Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: honey on June 07, 2008, 12:56:20 AM
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Ok, I really am going to try to write this post without rambling... I swear!
I'm just wondering if any of you are having this same problem or have any kind of advice...
I honestly feel like I'm losing my enthusiasm. I feel like I haven't really written anything in months and it's weird because I'm working on a story at the moment and I update still. (a lot less frequently, but I do still update), so I don't understand why it feels like I'm never getting anything done. Ever since I kind of transitioned from fan fic to original fiction, and I kind of suddenly switched genres too, I feel a little lost in the writing world. Kind of like it's not really me anymore, and I don't seem to enjoy it as much. Its like I lost my groove and I don't know how to get it back.
I'm not talking about being stuck, or having writers block. I actually told Sarah the other day that I give up on writing altogether, and I think a part of me really meant it. Kind of scares me actually because writing is such a big part of who I am and how I cope with things, yet I can't seem to get it together. I don't want to quit writing (fanfic or otherwise) but every day it gets harder and harder to make myself do it. I'm not asking for an ego stroke here. I don't want people to tell me not to stop writing or anything like that. And this isn't a declaration of fanfic retirement or anything. I'm just wondering what to do to get that love back that I seemed to have lost.
Lol maybe "Honey" and "Red" are clashing and its causing me to have a writers identity crisis or something. I really do enjoy writing all the different genres, but nothing I write really feels like "Me" anymore and it's freaking me out so much I'm ready to give up.
Suggestions? Ideas? Opinions? Anything? Y'all know me better than most because I'm completely myself on here, so help!!! Honey is broken and needs to fix it!
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I definitely know how you feel, Kelly. I went through the same sort of thing a few years ago with drawing. I used to love drawing and sketching and it was all I ever did in my spare time, and then for some reason I just sort of lost my passion for it. I don't know why I gave up on it so easily, and I wish I never had.
Anyway.. maybe it might be an idea to take a short break? If you feel as though you have to update something, it's not as fun as updating because you want to, you know? Then it starts to feel more like work than a hobby, and that's not really fun. That would be my best advice to you.
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Honey,
Could it be the change of seasons possibly? That restless feeling that comes along with the beginning of summer? If not that, then is it something in your personal life that is unsettled? You said that writing is such a big part of your life and that is how you get your feelings out, is it possible that something is happening in your life that maybe you don't even realize that has put a damper on your creative side? I know with myself, a lot of times, I won't even realize that something is bothering me until it starts affecting other parts of my life.
You said that you switched from fan fiction to orginal fiction... maybe you could ease into that transistion a little slower by going back and writing a short fan fiction in between writing chapters for your orginal fiction. I have read your updates though to "Fan Friction" so I guess you are still doing some of that anyway. Or maybe with the genre switch too, write a short humorous story. Something to make the transistion a little slower and smoother.
As much as I would miss reading your updates, maybe you just need to take a short break. Maybe find a good book to read and just read it through without writing for a few days. Or find something else you are interested in and just concentrate on that for a few days, give yourself a vacation so to speak. You might be able to come back refreshed, much like a person does when they come back from an actual vacation.
I don't know if any of these suggestions will help, but I hope something helps you get your creative spirit lit again! Good Luck!
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Aww, Steph. That's kind of sad. My hubby gets that way sometimes about his drawing too, but then he'll randomly sit down every once in a blue moon and draw a random picture. Sigh, drawing is something I envy. You should give it a shot once in a while still. It's really a rare talent.
As for taking a break? I've been thinking a lot about doing that, but I'm kind of scared to do that because what if that "break" becomes a "hiatus" and then that turns into "permanent" and I just stop writing all together. I really don't want to that to happen. I would definitely regret that. A lot, I think.I dunno. Maybe it could do me some good. I guess if I don't miss it enough to come back to it, then there really wouldn't be any harm done.
And Susan, thank you for your response as well. That actually is something that believe it or not I hadn't really thought about at. And LMAO, let's go down the list shall we?
Could it be the change of seasons possibly?
