Anyone do this?

[SimonDoom]

Wait, wait. Hold on.

This is a problem?

For me this is just standard operating procedure.

I have a backlog of over 38 unfinished stories. Some of them were begun 4 years ago or so. I come up with new story ideas fairly often, and I'll prepare a Word document with some notes and perhaps a partial outline, and maybe open another Word document and start writing it a bit, and then shelve the thing for a while. Or longer than a while.

 

[RejectReality]

Wow, you don't see many people using Word Perfect nowadays. Last time I used it was back in the DOS days.


As for me, I only have a couple stories completed, but I have several in progress, and a couple that are just an idea/quick plot idea.

My editor I had for years worked in it, and it made things a lot easier to pass back and forth for review. He also bought me the latest version back when I was dirt poor for that very reason. It was a fantastic upgrade over the 20 year old version of Word that I still have, and I've grown accustomed to it. I've upgraded it once since, but giving the trial of the brand new version a go didn't wow me, so I'm sticking with X4.

 

[Mnkinkcpl]

Just went and looked, 24 in progress about 10 are just ideas, just character outlines and basic plot 5 or 6 will never get any further 2 are part of a novel I have been working on for a few years which I work on a few hours a week the rest are finished stories that are resting before final editing.

After I finish a story I like to let them sit for a few weeks before I do the final editing.

 

[oggbashan]

When I was told my illness was terminal (apparently not now as instantly terminal as I was told then) I published all my unfinished stories as Ogbashan Stew Pts 1-4. Now I have as many new unfinished ones as I had then.

 

[Seadog777]

When I was told my illness was terminal (apparently not now as instantly terminal as I was told then) I published all my unfinished stories as Ogbashan Stew Pts 1-4. Now I have as many new unfinished ones as I had then.

If I may ask, what is your illness?

I have Crohn's Disease.

I'm happy that you're still alive today Ogg.

What has caused your stories to remain unfinished?

One of my unfinished stories is Part 2 to "My Sneaky Wife Jennifer". I can't decide between 2 different endings. I've "free-typed" multiple times, and just can't seem to find an ending.

 

[burgwad]

So many stories I've begun and abandoned. In all cases, I get about 10-20 pages in, establish my characters, flesh out their appeal, build up all this crazy sexual tension, and then just as it's getting to the juicy part ... I stall out.

I think it's choice paralysis, first of all. Normally, I can "ask" my characters what to do next, but the moment the tension finally breaks is when they are at their freest and least predictable; I can ask what they want to do next, but they almost always just defer back to me. So if my characters can fuck any which way, then which way is "most perfect" for this or that moment? Maybe it's something hungry and unhinged. Maybe it's slow and affectionate. Maybe it's dominating and kinky. Whatever: I'll choose a route, and then immediately regret not having picked another. I falter, falter again, and inevitably decide to take a break. I do this under the pretense of "letting it stew." And in the stew it stays, forever. My head is by now a clutter of forgotten pots, their lids damagingly hot to the touch, and their contents more or less dead to me.

Second, it's the tedium of having to re-portray a sexual act I've already written about before. Variations on a theme can be fun, but there's also this Sisyphean obligation to top myself each time (or else why bother re-hashing this shit?) that is just so exhausting and un-motivating if the muse isn't 110% with me.

Third, it's worth mentioning I have ADHD. The previous two factors are already enough to unsteady my focus and confidence, but once this happens, it's the ADHD that spells permanent doom for the story at hand. As soon as I am no longer pathologically absorbed, I am undisciplined and non-committal; in other words, I am fully susceptible to ...

My OCD inner critic, who regularly insists I could do better and has no problem telling me to start over from scratch. Maybe the issue with today's project is pacing? Maybe I picked the wrong POV? Maybe what I've written is decent, but feels like practice instead of the real thing? Whatever the case, probably best that I give up entirely. After all, so many other writers are capable of churning out stories no problem, and plus, what do I really have to contribute to the millions of pieces already available on Literotica? I am no one. I have just a few dozen followers. My top-rated story is a 4.2. Might as well go back to lurking, no? We can't fail at lurking.

