# I haven't written anything since August



## Vilenica (Feb 8, 2018)

Most precisely, I haven't *finished* anything since August. I August I finished my first short story.

How to make myself finish what I write?


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## AdrianBraysy (Feb 8, 2018)

Vilenica said:


> Most precisely, I haven't *finished* anything since August. I August I finished my first short story.
> 
> How to make myself finish what I write?



This is what worked for me: Make it a rule to finish everything you write.

I know it doesn't sound right to some, but as you keep forcing yourself to completion even when you don't feel like it, you will get better and better at it.

The worst stories you actually finnish is better than the best idea never written.


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## Theglasshouse (Feb 8, 2018)

This is about the journalist's five questions.

Do you use the who what when where why and how questions? Since nowhere on the internet explains it well I will invest in a resource I found yesterday for that. On how to get started brainstorming a story using the journalistic questions. A caveat and warning, many people don't like writing books. But a lot of writers use the journalistic technique and I needed examples. According to a lecture, I heard not on youtube-the great writing series, University of Iowa professors use it to generate their ideas. Some writers here use it to jump-start their ideas on a story. That lecture-the great writing series- was from a University of Iowa professor.

*Writing Short Stories: A Writers' and Artists' Companion (Writers' and Artists' Companions)
by Courttia Newland, Tania Hershman (Kindle Edition)*


I cant buy it now since I need to buy a journal subscription to nature, so I can write science fiction and my brother is going to do me the favor and help me with that. At the end of the month plan to buy it with some books on composition. Plus kindle has some export data limits I dislike, making it so that I need to rebuy some old books I want to read. I am out of money, for now, check there for the journalistic questions if you can't afford a writing course that explains that.

There is a writing a novel version, for people who need ideas, of the same brand by Bloomsbury press publication. It focuses on the 5 questions.

Generating ideas is one of my problems and finding inspiration in everyday life, so that's my take on the problem.

Also, the sound and the fury was written using the wh questions and imagination of William Faulkner from an image and incident. I think of a person who he had not met who was stuck up on a tree, and I will avoid the rest of the details of the event but you get the point maybe. Just giving that advice for the moment if you think you have writer's block or get it often.


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## Pelwrath (Feb 8, 2018)

Why haven’t you finished anything? Also, don’t view an unfinished story as a bad thing, it’s just incomplete.  If you are, maybe outlining your stories, use a 3x5 card set up where you put ideas/sections in a box then lines to the next box.  The boxes are the meat/body of the section, large or small, the lines are the connective elements.

Many, like myself, have a list of WIP’s.


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## Vilenica (Feb 8, 2018)

What is WIP?


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## Theglasshouse (Feb 8, 2018)

That's the acronym or abbreviation that stands for works in progress.


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## Jack of all trades (Feb 8, 2018)

WIP = Work In Progress
MC = Main Character
SPaG = Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

As for not finishing anything, the answer as to why lies within you. We can only guess.

What have you started?


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## Vilenica (Feb 8, 2018)

I started at least three stories. I can't be sure exactly, but either two or three stories. I simply lost interest in my work.


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## Jack of all trades (Feb 8, 2018)

Alright. You lost interest. Why?


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## Vilenica (Feb 8, 2018)

Well, stories somehow went in direction I didn't like and I couldn't make myself delete some of my progress and I had no other ideas.


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## Jack of all trades (Feb 8, 2018)

When I was starting out, I saved EVERYTHING. I know that flys in the face of common advice, but I needed to know I could go back to something I wrote, if I decided I liked it after all. 

Nowadays I still save a lot, but occasionally delete. That works for me.

Find what works for you.

If saving before deleting, or simply starting over, frees your creativity, then that's what you need to do. You may never use what you save, or you might decide to use it. Either is fine.


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## SueC (Feb 8, 2018)

Sometimes, when I am writing, writing, writing, I begin to feel as if I am simply putting words on paper, without much thought. I have to stop then. And a funny thing happens when I come back, days, weeks and sometimes months later - I am fired up again. Maybe you just need a break.


