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(hopefully this is in the right place, I’m new on here lol)
I’ve been writing for two years, and in that time, I’ve written six drafts of projects. So I know how you sort of go through a honeymoon phase with each project. (At least, I do.) So I know imposter syndrome and writer’s block can be defeated… but I just don’t think this is either.
Since I put my biblical allegory WIP on the shelf, I can’t find another thing. I’ve gone through… like six projects, but none of them keep me there. I don’t have, like, the passion or love for my current project that I had for my other two novels. I can’t find it, and “That Project“(by that project, I mean the projects I loved or sorta did and was able to finish) is just not coming to me.
I just really want a project to work on again.
One thing different about my other “that project” novels that got me to write them:
Blindspot, my first novel, was for a One Year Adventure Novel curriculum. So I had to finish it. But that also forced me to do it, so I hated it and still do.
My second, Made In His Image, I felt God was leading me through it, and He really showed Himself to me in it. I know that sounds a little silly, but it’s true.
Now, here I am, trying to find a project but failing. And it’s very discouraging.
Any tips? This has been going on for nearly three months.
"If God led you to it, he will lead you through it and carry you out of it."
This is a hard question. I don’t know if I have any answers that will fit you, but I will try.
The first thing I would ask is where you’re dropping these six projects you’ve tried to start. If you’re dropping these in the first few chapters, for me personally, that usually indicates there’s something wrong the premise. For me at least, when that happens I’ll look for any characters or plots that are too cliche, or any writing “rules” I’m breaking. Sometimes it may even be I put the wrong character as my protagonist. I’ve done this sort of revision with several stories.
If you are dropping them near the middle of the book, however, I have a different piece of advice. Most authors loose passion in the middle of the project. Myself included. On the first draft of the book I completed this summer, I can tell you once I breached the middle point, every chapter I wrote became tedious. If you’re dropping near the middle and this seems to be what you’re experiencing, I would say just press through. Since you’ve gone through a writing curriculum that has forced you to finish, I can imagine you already have some experience doing this. And you don’t even have to force yourself to write on it a lot every day. Maybe all you can manage in that story for the day is a paragraph or page; that’s fine. Sometimes getting over the middle hump of the story takes that kind of patience.
In essence what I’m saying about loosing passion for the project in the middle, is that it is common and there’s nothing wrong with you or the project. In fact, with most projects it’s to be expected.
Now, my final piece of advice is if all you’ve been doing creatively for the past three months is writing, is that you may have burned yourself out. Whenever I have writing burn out, I can’t care about any of projects, no matter how gripping they are or how excited they usually make me. If you think you may be experiencing burnout, my recommendation is to find a creative hobby that is not writing and do that for a bit. Normally within a few days to a couple weeks doing something that isn’t writing will resolve burnout for me, and I’ll be able to become excited about my projects again.
Another thing I would ask is if you’re reading regularly. I find if I don’t read, my writing becomes worse and I can’t really summon much passion for it.
Anyway, again I don’t know if any of this is what you’re looking for or experiencing, but I just thought I’d give the advice. I know this sort of problem can be extremely discouraging when writing is a thing you love, and nothing seems to be able to currently bring back that joy you once experienced from it, but I promise it is possible to find that again. It just may take some revision, determination, and/or rest. If you would like anymore advice or specifics on the tips I recommended, I would love to help you out more.
There once was a snail who was depressed and would do anything for his girlfriend. Didn't end well.
Maybe consider writing something short, on a topic you like and would have fun with, and perhap isn’t even “a book.”
For example, I like cats and spy adventures. I’m considering and planning on creating a “Stop the evil cats from world domination!” escape room (I’m thing on calling it Cat-astrophe. 😼) It still will require a lot of writing and storytelling, but in a different way.
Maybe consider writing an audio drama, history podcast, fictional newsletters/blogs, a song, etc.
So I tend to drop the project a few chapters in, or I’ve tried plotting a project, only to find out it isn’t a story. And more of just “vibes.” I’ve never dropped a project in the middle, I just push past.
