# lost interest



## Croft (Apr 27, 2019)

Hi I'm croft, first off I want to say I'm sorry this is long I am sorry for the possibly misspelling of words and the punctuation is being in the wrong space  I'm typing all of this on a tiny tiny phone.

I need some advice. This post also serves as introduction. I'm a 29 years old. I started writing in high school. I loved it. I wrote a play. and has the idea of turning the play into a book. Well problem is I have been writing that book for 18 years I'm never happy with it. Yes I know a writer is never happy. I have changed so much and I now like the new ideas I have only problem is I now have lost interest in writing. I figured I was just burned out on writing that one story so I have tried writing other stories. I have great ideas but writing now feels like a chore. And I can't seem to bring myself to write. I have taken a break from writing. But nothiNg helps. How can I brIng back my love of writing I miss it. I'm also dealing with depression so that's another strike against me. How can I bring back my love of writing?


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## luckyscars (Apr 27, 2019)

Croft said:


> Hi I'm croft, first off I want to say I'm sorry this is long I am sorry for the possibly misspelling of words and the punctuation is being in the wrong space  I'm typing all of this on a tiny tiny phone.
> 
> I need some advice. This post also serves as introduction. I'm a 29 years old. I started writing in high school. I loved it. I wrote a play. and has the idea of turning the play into a book. Well problem is I have been writing that book for 18 years I'm never happy with it. Yes I know a writer is never happy. I have changed so much and I now like the new ideas I have only problem is I now have lost interest in writing. I figured I was just burned out on writing that one story so I have tried writing other stories. I have great ideas but writing now feels like a chore. And I can't seem to bring myself to write. I have taken a break from writing. But nothiNg helps. How can I brIng back my love of writing I miss it. I'm also dealing with depression so that's another strike against me. How can I bring back my love of writing?



How long has it been since you experienced enjoyment?

You joined a writing forum so you can't have _completely_ lost interest. With that being said, there's no way to make yourself love something. It just doesn't work that way. And yes you do need to love writing to write well.

I went for several  years not writing when I was younger. I wouldn't have said I lost interest, it was more just that other things - traveling, socializing, etc - meant it just wasn't possible to pursue it with any real commitment. As I moved out of that phase of life, I started to write more. It wasn't a conscious decision.

I kind of regret the lost time now, however as Stephen King once wrote 'life isn't a support system for art, it's the other way around'. A writer is not supposed to write all the time - there would be nothing worth writing about. Writing is supposed to be something that enriches your life. It's fundamentally okay to do it as much or as little as you want to and not feel guilty or whatever... 

...On the understanding, of course, that you can't just screw around and never bite the bullet and practice and do the work and still expect to be good. You get out of it exactly what you put in. Consider the reasons you ever wanted to be a writer and ask yourself whether those are still true now. Be honest with yourself. Neither massage delusion nor make a fetish out of failure. You're not a passive player, this is your life and your work.


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## dale (Apr 28, 2019)

this is a question i'm not sure i should even give an answer to. so let me just say up front that it's a very PERSONALIZED thing
you're talking about. what i might say does the trick, or what anyone else says does the trick? could very well compound your own
trouble and even make it horrifically worse. like i personally always write best for a girl i'm infatuated with. all my best writing has been
written for some girl i was with romantically with and then put up on a pedestal as "my muse" and then i just bleed my heart out on the page for her.
and it's all really dark shit. it's good, but dark. sometimes a lot of red wine helps. sometimes a background music loop to zone into. 
but i've never considered writing "fun" really. more like a sadistic carnival ride where i go to war with my own demons. so yeah....
i'm probably the last person you wanna take advice from.


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## Dluuni (Apr 28, 2019)

Hi Croft, welcome to the forum!

Hmm, maybe try writing a completely different way... dictation, maybe! And look around, see if there are any stories you find interesting. Write different things, too! I fell out of writing for a while because the world seemed terrible and I didn't want to dwell on it - I was writing nonfiction, and using some of my skills for SFF. 

Now I write kissing books because they are happy and they bring me joy in ways that SFF and nonfiction never did, and plus, now I can enjoy them without raising any eyebrows.


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## Croft (Apr 28, 2019)

I can't remember the last time I experienced enjoyment.

I write horror and fantasy. What I did in the past to get in the writing mood was, while everyone was asleep.  I lit candles and played creepy music. Or walk around outside at night. But since I moved into a flat it just doesn't have the same effect. I found an old rolltop desk from 1941 and I thought that would help having a place to write. But nope.
I wrote one shot story that I love and want to turn into a book. But I can't seam to being my to do it.


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## luckyscars (Apr 28, 2019)

Croft said:


> I can't remember the last time I experienced enjoyment.
> 
> I write horror and fantasy. What I did in the past to get in the writing mood was, while everyone was asleep.  I lit candles and played creepy music. Or walk around outside at night. But since I moved into a flat it just doesn't have the same effect. I found an old rolltop desk from 1941 and I thought that would help having a place to write. But nope.
> I wrote one shot story that I love and want to turn into a book. But I can't seam to being my to do it.