*thinks back to the hours I spent at the beach today*
Something in your personal life that is unsettled?Is it possible that something is happening in your life that maybe you don't even realize that has put a damper on your creative side?
Now that I think about it, this is most probable... HA! too bad I have NO IDEA how to fix all that. I have been feeling off ever since I moved and the whole adjusting to my husband starting his own company and all that plus only about a million other issues I'll spare everyone on the details...
Maybe I'm just uber stressed and a little distracted by beach season. I like the sound of that better than not loving writing anymore. Seriously your post just made me feel a lot better. (while stressing me out at the same time cause now my brain is realizing how crazy my life is at the moment) Dang it! Why can't life just be perfect and easy so that I can continue to write fun stories? Pshhh its so unfair. ;)
Anybody have the number for Burke Williams? lol.
I wondered if transitioning to original fiction would be tricky. I'll bet that might have something to do with it too, but at the same time I am adoring all the original stuff I've been working on too, so I don't know. MOVIE was the first story that I wrote that was actually meant to be transitional and that seemed to work very well, so maybe I should start another story like that, (Kinda AU, almost original, but still fanfic...) but then I get worried about starting yet another story when I already have so many in the middle...
I also think that's why I write the challenges each month too. All those funny, cute little shorts that are completely fan fic, help me kind of remember what I love about the Backstreet Boys, but they don't really feel like writing to me the same way writing an entire novel does. Don't really know how to explain that, hope it made a little sense.
And I have been reading a ton more lately. I am horrible at reading. Write all the time, but never read, and I've almost completely flipped on that this year. That was a huge change for me. NowI find myself reading more and more and writing less and less... sad.
Anyhoo, now I really am rambling. I'll stop. Thanks guys.
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I know exactly how you feel because i've been stuck in that place for almost a year now. lol
I'm the same way, I LOVE writing to death, I feel like it really helps define who I am as a person but yet when I try to write it feels more like a homework assignment and less like fun. I think maybe it's because we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to get updates out there. At least I think that's how it started with me, I felt so pressured to constantly update that it began to be more of a chore than something fun.
I don't think it's something you should worry about, because in the end if you really and truly do love it, you'll never be able to give it up. Right now you might be in this strange transitional phase trying to find your real style or what makes you comfortable, not only with writing but life in general. You just moved and your getting things in order, so deep down tat has to be effecting things a little.
While that's happening, there's nothing wrong with transitioning to a reader and writing less. Like I said, eventually i'm sure you'll switch back. I hope you find the love again. I'm hoping for the same with myself.
I know writing the short challenges are also helping me out.
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I think as writers Kelly we all go through those slumps. I know I have. As Susan pointed out, I definitely notice that when the warmer weather arrives I feel less and less like writing and more and more like being outside and enjoying the nice weather. And when you're really busy or stressed its almost impossible to write. (One of the reasons I haven't updated in almost two weeks.)
If you feel like you're beginning to lose the fun out of writing and getting bored with the OF, maybe you should go back to the beginning and write something that maybe you don't necessarily plan on getting published. You've definitely grown in SOOOO many different directions as a writer considering you started out as a fluffy, Brian, romance chick. Maybe you need to go back to your roots though for a little bit to rediscover why you started writing in the first place?
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Aww Kelly! *squishy hugs you*
We definitely did talk about this earlier, you and me, and, like Mare said, you are not alone because I'm in that slump as well. Look how long it's taking me to get the next chapter of our awesome story out :( I think for me (and maybe this is it for you as we do share a brain lol), it's the transitioning to original fiction that's doing it. I think both of us sort of jumped into it really fast...but I think it's great that you're still managing to write Fan Friction. Sure, maybe it's not as fluffy as you usually are, but sometimes it's not a bad thing to try to experiment with different genres. I'm not going to try to be your therapist on here lol but maybe it's because you haven't written that fluff that you love that is making you feel all out of sorts and not altogether into what you're doing.
