I had some really good days of writing at the beginning of the month, but now I haven't written more than two paragraphs since Monday, and even on Monday I was 600 words short of my goal.
Part of the problem I think is I'm writing a fanfic, and my muse just isn't getting the right inspiration for the fandom. I can never find anything that my favorite character is in that is quite the kind of story that I want to read. Sometimes there's a small scene in a larger story that can feed my muse, but the benefits of those small scenes wear off really quickly. And every time a story gets started that looks promising, it never gets finished. (Of course that does occasionally give me the fun of imagining my own ending, but at the same time it gets frustrating.) Today, I don't have classes, and I was going to spend the whole day writing, and trying to get caught up, but the login section of fanfiction.net is broken, so nothing has been posted since the ones I already saw last night.
Truthfully, the only reason I'm working on my story at all anymore is because of how annoyed I get when people abandon their stories. I don't want to be on of those people who just abandons a story when people are waiting to find out how it ends. But the problem is, my own story doesn't do enough to feed the craving I have for something about my favorite character, and the stronger that craving gets without being satisfied, the less I can write. (And with this particular character, I have no access to any canon sources that he's actually in. I have some of the actual materials for the fandom, but my favorite character isn't in any of them, and I don't think I'll ever get something that he's actually in. And I've tried everything I can think of to make up that gap, but nothing except fanfic works. I bought some fanart items at a convention last summer, and although I enjoy looking at them, they don't help my muse.)
I actually know exactly where I want to go with the story for the next three chapters, but I can't manage to get the words down. And I can't skip to a later scene, because I've discovered that when I do that I never go back and fill in what I skipped. And I'm missing one vital piece of information that's left a big plot hole that I can't seem to fill. I need to start putting in clues to why certain things have happened, but I can't figure out why they've happened. I just know that the villain in the story has some reason for doing the things he's done, but I don't have the slightest idea what that reason is.
And it doesn't help that a class I'm taking this semester is so boring that it is completely destroying my ability to have any kind of creative thought after I do any kind of work for it.
And, I know I'm going to get in trouble for saying this after some discussions I've seen online on the topic, but I really wish people did take commissions for fanfic, because that's the only way I've ever going to get the story that I want to read so badly. Every time i see a prompt somewhere that looks like it could turn out to be exactly what I want it never gets filled. And, even if I had the confidence in my writing abilities to try to fill one, that wouldn't solve the problem of not having the write reading material to feed my muse. Every other fandom I've been in, I've always had something--it varied whether that was a book or episode from the canon, or just a really good fanfic, but now there's nothing. And that lack is driving me crazy. And the more annoyed I get about it, the less I can write something,. (And not knowing what's going to happen with those laws like Sopa is making the whole thing even worse, because if they do pass, I could completely lose all access to the few things I have about my favorite character. And with absolutely nothing good in my real life right now, I need the escape I can get from my favorite characters.)
I guess I really need to write, because writing is how I usually relieve stress, but every time I start feeling this need for something to read about my favorite character that isn't just a small scene or short story that I've already read a million, all of my inspiration just dries up, because all I can think is that my story may be the closest I'll ever get to what I feel the need to read about, but because I'm writing it, it can't satisfy the craving. And the last time this happened, i barely wrote anything for two months, and I really don't want to go through that again. I feel like I need to write, but I just can't satisfy myself with my own stories, and every time i realize that I can't get through what would be a minor block otherwise.
Well, I've been over the whole SOPA/PIPA/ACTA thing far too often for the past few weeks. I stand by what I say: Even that stuff won't kill fanfic.
But maybe I can help out with the rest, if you tell me what fandom it is you are currently roaming. I know a few sites that might solve at least part of the problem ;)
I don't really think there's anyplace left to look for stuff, since my fandom doesn't have its own archive, and it's not old enough to be on personal webpages from before the big archives took over. And I've checked Livejournal, DA, and AO3, and those are the only places besides FFN where I find fanfic for it.
I just really wish this didn't always tend to happen at the same time I hit a block with my story. I can't even check my stats to motivate myself with the fact that people are waiting for an update, and even if I had a chapter ready, I wouldn't be able to post it. So, I always feel like I'm wasting my time writing anything when FFN is broken.
Well, I wish I had a chapter ready, broken login or not. I tried to post once a month, but lately college stuff has been eating up my free time, and now I'm too stressed out to continue most of my stories and watch Supernatural instead. Not productive at all... I'd happily write until I drop if I could bring myself to it...
I think part of the problem is something similar actually. I'm taking a class this semester that's so technical, it seems to be destroying my ability to do anything creative. But, I need to be able to write, because otherwise, all I can do is think about all the things going in my life that I don't like.
And in some ways the biggest problem is that I know where to go with the story, but I can't write it, because I'm still missing the reason behind some things. I knew there's a reason, and I know it's time for it be discovered, but I have no idea what it is. And my muse won't cooperate without being fed.