A lot of this is mindset. Confidence. I find whenever I get a rejection letter my writing takes a hit for a few days, no matter what I do. It takes a lot of discipline to place yourself in the right frame of mind. Unfortunately the more you continue to say things like "I can't" the deeper you dig a rut. It sounds corny but you need to approach writing with enthusiasm. You choose your attitude.

How about this? Try reading more. How much do you read? I find the more reading I do the more I want to write. Read different things. Enjoying the process of reading will help you enjoy the process of writing. Even trash has its value.

Writing isn't brain surgery. All you're doing is telling a story. Don't build it into some big deal.


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## Cephus (Apr 28, 2019)

You have to remember that writing is hard and that success doesn't come quickly. The first book you write will be terrible. So will the next half dozen, more than likely. It is going to take years to get good at this, there aren't any shortcuts and there is no magic wand. The ones that succeed are the ones who put in the hard work and don't give up over the long run. Also, there is no "mood". There is no "muse".  Professional writers do not wait to be inspired. They just write. It doesn't matter if you feel like it, you have to treat writing like a job and you do it whether you feel like doing it or not. That's why a lot of people fail, because they treat writing like it's magic. It isn't. It's all hard work.


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## Dluuni (Apr 28, 2019)

The other thing is that people write a draft and get frustrated because it's awful.

About carving a statue, someone said once that it's about getting a block of stone with something beautiful inside, then carving off all the bits that aren't the thing. 

Writing a first draft isn't about carving a beautiful statue, writing a first draft is like going to the quarry and getting the block of stone. 

It has something in it, but it's going to take a bit of work to figure out what it is and get it out.


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## Darkkin (Apr 28, 2019)

Chemical imbalances and biological differences in the brain (depression, bipolar, autism, ADHD, ADD...the list goes on), are never a strike against one in the eyes of the creative world.  More often than not, those biological differences are cheek by jowl with the creative process, allowing for leaps of logic that elude more staided brains.  To call it a strike is to cede to a stereotyped stigmata.  It is something the majority of writers/artists deal with, being conscious of existing issues and being proactive in the management of said issues is requisite.  Often one's craft plays a large part in bringing balance to the individual.  Don't treat it like a weakness because it is not.  (Sorry about the homily, major hobby horse.)

Loss of interest, keep at it.  Don't know what to write.  Write about nothing.  Five minutes a day.  A commerical break is longer...Establish a habit, learn to listen when an idea tugs at you.  Don't just say, well, I'm depressed I don't want to do it.  It is the difference between want and cannot.  One is choice, the other an impossibility.  If you have the capability make an effort.  Five minutes. 

 As with any craft there is going to be a lot of standard road work.  Annoying, inconvenient that leaves one ready to swear wondering why the heck we've stuck with it this long, it does not seem to be going anywhere.  And then suddenly there is something in the nothingness, a star gone supernova, an idea that comes roaring out of nowhere.  An idea that raises one's hair, sending the senses and imagination into overdrive.

Establish a level of normal with routine.  Turn off social media and listen.  To your thoughts, write the idea down.  Do a short scene.  It does not have to be a work of epic fiction, sometimes the passion of writing rests in the simplest of pieces, things written on a whim.

All that can be done, start with nothing...see where it leads.

- D.


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## bazz cargo (Apr 28, 2019)

Hi Croft, welcome to WF.
This is a safe space for all kinds of people, we even have a few poets about the place.

A lot of WF members have some kind of issues or personal problems, you are not alone, or even special. 

Loving writing.... Hmmm.... How about a go at the LM?

https://www.writingforums.com/threa...quot-Coffee-Shop/page45?p=2217091#post2217091

They are a good and welcoming gang  of reprobates. It might help to hang out with a bunch of enthusiasts and try something short and sharp rather than toiling away up a steep hill for ever.

Worth a try.

Good luck
BC


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## Bard_Daniel (Apr 28, 2019)

An idea: think of what is creating that block, all those bits and pieces, and write about it. You might find that the words come spiraling out. 

Writing, as many other members have noted, takes time and perseverance. I've been told it's not a quick race, but rather a marathon. You may find it useful to compose yourself for the long haul. Writing exercises, particularly freewriting or the contests listed here, might be of some use to you at this point. They provide goals and exploration.  Writing every day builds the habit and, I find, makes you gain confidence in what you are doing. That also comes with sharing what you write with others. If you keep it all to yourself, then you never really get perspective and it can be great learning that your piece accepted by others. It also can motivate you knowing that you will have a regular train of people reading, and commenting, on your work. 

I'm not sure where I first heard of this, but sometimes I think of writing as an exercise in identity. You build your identity through your life and this translates through your work. Through time, maturity, and *effort *you truly discover yourself and present this opportunity, through your work, as what defines you as a human being in this world. That is one of the artistic aspects of writing. You can do this and coming here is, hopefully, another step along the way.

Hope to see you in the forums! Look at some of the work posted and appreciate it. I've read many works here that tare extremely poignant, original, and incredible. The writer's life is all about learning, observing, growing, and creating all at the same time. That is what makes it a calling.

Again, you can do this. Good luck!


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## Sir-KP (Apr 28, 2019)

Croft said:


> I have great ideas but writing now feels like a chore.



I think this already answers your question. 

