I've lost my discipline.

[MayorReynolds]

At last count there are five erotic stories I have started that I cannot make myself finish. I'm scatterbrained, bouncing from unfinished work to the next, trying to feel a creative spark and hear the old inner voice that used to tell me, "THIS is the one you should pursue next." That voice has gone quiet.

It's driving me nuts. I don't know what happened, but this is like erectile dysfunction of the mind.

 

[MayorReynolds]

Make that six. :-(

 

[Swilly]

Why do you write?

 

[MayorReynolds]

I write for lots of reasons. I write to create, finish and feel satisfied that I accomplished something. I write to entertain and express myself. I write to clear hangups and fix the mess that is my mental state. But most of all, I do it because words are burning in my head all the time, and if I don't get them down on paper as soon as possible I'll just keep dwelling on them.

 

[StrangeLife]

Your work so far has been very ambitious with long and detailed story lines - reading your tales left me with a distinct impression that you are a perfectionist at heart. Maybe you need to allow yourself to do a few shorter and simpler stories? Be a little sloppy and just have fun for a while...

 

[MayorReynolds]

Your work so far has been very ambitious with long and detailed story lines - reading your tales left me with a distinct impression that you are a perfectionist at heart. Maybe you need to allow yourself to do a few shorter and simpler stories? Be a little sloppy and just have fun for a while...

That's true. When I joined Lit I wanted to write sex stories that also expressed some deeper meaning. I spent weeks working on those submissions. In the case of the "Summer's Warmth" sequel, it took me a year. I've always had this drive to aim high and then try to climb higher, and while I guess that's a good thing, I've also found it to be restrictive.

One of the stories I'm working on now is an erotic spin on Red Riding Hood. My outlook on it so far is that it's a much shorter, quicker to the point fuckfest.

Whenever I work on it, I feel like I'm "breathing" easier. It's not anything resembling high art, but it's fun.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Six, hmmm. Try thirteen. And every day I think of a new one. Sometimes I started and sometimes I don't.

Right now I'm finishing up two that I started about three years ago. I almost had one finished, it just lacked an ending. The other will require quite a bit more than the couple of chapter needed in the first one.

It happens. It will happen again. There isn't much you can do about it. Just work on them a little each day and you might surprise yourself by finishing one.

 

[oggbashan]

Make that six. :-(

Only six?

I lost count at 100. I have filed them by word count - Over and Under 750 words; and by year of start from 2002.

The 'Under 750 word' folders are little more than extended ideas. The 'Over 750 word' folders are potential stories.

Sometimes they do end in completed works. My second Winter Holiday entry 'Cleaner Christmas' had been in an 'Over 750 word' folder for seven years.

I suggest: Leave them alone for several months before looking at them again.

 

[MSTarot]

Only six?

I lost count at 100. I have filed them by word count - Over and Under 750 words; and by year of start from 2002.

The 'Under 750 word' folders are little more than extended ideas. The 'Over 750 word' folders are potential stories.

Sometimes they do end in completed works. My second Winter Holiday entry 'Cleaner Christmas' had been in an 'Over 750 word' folder for seven years.

I suggest: Leave them alone for several months before looking at them again.

I am right there with you Ogg. My stories in progress folder has at least a hundred, then there is a story bits folder, and my normal Documents always has abut twenty that I'm just piddling with.

 

[MayorReynolds]

I'm probably taking on too much at once. In addition to Lit, I'm also editing and revising a (non-erotic) novel that I'd like to turn into a series. Writing has always been my passion and my dream is to one day do it for a living. Then there's my blog and my scribbled down notes for future projects.

Too ambitious? Oh hell yes. Part of it has to do with being put on Concerta to help balance out my anxiety, but a (good? bad?) side-effect of that is this constant need to output, output, output, write this down, come up with this media review rating scale, write a script for this video project, do this, do that.

One thing's for sure: I need to calm the fuck down and relax. At the same time, I just recently bought a new PS3 and I've been so preoccupied with it lately that reading and writing time have been pushed aside. So I'm yelling at myself for being lazy and then coming back to a clusterfuck of unfinished work and yelling at myself some more.

 

[Hypoxia]

A couple metaphors: I have a'pipeline' of stories in various states of disarray. Some are half-done (which half, I can't say) and some are only sketches and outlines. And if I'm deep into writing some stories, but then get a whim to work on others, I feel like I'm 'cheating' on the neglected texts. Luckily, the offended tales can't divorce me. But they can make me miserable.

Discipline? Depends on the time of month, levels of intoxicants consumed, real-world chores and responsibilities, degree of obsession with a story, stuff like that. Some days I can barely churn out a couple dozen words. Some days I bear down and produce a multi-part serial. Writing isn't my job now so I don't have to force myself to be disciplined.

You've lost your discipline? Well, do you really want it back? One way to FORCE yourself to write is to quit your day job and just WRITE. Then, if you don't write, and sell, you'll starve. Starvation is a great motivator.

 

[MayorReynolds]

Hypoxia, I love your idea of putting the angry Anon comments next to your story links. It's inspiring. Wish I'd thought of that!

