Writers' Workshop General Chat Thread

[AceTrainer14]

If you sit around waiting for motivation to come to you, you aren't going to get much done. When I want to eliminate distractions, I like to take my laptop out somewhere without easily accessible wifi. That way I don't get distracted by the internet and the fact that I'm somewhere besides my desk is a constant reminder as to what I should be doing (if I need the internet for references or stuff, I open those pages up before I leave).

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The best way to get some writing done is to just sit your ass down and write. No excuses.

This philosophy works for literally everything that requires motivation.

I agree with this in part, but I think the big thing to achieve this is that you actually have to be enjoying what you are writing and want to write it as well. If you sit yourself down and force yourself to write, if you are not enjoying the process than it is all a bit worthless in the end. You need to be having fun in order to get the juices flowing.

As it is the first of May, here is just a one month reminder that the Summer Awards will be starting next month, so if you want to get a certain chapter in before then then it is time to get cracking

 

[Beth Pavell]

That reminds me, what happened to Fic of the Month last April? Not a criticism, just curious

 

[Persephone]

I read to get ideas for writing and avoid getting burned out. Generally I find that when I have a basic idea for a story and characters, reading historic accounts of similar events/people or general non-fiction exploring the subject can give me ideas which restarts the desire to write. I sometimes read a novel or two in the genera I want to write in if I'm not familiar with it or I can't make myself read a particularly dense book for research, but I usually just rely on non-fiction. It makes the final product better and pushes me to write it.

 

[Life]

As it is the first of May, here is just a one month reminder that the Summer Awards will be starting next month, so if you want to get a certain chapter in before then then it is time to get cracking

Professor Egad! I'll have to try a bit harder to get more chapters in, as I'd love to have something good to submit this time!

Funny I say that though, since that's what the conversation is about. Anyways... I definitely agree with what others are saying. If you're simply having a hard time focusing while writing, try going to a place that won't get you distracted and get away from wi-fi. Though if you are just not feeling like writing at all, there's not much advice I can give you, except a personal experience.

I've been having a few difficulties while writing chapter two of my fic, and often times I would just open and close my word document until so much time passed, without actually having done any work. So one day, instead of trying to write the chapter, I worked on character biographies and creating some towns. Little did I expect, I came up with two (in my opinion) brilliant gym leaders that I cannot wait to debut in my story. I also came up with three self created towns that each have their own flair to them, and wrote a more in-depth description of my protagonist, his history, and his pokémons' descriptions also. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I'm really excited and motivated to write my story now, because I can't wait to show off all the ideas I have coming up in the future.

If you're having trouble writing your story, try to write something that isn't exactly your story, but relates to it and will help you progress. Even writing a little each day gets you somewhere. The main thing to remember though is do enjoy what you're doing. If you're not enjoying it, find out why and fix it!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dorothy]

Heh, maybe I'll be in the running for something this time around.

Then again, I plan on volunteering to judge...

 

[GastlyGibus]

What is a good way to motivate yourself to write? I have a lot of ideas I would love to write down, but I can never find the motivation to do so and usually just end up getting distracted.

First thing I would do in check out this thread here. Just a handful of ideas you could use for yourself.

Second, I'll echo what some of the others have said in that sometimes you have to "force" yourself to write, in a sense. By that I mean removing potential distractions. For me, this means I have to physically get out of the house and go somewhere else, preferably a nice coffee house or library, since I literally cannot sit still on any one thing for too long. I am a person who is very easily distracted (my super hero alter-ego is Procrastination Man), and there are a lot of things in my room to distract me. I've got my Xbox, my 3DS, my books, my magazines, and most of all, my computer with my collection of steam games and other such programs. Needless to say, my room is not the best place to get work done, as my brain is like a hyperactive 10-year-old child shouting "Look at all this fun stuff you can do!"

It's strange. It's not as though writing isn't fun for me. It's just that I have a really short attention span (I blame TV and videogames xD) and I have to remove distractions in order to focus on something. If you enjoy writing, but find yourself easily distracted, my suggestion is to go someplace with your laptop (or bring a flash-drive to somewhere with a public computer, like a library) and do your writing there.

Hope this helps. Also, I notice that you are new here, so welcome to the Fairground! We don't bite (well, most of us don't, anyways. I'm not so sure about that Flaze fellow... ) so feel free to poke around and say hi, or ask any questions if you need to.

 

[Dorothy]

oh, flaze bites all right

 

[AetherX]

I agree with this in part, but I think the big thing to achieve this is that you actually have to be enjoying what you are writing and want to write it as well. If you sit yourself down and force yourself to write, if you are not enjoying the process than it is all a bit worthless in the end. You need to be having fun in order to get the juices flowing.

NOOOOOO!!! NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO HAVE FUN.

EVER.

 

[Legacy]

As far as motivation to write, it'll come all the time for me. When I watch a good movie, read a good book or see a good television show/series, I'll always kind of think about elements of them and think about molding it into a story with my own ideas. I don't always use those elements in what I write, but it gets the juices flowing so to speak.

 

[AceTrainer14]

That reminds me, what happened to Fic of the Month last April? Not a criticism, just curious

You will need to ask @LightningTopaz about that; always the possibility that the chosen interviewee never responded.

And @Beausoleil, you can still have stuff entered even if you are a judge.

 

[Dorothy]

And @Beausoleil, you can still have stuff entered even if you are a judge.

Ah yes, but as I am such an amazing writer I will probably get nominated for everything, creating a conflict of interest. You see my dilemma.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Assuming I enter the Awards - which is probable but not a given - I may well hold off publishing anything new till after voting. For the first time The Long Walk has reached a neat pausing point, what with the end of the Azalea arc and all, and it would be a shame to waste that

 

[Flaze]

I still don't know if I'll enter simply cause of the fact my fic has so many chapters that I can't pick xD

 

[LightningTopaz]

Confession time: I had a lot of IRL stuff get in the way last month so I never got a chance to choose anyone--that said, I will have someone chosen for May

 

[Beth Pavell]

Damn that real life! Real life sucks, that's why I write fanfic

 

[Caite-chan]

Hate it when I get stuck on a CH and it seems like nothing will work.

 

[FullMoon]

Well, thanks for the replies guys. Granted, I already knew most of it, but I guess I was just hoping for there to be something that can magically give me motivation to write. That said, I do enjoy writing when I do try to get something done, I find writing quite relaxing actually!

I still need to work on a fanfic, but right now I'm feeling a bit tired so I'll leave that for later. Thanks for the replies!

 

[ShinyFlareon]

I might try and crap out a short one-shot or something in time for the awards. I'm gonna be applying for a job with Ryuu's company on Tuesday, and he's very confident that they'll hire me, but I don't yet dare to be hopeful. In the meantime, I'm feeling a lot better mentally from having been back in California with my family, dogs, and friends, and actually getting to be out in direct sunlight helped a lot too, so writing might be something I'll actually be able to accomplish.

That offer about the academy lesson is still open, by the way, if no one else wants to do it.

 

[Dorothy]

That offer about the academy lesson is still open, by the way, if no one else wants to do it.

Better you than me with that subject. God knows I blow at writing sex. Luckily I'm highly skilled at worldbuilding, so I got to contribute to the Academy in that respect

 

[ShinyFlareon]

Better you than me with that subject. God knows I blow at writing sex. Luckily I'm highly skilled at worldbuilding, so I got to contribute to the Academy in that respect

hehehe you "blow"

I mean, it's something that I'm comfortable writing about and it seems like a lot of people here may not be for whatever reason, so I just wanted to make the offer. If someone else wants to do it, that's totally fine, I'm not trying to steal anyone's thunder.