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Y’all. I. Need. Help.
I have restarted my second draft to write it in 3rd person, (luckily I wasn’t too far along) and I’ve finished the prologue for draft 2. However, I am still struggling to write so so very much. I want to but at the same time I don’t because…well…here’s my main problems.
1. I struggle with beginnings. I’m probably gonna need to start somewhere else but that also gives me trouble because I don’t know totally what happens up to that point.
2. I’ve got a bit of a plot hole thing (which I’ll discuss later and see if y’all have any ideas)
and my final problem
I can’t get the incredibly epic story that I love from my imagination into writing, and it really discourages me. This story never comes out how I wish it would and Ik I’m gonna edit later but it’s so hard to move pass this point.
What can I do? I’ve tried music and such. I want to get into the scenes but I just feel so down and out cuz my writing seems so lacking compared to what I want.
I honestly need some serious help because I WANT to do this but at the same time feel like it would be easier giving up, but I know that isn’t the right choice.
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@joy-caroline @devastate-lasting @nova21 @ribbonash @gracie-j@lydia-s @lewilliams @scripter-of-kingdoms @issawriter7 @daisy-torres@sparksaraabbott11 @abigail-m@keilah-h @mkfairygirl @iluvhim18@ariel-f @elanor @jodi-maile @beth-darlene @hallie-jean @cathrynv@elfwing
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebBtw I’ll put my plot hole issue on a post someone else made about their plot hole
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebNo one’s 1st or 2nd drafts are publishable. That’s just a fact. Just focus on telling your story and working on motivating yourself. If you want to feel productive or get invested in your story again without directly working on it, you can try writing about the same characters or world, just in a different setting/genre/situation.
For example I got bored with my WIP so to get myself reinvested in my story I took my characters and plopped them in a coffee shop. I refound the joy that originated from my story. Maybe the same will happen for you.
Hope this helps!
If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊
Hey there!
I’m sorry that you’re struggling with writing! I recently wrote some articles for my blog on this topic, so I’ll use some of what I wrote in hopes that it can help you with your current struggle.
1. Get a fresh view. This could be a literal change of view like zooming in or changing the font or a change of perspective. I’d also recommend talking to a friend or family member about your story. They have a fresh view on the matter and can share that with you through their feedback. It also gets creative juices pumping when someone allows you to go off on a full-out rant about your story.
2. Brainstorm. This is my personal favorite! Instead of sitting down and trying to write, just think and let ideas flow.
3. Switch gears. Sometimes you just need to take a break from a project. I nearly always have a short story or poetry piece going, and it really helps when I’m stuck in a rut to get a change of scenery!
4. Rediscover why you write. Sometimes we lose sight of our purpose and need to remind ourselves why we write. One way to do this is to write up a mission statement and pour your heart into what really is your purpose and dream behind your writing 🙂
5. Learn about writing. Kingdom Pen has a wealth of knowledge to offer! It can be so inspiring to really delve deep into the craft and be equipped with wisdom.
6. Read. Our love of writing is often kindled by a love of reading, so why not go back to where it all started? Draw motivation from reading completed books and even probe into what makes good books good!
I hope one of those tips will help you through your problem! 🙂
~In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found~
@godlyfantasy12 Oh noooo, so sorry to hear that 🙁 I’m kinda in a similar stage rn so I feel ya.
My tips:
1. Although you said it’s not helping you rn, once you are motivated, use MUSIC. If you write fantasy, look up fantasy music! If you write crime, maybe pick lofi or chill stuff! If you write realistic fiction, maybe some bright sunny tunes! Try to get it matching your genre – if it does, it WILL get you in the mood. 🙂
2. Have someone to talk to! I find having just one person who knows you & your ideas well will help TONS. I was in a plot hole this morning and my best friend talked me through it! Just having someone to bounce ideas off and to suggest new perspectives is really refreshing. Whether that’s people on KP (and I’m always willing to help and talk if you need 😉), your irl best friends, or a fellow writer, just having someone who knows how you think and how you could integrate story stuff is awesome.
3. It’s ok not to be motivated. You’re not always gonna be motivated, and it is hard to get through, but you WILL get through! I promise! Try participating in challenges that force you to write more often, or setting goals for yourself to meet. I find writing 1k or more a day works for me.
4. Do something else! If you’re not feeling it, that’s ok. Maybe draw or do a hobby or an activity you love outside of writing, or work on a different project. It will refresh you. Maybe step back and have a snack. (Eating does help a bit, haha.)
5. Power through. There are times when I would certainly recommend sitting down at that darned computer and just writing without caring if it’s subpar, par, or not. You can go back later and revise. Just do it. Be like the Nike people. 😛
Anyways, I hope that helped! I have a few blog articles… will link em in another post to avoid crashing.
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my home@godlyfantasy12 They aren’t posting. >:( I’ll public message you.
staring at the fields
if nothing's really real
i'll make the winter now my homeOh man, I know what you mean! Drafts are rough. I’m working on the third of my main WIP, and sometimes it can just feel… blegh. Boring. Dull. Like it’s torture to type one more word in this ridiculous paragraph/scene… Anyway, yeah, I understand. It can be tough!