You said you think you have great ideas, so that means you still have the confident and interest to produce a story, for starter. Unfortunately, you're now 29, only 1 year older than me, and I can understand that there are so many thing, so many changes in life. I'm sure at this point you have a different source of entertainment, you have much more important things you are busy with, and a set of problem to tackle down.

How can you bring back your love for writing? You can't. The only way is to force yourself, break away your current activities, and involve yourself in a community (such as this forum) so you can be influenced through discussion or soft competition between us members that may reignite your writing desire.

I can relate to you. I used to draw everyday. But not anymore. It feels like a chore now.


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## MzSnowleopard (Apr 28, 2019)

Being a writer who deals with depression is my hand as well. Sometimes what the deck deals seems unkind. What I've discovered is that if or when I'm having trouble with my writing, I've discovered that sometimes it's not actually the writing that's the problem. There's something else in my life that causing issues and the writing is what suffers. 

So, my suggestion is to do what I did. Take a step back, breathe, meditate if the mood hits. Then, take a look at your life, see what feels like it's working and what isn't. It might help to have someone help you with this- some choose a friend, I chose a therapist. The key is to figure out what's not working in your life and cut it loose, let it go. This also works well when dealing with depression.

In my case, I've come to realize that it's my home environment that's the problem. I stress over the rent going up on an apartment that's not worth what I pay, I can't trust the maintenance guy (he's a thief), management is another issue. I won't even get started on my job. And the list goes on. All of this has caused undue stress on my life and, as I said, it's my writing that suffers. In the end, I've resolved to move. It helps that my Mamma asked me to move in and help with her kitty shelter. 

Just with the resolve and commitment to this move I've seen changes. My imagination has shifted to focus a little more on at least one or two of my stories. It's not much, but it's something. 

I think this is another part of the key, first figuring out what's causing the drain and then committing to the resolution of resolving it.

I wish you luck and welcome to the site.


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## Phil Istine (Apr 29, 2019)

Dluuni said:


> The other thing is that people write a draft and get frustrated because it's awful.
> 
> About carving a statue, someone said once that it's about getting a block of stone with something beautiful inside, then carving off all the bits that aren't the thing.
> 
> ...



I have a wonderful real-life friend who can write to a prompt and her work is very good quality from the off.  Sure, she needs to edit, but those edits are minimal.  I asked her how she does it, but she doesn't know.  It's fair to say that she has carried out writing at degree level, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
She seems to be able to pull out mostly-formed statues from the quarry.


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## luckyscars (Apr 29, 2019)

Phil Istine said:


> I have a wonderful real-life friend who can write to a prompt and her work is very good quality from the off.  Sure, she needs to edit, but those edits are minimal.  I asked her how she does it, but she doesn't know.  It's fair to say that she has carried out writing at degree level, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
> She seems to be able to pull out mostly-formed statues from the quarry.



I think what's interesting about that contrast is how little difference it makes to finished output.

A person who can write a stellar first draft and barely has to edit can end up with the same book as the person who has to redraft 20 times to get there. Sure we'd all like to be the former, for our own sanity mainly, but readers and editors only care about the end result...not what it took to get there.

Neil Gaiman, who in my opinion is one of the best writers of his generation, talks about redrafting on his masterclass and an awful lot of extremely good writers by their own admission write boatloads of crap before they come out with what ends up being a bestseller.


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## dale (Apr 29, 2019)

Phil Istine said:


> I have a wonderful real-life friend who can write to a prompt and her work is very good quality from the off.  Sure, she needs to edit, but those edits are minimal.  I asked her how she does it, but she doesn't know.  It's fair to say that she has carried out writing at degree level, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
> She seems to be able to pull out mostly-formed statues from the quarry.


i actually work like this. i don't do rewrites or 2nd drafts. as soon as i'm done? i send it out before i change my mind and trash
it, which i've done before after rereading something. i've done one second draft in my life. it was a short story, and the only reason
i did it was because the editor of the anthology sent it back and asked me to. i wasn't too happy about being asked to, either. lol
the only reason i did it is because someone fairly famous was also going to have a story in it, and i just wanted my name to be on the same TOC. lol


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## Dluuni (Apr 29, 2019)

That doesn't seem like a thing to be proud of, to me.

I just outlined a novella. The first draft of the outline was a decent story, people liked it. 
Then I did four passes over it, working out details, identifying story elements that needed to be dropped and when, learning about the characters, and running down it through each of the lover's viewpoints. By the time I finished, the outline was tight—well, there's still a big detail that needs work, but it's okay to leave for a bit—and the ending made me cry happy tears. That's a much better story.
So when I see people bragging about not editing, it's like sneering and mocking people for changing the oil and filters in their car. "You make sure your kitchen is clean and tidy? Losers!"
The bigger the piece, the more important it is to do the review. You can't hold every single element of a 80,000 word novel in your head perfectly in place and filed so neatly as to piece it all together as you write. You just can't. There's stages to building the thing and layers, and you are going to need to blow the sawdust off and polish it before it goes to print.

Can you get away with shifting the burden to your hapless editor? Maybe, but it's not going to result in a better product or a happy editor.