I used to read all the time, but I found myself reading bad romance books, I hadn’t meant to find. So it pretty much killed my love for reading, which I never thought I’d ever say. Plus, I used to averge a book or two a day. And I’ve reread the thousands of books I’ve collected at home, and it seemes every clean book out there I’ve read. lol So thats also why I’m not reading…cuz there’s nothing to read. lol
I could do that, I was told of a ss contest…. but I don’t like writing short stories for some reason… they are too short. XD
"If God led you to it, he will lead you through it and carry you out of it."
Yeah, finding good books to read is tough. If you aren’t reading regularly though, it could be the problem. Here is a list of clean books I’ve read, and you’ve probably read some of them, but I just thought it might be helpful.
-“A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket. A dark satire for elementary to middle grade, it’s funny, mysterious, and ponders some of the deeper in question in life. There are 13 books in the original series. There is also a prequel series with 4 books that is amazing and you should totally read after the original series if you like it.
-“Fablehaven” by Brandon Mull. A fantasy series for middle grade to YA about two siblings who find out their grandpa owns a wildlife sanctuary for magical creatures, and must fight against the darkest of vile creatures and demons to save the world from chaos if such creatures should break loose. Great series with an excellent balance of light and intense moments and sibling dynamics. There is a sequel series “Dragonwatch.” I haven’t completed all the books to that series, but the four I read were really good and I intend to finish the series when I have time.
-“Warrior Cats: The Prophecies Begin,” by Erin Hunter. It’s about a house cat who finds his way into the wild and joins clans of wild cats who are fighting over territory. There are great character dynamics and surprisingly deep themes for a middle grade. The first series is great, the rest (in my opinion, no offense to anyone who likes them) turn into a cat soap opera, so just read the first one.
-“Prince Warriors,” by Priscilla Shrier. A Christian middle grade about kids who are transported to a world controlled by an evil presence they must defeat, picking up literal pieces of the Armor along the way.
-“The Secret Zoo,” by Brandon Chick. An elementary to middle grade about a group of kids who end up in their local zoo’s secret sectors, where animals are smarter and have special abilities.
-“The Candy Shop War,” by Brandon Mull. I haven’t finished the series because the books weren’t all out when I read the first, but the one I read was really good. It’s about candy that gives kids magical powers.
-“The Orphan Train Quartet.” A historical fiction for kids about a family of children who get separated when they find new homes on the orphan train and must find their way back together. Haven’t read all four, but intend to finish them. The first two were really intriguing.
-“The Giver Quadrant.” Great books! Dystopian books about different societies by a Christian author. Each book has it’s own distinct world, and it’s own deeper meaning.
-“The Cooper Kids’ Adventures,” by Frank Peretti. A sort of Christian thriller Indiana Jones about two kids and their archeologist dad who go on adventures. Exciting and short enough for a great day read, and so suspenseful. The writing is also really good.
-“The Myst Series.” Based off the video game “Myst,” but all you really need to know is that in the world people can write books that transport them to other world. The books aren’t a direct series, but simply in the same universe as each other.
-“Anne of Green Gables.” I don’t typically read cozy types of books, but the book was genuinely funny and won me over in the end.
-“Murder on the Orient Express,” and “And Then There Were None,” by Agatha Christie. Great mysteries, and if you like those she has dozens more.
-Sherlock Holmes original books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Great mysteries. Need to finish reading all of them.
Anyway, I hope you can find a book to read that inspires your energy. I also second what Power said about finding something writing adjacent. I’m currently working on writing a D&D campaign, comic script, and a video game story line. They all use writing in different ways.
There once was a snail who was depressed and would do anything for his girlfriend. Didn't end well.
I’m having a similar problem. I love my projects but I flit from one to the next and no real progress gets made, so I don’t know how much help I’ll be. As far as clean Christian books go, I generally read classics and MG. I avoid YA and adult unless recommended by people I trust or written in the olden days. If you want recommendations I can make a list. Also, when you make a topic you should tag people so they see it. XD
Tagging some people for you: @whalekeeper @ellette-giselle @loopylin @keilah-h @esther-c @savannah-grace_2009 @rae @koshka @elishavet-pidyon @eliasg @lillian @highscribeofaetherium @linus-smallprint @hybridlore
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This reply was modified 5 hours, 44 minutes ago by
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This reply was modified 5 hours, 41 minutes ago by .
