general Writers: staying inspired, how do you do it?

[Rosebuds 123]

If this is in the wrong spot feel free to move it, wasn't entirely sure where this topic should go.

Now for context I am an artist. I have dove into all forms of art and writing is one of them.

But to me writing is also the most difficult because I lose inspiration and motivation so quickly!!!! I want to do so many art related things at the same time and I have learned to pick and choose. I like writing! I have loved books all my life and I am sometimes flooded with ideas for stories! I have made one short fanfic, and I am currently working on another.

Except I barely ever find the motivation to write it. I know what I want happening and I know how it ends and stuff but...writing it...gets to be such a chore. So it takes me forever to write chapters. 

I have tried a few methods. Writing an outline to structure my story, writing ahead and come back to certain parts when they're clearer, stuff like that. But I still struggle. I don't want to rush myself of course but I also don't want to make one or two chapters every few months! 

Anything else I can do? The story won't write itself. I really like making stories but it's a struggle. 

[碇 シンジン 27,431]

Dont know if this is relevant here but i guess inspiration is kinda the same for drawing and writing? 

I mostly get inspired  in viewing other people's works reading, or looking pictures. Watching tv shows, movies, listening music. Seeing other people and their art motivates me too to make mine. What I think is important is that there is no rush because the rush kinda makes me less inspired :/ 

Though this could be quite subjective as different things inspire different people. 

[Rosebuds 123]

1 minute ago, Zhang Xiu Ying said:

Dont know if this is relevant here but i guess inspiration is kinda the same for drawing and writing? 

I mostly get inspired  in viewing other people's works reading, or looking pictures. Watching tv shows, movies, listening music. Seeing other people and their art motivates me too to make mine. What I think is important is that there is no rush because the rush kinda makes me less inspired :/ 

Though this could be quite subjective as different things inspire different people. 

Those methods for art do work for me! But just for art. Writing not so much. Dunno why. It's complicated.

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,440]

The only real advice is to just do it. Sit yourself down and do a word sprint. Write an outline of each chapter. But writer's block is just a state of mind. It's another word for procrastination. Force it, that's all you can do.

Also, if you ever decided to write professionally, I have advice for you: Have the lube ready, because you're gonna get fucked. And the thing is, if you have lube it doesn't hurt as much.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Stone Cold Steve Tuna

[Rosebuds 123]

10 minutes ago, Stone Cold Steve Tuna said:

The only real advice is to just do it. Sit yourself down and do a word sprint. Write an outline of each chapter. But writer's block is just a state of mind. It's another word for procrastination. Force it, that's all you can do.

Also, if you ever decided to write professionally, I have advice for you: Have the lube ready, because you're gonna get fucked. And the thing is, if you have lube it doesn't hurt as much.

This response is well suited to your username 

All jokes aside, you're probably right about the procrastination part. I fortunately do have outlines for several chapters ahead of where I am now, so it's speeding things up. Just not fast enough to where I am constantly writing.

I could try a dedicated writing session without other distractions.

[They call me Loyalty 1,948]

Look for something that is attractive to you, that drives your inspiration, your attention and intention, whatever it may be, try and make it an element into your own design.

Like a driving force, some stories write themselves, as long the correct elements are present in such a way that the writer becomes beholder of a self-driven creation.

If it doesnt hold your intention with the law attraction, then is unlikely for this process to develop organically. Unlikely to feel alive, to become inspired.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

Try writing a handful of short stories, no longer than a chapter - then, from those, see if any connections can be made between them, and try writing a short story that links them together.

By doing this, you are exercising your mind through making smaller stories and connecting them - the act of making and linking things like this can possibly help you to not only better appreciate the story you're working on & help iron out kinks, but it might also help you by stockpiling material you can possibly use in later works.

Plus, a break from the same manuscript every now and again can do wonders for the creative writer.

[Dreambiscuit 9,794]

I completely feel your pain. What you describe is me exactly. Finding the inspiration is one thing, and finding the impetus to follow through and commit it to the page is quite another. For me, I used to carry around a small memo tablet in my pocket or purse and whenever something interesting came to mind that I could apply to a story I was thinking about was quickly jotted down into that tablet. Then, using all the collected notes I was able to cover a lot of ground without really sitting down and thinking about it. It may not drive you to pound out that manuscript but it helps when you have a lot of material to work with. 

4 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

Try writing a handful of short stories, no longer than a chapter - then, from those, see if any connections can be made between them, and try writing a short story that links them together.

By doing this, you are exercising your mind through making smaller stories and connecting them - the act of making and linking things like this can possibly help you to not only better appreciate the story you're working on & help iron out kinks, but it might also help you by stockpiling material you can possibly use in later works.

Plus, a break from the same manuscript every now and again can do wonders for the creative writer.

^This^ is very accurate. I started writing short stories and knitting them together like this. It was a lot more fun than trying to write anything novel-length and it was easier too. If you don't want to write shorts, just pick out a favorite scene or story element that you want to write; something that entertains you personally, and write only that one part. Then add a little to the edges of that one part and expand. Do that with multiple scenes and eventually you'll be filling out a larger story and getting the habit of doing the work. 

I don't know if there's a perfect method to jump-starting the drive to write, but these ideas are the ones that worked best for me. 

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,440]

Definitely recommend a sprint. Try mywriteclub. Shut off the tv, radio, whatever you have and just focus on the sprint for like half an hour. You will be surprised.

[Rosebuds 123]

On 6/13/2018 at 12:03 AM, Randimaxis said:

Try writing a handful of short stories, no longer than a chapter - then, from those, see if any connections can be made between them, and try writing a short story that links them together.

By doing this, you are exercising your mind through making smaller stories and connecting them - the act of making and linking things like this can possibly help you to not only better appreciate the story you're working on & help iron out kinks, but it might also help you by stockpiling material you can possibly use in later works.

Plus, a break from the same manuscript every now and again can do wonders for the creative writer.

Ooohhh man the thing is? I can't even define short stories. My supposed one shot fanfic ended up being over 12 pages long, no double spacing! I am just a sucker for detail and content. But it did end up being split into three chapters, so it would be considered a short story.

I can try more short stories, I actually have an idea for another one :>

I will definitely try that after I do my commission work.

[dead account 2,710]

This is easy for me, since I only want to write about things that don't exist yet. Real life rules don't matter, I make my own rules for the worlds. I just need silence and to be alone and when I follow my heart and feelings, the ideas just pop in endlessely. But I have the highest standards, I'm selective with the ideas. And I don't do it for money or fame, just for me. Which means there is no pressure, no one I could disappoint etc.

I write for more than 4 years now and it still feels like day 1 for me.

[TBD 17,254]

The one important thing is don't overthink or trying to look for something inspiring. They will come when you least expect it. If you gonna try to force yourself to be creative to write, it will lose the authenticity. I got my inspirations from my own life experiences and from other people I heard stories from. Authors/screenwriters, other work of literature, and old TV series are there to motivate me into writing and giving me ideas how to build my story.  My brain doesn't do great when it come to pure imaginations-  so I applaud to those who can come up with something creative out of the blue.  It would have to be something that feel real to me, for me to come up with an idea to write.