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## dale (Apr 29, 2019)

it's not "bagging" or "mocking" or "sneering". people have different ways about them. if i personally started doing edits and rewrites and
2nd and 3rd drafts? 
1. like i said....there's a possibility i'd delete what i wrote. because i generally always hate my own work.
2. if i didn't end up deleting it? i'd ruin it. my 2nd and 3rd drafts would just become so overthought and convoluted,
the tale would be trashed.


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## Phil Istine (Apr 29, 2019)

Dluuni said:


> That doesn't seem like a thing to be proud of, to me.
> 
> I just outlined a novella. The first draft of the outline was a decent story, people liked it.
> Then I did four passes over it, working out details, identifying story elements that needed to be dropped and when, learning about the characters, and running down it through each of the lover's viewpoints. By the time I finished, the outline was tight—well, there's still a big detail that needs work, but it's okay to leave for a bit—and the ending made me cry happy tears. That's a much better story.
> So when I see people bragging about not editing, it's like sneering and mocking people for changing the oil and filters in their car. "You make sure your kitchen is clean and tidy? Losers!"



Bragging, sneering, mocking?
I didn't see any of that.
It's not clear to which post(s) you are referring, but my friend already knew the basic outline of the story in her head, because it was an embellishment of things in her own life.
If I hadn't seen it for myself, I might have been a bit sceptical about someone writing such great quality at first attempt, but I have seen this and know that it is possible for some people.  I would agree that it's exceptional and I certainly can't do it (yet?), but it is possible for a small subset of writers.


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## luckyscars (Apr 29, 2019)

Dluuni said:


> That doesn't seem like a thing to be proud of, to me.
> 
> I just outlined a novella. The first draft of the outline was a decent story, people liked it.
> Then I did four passes over it, working out details, identifying story elements that needed to be dropped and when, learning about the characters, and running down it through each of the lover's viewpoints. By the time I finished, the outline was tight—well, there's still a big detail that needs work, but it's okay to leave for a bit—and the ending made me cry happy tears. That's a much better story.
> ...



Nah. I side with dale on this. 

Whether rewriting/redrafting results in a better product is 100% down to whether the result at any stage it is submitted is good enough to be published. 

It’s not shifting the burden to an editor to send raw material. The editor is under no obligation to accept the work if it isn’t good. In Dale’s case he was able to get the story published with minimal/no editing. Well heck, good for him. It’s not a bad way to work IF it works. He has every right to be as proud of his work for getting accepted. Obviously whether it’s a good idea for anybody else to do that is a different matter. 

There’s only one standard that matters and that standard is “good enough to charge money for”. Everything else is irrelevant bullshit. And I say that as someone who would never “just send it out”.


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## dale (Apr 29, 2019)

luckyscars said:


> Nah. I side with dale on this.
> 
> Whether rewriting/redrafting results in a better product is 100% down to whether the result at any stage it is submitted is good enough to be published.
> 
> ...



yeah. and to that point... i KNOW my 1st draft is what's going out. and i really wish i could maybe be more like you and other writers
and have an opportunity to 2nd guess and improve things. i really wish i wasn't the type that will stare at the screen for days and not be able
to type a single word because i know if i do when i'm not in that "zone", there's no turning back. in a way? it's a very frustrating way to write.
knowing you don't have those chances at redemption. so i was definitely not "bragging". i would actually more envy YOU. 

but back on topic.....yeah. don't ever let moods or depression drag you down and make you think to give up. if being a writer is what you wanna be.
you find the key to the door. and you open it.


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## Pete_C (Apr 30, 2019)

Something for the OP to ponder is this: what makes writing feel like a chore? Identify that, and eliminate it.

One thing I learned very early on is that the only rules for writing are the ones you give yourself. There are a whole heap of books out there that break all the rules and still are accepted as classics. There are many more that are just considered excellent or plain old good. Writing is a creative process only limited by the restrictions a writer places upon themselves.

I've given up on participating in debates about how people should write, what you can and can't do, how books must be written, because it's all BS. The reality is if a writer enjoys the process, creates something interesting and worth reading, people will read it. The way to enjoy writing is to do what you want, not what some expert or self-proclaimed guru (of what those who follow said 'experts') tells you to do.

Don't bog yourself down with the pressures others love to heap on you. Don't worry about strolling off the well-trodden path. If anything, go the very edge, further out than anyone tells you is wise, and then hurl yourself over the edge. If what comes out isn't good enough, go back to the edge and hurl yourself even further...

If you do what you want, not what others tell you, and it still feels like a chore, then maybe it's not for you. However, my money would be on letting the theorists ruin what is one of the last creative forms without any rules.


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## Ma'am (Apr 30, 2019)

If you don't feel into writing right now, I suggest just going with it and getting something else done instead. It will always be there waiting for you, when and if the desire returns.


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## Croft (May 1, 2019)

Thanks for all the advice. 
One thing that stops me from writing. Is I'm a bad speller. And I have dyslexia. And I never know where the punctuation go. It just makes me feel dumb.


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## dale (May 1, 2019)

Croft said:


> Thanks for all the advice.
> One thing that stops me from writing. Is I'm a bad speller. And I have dyslexia. And I never know where the punctuation go. It just makes me feel dumb.


ahhh. that ain't no big thing. i'll tell ya what. i'll trade you my trainwreck alcoholism and emotional turmoil over women for your dyslexia and bad spelling.
because i figure i'd always have spellcheck for your issues. but mine are a bit more complicated. but we can trade if you want.