It's times like this that I miss my former best friend, because I could get her to write stories for me, although the price ended up being a little high. But then, I remember there's a reason she's my former friend.
And I really need advice for what to do, because I want to write, but once again I haven't managed anything, because I just can't get around this plot hole.
And, because I can't pay someone to write a fanfic for me, my stories are the closest I'll probably ever get to what I want to read, and I hate that, because I've written them, I know everything about how the story goes, so I can't get any real satisfaction out of reading them.
I don't know what to do, because I'm desperate to read something that doesn't exist, and every time I have reason to think it might, it never really does. And it's driving me crazy, and keeping me from being able to write, and that's driving me even more crazy.
What fandom, and what character? If I'm familiar with the fandom, I'd be happy to write a few shorts for you about the character. Longer than three chapters and I usually am guilty of abandoning fics, but I might be able to write something to feed your muse.
I'm actually starting to sympathize with how people can abandon stories without finishing them, given how much trouble I'm having finishing my own story. And the fact that the login page at fanfiction.net is down AGAIN doesn't help. I was hoping to update next week, but now I don't even feel motivated to work on it. (Of course, it doesn't help that I really want to be working on something else, either.) And I'm always afraid the site is going to disappear for good every time it has trouble, because it's the only place I can find the kind of stories I like to read for the most part. I've found very few stories from any of my fandoms on A03 that are the kind of the story I like to read.
I'm still trying to train my muse to accept other fandoms, but it's just hard for some reason. I need to do it, though, because the project that I want to work on is something that involves as many of the different fandoms I've been into as I can work into it. And It's something I'm writing for fun with no intention of posting, so fanfiction.net breaking shouldn't matter.
The thing is, I'm always embarrassed to tell people who my favorite characters are, because I've been teased about some of them in the past. (Although, that was back in high school.)
I completely understand the desire to abandon a story that isn't working for you. However, and as unpopular an opinion as this may be, I've found that the only way to be productive when I hit a slump is to figure out WHY I don't want to write the scene--is my MC going to be out of character? Is something about the scene ringing false? Is it going to mess up the plot if I write it this way?--and then just sit down and force my way through it. Maybe that'll work for you too? It might take a page or two before you starting back into the swing of things, and you might complain and criticize every word along the way (I know I do!), but if you push past the bad part and get back to something that's enjoyable again, it's a huge ego-boost.
Just my method, of course, so it may not work for you.
Also, definitely don't feel embarrassed about liking a certain character. From my experience, high schoolers are incredibly immature. NaNoers, on the other hand, are made of pure awesome. And besides, you never know if someone around here has got the same favourite character as you until you mention it, right? :)
My main problem has been that I ended up with a huge plot hole in the middle of my story, and had no idea how to fill it. This morning, I think I finally came up with the part of the story I was missing.
And, actually, another big problem is that I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to introduce some more characters from the fandom, and I'm afraid I'll get the characterization wrong and the people that like my story now will end up hating it. Sometimes, I wish I could get back to the way it was in the fall of 2010 up to around this time last year. As long as I writing for myself, I didn't have any trouble with serious problems with writer's block--nothing a post a Plot Doctoring couldn't cure. Ever since I started posting my story, I feel like I'm no longer writing it for myself, but for the 40 people who have put it on story alert. And I miss when I was writing it for myself, just for the fun of writing it.
I'm glad to hear the plot issue might be sorting itself out. About the readers though... would a hiatus from posting your story help? If there's no pressure to post anything, it might help you stop feeling like you're obligated to please the people who like your story. Now, don't get me wrong, it's great that you have people who like your work. But, if you feel like you're only writing for them, and if you're hesitating from writing because you're afraid of what they'll say, perhaps try doing something to take them out of the picture, if at least for only a week or two. It may also be a good idea to get a beta reader who you trust, and who knows the canon well enough to tell you if you're getting a character wrong.
Now, granted, I know nothing about writing or posting fanfiction online, so take my advice with a huge grain of salt.
I don't know why I'm bothering to update this thread, since I doubt anyone will reply, but now that fanfiction.net has gone down again, I'm back to having the same problem. I don't even have writer's block really this time. I just can't get myself to write, because I'm looking all over for something to read. And every time it goes down, I really do get scared it won't come back up, because that's the only place I can find the kind of story I like, and it's the only place I can post my stories. I do post them in my livejournal, but that's only as a back-up. No actually reads them there.
I'm right at a key scene that I need to work on this afternoon, but I'm not going to be able to, because I'm going to be too busy wasting the entire afternoon looking for a story that doesn't exist. And it's not even so much an inspiration issue now as I just need to find that perfect story--which is something I have in every other fandom.