I know taking a break seems really scary sometimes because, at least for me, saying I'm going to take a break makes me afraid that I'll never do it again. Which has crossed my mind a hell of a lot in the last few weeks. Eek. However, sometimes, reading more than writing isn't a bad thing (even though I feel like that's all I do). Like you've said, you don't usually read, so maybe you should...and maybe, while you're reading, your creative juices will simmer and come up with something awesome! You've written so much like crazy in the past year and a half and I think a break might be good for your creative juices as well...like Mare said, if you really truly love it, you'll never really give it up. I totally believe that for you, for Mare, and even for myself.
Also, I know that, for me, talking to you about stories and plots and all that fun stuff really helped keep my enthusiasm up, but I dunno if that was the same for you. If it was, then *sniffs* I hate my stupid computer doubly much. As soon as it's fixed and running again, I will do my best to cheer you on--sometimes, you need a little pom-pom shaking as well to build your enthusiasm.
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I'm rooting for you Kelly. :) Everyone has slumps like these and it's probably just a passing phase. I mean, it took me how long to finish Pbox? But I finished it! And now I'm just being lazy. lmao
You'll get it back, because it's something you love so much, you know? :)
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you started out as a fluffy, Brian, romance chick. Maybe you need to go back to your roots though for a little bit to rediscover why you started writing in the first place?
*kicks Brian* Maybe that's part of my problem. I've lost a lot of my BSB infatuation. Sadly, this Brian girl isn't much of a Brian girl these days leaving me without a real favorite, and I haven't really learned how to deal with that yet.
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I know exactly how you feel because i've been stuck in that place for almost a year now. lol
I'm the same way, I LOVE writing to death, I feel like it really helps define who I am as a person but yet when I try to write it feels more like a homework assignment and less like fun. I think maybe it's because we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to get updates out there. At least I think that's how it started with me, I felt so pressured to constantly update that it began to be more of a chore than something fun.
yeah, this makes sense too, I think that's why I'm stressing about it. But the problem was already there because I started updating a lot less often and THEN I started feeling pressured to make myself keep up. You know what I mean? I also am really anal about finishing what I started, and when I hit this slump I abandoned a lot of ideas and a lot of stories and that makes me want to kick myself. Now I kind of feel like I can't start anything new because there are so many stories I've started and are just sitting there... metaphorically collecting dust.
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Look how long it's taking me to get the next chapter of our awesome story out :(
aww. our story really is awesome. I'm blaming your lack of updating on summer jobs and sick computers...
maybe it's because you haven't written that fluff that you love that is making you feel all out of sorts and not altogether into what you're doing.
but Jamie is fluffy romance and I love love love it and am having so much fun with it... so I can't figure out why I can't seem to get going.
Also, I know that, for me, talking to you about stories and plots and all that fun stuff really helped keep my enthusiasm up, but I dunno if that was the same for you. If it was, then *sniffs* I hate my stupid computer doubly much. As soon as it's fixed and running again, I will do my best to cheer you on--sometimes, you need a little pom-pom shaking as well to build your enthusiasm.
aww, I do miss those little brainstorming sessions too. *kicks Sarah's computer and advises her to get a mac book pro instead!*
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I'm rooting for you Kelly. :) Everyone has slumps like these and it's probably just a passing phase. I mean, it took me how long to finish Pbox? But I finished it! And now I'm just being lazy. lmao
You'll get it back, because it's something you love so much, you know? :)
LMAO true. If you can finish Pbox after how many years, then certainly I'll be ok eventually. :P
speaking of pbox...
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Aww...Kelly *hugs* I'm sure we've all felt like this at some point or another. I LOVE writing, but i just don't seem to have the energy for it anymore. I have ideas, and want to complete chapter and stories so I can update, but its like I just can't seem to actually focus long enough to do anything.
I know for one, right now, I am depressed. I just found out this morning that the vacation that me and my fiance have been planning for 8 months now is not going to happen. We were supposed to leave in 5 days. Our financial state wont allow us to with him still looking for a job and me losing my 2nd job. So much crap is going on right now too...and whenever I sit down to write, I think "I really dont even want to do this right now" .I have all the time in the world right now to actually update something...anything but unfortunately, I just cant, nor do I care to.
My advice is to just take a little break from writing...or maybe not put so much pressure on yourself. When the time is right, the creativity and motivation will come back to you if you dont push yourself and try to force it to come back.
