Long time between posting stories and getting started again

[storyteller19]

I haven’t posted a story since April of last year. I recently just purchased my first house with my fiancée and I have had to adjust to us living together and jumping through all the hopes that came with buying a home.

While my writing slowed down in that time I do have numerous stories that are in the editing phase while also writing my first story to self publish on Amazon.

For anyone else who has had long gaps in posting stories, what did you do to get back in the writing chair?

 

[StillStunned]

I've never stopped writing, but for periods I've had difficulty focusing on completing anything. Last winter I went almost two months without publishing anything, and it's been nearly a month now too. (That's long for me.)

But relax. It will come. The Plot Bunny will visit you, the words will start bouncing around in your mind, you'll find the right combination of time and energy, and before you know it you'll have three shiny new stories.

That said, maybe you should make a conscious effort. Promise yourself you'll write 300 words, or 500 words, or 1k words. Just to get over the hump and start those neurons firing again.

If you need a nudge, try one of the Writing Exercises we've had here. Short snippets, no context needed, just an exercise in putting words on the page. Here are a few to try out:

Fairy Tales
City Life
First Kiss
In The Dungeon
There's A Demon Under My Bed!
Night
Love Story

Good luck!

 

[TruthwithaTwist]

I took a break at one point due to unforeseen medical issues. Even after I recovered, I just wasn't feeling the drive to write. I jumped back in on one of the Lit contests which got me motivated again. There are a bunch coming up - both Lit and Author Challenges. Seeing submission deadlines may help you kickstart one of your stories to publish.

Good Luck!

 

[OddLove]

Sometimes I just lose 'it', whatever it is. Like the ability to get motivated and focus, and ability to find inspiration for a new story/song. Sometimes it's gone for a few days, sometimes it's gone for months. And with the music, I've lost 'it' for over a year before.

There's even been times I've lost it because I kept trying to finish something, and it didn't come back until after I decided to put whatever I was working on away and start something new.

 

[storyteller19]

Thank you for the replies, I didn’t know of a lot of those writers challenges so those were nice to see for when I want to do a smaller project.

I was averaging about 500 words a week and then this month bumped it up to a thousand. This last week I’ve gotten back into it and am at close 4000 words this week.

 

[iwatchus]

I am in my first real block in my short writing career. I have mostly struggled with two stories the last several days, getting a new hundred words here or there, but always words that I know I will need to rewrite anyway. Yesterday even that trickle dried up. This afternoon, I wrote a 750 word vignette. Not sure if I will post it or not, but it felt good to at least write something. And I am starting to feel like I have an idea to restructure one of the two stories to make it workable.

All coming off probably my best two stories I have written to date. Muses can be fickle lovers.

 

[crookedletter]

I've posted one (1) story to this account, almost exactly a year ago. It didn't take me a ton of time to write, I had an idea for a contest and ran with it. It wasn't the first erotic story I'd written. And I've been writing more erotica ever since. But I haven't finished anything. I've started a handful of things, some of which didn't go where I wanted them to go, some of which got longer than I planned for them to get and have required more revising and rethinking than I imagined. I've also been spending a lot of time on a [very] non-erotic novel that one day I will finish. Maybe.

So. I feel your pain. I feel like I'm in the midst of a weird block. My issue isn't getting into the writing chair. It's getting into the... finishing chair?

As I mentioned in the Summer Lovin thread I have every intention of getting a story into shape in time for that submission window. A contest got me posting a year ago -- maybe a contest can break my rut this time too.

 

[stickygirl]

Lightweight! I went ten years between writing spells.

As it happens another author here ( take a bow EB ) contacted me about a story he was writing and needed some first hand knowledge. We ended up writing a joint piece that gave me a huge confidence boost and I then rattled off several more stories.
That said, I found myself taking another break. I was tired of writing erotica and had the grains of a couple of ideas for romances. I'm now 25k into one of them, though I'm just as worried about not finishing.

My advice to you is to make sure it's fun. Writing is play, with make-believes just like we used to as kids. The second advice is to be brave and if that means breaking conventions then do it - remember - it's for fun. If you enjoy the process the chances are your readers will too.

 

[NotWise]

I went nearly a year-and-a-half without posting a story. I was disappointed by the results from three stories in a row and lost interest. I stayed active in the forums and published again when the interest came back. I devised a seasonal story I was pretty sure the readers would reward, and I entered it in a contest to get a bigger bang for my effort.