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## Croft (May 1, 2019)

I'm good thanks for the offer though. I've got my own emotional turmoil. But we can trade if you want maybe yours is more interesting


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## luckyscars (May 1, 2019)

Croft said:


> Thanks for all the advice.
> One thing that stops me from writing. Is I'm a bad speller. And I have dyslexia. And I never know where the punctuation go. It just makes me feel dumb.



Problems with spelling, punctuation and grammar have nothing to do with being able to write these days. Depending on the level of torment, you can hire a professional proofreader/editor or literally resolve those issues at the click of a button (for free) with a website like Grammarly. If that's your only issue, you are extremely fortunate. 

Otherwise, it's not a good enough excuse. Write or don't write, but kindly don't pretend like 'I'm dyslexic' is an argument. Agatha Christie, George Bernard Shaw, F. Scott Fitzgerald were all dyslexics. A good chunk of this board are dyslexic. It's confidence (or laziness), not dyslexia, that is holding you back.


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## dale (May 1, 2019)

Croft said:


> I'm good thanks for the offer though. I've got my own emotional turmoil. But we can trade if you want maybe yours is more interesting



write, muther fucker. lol. that's all you gotta do. and i keep screaming this same damn thing at myself all the time. 
so i feel ya. it's a block that's hard to get around sometimes. maybe i should just bust my head into it? i don't know.
but the one thing i do know is that the only thing holding me back is me.


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## Croft (May 1, 2019)

luckyscars said:


> Problems with spelling, punctuation and grammar have nothing to do with being able to write these days. Depending on the level of torment, you can hire a professional proofreader/editor or literally resolve those issues at the click of a button (for free) with a website like Grammarly. If that's your only issue, you are extremely fortunate.
> 
> Otherwise, it's not a good enough excuse. Write or don't write, but kindly don't pretend like 'I'm dyslexic' is an argument. Agatha Christie, George Bernard Shaw, F. Scott Fitzgerald were all dyslexics. A good chunk of this board are dyslexic. It's confidence (or laziness), not dyslexia, that is holding you back.



 I find  that offencive just because we all have dyslexia doesn't mean we all suffer the same.


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## luckyscars (May 1, 2019)

Croft said:


> I find  that offencive just because we all have dyslexia doesn't mean we all suffer the same.



So please define how your dyslexia is what stops you from writing? As a fellow dyslexic I would be interested and open to understanding that.

Let me point out why I think this is nonsense, okay? As gently as I can. You started this thread and so far your posts have been 100% understandable. They have not been rife with mistakes. When a minor SPAG mistake has occurred, like in this post you misspelled 'offensive', a red line appears. If you right click that red line using google chrome (I also have a plug in for grammarly) the correct spelling pops up and can be automatically changed. Done. If you can write internet forum posts legibly...you can write stories legibly. No ifs, ands, or buts.

If this was the pre-technology era I would absolutely understand that dyslexia would be a problem. Back in the days before spellcheck an inability to spell basic words would have made you unpublishable. But today? Give me a break. There's an entire industry dedicated to making sure even borderline illiterates can write like Ralph Waldo Emerson *if* (and this is the crucial point) they have the gumption to actually do the legwork. Or as dale says, "write, muther fucker'.

You can't have it both ways, croft. Either you have genuinely 'lost interest' in which case you have to either find it again or, if you can't/won't, then be realistic and admit that writing isn't for you...or you do have the interest but suffer from a chronic lack of confidence (or just plain laziness) in which case you need a kick up the butt. Either way, there's an answer, but whining is not going to help. If you can explain your problems more coherently you will find yourself inundated with those wanting to aid you but the collective 'we' of the forum (and, frankly, the world) has very little patience for people whose only show of effort lies in the extent they will make excuses for why they can't do something.


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## Plasticweld (May 1, 2019)

I can't spell, can't punctuate. I am not dyslexic, just dumb.  I could not even spell dyslexic with out spell check.  What I do have is a story, something to say, that is what makes a writer.  Those with nothing to say will look for any excuse.  Some call it writers block, I call it a blessing for the rest of us.  I have written many stories here, written for the local paper. All of it had to be edited, all of it had to be gone over by others, many times by members here, this is why this site exists.  The technical stuff can always be fixed, the content, is all you.  The blank page is only your fault.


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## Firemajic (May 1, 2019)

I understand what you mean, about writing feeling like a chore... 

I am a glass blower, and blowing glass is my escape from all of life's mundane ... stuff.. I would shut myself in my studio for days... then I started selling my work and taking orders for different pieces and suddenly... glass blowing felt like a chore and I avoided my studio and at one point packed everything away... then I remembered WHY I loved to play with fire, I remembered how it felt to create for the joy of creating... now, I create for myself and if I sell it... fabulous! If I don't sell it, that is ok with me, because for me... it is the joy of creating... sooo, maybe you could write just for yourself, writ as if no one is going to see it... don't worry about your grammar or punctuation ...  write just for you...

When doing something you love feels like a chore, maybe it is because you are attaching expectations to your writing... maybe you are thinking about how your writing SHOULD sound... for now, write for your eyes only....