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aww, squishy hugs back, Ashley! That completely sucks. That's kind of like my honeymoon being cancelled four days before my wedding. I was crushed. But, we still made the best of it. Even if you can't afford to take that trip, you still have to do something special just the two of you, even if on a much smaller scale. That together time is important.
I know what you mean about not being able to focus long enough to do it. For weeks now I've been in that sit down at the computer when I finally have free time and get maybe a paragraph written... if I'm lucky, mode.
You're right. Maybe you are all right. Maybe I should just tuck it away for now and only write when mocrosoft word is calling my name.
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Aww, Kelly, I'm sorry you're feeling this way. Like everyone else has said, I think a slump is something every writer goes through. There seems to be a pattern with this:
When you first start writing, it's all fresh and new and fun, and you have SO many ideas, that it's easy to just churn out chapter after chapter, story after story, and update all the time. I know the first year I wrote fanfic, it was rare to have a day where I didn't have an update on my site. I posted at least one chapter pretty much EVERY DAY, and as soon as I finished one story, I launched right into another.
After awhile, you start to slow down. There are lots of reasons for this: real life gets in the way and cuts down on your writing time, you have written so many things that new and original ideas are harder to come by, and as you get better with experience, you also get more critical of your writing, so it takes you longer to finish a chapter you're happy with. At least that's how it was with me. After a year or two of writing, I slowed down. I updated maybe every few days instead of every day. Then once a week or so.
And then, for me, real life happened. College... and then student teaching... and then teaching for real. I had other things going on and other things to think about, and even when I would sit down with some free time to write, I would think about all the other things I felt like I should have been doing. Homework, lesson plans, grading papers, job searching, apartment hunting, all that good stuff. It really just killed my inspiration. This past year, I kinda gave up on even writing much on weekends and just looked forward to actual breaks - Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and now summer - to do some major writing, because weekends were my time to relax and get caught up on other things.
So it could be that real life is interfering, whether you realize it or not. You can think to yourself, "I have two hours of free time right now. That's plenty of time to get a couple of pages written, so why aren't I writing?" But it's not that easy. Maybe it used to be easy, when you were churning out update after update, but it's not anymore. You have to get in the right mindset, put everything else in real life in the back of your mind and focus on your story, and get that inspiration going, and that takes some time. If you're worrying about all the other things you have to do, or worrying that if you DON'T get an update out, you're going to disappoint people, then you're putting so much pressure on yourself that of course you're not gonna be able to write anything.
I think the pressure is another major factor. If you used to update all the time, and your readers expect that, and now you don't update that much anymore, you feel like you're letting people down, and then you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to get updates out quickly. And like Mare said, that takes the fun out of it. It makes writing feel more like homework, when it should be just a hobby, something to do for fun. You just need to relax and not push yourself. So what if you only update once a month or less? The readers who truly enjoy your story will look forward to your chapters that much more. They may not enjoy waiting, but they will wait for you. And they'll understand, especially those of them who write. We all know how it is.
So my advice is:
1) Don't worry about it because it happens to all of us.
and
2) Relax, take your time, and don't pressure yourself to update. If you pressure yourself, you'll just make the slump worse because you'll take all the enjoyment out of writing and make it feel like a chore. If you're stuck or just not feeling it, then take a break and wait for the inspiration or feelings of withdrawal to strike. It might take some time, but eventually, there will come a time when you'll get bored and feel sort of an emptiness and think "I should write..." Maybe then the love will come back.
Sorry, that was a REALLY long post, and I have more to say, but I will save that for another LOL.
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aww. Julie, yet another reason why you are my hero.
You see? This is why I love you guys.
It is also the reason I'm so addicted to this board, and this board is probably another factor in my ADD can't focus enough to write anything phase.
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^ Omg, I swear there is a huge correlation between this board and my lack of writing LMAO. I would say take a break from the board, but I dont' want you to do that. :(
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^I completely agree. I love this board so much that I don't want to leave it long enough to go write lol That's not a bad thing necessarily, but it happens. Don't leave us!
