A question to all of the amazing writers on my flist.

[sexyscholar]

Have you ever found yourself stymied on something you were working on?

I'm currently going through this with a fic I've been labouring over since early in the year. I loved the idea originally, but now I find it difficult to find any enthusiasm to write it. I'd written +30 pages thus far, but I just can't get excited about it anymore, and that saddens me.

Has anyone else gone through this? Did you ever get out of that funk, and if so, how?

Comments

[greyyguy.livejournal.com]

Nothing says you need to have it finished now. Or even soon. Put everything in a "work in progress" folder, and review it later on.

Or if you really want to finish it, is there anything you can do to bring it to a conclusion quickly? Or is there a breaking point in the story nearby to make it a cliffhanger sort of thing? That lets you get this done and gives you a reason to come back to it later.

[team-jessie.livejournal.com]

All my writing tends to be in shorter, essay form, so maybe this won't be too helpful...
I draw all of my inspiration from real life situations. Maybe throughout your day you could stop and think "How would a certain character react to (fill in the blank)" Even if it's something like being stuck at a red light or seeing a robin's egg in a nest.

Even if the situation doesn't lend itself well to the story (maybe the characters don't drive, so no waiting at red lights) maybe the feelings caused by certain situations could spark some ideas.

Also, I'm a habitual day dreamer, and sometimes I just get ideas that way. :)

[ryl.livejournal.com]

Have you tried changing the story a bit, like switching the point of view or changing the narration from first to third person (or whichever you're using)? Sometimes a fresh look from inside the story can help you through a hump.

[stuckinsea.livejournal.com]

Aww, Mo. You know what I used to do? I sometimes would just step back from the project, maybe write a drabble or two, or maybe just not even think about it for a few days...immerse myself in some Ron/Draco music, stuff that make you think of them, watch a movie helps sometimes, I like to replace said romantic pairs with Ron/Draco...lol.

But don't be so hard on yourself. It happens to all the best writers out there and you're in that category. So, just take a break and soon the muse will be right in there.

Muse? I believe yours would be shirtless Ron, with baggy denims, brain scars running up and down his arms, trail of red hair disapperaing benneath the waist line...and to top it off. . . barefeet. *sigh* just dreamy.

Have a wonderful weekend my dear friend...MWAH!

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

*reads your description of my muse*

GET OUT OF MY HEAD OMG!!!

No. Dude. Srsly.

The only variation is that my muse wears an unbuttoned shirt.

Yeah...I've started working on something else. *looks sheepish* I really hope to finish that other fic someday, though! :p

[stuckinsea.livejournal.com]

You will. Like I said maybe just a distraction will help. But, I have an idea for the muse to return...go check your yahoo mail.

*grins* I have something for you.

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. Have I ever. What I've tended to do is ask other people for a jumpstart, offer to write a few short vignettes and get others to provide the characters, situation, what have you, work on those for a while, and then get back to the other fic. As for the long one (and is this the one I know about?), do you know the overall story arc already? Is that part of it, that you know how it'll go and you're tired and don't necessarily want to write all of the stuff to get there? I've run into that on occasion, as well as the opposite: I'm writing this story, and don't know WTF is really going to happen, and I get stuck, waiting: waiting for the characters to let me know what's going on. Very disconcerting, that. Didn't ever happen in the past, but it has for a couple of key fics of late.

Other people's suggestions are good: if you have music that you find inspiring, having tunes might get you back into the groove. If you do know how the story will evolve, why not jump ahead a couple of scenes (providing you write in a linear fashion, as not everyone does) and write something you're really inspired by, and then go back and write the intervening parts later?

There's always guilt, too! Think of how we'll feel if you don't keep going and shower us with blazingly hot sexyscholar-quality R/D. :)

Okay. I'll be really sad if it's the one you sent me to look at, because I'm all gung-ho for you about that fic. Maybe a short PWP that has nothing to do with the current fic to get the juices flowing again?

It'll work out. (((reassuring hugs)))

[sexyscholar.livejournal.com]

It is the one I sent you to look at, which is why it's kind of bumming me out. It's the first situation -- I have a pretty good idea of how I want the story to go...it just getting them there that's weighing me down.

Think of how we'll feel if you don't keep going and shower us with blazingly hot sexyscholar-quality R/D. :)

*BLUSHES*

Maybe a short PWP that has nothing to do with the current fic to get the juices flowing again?

You know...I had started this little thing with Order!Ron and Draco getting stuck in this dark, dirty hole and not being able to use their magic to get out...

I think I may have to revisit that. :)

[viktorialouise.livejournal.com]

i am going through the same... i have written about 7 chapters already and i somehow lost track of my idea and lost flare to continue writing it... i've no idea how to get back the fire... :(