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## Ralph Rotten (Feb 8, 2018)

Vilenica said:


> Most precisely, I haven't *finished* anything since August. I August I finished my first short story.
> 
> How to make myself finish what I write?




This may sound harsh, but if you consistently fail to finish anything then maybe you aren't really a writer. Most writers I know are driven to write; they couldn't quit writing if they wanted to.

But if you are a writer, and cannot finish anything, it sounds like you are underwhelmed by your own stories.  Maybe take a break until you can think of a better thesis. 

Sorry if that sounded harsh. I'm an asshole.


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## Ralph Rotten (Feb 8, 2018)

...Or something else to consider; maybe you simply aren't a FICTION writer.
Lotsa writers make a good living writing non-fiction.  (I know because I'm a shameless non-fiction junkie.)
Are you expert on any topics worth writing about?


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## moderan (Feb 8, 2018)

Journalists don't get to claim writer's block. That story needs to be filed by a certain time. Or there's no money.
Becoming a columnist changed my life. Learning how to ENGAGE at a certain time, sick, sad, sorry, or sober, is an eye-opening experience. And nonfiction writing is just as creative as fiction writing.
As above, you have to really know about a subject to do that. But one can learn.


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## TheLAW (Feb 9, 2018)

I struggle with the exact same issue. I couldn't count the number of things ive tried to write only to leave gathering dust on my laptop. I usually just end up deleting them. I have a horrible case of this just doesn't workitus. I think the last piece of actual writing I finished... Was this comment right now.


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## Bayview (Feb 9, 2018)

Is it possible that you just thought writing would be _easy_, and you got discouraged when you found out it's actually quite difficult? So the start is easy but when things get difficult you think something's wrong, but really it's just... writing.


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## JJBuchholz (Feb 9, 2018)

Vilenica said:


> How to make myself finish what I write?



I look at writing a new story as a matter of commitment. If I am going to go to the effort of brainstorming then starting a new WIP, then it must be finished. Yes, there willbe delays from time to time, or a case of writer's block might spring up, but the commitment must be fulfilled. Even if I have multiple story ideas that need to be written, I will always finish the current WIP before I go off to the next one, and so on.

Setting goals will help your writing process greatly.

-JJB


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## Phil Istine (Feb 9, 2018)

I go through phases of not finishing what I start.  I don't find it a problem now.  Some things I come back to later, some I don't (at least, not yet).  I take the view that an unfinished piece was a writing exercise and that I must have learned _something_ from it, even if it's not yet clear what it is.  Also, an unfinished piece can later inspire something else.


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## Birb (Feb 9, 2018)

If you don't finish something it's because you didn't care about it in the first place. I have left man stories unfinished, but all of the ones that I am proud of and are either finished or require revising. Just find something you enjoy to write about and you'll finish it.


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## jenthepen (Feb 9, 2018)

TheLAW said:


> I struggle with the exact same issue. I couldn't count the number of things ive tried to write only to leave gathering dust on my laptop. I usually just end up deleting them. I have a horrible case of this just doesn't workitus. I think the last piece of actual writing I finished... Was this comment right now.



I think sometimes this problem comes down to the _method_ of writing. If you have an idea for a story and jump straight in and start writing it, you are setting yourself up for failure. When you do this and get stuck, as all writers do, the instinct is to go back and begin editing what's already written. Then things get messy as you realise the changes don't fit with later parts of the story, so you go back and make more changes. In the end, you feel sick to death of the story and decide that struggling with it isn't worth the heartache.