I've hit a block I can't get past
I had some really good days of writing at the beginning of the month, but now I haven't written more than two paragraphs since Monday, and even on Monday I was 600 words short of my goal.
Part of the problem I think is I'm writing a fanfic, and my muse just isn't getting the right inspiration for the fandom. I can never find anything that my favorite character is in that is quite the kind of story that I want to read. Sometimes there's a small scene in a larger story that can feed my muse, but the benefits of those small scenes wear off really quickly. And every time a story gets started that looks promising, it never gets finished. (Of course that does occasionally give me the fun of imagining my own ending, but at the same time it gets frustrating.) Today, I don't have classes, and I was going to spend the whole day writing, and trying to get caught up, but the login section of fanfiction.net is broken, so nothing has been posted since the ones I already saw last night.
Truthfully, the only reason I'm working on my story at all anymore is because of how annoyed I get when people abandon their stories. I don't want to be on of those people who just abandons a story when people are waiting to find out how it ends. But the problem is, my own story doesn't do enough to feed the craving I have for something about my favorite character, and the stronger that craving gets without being satisfied, the less I can write. (And with this particular character, I have no access to any canon sources that he's actually in. I have some of the actual materials for the fandom, but my favorite character isn't in any of them, and I don't think I'll ever get something that he's actually in. And I've tried everything I can think of to make up that gap, but nothing except fanfic works. I bought some fanart items at a convention last summer, and although I enjoy looking at them, they don't help my muse.)
I actually know exactly where I want to go with the story for the next three chapters, but I can't manage to get the words down. And I can't skip to a later scene, because I've discovered that when I do that I never go back and fill in what I skipped. And I'm missing one vital piece of information that's left a big plot hole that I can't seem to fill. I need to start putting in clues to why certain things have happened, but I can't figure out why they've happened. I just know that the villain in the story has some reason for doing the things he's done, but I don't have the slightest idea what that reason is.
And it doesn't help that a class I'm taking this semester is so boring that it is completely destroying my ability to have any kind of creative thought after I do any kind of work for it.
And, I know I'm going to get in trouble for saying this after some discussions I've seen online on the topic, but I really wish people did take commissions for fanfic, because that's the only way I've ever going to get the story that I want to read so badly. Every time i see a prompt somewhere that looks like it could turn out to be exactly what I want it never gets filled. And, even if I had the confidence in my writing abilities to try to fill one, that wouldn't solve the problem of not having the write reading material to feed my muse. Every other fandom I've been in, I've always had something--it varied whether that was a book or episode from the canon, or just a really good fanfic, but now there's nothing. And that lack is driving me crazy. And the more annoyed I get about it, the less I can write something,. (And not knowing what's going to happen with those laws like Sopa is making the whole thing even worse, because if they do pass, I could completely lose all access to the few things I have about my favorite character. And with absolutely nothing good in my real life right now, I need the escape I can get from my favorite characters.)
I guess I really need to write, because writing is how I usually relieve stress, but every time I start feeling this need for something to read about my favorite character that isn't just a small scene or short story that I've already read a million, all of my inspiration just dries up, because all I can think is that my story may be the closest I'll ever get to what I feel the need to read about, but because I'm writing it, it can't satisfy the craving. And the last time this happened, i barely wrote anything for two months, and I really don't want to go through that again. I feel like I need to write, but I just can't satisfy myself with my own stories, and every time i realize that I can't get through what would be a minor block otherwise.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
Well, I've been over the whole SOPA/PIPA/ACTA thing far too often for the past few weeks. I stand by what I say: Even that stuff won't kill fanfic.
But maybe I can help out with the rest, if you tell me what fandom it is you are currently roaming. I know a few sites that might solve at least part of the problem ;)
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I don't really think there's anyplace left to look for stuff, since my fandom doesn't have its own archive, and it's not old enough to be on personal webpages from before the big archives took over. And I've checked Livejournal, DA, and AO3, and those are the only places besides FFN where I find fanfic for it.
I just really wish this didn't always tend to happen at the same time I hit a block with my story. I can't even check my stats to motivate myself with the fact that people are waiting for an update, and even if I had a chapter ready, I wouldn't be able to post it. So, I always feel like I'm wasting my time writing anything when FFN is broken.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
Well, I wish I had a chapter ready, broken login or not. I tried to post once a month, but lately college stuff has been eating up my free time, and now I'm too stressed out to continue most of my stories and watch Supernatural instead. Not productive at all... I'd happily write until I drop if I could bring myself to it...
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I think part of the problem is something similar actually. I'm taking a class this semester that's so technical, it seems to be destroying my ability to do anything creative. But, I need to be able to write, because otherwise, all I can do is think about all the things going in my life that I don't like.
And in some ways the biggest problem is that I know where to go with the story, but I can't write it, because I'm still missing the reason behind some things. I knew there's a reason, and I know it's time for it be discovered, but I have no idea what it is. And my muse won't cooperate without being fed.
