good habit to get into, perhaps you should try it sometime.

this is why bathroom walls and the internet don't work, people have a harder time differentiating satire from something serious, then again people take things they like too seriously.

[Treia]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

then again people take things they like too seriously.

Boy, don't get me started on toaster stroodles!

But that's great to hear Cavernio! Maybe I should try writing out the house. Hopefully somewhere I can use my laptop, because I find my handwriting to kill my creativity (it's toooo slow, and my sloppiness distracts me). Also, I don't want to write anywhere remotely near my neighborhood. I dunno, something about kids being named "Spooky", "Murda", or "Crims da Tank, formerly known as Sherman Hank" just give me an off feeling...

[Cavernio]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

Laptop all the way. I used to love handwriting things, but it just gets way to messy because I like to edit as I go. Arrows stars rainbows and horseshoes to figure out what sentence i want where, followed by shitty handwriting that I have a hard time reading = cluster****.
My new but cheap laptop battery lasts 3+ hours if I'm just writing.
I honestly don't think i could do the writing staying at home. I guess I figured out that working at home was never for me from university though. All my writing after I was out of residence for school (which was a fair bit), I went to the library to do. Music helps me too, I turn it on after I get ennuie (a couple hours) and it totally helps.

[AquaTeen]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

I'm writing a book as well... an autobiography to be precise but my motivation to write is the fact that I'm sharing my story and everything I've been through and here's where the motivation comes in I motivate myself to write by thinking about how many lives will be saved after my book is released so I better do it right the first time and that's where the motivation comes in

[Zageron]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

An old method of finding inspiration has finally resurfaced for me. Listening to specific kinds of music, especially music I have not heard, will spark incredibly rich ideas. I now keep a notebook close at hand to scratch down my inspirations whenever they might occur, as I listen to music in nearly every single waking hour--seven days a week.

I have had a world developing in my head for nearly 7 years, which has constantly evolved-- for example from a simple continent to a planet the size of our sun--, and I have some very unique ideas (as far as I know) that I have been writing down for nearly 3 years. I'm slowly developing not just one but 3 stories. I have a few plans, and I'm hoping to share the first chapter of all three books with you all in a few months. :]

...I motivate myself to write by thinking about how many lives will be saved after my book is released...

Are you implying that your life has lessons that many people would benefit learning indirectly? If so, elaborate? Sounds very interesting.

[MalReynolds]

Re: How do you make yourself write?

I'm writing a book as well... an autobiography to be precise but my motivation to write is the fact that I'm sharing my story and everything I've been through and here's where the motivation comes in I motivate myself to write by thinking about how many lives will be saved after my book is released so I better do it right the first time and that's where the motivation comes in

I assume you're stockpiling the limited quantities of punctuation in existence for you book.