Don't throw sodium chloride at people. That's a salt.
I’ve read like all those XD Except Brandon Mull. I’m more into YA. lol tysm tho!!!
oh i didn’t know that lol, the previous forum I was on people saw them on the new topics section lol
"If God led you to it, he will lead you through it and carry you out of it."
@writingwren Don’t worry, I can’t stick to anything either. i’m mostly a fan fiction writer (The clean sort, always clean, we need more wholesome fan fiction in the world PLEASE and less of the gross nonsense fanfics are notorious for. But I guess you would know about that given that you read the bad romances. You know how much that stuff absolutely STINKS.) and you’d think since I have all my stuff right there in a canon that exists, I’d be able to finish it, right?
Nope. I have like four fics I ever finished lol (and one of them deserves to burn, it’s a mess of plotless rambling I wrote when I was like ten). Detailed plotting actually doesn’t help me, it makes me bored before I start—I prefer just having the basic concept and three or four scenes I know that will happen, and working from there. Maybe that’ll help you, or maybe that’ll make it worse lol
So yeah, you’re not the only one. It’s not “wrong” to not have a story idea for a while.
as for good, clean book recommendations…..idk, what do you like? Science fiction? Fantasy? Good romances? (Haven’t read a lot of those lol)
@quicksilverwyvern ok but you’re right, I like the warrior cats books but they really are a cat soap opera sometimes lollllalso eyyyy prince warriors, my friend loves that series! When we were younger we’d take our lego jurassic world and star wars characters and make them have adventures in that world, it was weird but it was so fun
Gerald handled that. You don’t question Gerald. (if you know you know)
(thanks for the tag @theducktator )
@writingwrenI don’t know a whole lot of YA as it’s not my main reading. But I do know some clean middle grade fiction, and some clean Christian “adult” fiction.
MG recommendation:
The Mysterious Benedict Society. While not Christian, it’s Very fun, completely clean action and adventure.
YA:
The Drafted duology by Tommie Michele. While it’s not explicitly Christian, it is written by a Christian and emphasizes finding hope in darkness. While there is some romance, it’s completely G-rated.
Adult:
Darkness series, Monster, The Oath, all by Frank Peretti. Sometimes dark and intense but all are explicitly Christian.
Silas Marner: a very sweet story about a ruined man who finds a baby and raises her as his own.
just some ideas that might be helpful. This is something I struggle with as well and haven’t quite found the fix yet.
@writingwren you are well read. Consider me impressed, new friend. Unfortunately, that means I’ve run out if recommendations.
From what you said about outlining not working really, my only piece of advice left is that you may be more of a panster, which is totally fine! However, you did mention that just writing the projects doesn’t work either. Would you mind maybe giving me a summary of a project you tried and more detail about what or where exactly the lack of excitement for the project began? Trying to help best I can here.
There once was a snail who was depressed and would do anything for his girlfriend. Didn't end well.
I’ve never met another person who’s read that series. That’s awesome. The Legos sound like the sort of thing me and my sister would do.
Also, yes, can we please burn all the gross fanfiction on the internet so that good writers who are actually dedicated to the fandom and honoring the characters can write in peace. I’m a clean fanfiction writer as well. Someone really needs to start a website for clean fanfics where gross stuff is taken down.
There once was a snail who was depressed and would do anything for his girlfriend. Didn't end well.
yeah lol
I like Romance, Thrillers, Dystopian… basically anything but Western
okay the summery:
I had the idea for a thriller. A man whose daughter is killed on her way home from school, then he (just a ordianry dad) goes on a path of revenge to hunt the killer down. Only to find himself caught up in a world of black markets, gangs ect. He’d find Jesus somewhere in there too.
I was five chapters in…. but it frusterated me how I was writing super bad. Ik you need to trust the process, but I started the book the wrong way, have the wrong POVs. And zero plot. As soon as I reliazed I didn’t have a story, and how complex it would turn out to be… it died. lol I lost interest as son as the “shiny new project” excitment wore off :/
"If God led you to it, he will lead you through it and carry you out of it."
Thanks! I forgot about Frank Peritti!! I need to read his books.
"If God led you to it, he will lead you through it and carry you out of it."
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