It's times like this that I miss my former best friend, because I could get her to write stories for me, although the price ended up being a little high. But then, I remember there's a reason she's my former friend.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
And I really need advice for what to do, because I want to write, but once again I haven't managed anything, because I just can't get around this plot hole.
And, because I can't pay someone to write a fanfic for me, my stories are the closest I'll probably ever get to what I want to read, and I hate that, because I've written them, I know everything about how the story goes, so I can't get any real satisfaction out of reading them.
I don't know what to do, because I'm desperate to read something that doesn't exist, and every time I have reason to think it might, it never really does. And it's driving me crazy, and keeping me from being able to write, and that's driving me even more crazy.
HELP!
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
What fandom, and what character? If I'm familiar with the fandom, I'd be happy to write a few shorts for you about the character. Longer than three chapters and I usually am guilty of abandoning fics, but I might be able to write something to feed your muse.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I'm actually starting to sympathize with how people can abandon stories without finishing them, given how much trouble I'm having finishing my own story. And the fact that the login page at fanfiction.net is down AGAIN doesn't help. I was hoping to update next week, but now I don't even feel motivated to work on it. (Of course, it doesn't help that I really want to be working on something else, either.) And I'm always afraid the site is going to disappear for good every time it has trouble, because it's the only place I can find the kind of stories I like to read for the most part. I've found very few stories from any of my fandoms on A03 that are the kind of the story I like to read.
I'm still trying to train my muse to accept other fandoms, but it's just hard for some reason. I need to do it, though, because the project that I want to work on is something that involves as many of the different fandoms I've been into as I can work into it. And It's something I'm writing for fun with no intention of posting, so fanfiction.net breaking shouldn't matter.
The thing is, I'm always embarrassed to tell people who my favorite characters are, because I've been teased about some of them in the past. (Although, that was back in high school.)
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I completely understand the desire to abandon a story that isn't working for you. However, and as unpopular an opinion as this may be, I've found that the only way to be productive when I hit a slump is to figure out WHY I don't want to write the scene--is my MC going to be out of character? Is something about the scene ringing false? Is it going to mess up the plot if I write it this way?--and then just sit down and force my way through it. Maybe that'll work for you too? It might take a page or two before you starting back into the swing of things, and you might complain and criticize every word along the way (I know I do!), but if you push past the bad part and get back to something that's enjoyable again, it's a huge ego-boost.
Just my method, of course, so it may not work for you.
Also, definitely don't feel embarrassed about liking a certain character. From my experience, high schoolers are incredibly immature. NaNoers, on the other hand, are made of pure awesome. And besides, you never know if someone around here has got the same favourite character as you until you mention it, right? :)
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
My main problem has been that I ended up with a huge plot hole in the middle of my story, and had no idea how to fill it. This morning, I think I finally came up with the part of the story I was missing.
And, actually, another big problem is that I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to introduce some more characters from the fandom, and I'm afraid I'll get the characterization wrong and the people that like my story now will end up hating it. Sometimes, I wish I could get back to the way it was in the fall of 2010 up to around this time last year. As long as I writing for myself, I didn't have any trouble with serious problems with writer's block--nothing a post a Plot Doctoring couldn't cure. Ever since I started posting my story, I feel like I'm no longer writing it for myself, but for the 40 people who have put it on story alert. And I miss when I was writing it for myself, just for the fun of writing it.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I'm glad to hear the plot issue might be sorting itself out. About the readers though... would a hiatus from posting your story help? If there's no pressure to post anything, it might help you stop feeling like you're obligated to please the people who like your story. Now, don't get me wrong, it's great that you have people who like your work. But, if you feel like you're only writing for them, and if you're hesitating from writing because you're afraid of what they'll say, perhaps try doing something to take them out of the picture, if at least for only a week or two. It may also be a good idea to get a beta reader who you trust, and who knows the canon well enough to tell you if you're getting a character wrong.
Now, granted, I know nothing about writing or posting fanfiction online, so take my advice with a huge grain of salt.
Re: I've hit a block I can't get past
I don't know why I'm bothering to update this thread, since I doubt anyone will reply, but now that fanfiction.net has gone down again, I'm back to having the same problem. I don't even have writer's block really this time. I just can't get myself to write, because I'm looking all over for something to read. And every time it goes down, I really do get scared it won't come back up, because that's the only place I can find the kind of story I like, and it's the only place I can post my stories. I do post them in my livejournal, but that's only as a back-up. No actually reads them there.
I'm right at a key scene that I need to work on this afternoon, but I'm not going to be able to, because I'm going to be too busy wasting the entire afternoon looking for a story that doesn't exist. And it's not even so much an inspiration issue now as I just need to find that perfect story--which is something I have in every other fandom.