A better way to go, I believe, is to sketch out a rough and quick map of your story idea. This doesn't have to be detailed - a few notes about the beginning, events that happen and, most important of all, how the story is resolved with a satisfying ending. Once you have these notes (best done on paper for quick reference) you have a lifeline when the writing stutters to a stop. Try to resist the urge to keep rereading what you have. Stories come out best, in my opinion, when you work through them steadily to the end. This first version of your story will not be the epic piece you envisaged when you decided to write it but the point is that you now have a complete piece of writing to work with. It is amazing, once the story is down, how easy it is to see where you can make improvements and cut or expand on details. Also, with a complete story to work with, your enthusiasm won't wane. The hard bit is done and you can now polish at your leisure without that fear that all this work will be in vain.

Anyway, that's how I work and it might be useful to a few other writers, maybe?


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## HCole2576 (Feb 9, 2018)

I write poetry and what I do is I pick one day a week and sit down with all unfinished work and read through them. Giving my mind a few days to process what I was feeling the day I was writing them. Maybe that will help you also.

HCole2576


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## TheLAW (Feb 9, 2018)

Birb said:


> If you don't finish something it's because you didn't care about it in the first place...Just find something you enjoy to write about and you'll finish it.



But how do you go from caring about something one week and then deleting it the next?


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## Jack of all trades (Feb 9, 2018)

TheLAW said:


> But how do you go from caring about something one week and then deleting it the next?



The answer lies in you.

Personally, I wouldn't delete it. You can always return to it some time in the future. And leaving something alone for a year or so gives you the opportunity to look at it with fresh eyes. And enthusiasm can rekindle.

As for why you get sick of it, or don't like it? Is it because you get stuck and don't know how to finish it? Is it because you want it to be perfect and see that it's not? Only you know.

I find beginnings easy! Others don't. If you have an idea, and get started, then get stuck, I suggest you look at the characters. Daydream about them. Let them be real to you. Let them live. Then you may be able to keep the story going.

Are you starting short stories or novels? Novels are marathons. Maybe you need to adjust your expectations.


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## Jack of all trades (Feb 9, 2018)

4





Birb said:


> If you don't finish something it's because you didn't care about it in the first place.



I disagree. Things change. Priorities change. Interests can also change.

The good news is ...they can also change back to what they were before.


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## lumino (Feb 9, 2018)

I usually don't write anything because I overthink the writing process and doubt whether it is possible to do certain things such as making my writing sound and flow the way I want.


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## AdrianBraysy (Feb 9, 2018)

Just to add to this topic, sometimes it helps to have a structure (not necessarily an outline) in place, as just keep pushing for it. After I complete my current novel sometime next week, I will begin my fast paced thriller. The structure that suits this type of novel is: 

1. Character has a personality flaw (cowardice, for example)
2. Character wants something (defeat the antagonist)
3. Initiate try/fail sequence.
4. Follow up with reaction to failure.
5. Continue try/fail/react sequences until you reach a climax. During this, the character has to fight against their flaw (become braver and braver)
6. Final battle.
7. Resolution, back to normal, but character has changed forever.

This is just one example, but as a pantser, it keeps me on track.

Good luck!


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## Ralph Rotten (Feb 9, 2018)

I gotta agree with JenThePen. I don't write a word until I have worked out the bulk of the story.  Otherwise I could paint myself into a corner, which leads to work stoppage.  I normally let a story ferment in my mind for months and months.


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## Bayview (Feb 10, 2018)

I agree that outlining may be a good thing to _try_ in this case, but OP, be aware that there are lots of authors who don't outline. If outlining doesn't work for you, try something else.

(Personal note: I write stories because I want to find out what happens to my characters. If I already _know_ what happens, I'm no longer interested in the writing. So for me outlining is a good way to kill enthusiasm for a project. But it works well for others.)


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## bdcharles (Feb 10, 2018)

Vilenica said:


> Most precisely, I haven't *finished* anything since August. I August I finished my first short story.
> 
> How to make myself finish what I write?



My approach is to think of myself as a chronicler who has been asked to explain disparate events. What are those disparate events? Snippets of something overheard or imagined. A particularly arresting image. The output of a stream of consciousness. Anything that might go into your story. I think of it as a job or a mission to put it all together so, like a job, it is not really optional for me not to do it. I've been asked, and I need to produce the goods.