That worked. Then I used the momentum to continue, and I'm on my fourth project since the break with plans for the next. And so it goes.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I'm trying to get back on the horse too. I've only published two stories this year, and I planned to post one weekly, but my goals were both too ambitious and always don't take into account that my life is quite chaotic. Last year was the toughest year of my life, and it was just two years ago when I got diagnosed with ADHD, which also meant learning a lot of stuff again because I was playing on hard mode, and I didn't know. I'm still completely disorganized, but hey, today I finished a 10K draft in a total of 5 hours and 20 minutes, so I'm slooooooowly getting back to it, but I'm getting to it.

One thing that I've done is the Po Bronson approach: whenever he has writer's block, he starts writing about something that makes him angry. Rants are pretty easy to come, and it gets you on the flow. I've put from 5 to 15 minutes on a timer, and let go on a blank document, just stream of consciousness, emptying my brain from everything that's making me upset, or things that turn me on, or whatever, any random thought, cognitive distortion, plot bunnies, even petty things like how much the neighbor's leafblower* is upsetting me, for example, it goes to the page. More often than not, I actually find inside the rant a couple of ideas I could work with, and sometimes I even start outlining things while I'm ranting as I'm dumping everything on a blank document. By the moment the timer goes off, not only I've garnered motivation to write (action comes before motivation), but I also have at least one idea to write about.

*Now here's an idea: a discussion with the hot neighbor about the leafblower that turns hot. Could escalate into a neighbors wars before being solved through fucking. Other characters can be added.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I haven’t posted a story since April of last year. I recently just purchased my first house with my fiancée and I have had to adjust to us living together and jumping through all the hopes that came with buying a home.

While my writing slowed down in that time I do have numerous stories that are in the editing phase while also writing my first story to self publish on Amazon.

For anyone else who has had long gaps in posting stories, what did you do to get back in the writing chair?

I went almost 2 years without writing or publishing anything.
My wife and I had to move, and I just couldn't find a good groove/muse to write in the new place. I tried several times, but it just didn't work. Then we moved again, and still nothing.
Finally, just a month ago, for Mother's Day, I bought her a computer and desk, so we could set up a home office for her. She has started working from home a little more often than in the past. And the only way she would agree to such large purchases was if I would use it too.
So, once it was set up, I figured I'd give it a go again, and here I am. I've cranked out 4 1/2 chapters of a new story already. After 2 years of nothing, I just needed a good place to do it, and my muse came back.

 

[Javahead]

It helps to see I’m not alone. It’s been over three years since I last posted a story. I could make excuses - demanding job changes and new grandchildren, family health issues, a recently completed home remodel - but at the end of the day those are excuses. I’ve been retired for months now and still haven’t got back on the horse!

I haven’t quit writing, though it’s been sporadic and I haven’t actually finished anything, mostly due to procrastination and a nearly irresistible urge to rewrite, edit, and re-edit. But getting over the hump and actually finishing the longish story I’ve been fiddling with has eluded me so far. And with it always lurking in the back of my mind, it’s even harder to work on the others I’ve got outlined.

Maybe grumbling about it here will give me the kick on the tail I need. Here’s hoping.

 

[GrantBricksly]

It helps to see I’m not alone. It’s been over three years since I last posted a story. I could make excuses - demanding job changes and new grandchildren, family health issues, a recently completed home remodel - but at the end of the day those are excuses. I’ve been retired for months now and still haven’t got back on the horse!

I haven’t quit writing, though it’s been sporadic and I haven’t actually finished anything, mostly due to procrastination and a nearly irresistible urge to rewrite, edit, and re-edit. But getting over the hump and actually finishing the longish story I’ve been fiddling with has eluded me so far. And with it always lurking in the back of my mind, it’s even harder to work on the others I’ve got outlined.

Maybe grumbling about it here will give me the kick on the tail I need. Here’s hoping.

My philosophy has always been: If I can't find the motivation to write, regardless of the reason, then don't write. If I force myself to do it, it won't be as good.

That being said, there is a difference in forced writing and pushing through the procrastination... But if I don't have my muse... if my motivation isn't there... then writing just isn't going to happen.

Sometimes just sitting down and writing something different (IE, coming on the forums) helps get my juices going, and my muse comes back. But sometimes, it doesn't