writing blahs

[dbskyler]

I've been in a horrible non-writing space lately where I really feel that I want to write, but every time I sit down to try to do it, I either can't write at all or I write something that I end up hating.

I tried going to the DW random prompts generator and clicked until I got a prompt that looks interesting, but nothing is coming. And meanwhile I have this WIP that is sitting on my shoulder making me feel really guilty because I've been making zero progress on it.

Fic_rush is happening again this weekend and I'm planning on participating, but last time it was only marginally helpful -- I did end up writing some stuff that I liked at the time, but now I don't like it anymore.

I would just think that I need to take a break from writing except that doesn't seem to be it -- it's more that I feel that I want to write, perhaps even need to write, but just can't. Argghhh! Has anyone else gone through something like this? Any thoughts / ideas / suggestions gratefully accepted. . .

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

That's me right now! I've got a bunch of semi-complete stories waiting for my full attention - but at the moment I've almost no concentration available to write, yet I *want* to write. It's driving me bonkers 'cos I've started four or five stories since Xmas and yet written barely anything on any of them.

*hugs*

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

It is incredibly frustrating, isn't it? *hugs back*

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

It really, really is!!

I'm hoping that my shoulder will ease up once I'm not working - and that plus the fact I'm at home more will mean I can get back to writing soon...

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's the weather or something... I'm dealing with the same problem here. I have a WIP with maybe three chapters left to figure out and I just sit and stare at it in spite of feeling like there's writing "in there somewhere". What's with that? Muses on strike? How do we bribe them to get back on the job?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Don't the muses know they're not allowed to go on strike? I'm sure that must violate some safety regulation or other!

Really interesting that I'm not the only one . . .

[thisbluespirit]

Maybe some kind of comm with a challenge (not a ficathon!). If you're just wanting to write (rather than specifically finish the WIP), then shiny new-ness might help? There's lots of things like dw100, or whoniverse1000, whoverse30 50ficlets where you get a table of prompts and no deadlines. Or runaway_tales, which has very tempting ice-cream flavour prompt tables, but is original fic only. Even if you don't, it might spark something off. The other thing I do is jump on a fic-writing meme bandwagon.

At the moment, I can't stop writing (not that I always like it) but I think that's just in self-defense. ;-)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Wow, interesting communities -- and the only one I'd heard of before was whoniverse1000 (okay, well, I'd heard of dw100 too, but I didn't know what the comm was about). The DW random pairings generator is also a great prompt source, although there's no particular community to post those fics in. I might set myself a personal challenge, though -- all those tables in those prompt comms look a little scary, but maybe I could generate my own "prompts look interesting to me" table and just post here and on Teaspoon?

And I hate to say it, but I'm wondering if I need to purposely shelve the WIP for awhile. I mean it's functionally shelved at the moment, and I'm wondering if this constant feeling that if I write something it has to be on *that* is interfering with my writing in general. I do feel terribly guilty about not making progress on it, though . . . but that could very well be part of the problem.

[thisbluespirit]

Sometimes stories need a rest. It happens. And I find when I'm stuck a random short story or drabble can help a lot. Don't feel guilty! :-)

comms are fun! I like nosing about. I like part of the idea of whoniverse1000 was to take stories done by the random generator thingy, as Settiai runs both. Although not strictly, no.

I think that sounds like a plan. There's no law about writing fics for Teaspoon or your own LJ from wherever you can find inspiration! :-)

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

I wonder if people do use the random pairings generator to get stories for whoniverse1000? But the whole concept of that comm is a truly awesome idea. Of course, I suck at writing non-gen -- my use of the DW random pairings generator means changing those prompts into gen interpretations, i.e. "here are the two people involved."

Yeah, maybe "Turn Again" needs a big rest. I feel it's already had a lot of rest, but maybe it needs more . . . or maybe it just needs a very conscious "no, I'm not working on you for awhile" break since I haven't really given it that (I've had a lot of unproductivity, but that's not the same thing). I shall endeavor to not feel guilty -- thanks for the words of encouragement!

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, from my exploring on there, definitely, I think. And I have exactly the same problem - I wrote two just-about-shippy stories for it and then used the RGP and my own head - and kept coming up with gen stories that were way too long to fit in a comment. :lol: But this is also a valid use of the thingy.

Cool. I sometimes find stories just stop and you have to wait to find out what's missing. Sometimes you have to dive in and battle with it, but it kind of sounds as though you're at the former point.