Kelly! I stuck YIM on the fam's computer, so, as soon as I come up with a schedule of when my brother and I can compromise on who uses the computer when, I'm totally talking to you like crazy! I really really do want to update something (and I wrote 6 pages of Zoey the other day but haven't done any more since then :( ), and you're my muse...so maybe we can inspire each other. Or I could just give you advice on what books to read next (more Dessen!) lol
And, like Julie said, don't write because you feel obligated to update for your readers' sakes. If they love you as much as we all do, I'm sure we'll all wait patiently for as long as it takes.
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I feel like I'm kinda going through the same thing as you, Sarah, Mare, etc... I dunno if I'd call it a slump, but ever since I finished BMS, I have felt kind of lost, like I don't know where to go next. I have two ideas for novels that I like, but for whatever reason, I can't get going on them. I have a novella that I started a couple years ago, and I can't get much done on that either.
I have two Broken-related projects in the work, and those are what I have been working on lately, and I'm enjoying them, but at the same time, I feel guilty working on them because I feel like I should break away and write something brand new. And I'm not sure why I feel that way. My readers, at least over on my forum, say they'll read anything by me, but the Broken-related stuff is met with the most interest. My one attempt to write something completely different only got one review on AC. So it's not like the majority of my readers are pushing me to go in a different direction and I'm the one resisting. I think it's just pressure I'm putting on myself. So now that it's summer and I have all kinds of free time to write, I told myself to just write whatever the hell I want, whether it's Broken stuff or something different, and I feel like I'm getting back into the habit of writing or at least attempting to write every day. And hopefully, once I get the Broken projects out of my system, I will be more inspired to get into one of my other ideas.
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Julie! I'm totally still waiting on that Brian story *taps foot* lol Just kidding! Although, you know, I wouldn't mind it...but you gotta do what you gotta do. And that's what I tell myself everyday. In fact, I woke up this morning and told myself that I had to write 2 pages today and finish this unfinished chapter for one of my OF stories...and I'm sitting here instead lol Sometimes, real life just gets in the way...I know we can all write and get back into it...so I'm planning on just patiently waiting for our collective muses to kick in.
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LOL I know, I know... and that's the one I've at least started... but it's one of those fics with two interwoven stories, and one story I'm interested in writing, and the other story I'm totally not, yet I need it to make the overall plot work. That's why I'm stuck on that one.
The other novel idea I have still has plot holes. I have point A and point C of where I want the story to go, but no point B... no idea how to realistically get from one to the other. Blah.
I wish my muse would either give me some major inspiration for the first story or some ideas for the second, but so far it's not doing much of either.
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I feel like I'm kinda going through the same thing as you, Sarah, Mare, etc... I dunno if I'd call it a slump, but ever since I finished BMS, I have felt kind of lost, like I don't know where to go next. I have two ideas for novels that I like, but for whatever reason, I can't get going on them.
That is EXACTLY my problem! Lost, like I don't know where to go from here and I keep starting all these stories and nothing seems to have really truly clicked, and that's not only frustrating, it's just kinda sad...
As far as feeling pressured by my readers to update? I don't think that's my problem so much as the pressure just comes from myself. My readers? I'm not sure how many still read all my stuff. I know there's a couple who will read most of what I write, but I tend to change Boys or change genres, so it seems like every story I write has a different group of readers. I don't think I've felt reader pressure since the Welcome To My Heart days.
I just get really hard on myself about "quitting" anything, so probably that need to update and do so frequently comes mainly from me. Any ideas on how to turn that off? lol
And I think you are totally right about taking longer to write chapters because you're trying harder to make it good. I totally do that and sometimes I will even finish, decide it's not good enough and then start over again... Plus, my chapters have naturally gotten longer as I write more, so it takes longer to update for that reason too.
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I just get really hard on myself about "quitting" anything, so probably that need to update and do so frequently comes mainly from me. Any ideas on how to turn that off? lol
If I had the answer to that question, I would've told you a long time ago lol No, I have this exact same problem...but then, when I decided to focus on OF, I just forced my brain to quit. And, that, I think, is why I'm having such a hard time because some of those stories that are on AC that I left incomplete still bug me. I think it's just a part of your personality and personal drive to not quit and not leave things unfinished. I'm not sure there is a real way to change that without it driving you crazy months later.