Good Luck, if writing is your passion... it will always be your passion...


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## Darkkin (May 1, 2019)

There is no quick fix way to fix a chore other than to simply do it.  List a litany of reasons why something cannot be done and just as many people will demonstrate how it can be done in spite of said roadblock.  Don't want to put in the effort, well that choice sits squarely on the individual.  Inspiration does not strike out of the blue; it is an intuitive leap made during an active thought process, and by road working the mundane it gives one better foundations to work with when the moment does strike.  Complaining about was it does nothing to resolve a situation, most writers have found themselves in at one time or another.  Easiest way forward, write in spite of one's self.  One part of the brain says, 'Can't...'  Another part say, 'Nope, just won't...still can, see...'


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## Cephus (May 1, 2019)

luckyscars said:


> Problems with spelling, punctuation and grammar have nothing to do with being able to write these days. Depending on the level of torment, you can hire a professional proofreader/editor or literally resolve those issues at the click of a button (for free) with a website like Grammarly. If that's your only issue, you are extremely fortunate.
> 
> Otherwise, it's not a good enough excuse. Write or don't write, but kindly don't pretend like 'I'm dyslexic' is an argument. Agatha Christie, George Bernard Shaw, F. Scott Fitzgerald were all dyslexics. A good chunk of this board are dyslexic. It's confidence (or laziness), not dyslexia, that is holding you back.



Exactly. I'm seeing an awful lot of people these days with their excuse-machines running at high speed. Everything is an excuse. Everything is a problem. It's all a reason why they can't do things. And all of it is nonsense.  All of us have problems and most of us can still manage to write. It's just an excuse and it isn't impressive. You either want to do this or you don't. Excuses don't matter. Do it or don't. Just  stop complaining.


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## Bard_Daniel (May 1, 2019)

I'd like to speak further on what Firemajic brought up and, perchance, go off a little.

If you want to write, you should. Don't treat everything like it has to be perfect. As, I believe it was luckscars, said: "Even famous writers have written [loads] of [garbage.]" This is true. Not everything has to come out right, nor should it. Writing, from the little I've learned, is about putting the time and the effort forward. There can even be fun to be had in going through the trials and toils of trying to make yourself a better writer. That is all part of the journey.

Also, with writing, you have to start small. There is no use setting the bar too high at first if, when you fall (and all writers do) you don't want to keep going. Think of things in small steps. Try to write a single piece and put in your best effort. Then, bring it in here. I'm sure that there are many people that will be willing to point out the things that you have done right and make you feel better about your first creation. Also, that creation is yours! YOU made it, no one else did. That is an achievement to be proud of. From there, you can redraft and then begin work on your next creation, and then the next, ad infinitum. 

Don't feel bad about not mastering the nuts and bolts of writing as of yet. As mentioned, there are tools, such as Grammarly, that can help. Also, there is a wealth of information on the web about learning these sorts of things. If you read, and work with them, they will bring you up to speed. Have you ever read The Elements of Style by Strunk and White? There are many other resources as well, even at the local library. These will all make you ameliorate your craft, redraft, and feel more confident about your writing and your choice to write.

However, as mentioned, there is a lot of work involved. A writer's job never ends. A single idea can snowball into a mountain of work that can take days, weeks, months, or even years to fully realize. But, that is the ability of words. They allow us to create, from the entirety of our beings, art. It is one of their spellbinding powers. If it's done right, who knows what those words, and when you think of it every piece of writing is an assembly of words, could do?

Keep going, but work hard. You have to try really hard if you want to be a writer. Also, consider your goals and aspirations-- at this time, and as you move forward. It will give you some perspective of where you are and where you want to be.

Just some amateur thoughts.


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## Croft (May 2, 2019)

So I forced myself to write a little  today. It was hard took a lot of energy to fight off my depression and actually do it. what do you think, So far?

"Every town has a place, cut off from the world by over grow grass and trees. A place that sits there like a evil god, demanding to be feared and worshiped. A place brave people dare not venture and the ones that do vow to never return, a place known as a Haunted house.


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## Darkkin (May 2, 2019)

Content of the writing is irrelevant, the sentences legible, what matters was (is) the action. Keep going.  Two sentences will eventual add up to ten then a hundred...Right now just write.


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## Bard_Daniel (May 2, 2019)

Darkkin said:


> Content of the writing is irrelevant, the sentences legible, what matters was (is) the action. Keep going.  Two sentences will eventual add up to ten then a hundred...Right now just write.



Darkkin said it well: just keep writing!


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## Cephus (May 2, 2019)

It doesn't matter what you write, it only matters that you write. Stop making excuses and just do it.


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## Gamer_2k4 (May 2, 2019)

Find out what you want out of writing and go from there.  If you just want to be a published author, well, that's no reason.  I might want to be a champion MMA fighter, but if I don't have the motivation to pursue that, it doesn't matter that that's what I want, does it? I also want a million dollars, but again, so what?

The thing the drives me to write is not the writing itself, which I usually find to be tedious.  For me, it begins with exposure to other works (books, movies, etc.) and coming back with the thought of, "You know, I could do that," or even, "I could do that _better_."  The thing that keeps me going is the results.  I don't care for writing, but I love reading what I've written.  And in order for me to have something to read, I've got to write.