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## moderan (Feb 10, 2018)

Ralph Rotten said:


> I gotta agree with JenThePen. I don't write a word until I have worked out the bulk of the story.  Otherwise I could paint myself into a corner, which leads to work stoppage.  I normally let a story ferment in my mind for months and months.


This. I jot down some notes and researching ideas, hints on how it fits into my overall scheme, and let it develop, typically thinking it through when I'm trying to get to sleep the night before an appointment.
Though I habitually paint myself into corners because that's how I do story. If I can't figure my way out, then I've failed that narrative. It's too easy to Chandler my way through and have a man with a gun appear.


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## Firmino (Feb 10, 2018)

moderan said:


> Journalists don't get to claim writer's block. That story needs to be filed by a certain time. Or there's no money.



Sorry for dredging this one back up from page 2, but I believe that trying to think like a journalist with a deadline is solid gold advice for any writer, even amateurs dabbling in whichever medium they choose. Imposing a deadline on something is a great way of getting yourself going and getting into the habit of writing your way out of the funk.

Additionally, I think that denying the existence of writer's block is another good strategy. If it doesn't exist, you can't suffer from it. If you don't feel like writing then don't write, but don't let yourself think you've got writer's block because that's an easy get-out clause to stop you from making an effort.


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Feb 11, 2018)

If I get tired of a story, I remind myself of why I wanted to write it in the first place. For me, that's specific scenes or images that, while the story was brewing, would repeat over and over in my head. So, if I start to get stuck, I tell myself, "But if I want to get to the part where [blank] happens, then I have to keep writing!"


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## JJBuchholz (Feb 11, 2018)

ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord said:


> If I get tired of a story, I remind myself of why I wanted to write it in the first place.



Same here. There is the odd time I leave a story somewhat unfinished, but then come back to it because of said reminder. It gives me renewed energy and determination to finish it and feel the accomplishment of it all.

-J.


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## JLawrence (Mar 8, 2018)

TheLAW said:


> I struggle with the exact same issue. I couldn't count the number of things ive tried to write only to leave gathering dust on my laptop. I usually just end up deleting them. I have a horrible case of this just doesn't workitus. I think the last piece of actual writing I finished... Was this comment right now.



You know, I'm the same way.  I have OCD, an obsessive compulsion to DELETE everything I write.  But I've finally figured out something that helps me commit to finishing and posting my work.  And that is entering writing contests / challenges.  If there's a certain theme or prompt and there's a deadline, I can make it to the finish line.  Maybe not with a WIN, but I can at least finish and post my story, and NOT DELETE IT.  Lol.


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## tracy18 (Mar 12, 2018)

Wow! That's such a great advice. I am so critical of my own ideas and writing that I never finish what I start. I know that I have to keep my own cynicism away from my writing. 'The worst stories you actually finish is better than the best idea never written' this is such an inspiring thought. Thank You!


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## Cephus (Mar 17, 2018)

Jack of all trades said:


> When I was starting out, I saved EVERYTHING. I know that flys in the face of common advice, but I needed to know I could go back to something I wrote, if I decided I liked it after all.
> 
> Nowadays I still save a lot, but occasionally delete. That works for me.
> 
> ...



The key here is having multiple drafts so that if you discover, down the road, that something you deleted should have remained, you can go back and retrieve it from an earlier draft.


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## Cephus (Mar 17, 2018)

JJBuchholz said:


> Same here. There is the odd time I leave a story somewhat unfinished, but then come back to it because of said reminder. It gives me renewed energy and determination to finish it and feel the accomplishment of it all.



When I'm writing, I get obsessed with the current story, I think about it constantly, I even dream about it.  My current WIP, I have dreamed scenes every single night since I started writing, such that I have to get up and commit them to "print" immediately and that keeps me going.  I have about 35 pages of "scenes" that I haven't gotten to yet, all of which came from my dreams.  I figure I'll know where to plug them in when I get there.


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