If I remember correctly (and I'm not sure that I do), writing used to come effortlessly. I remember writing romance before I got into slash (I got into it when I was 10). I go back and look at what I wrote back then and I'm always so stunned to see just how much I wrote. It might all be horrible (because I spelled words wrong, made mary-sues, and it's generally cringe / embarrassment worthy), but the fact that the very first story I have is like... 50 pages of a word document that I think I wrote in like... two weeks amazes me. In the last 4-5 years, I've probably written maybe 15-20 pages worth with ALL of my fanfiction combined. I wish I knew what had happened and changed. Why did it suddenly become so much harder to write? When did I start struggling with everything? What happened? It sort of depresses me, if you know what I mean.
Some of the things I struggle/d with the most are is coming up with a good plot (which I only this year realized I need to plot out everything that happens or I'll never finish it because I use all of my good ideas up in the beginning), work out the problems, find the motivation to write it (which, mind you, is practically nonexistent), write it and keep my motivation / interest in it long enough to finish it (my ADHD is the cause of that).
Ouch, that sucks. I imagine it probably became hard to keep up with then. -Having people happily accept your writing and then become critical as the fandom grew larger. I doubt I'd have managed it, honestly. ;__; I think you've done extremely well in that aspect. :D
Well, at least I now know I am not the only one struggling to finish things. xD At least you have those phases where you managed to finish things, though. I think things come more easily for you, though. You said you have a ton of unfinished fics. I have 2-3 fics that are a work in progress from the last 5 years. I have a hard time coming up with plots- that's almost as hard as writing them. xD The last idea I came up with for a fic took months for me to develop into something that wasn't nonsense. xD I come up with ideas for things maybe once a year. Usually it just doesn't occur to me and if I try to think of a plot, I just sit there with my mind blank.
What do you mean by, "Instead of struggling with 500 words, you should move on and let the words make their way to "paper"?" I mean, if I didn't struggle with them, I wouldn't have written anything. I'd have just sat there staring at the word document with my mind blank and empty. I'd have no idea what I should write or anything. >.<; God, it's been so long since I've really enjoyed writing things and I'd really love to do it again. Remembering how it used to feel is like a dream.
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Some of the things I struggle/d with the most are is coming up with a good plot (which I only this year realized I need to plot out everything that happens or I'll never finish it because I use all of my good ideas up in the beginning), work out the problems, find the motivation to write it (which, mind you, is practically nonexistent), write it and keep my motivation / interest in it long enough to finish it (my ADHD is the cause of that).
Ouch, that sucks. I imagine it probably became hard to keep up with then. -Having people happily accept your writing and then become critical as the fandom grew larger. I doubt I'd have managed it, honestly. ;__; I think you've done extremely well in that aspect. :D
Well, at least I now know I am not the only one struggling to finish things. xD At least you have those phases where you managed to finish things, though. I think things come more easily for you, though. You said you have a ton of unfinished fics. I have 2-3 fics that are a work in progress from the last 5 years. I have a hard time coming up with plots- that's almost as hard as writing them. xD The last idea I came up with for a fic took months for me to develop into something that wasn't nonsense. xD I come up with ideas for things maybe once a year. Usually it just doesn't occur to me and if I try to think of a plot, I just sit there with my mind blank.
What do you mean by, "Instead of struggling with 500 words, you should move on and let the words make their way to "paper"?" I mean, if I didn't struggle with them, I wouldn't have written anything. I'd have just sat there staring at the word document with my mind blank and empty. I'd have no idea what I should write or anything. >.<; God, it's been so long since I've really enjoyed writing things and I'd really love to do it again. Remembering how it used to feel is like a dream.