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## Dluuni (May 4, 2019)

Croft said:


> So I forced myself to write a little  today. It was hard took a lot of energy to fight off my depression and actually do it. what do you think, So far?
> 
> "Every town has a place, cut off from the world by over grow grass and trees. A place that sits there like a evil god, demanding to be feared and worshiped. A place brave people dare not venture and the ones that do vow to never return, a place known as a Haunted house.


I like it.  Hits the mood and feel straight out!
Now set that sentence off limits in stone for now, don't edit it, and every day put down at least one sentence. It doesn't even have to be a good sentence, just take the time to sit down and write a sentence. You can write more if you feel up to it. It doesn't even have to be related to the project.

Soon you'll be pouring the words out!


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## J Anfinson (May 5, 2019)

Croft said:


> I can't remember the last time I experienced enjoyment.
> 
> I write horror and fantasy.



I also write horror, and I've gone through periods like you've described. Though a big part of why I quit writing fiction for so long was because I started going to college, which sucked up all my time and energy. But I have found lately that to to reinspire myself all I have to do is revisit what made me want to write in the first place. I've been re-reading Edgar Allan Poe, Richard Matheson (can't get much better than him, imo), Stephen King (his early stuff), Jack Ketchum (that dude had a dark and twisted mind, especially his short fiction), and watching all kinds of old horror movies that used to scare the crap out of me. I think sometimes you just need to remember what inspired you in the first place. After years of being too tired to write and revisting those who inspired me, I'm practically foaming at the mouth to get typing. 

Matter of fact, I just had an idea. Driving down a highway at night. There's a body in the trunk. The MC may or may not have killed them. Maybe they deserved it, maybe they didn't. Let's find out. Go.


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## Plasticweld (May 5, 2019)

Croft said:


> So I forced myself to write a little  today. It was hard took a lot of energy to fight off my depression and actually do it. what do you think, So far?
> 
> "Every town has a place, cut off from the world by over grow grass and trees. A place that sits there like a evil god, demanding to be feared and worshiped. A place brave people dare not venture and the ones that do vow to never return, a place known as a Haunted house.




Your short blurb reminded me of Stephen King who I read when I was younger.  He inspired me to action. In some interview he gave he mentioned two things that really stuck.  He had mentioned that he hated it, when people came up to him and told him that they wanted to write.  His response was, writers write.  The other thing he mentioned, which I took him up on his challenge was, To find an abandon house, go up into the attic at night and just sit there. 

I did just that, there was an old house near me that was empty, fallen down, the curtains blew through the broken windows, it was over grown with brush, and trees. it had been empty for years.  I don't recall anyone ever saying it was haunted, but you got to work with what you got. 

I took my flashlight, made it into the front door, stepped over garbage and who knows what else, cobwebs brushed my face, as the wind blew, it rattled the trees and brush up against the side of the house, the curtains moved back and forth with the breeze kind of bending the light making it seem as though everything was moving.

The stairs lay just in front of me, covered in junk and old clothes I made my up. I had no idea if they would support my weight, I wondered if this was a real smart move. I stepped to the edge of the stairs figuring they would support me better than in the middle.  I stepped over raccoon shit, moved old clothes with my foot to kick them out of the way.  

I got to the top of the stairs, questioning the floor boards and wandering around did not seem like a good idea. I stood at the top and just listened, I figured this was good enough for Stephen, screw him if it wasn't, I was here. 

I turned off the light.  The wind blew, the house creaked. I stood for maybe 5 minutes, just long enough to prove I could do it.  What I found is that I was not afraid, I just had to take the challenge to see if I was all talk or if it was real. 

Being inspired to action by another is a great thing, reading a good writer, and what made him tick did it for me.  While I don't write horror because I lack the connection. I do write about the other stuff in my life.  It is nice to see that you have taken up the pen an put some words on the paper.  Once you're there...it ain't so bad.


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## Croft (May 5, 2019)

"In some interview he gave he mentioned two things that really stuck. He had mentioned that he hated it, when people came up to him and told him that they wanted to write. His response was, writers write"

I feel like I missing something. Ive read this 6 times and I still don't understand.


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## Theglasshouse (May 5, 2019)

I do have reading and writing disabilities. I now call myself a dyslexic. I was diagnosed with an emotional disability. I told my parents I wanted to be an English mayor as well by signing up for a university online distance  course to complete a degree. It won't be until some private financial and medical matters are discussed and someone makes an investment to buy something we own ( needs met). Since I have no career right now that is what I want. I would gladly help people with dsylexia if I chose this as my career choice. We live in a capitalist society and you can most likely master the English language problem if you seek professional help from someone qualified. I don't give up because I have made up my mind and am determined based on negative experience. I also had some people say when they were angry at me supposedly and purportedly that I would never write anything sophisticated ( bullying grammar snobs with an attitude of snobbery). To me my hobby could be something I have passion for doing.  To have the tools to succeed I need to work hard. To learn writing I have to say I could sound like a broken record player as I have nothing new to say. But English is a established discipline of study. So my plans are to write and be independent which is anathema to the argument or point of view of a stereotype that hates writing.  We need a good source to back up out assertions. I remember one person studying law saying if you could trace back an argument to its source  you could know better why it was said. I say if you put effort in English and writing you'll get get better. If it helps to anyone dyslexic I suggest they try something similar to Wynn reader 7. A blind man started the company and he got far in life after an accident since he needed to make sense of his life. He had too much free time in his own words when asked a question. The company that makes it is freedom scientific. He started the company. Stereotypes misrepresent people, when they need to overcome some of life's challenges. I won't give up unless some professional said to me personally he will need to give up writing. I am just replying in response in general to the writer who wants to write but has dyslexia.