My biggest fear at the moment is that I'll never be able to finish an actual long story. Lately, all I want to do is write short stories, and I feel like I don't even have the energy to finish an entire novel-length story out anymore. That freaks me out more than anything because I LOVE my long stories and I have so many ideas. *sigh* I dunno. Sometimes, I think there should be therapists trained to take care of people suffering from writer's block. I'd be the first to sign up.
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Yup, I wouldn't call my thing a slump either. Lost is a good description or for me maybe the word ambivalent is better. I've just become so-so with writing. I'll suddenly get the urge to write, get myself all excited but once I get up here by the computer it goes away and i'm all like eh? lol
I also used to be very Rain Man about updates as you can tell if you're reading Why. At the end of each chapter i'd always be like "See you on Monday" or "See you on Sunday." because I knew like clock work i'd get those updates out on time. Julie described it best when she said at first it's all so fresh and new but then after awhile it all gets old and the novelty wears off.
My advice about the quitting thing, because i'm the same way, is kind of simple. Just don't quit lol So what if you go for a long time without updating something. It doesn't mean you'll never go back to it. If you are the type that doesn't quit, than most likely you'll see the story through so no worries about that. If people are invested in the story they'll come back to it when you do. I mean look at you guys and Yesterday's Blue Skies. Maria hasn't updated that one in years but if she did tomorrow i'm sure we'll all be there reading it.
Give yourself a break and most importantly give yourself some credit. You're not going to just up and abandon what you love. Maybe you just need time away form each other for a little bit.
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Give yourself a break nd most importantly give yourself some credit. You're not going to just up and abandon what you love. Maybe you just need time away form each other for a little bit.
Wow, Mare. That really is true. I think it happens with anything/anyone you love. If you have it too much or spend all your time with it, you get burned out. I'm gonna start listening to you all the time, oh wise one.
I think we all too easily forget all the awesome work we've ALL done and don't give ourselves enough credit. We're all awesome writers, even if we don't think so right now. We've all done a hell of a lot of writing, and it's no wonder we need a break. I think we shouldn't feel bad about not updating or writing. Take your time, take a break, and we all should find our way out of being lost...
*is done being preachy*
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I feel we all need a group hug
*searches for group hug smiley*
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(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/bitybella/cute%20smileys/smileygrouphug2.gif) there we go!
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aww. I needed that. thanks guys.
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Do you think part of the problem is that you have too many stories going on at once? Cause I kinda wonder if that is part of my problem. I spent SO long on By My Side, and the whole time, I was thinking about what my next project would be. I started a couple of things while I was writing BMS, thinking that once it was over I would launch right into those, and at the same time, I was getting other ideas. So now BMS is done, and I have one novel that I've started on, another that's in my head, a novella/short story I've started on, the Broken original novel, Footprints, plus Not Another Teenybopper Story, Code Blue, 00Carter, etc. It's like all of a sudden I went from only having that ONE main story I was working on to having like eight different projects to think about. And how could you possibly get into eight stories at once? I'm not an octopus LOL.
So I think what I've decided for now is to keep working on the Broken novel, with Footprints as my back-up project. 00Carter, of course, I will write when it's my turn, and Code Blue I will get to at some point. The others, unless I get a sudden burst of inspiration, can wait. I figure maybe if I get the Broken stuff out of my system, there will be nothing else I can do with that series, and then maybe my muse will let me move on to something brand new.
Sorry, I'm not trying to make this about me - my point is, maybe it would help you to narrow things down to one or two stories that you want to concentrate on now. Your main story and your back-up, is how I like to think of it. Figure out which story you're most into and make that you main one, then just focus on writing that story. Let the other projects go on hiatus, and come back to them later. That's my advice, but then, I'm not really a multi-tasker when it comes to fanfic; I would prefer to just have that one story to think about. Some people thrive on having lots of options. So it's just a thought. :)
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lol, no I love hearing about YOU julie! And I know what you mean. I think I have that same problem. I really do kind of need a story for all my moods, but I've always had the "one" that is the front runner, but ever since I finished Movie, nothing has really jumped out at me. It's like I can't decide which one I'm the most "in to". I love them all and yet none of them at the same time...