1. Beginnings are hard. Like, I kind of hate mine right now… (*sighs and tells self to wait until the next draft*) If you haven’t already checked them out, KPs articles/videos about first chapters are awesome! I know the one video @kathleenramm made was very helpful for me. Perhaps it would help you as well? If you need an idea for how to start it, maybe play with what your reader sees in the first chapter? Like, make them think one thing is happening, but in reality, it’s something else. For example, in my one novel, I started it by trying to make it appear that the MC is in a train crash. In reality, she’s really just seeing an approaching train, which causes her to have a flashback to the train wreck she was in as a young girl. Is there a way you could play with that? Or maybe start it with a very tense scene, like a swordfight or an argument or a funeral?
2. Oh yes… Plot holes… The bane of every author’s existence.
3. Yeah, I understand that. There’s this epic scene playing out in your head, you type it out, feel accomplished, then reread it… and it’s nothing like what you wanted. It’s tough. I think part of it is just growing as a writer. As your skill improves, it’ll be easier to craft scenes that say and show what you want them to. Perhaps when you feel discouraged, look back or think back to what your writing used to be. If you have some of those old manuscripts hanging around, reread them! If not, just think about how awful that first story was, the plot holes, the cheesy scenes, the beyond predictable plot. See how far you’ve come! No matter how short your writing career has been, you are better than you were when you started. With every draft, with every chapter, you’re refining your skills and getting better. It’s a slow process to get to that point when you’re satisfied with your writing, but you. Will. Get there. And I’ll be cheering you on the whole way. <333 😀
Thank y’all so much! This does help and encourage me!
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSeb@godlyfantasy12
I’m late to this, but as someone who is struggling to write out of the first act of my novel right now, I know what this all feels like. It sucks. But if you’re called to be a writer, you will find you can’t not give up. Don’t worry if you feel if you want to give up, I wanted to give up too several times this year because it’s just so hard to write and feel happy about it. Some tricks I learned while struggling to write this novel are:
1. Taking a complete break from the story, thinking on it and brainstorming was heaps helpful for me. I found out I started too soon on it and I needed to develop some things properly since my vision for it was falling flat. Once I had a clearer direction where I needed to go, I could actually work on the story without worrying it wasn’t “perfect” yet, since it is first draft. I was able to be happy about it even though it still needs a lot of work.
2. Going back and editing what you have already written, particularly the scenes that bug you, also helped me find what I envisioned for the story. Improving just one badly written scene can help boost with what you want to see with your story. I know a few people advised against this, but it was essential for me to get motivated to continue with the story, especially after the break I had and realising a lot of scenes I wrote did not fit in the story anymore. They just needed to be fixed or removed.
3. With beginnings, you need to focus on what you want to happen and what about it is important to the story. It’s okay to take a while on figuring out how you want to begin it. For me, I definitely had to brainstorm hard and it took me several days before I wrote the first chapter. But it was worth it because I’m really happy with it and it was one of the things I don’t want to change, just improved on it which can be done later.
4. Having a side, smaller, project that you can work on can also be helpful to just let your mind rest from the stress, discouragement and expectations of the more important, bigger, project.
5. Think about what you want to write ahead of time. Like a lot. It can be helpful and makes it easier if you are certain on what you want in the scene you are planning to write next.
6. Just keep writing, even if it’s horrible or if you don’t feel it. Breakthroughs come when you write and can you find something you love in your writing. A paragraph, a character, a sentence, a line of dialogue, etc.First of all, you’re definitely not alone with this. I have been striving to draft my nearly four-year-old novel for almost a year now and the second draft of anything is hard. But you’re 100% right, giving up is not an option. I totally understand the feeling of having an incredible story in your head, the action and characters and dialogues flowing masterfully, and all these vivid images forging in the imagination… but once you put the pen tip to paper or finger to keyboard, it all fades. It comes out choppy and looks like junk compared to the way it was imagined. And this is something I and many other authors constantly battle. I think it’s part of being a writer actually. Part of being a good writer.
There’s a saying that quotes, “if you think writing is easy, you’re doing it wrong’.
The one thing I can offer is the advice that every great author has quoted: write. Write it anyway, even when it seems like the worst thing imaginable, keep pushing through. Eventually, you’ll look back and see some pretty great stuff in there and this is what drafting is all about: improving. In fact, I like to call it ‘improving’ instead of ‘drafting’ because that’s truly what it is.
Also, you might want to take a step back from your novel for a little while and take a break. That way you and your novel will get a small and deserved rest from the finishing of the first draft and when you come back to it, you’ll come back with a fresh pair of eyes:)
But do not get discouraged, writing is like mosaics. The words are like a thousand pieces of shattered glass. They look broken and ready for a dustpan, but with perseverance, those pieces will become a masterpiece:)
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