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## Plasticweld (May 5, 2019)

Croft said:


> *"In some interview he gave, he mentioned two things that really stuck. He had mentioned that he hated it, when people came up to him and told him that they wanted to write. His response was, writers write"*
> 
> I feel like I missing something. Ive read this 6 times and I still don't understand.




They were telling him that they wanted to write, they were not there to say, look at what I wrote, read what I wrote, only that they wanted to. 

Calling yourself a writer, dreaming of writing.  Staring at the screen and claiming that you have writers block or that you have a great idea for a story or book but are not following through.  This is what pissed him off.  All you have to do to be a writer is write, that was his point, it took action, not good thoughts or intent. 

Wanting to write and dreaming to write...all bullshit, that is all you ever do.


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## Cephus (May 5, 2019)

Croft said:


> "In some interview he gave he mentioned two things that really stuck. He had mentioned that he hated it, when people came up to him and told him that they wanted to write. His response was, writers write"
> 
> I feel like I missing something. Ive read this 6 times and I still don't understand.



Writers don't want to write, they don't complain about not writing, they put their butts in seats and they write. It's a choice. You do it or you don't. You are a writer or you're not. That's how this works.


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## Bard_Daniel (May 5, 2019)

Plasticweld said:


> Your short blurb reminded me of Stephen King who I read when I was younger.  He inspired me to action....



Say there, Plasticweld, you ever considered writing that story yourself? The way you described it was killer! 

And I just want to say, Plasticweld and Cephus have hit the nail on the head. Being a writer is writing, no matter the result. You can't just daydream, fiddle about, and aspire to be a writer. You have to do it. Even if it's all garbage- utter garbage, that comes out, you *need* to do it. That is part of the process, how you learn to be a writer. It is a necessary, integral part. Do you think that every great writer just sat down one day and wrote brilliance? No. They tried, they failed. They repeated this, over, and over, and over, until it worked. They had the insatiable urge, the itch, the drive to keep going. Writing is a marathon. You don't become a great, good, decent, half-decent, or mediocre writer in a day. You have to work at it: constantly. 

But you should be excited about that. Think: you don't have to do it right the first time, or the fourth time, or the tenth time! It's always there for you to pick up and tinker, improve, and ameliorate. Also, it's yours. Purely, completely, absolutely yours. You will have created something that brings forth what you know as a human being into a written form. It will be your creation, living after you are long gone- even if you just post it on here!

Do try and keep going. You CAN do this. We can help you along the way! 

Fun fact: Hemingway rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms *39 times*. Think about that and let it sink in.


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## dale (May 5, 2019)

Bard_Daniel said:


> Say there, Plasticweld, you ever considered writing that story yourself? The way you described it was killer!
> 
> And I just want to say, Plasticweld and Cephus have hit the nail on the head. Being a writer is writing, no matter the result. You can't just daydream, fiddle about, and aspire to be a writer. You have to do it. Even if it's all garbage- utter garbage, that comes out, you *need* to do it. That is part of the process, how you learn to be a writer. It is a necessary, integral part. Do you think that every great writer just sat down one day and wrote brilliance? No. They tried, they failed. They repeated this, over, and over, and over, until it worked. They had the insatiable urge, the itch, the drive to keep going. Writing is a marathon. You don't become a great, good, decent, half-decent, or mediocre writer in a day. You have to work at it: constantly.
> 
> ...



i think lovecraft was like that, too. rewrite after copious rewrite until he i guess finally threw his hands in the air in defeat and finally said "the end". lol
my god, i'm glad i don't go that OCD with it. i'd probably eat a bullet if i did. lol


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## smalltown (May 6, 2019)

I used to feel the same like you...but once I can earn some money from my writing, I have a new power to continue writing.


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## Plasticweld (May 6, 2019)

I have written a couple of horror pieces over the years... you might like this one 
*
Here *



Bard_Daniel said:


> Say there, Plasticweld, you ever considered writing that story yourself? The way you described it was killer!
> 
> And I just want to say, Plasticweld and Cephus have hit the nail on the head. Being a writer is writing, no matter the result. You can't just daydream, fiddle about, and aspire to be a writer. You have to do it. Even if it's all garbage- utter garbage, that comes out, you *need* to do it. That is part of the process, how you learn to be a writer. It is a necessary, integral part. Do you think that every great writer just sat down one day and wrote brilliance? No. They tried, they failed. They repeated this, over, and over, and over, until it worked. They had the insatiable urge, the itch, the drive to keep going. Writing is a marathon. You don't become a great, good, decent, half-decent, or mediocre writer in a day. You have to work at it: constantly.
> 
> ...


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