*sigh, will take a break until my brain just can't take it anymore*
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Yeah, I totally know what you mean. And it's so hard, after you know what it feels like to have that "one" that you are so totally into and that readers like and everything. It's like, how do I top that one? How do I create that magic again? I have no answers for that LOL. But it'll come...
I tend to forget this, but I think I went through a little mini-slump like this the year before I started Broken. I finished a story called Years of Grace towards the end of 2001, and I didn't start another novel of my own for five months... which, at the time, was like, whoa! Five months seemed like a really long time. I did write stuff in between there... that's when we started Code Blue, and I wrote some short stories and stuff, but it was weird to not have a novel of my own to work on, cause I always had. I don't remember what my problem was then... maybe a lack of ideas? I dunno. But I worked on small projects here and there, and then eventually I got a new story idea and wrote You'll Never Walk Alone... and then a couple months after that, it was Broken, and I was set for five years LOL. You just never know when the "right" idea will hit, but it doesn't always happen when you want it to LOL. But it will happen at some point. :)
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(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y245/bitybella/cute%20smileys/smileygrouphug2.gif) there we go!
Can I be in on this group hug? *looks hopeful*
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LMAO true. If you can finish Pbox after how many years, then certainly I'll be ok eventually. :P
speaking of pbox...
Two and a half. lol Most of it was me not writing though. :( I need some new inspiration. I still have that fluffy romance I thought about writing, but I can't seem to motivate myself to do it. lol And then I wanted to change the end and blah.
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Can I be in on this group hug? *looks hopeful*
Of course, you can be the pink one! lol
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Kelly it's okay, I've been updating less myself thanks to work getting in the way, I'm too pooped to write. I have like 4 chapters for 4 stories started all with only like 3 pages lol. Right now the only thing I can really churn out is 00Carter. So I'm relaxing and waiting till the muse hits. I'm not so much in a slump as just tired lol, but I get how you feel. I'd give advice but everyone's said the good stuff :P
My advice about the quitting thing, because i'm the same way, is kind of simple. Just don't quit lol So what if you go for a long time without updating something. It doesn't mean you'll never go back to it. If you are the type that doesn't quit, than most likely you'll see the story through so no worries about that. If people are invested in the story they'll come back to it when you do. I mean look at you guys and Yesterday's Blue Skies. Maria hasn't updated that one in years but if she did tomorrow i'm sure we'll all be there reading it.
So true, Divisions Of Reality I've had going since 03 and with the loss of a writer and sparse updates, I still have people who've stuck with it since day one. Readers when they truly love a story, they're loyal. They wait, and many still come back. Or maybe it's just sci-fis lol.
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As far as feeling pressured by my readers to update? I don't think that's my problem so much as the pressure just comes from myself. My readers? I'm not sure how many still read all my stuff. I know there's a couple who will read most of what I write, but I tend to change Boys or change genres, so it seems like every story I write has a different group of readers. I don't think I've felt reader pressure since the Welcome To My Heart days.
That's a good point Kelly. A lot of readers are very loyal to one genre. So of course you are going to get different readers for say Fan Friction than If We Were a Movie because they are completely opposite in genre. I can see how that can be hard because an author you have a strong fan base, but that fan base doesn't necessarily follow story to story because they might not be into everything you write. You really do cover the complete spectrum.
Having several projects at once is tough. I have a bad habit of doing that myself. It is a good idea to have one MAIN story and then maybe one or two side projects to work on when you're not feeling the main story. Anything more than that though gets overwhelming. And if you're like me you get a new idea, cannot get it out of your head, write the first two chapters or so and then post it on AC and never get back to it. I think maybe you should narrow your focus a bit for the time being.
Also look at everything you've written in like the past two years or so... A LOT! I thik churning out stories that fast would be enough to burn anyone out!