And lo, here I lurk.

 

[Seadog777]

So many stories I've begun and abandoned. In all cases, I get about 10-20 pages in, establish my characters, flesh out their appeal, build up all this crazy sexual tension, and then just as it's getting to the juicy part ... I stall out.

I think it's choice paralysis, first of all. Normally, I can "ask" my characters what to do next, but the moment the tension finally breaks is when they are at their freest and least predictable; I can ask what they want to do next, but they almost always just defer back to me. So if my characters can fuck any which way, then which way is "most perfect" for this or that moment? Maybe it's something hungry and unhinged. Maybe it's slow and affectionate. Maybe it's dominating and kinky. Whatever: I'll choose a route, and then immediately regret not having picked another. I falter, falter again, and inevitably decide to take a break. I do this under the pretense of "letting it stew." And in the stew it stays, forever. My head is by now a clutter of forgotten pots, their lids damagingly hot to the touch, and their contents more or less dead to me.

Second, it's the tedium of having to re-portray a sexual act I've already written about before. Variations on a theme can be fun, but there's also this Sisyphean obligation to top myself each time (or else why bother re-hashing this shit?) that is just so exhausting and un-motivating if the muse isn't 110% with me.

Third, it's worth mentioning I have ADHD. The previous two factors are already enough to unsteady my focus and confidence, but once this happens, it's the ADHD that spells permanent doom for the story at hand. As soon as I am no longer pathologically absorbed, I am undisciplined and non-committal; in other words, I am fully susceptible to ...

My OCD inner critic, who regularly insists I could do better and has no problem telling me to start over from scratch. Maybe the issue with today's project is pacing? Maybe I picked the wrong POV? Maybe what I've written is decent, but feels like practice instead of the real thing? Whatever the case, probably best that I give up entirely. After all, so many other writers are capable of churning out stories no problem, and plus, what do I really have to contribute to the millions of pieces already available on Literotica? I am no one. I have just a few dozen followers. My top-rated story is a 4.2. Might as well go back to lurking, no? We can't fail at lurking.

And lo, here I lurk.

That's a lot
I understand what you're saying.
The "choice paralysis is definitely what's wrong with me pertaining to Part 2 of "MSWJ".
USUALLY, when I get stuck I can just "free type" without any thought at all, and through that process I can find an ending that suits me. Just for some god damn reason, it's not working right now. LOL.
When I start writing a story, I just write. I give 0 thought as to what the POV is or anything at all. I just go. To me, if feels more organic and satisfying that way.

 

[Djmac1031]

On three of my stories, my biggest problem right now is how I'm going to finish them.

I can't seem to be able to decide on a final decision. I keep going back and forth.

Definitely have this same problem. I have at least three right now that are sitting unfinished because while I love the premise, I don't have an endgame in mind yet.

One in particular I have three different ideas for and can't decide which one is better.

 

[oggbashan]

If I may ask, what is your illness?

I have Crohn's Disease.

I'm happy that you're still alive today Ogg.

What has caused your stories to remain unfinished?

One of my unfinished stories is Part 2 to "My Sneaky Wife Jennifer". I can't decide between 2 different endings. I've "free-typed" multiple times, and just can't seem to find an ending.

The Terminal one? Small-cell lung cancer which keeps returning.

The others: Type 2 Diabetes and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

 

[Seadog777]

Definitely have this same problem. I have at least three right now that are sitting unfinished because while I love the premise, I don't have an endgame in mind yet.

One in particular I have three different ideas for and can't decide which one is better.

Such a pain in the ass, when you can't decide on an ending

 

[Seadog777]

The Terminal one? Small-cell lung cancer which keeps returning.

The others: Type 2 Diabetes and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

I'm sorry to hear that Ogg.
I've never heard of that 2nd one.
I hope you're doing well today.