 

[Hypoxia]

Hypoxia, I love your idea of putting the angry Anon comments next to your story links. It's inspiring. Wish I'd thought of that!

I stole the idea from blurbs on some snide books. WORST PIECE OF SHIT EVER and SEND THE AUTHOR TO THE GULAG and I READ THIS AND PROJECTILE VOMITED, et fucking cetera. I've seen similar on satirical film posters. Please feel free to emulate.

 

[lovecraft68]

I only have one thing unfinished and that's what will most likely end up as a 180k or upwards novel. I do a couple of chapters then go and do another "one off"

The only thing I can think of is to sit yourself down, open one of the unfinished stories and not allow yourself to start anything new without finishing one old one.

If you don't find the key to being able to push yourself to write beyond a certain point you'll just keep doing this.

And as for being a perfectionist that will get you a lot of head aches. Just let it rip and have fun, it is supposed to be fun.

 

[mikoli5763]

I

only have three plus the final(?) chapter of a longer story. One of them I started as an entry into the Halloween contest but wasn't able to finish it in time to enter it. I do plan on finishing it for next year's Halloween contest so no rush on it.
My free time has been reduced significantly by a new full time job and new developments in my wife's health that have required even more of that free time. I do try to write a little every day, but have trouble doing that.

 

[robertreams]

Maybe I have a piece of advice that might help. I have had trouble finishing my novel for 25 years. But I have managed to finish 41 short stories now. The first short stories by geniuses such as Poe and O Henry always had an ironic or sardonic twist at the end. That is, the opposite of what one might suspect. It's a handy tool, try it!

Another hint might be to write from the end backwards.

 

[SamScribble]

I sold a story today that I started at least two years ago. Every month or so for 18, 20 months I read it and put it away again. And then, a few days ago, I go it out and finished it off. Sometimes that's just how it works.

 

[johneb87]

Know the feeling. Been stuck on my latest chapter for the last year. I still get feedback emails from readers who tell me they are looking forward to when I can finally release it. It's a bit motivating to hear, I just wish I had the energy to do it.

 

[JagFarlane]

Had a chapter last year sit on the burner for 9 months, would open up the 1k words that had been written, read it and put it away. Eventually opened it up, revamped the words there and finished it off. Just had to be in the right mood for it.

 

[49greg]

I had no idea!

I'm in the same boat, have three that I've been working on for a month and can't get enthused about any of them.

When I read some of the other responses I went and did a quick count. I've got a document set up titled 'Story ideas' and there's 41 there. Some just a paragraph, some a page or two. Then I've got stories I've given names to and started with their own document. 51 of those. I had no idea that I'd started so many. I know some are only just a paragraph and some ideas how to continue. But still. That's too many. I need to work on some.

I noticed a story that I started for the earth day contest last year and never finished. Why haven't I worked on that since. I might have it ready for this year?

Instead I'm on the forum. And not doing things around the house.

 

[Hypoxia]

When I read some of the other responses I went and did a quick count. I've got a document set up titled 'Story ideas' and there's 41 there. Some just a paragraph, some a page or two. Then I've got stories I've given names to and started with their own document. 51 of those. I had no idea that I'd started so many. I know some are only just a paragraph and some ideas how to continue. But still. That's too many. I need to work on some.

I find I also have about 100 story fragments floating around. Some are pretty straightforward, already plotted and scoped, ready to plug into existing series -- I need to find the time to JUST DEWW IT. Others are the merest of embryos, in need of tons of attention.

I noticed a story that I started for the earth day contest last year and never finished. Why haven't I worked on that since. I might have it ready for this year?

I started thinking about ED just two days ago. I have almost a half-dozen plausible scenarios and haven't yet decided upon which (if any) to concentrate. All I need are some complete plots...

Instead I'm on the forum. And not doing things around the house.

We're on the forums when we're too distracted to write, apparently. And to cook. Too bad I can't get pizza or Chinese delivered out here in my remote mountain hamlet.

 

[Swilly]

The forums are a different kind of play than writing. Being in the mood for one is not the same as being in the mood for the other.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I'm sure that when you find it, it will be in the last place that you looked.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I learned long ago to stop fighting my resistance to action, I let things ride, and they almost always bear fruit, and without the stress and angst that obsession contributes. Farming taught me the lesson. God and Mother Nature refuse to be hurried.

 

[patdown]

I have the same but more advanced problem as the OP. I get a concept for a story or think of characters that I want to use or a situation that seems to work and I start the story. So I have dozens in various stages of completion. But often get slowed on how the story should end or how to keep it flowing. Sometimes a story just stalls out but the characters are good so I try to find another way to use them. I've actually come up with a story that is in the middle of a series of stories and then have to think of a way to introduce it in the first story. I've found that changing a story slightly allows sequels. Many times with group sex stories of two couples or more I don't want to leave some characters out of the action but don't want to make it too long.

I like to use the same characters in subsequent stories in different categories but have each story be able to stand alone so it's not part two or a continuation of the preceding stories.