I'm really annoyed by my writing process. Half the time I just sit there and stare blankly. Then I type some, delete some, type some more, delete some more....
A lot of the time it's like two steps forward, one step back. Sentences don't flow right, paragraph lacking balance, a poorly turned phrase. Not to mention the flow of action needs to be exactly right or I'll be so pissed off that I'll delete the whole paragraph (or more).
What needs to happen vs what happens on the spot. Too many spontaneous moments. Spontaneity has its place, but too much drives the plot out of control. >_> It slows me down like a trainwreck...
And then there are times when I look at the finished product, and I'm like 'GOD I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT'. Which is then followed by the standard 'WHY WHY WHY DOES IT SUCK SO MUCH ARGH'. Then more self-hate, which leads to brooding. And less writing. Hmm.
I need to be less of a perfectionist...but if I'm not, I'll be more disappointed with myself. D: I need to find a balance...D:
Hey Essy
I hear you. I've been writing for 10 years now, and over those ten years I've probably spent more time aching and brooding over writing than actually
writing. GOD I love writing, and I'm sure all of you guys do too, but the thing with writing is that it requires so much persistence and a truckload of patience. AND, you have to learn how to cope with your own cynicism - don't let it get the better of you.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist too - always having to make sure everything sounds good before moving on. Maybe this is the point of our downfall. Because everything has to sound perfect, we lose sight of the actual story and end up getting frustrated over mere words and description. Just keep in mind that we're writing fanfiction - it's not the end of the world if a sentence doesn't seem to flow in a paragraph... you know, feel free to write at StephMeyer-fanfic-standard writing
The most important thing is the story, the characters and the feelings you bring across. And most of the time, less is more. Definitely.
I've read countless fanfiction and my favourites have always been the ones that make me feel. Funny thing is, the writer of my favourite fic ever happens to be learning English as a second language. Spelling almost non-existent, grammar all over the place... some things didn't even make sense to me until I got her to explain. BUT, the feelings that she was able to put across made me fall so madly in love with her story. Contrasted with the really professional-sounding fanfics I'd read at the time, it was WORLDS better.
What I find really helps is this:
- Write and write and write. Do not even look to see if it sounds good - let your thoughts pour out. Forget about finding the right adjective, or structuring this sentence a particular way. If you stop like that too often, you'll begin to feel drained. Adjectives and adverbs are just the flavours of writing - this you can add in later, so don't dwell on them. Nouns and verbs are much more important, but the thing YOU need to do is make sure you get your main points out first. Then, you can begin to decorate and pretty up the writing later. It's so much easier that way!
I found this advice really good too:
"The most familiar trick for ensuring a continuing hold on your material is to end work each day just short of what is in your mind to write, to leave for the next day a significant development, a scene you have quite clearly in mind. Many writers do this, so that they are eager to get started on the next stint, without the anxiety that may come if they are not sure of their direction or wonder which step to take first." -- Hallie & Whit Burnett
"McHugh's rule of writer's block: Writer's block is not the inability to write, it is the feeling as you are writing, that what you are writing is shit. The only way through it is to give yourself permission to write shit. (You may replace 'shit' with colorful euphemisms like 'cow dung' or even boring ones like 'crap.')" -- Maureen McHugh
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EVERYBODY NOW:Maybe, to take some stress off all of you who are writing, you guys can create a combined fanfic - somebody starts off, then other people join in (writing paragraphs at a time, not just a sentence, though you can do that too). I've done it before at another forum and it had a great, spirited group feel to it, and it was something that didn't put any pressure on any of us because other people were always joining in to continue it.
:twothumb
Don't give up, guys.
P.S I'd love to read all your stories since I'm a fanfic maniac, but maybe a little later, when my IshiYoshi love isn't eating me whole. If any of you have IshiYoshi stories, PLEASE PLEASE do share!