What is your biggest writing struggle?

[Sarah Daffy 4,509]

On 1/18/2021 at 1:00 PM, Kazaza said:

Is that due other factors outside of writers block, etc.?

Procrastination, writers' block, procrastination...

[Joshua Benefiel 164]

Consistency. Finding time to write between pastoring, teaching and home life. I know it's a oft-used idiom, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

 

Even if I carve out some time at the end of the day, my brain usually just wants to decompress, not get into creative mode...

[RockyMtn Gal 538]

On 1/10/2021 at 1:22 PM, JosiAtara said:

Making decisions! I'm currently struggling to decide just when a character gets rescued... Or if she actually gets rescued... Or maybe she escapes... But when? And I have other plot points to take into consideration with each option.

 

Oh the possibilities

 

Edited January 22 by RockyMtn Gal

[RockyMtn Gal 538]

One of my major hang-ups is wording. I think I'm being clever sometimes, until someone tells me they didn't get it.

A consequence of having my nose in much older books.

 

I have many "back to the drawing board" moments.

 

Good thing I like drawing.

Edited January 22 by RockyMtn Gal

[RockyMtn Gal 538]

On 1/11/2021 at 8:00 PM, suspensewriter said:

My biggest struggle in writing is aphasia, hands down.

I can't imagine.

 

You've spoken of having episodes before. How often do they happen (generally and if you don't mind me asking)?

Edited January 22 by RockyMtn Gal

[Zee 1,905]

14 minutes ago, RockyMtn Gal said:

One of my major hang-ups is wording. I think I'm being clever sometimes, until someone tells me they didn't get it.

A consequence of having my nose in much older books.

 

I have many "back to the drawing board" moments.

 

Good thing I like drawing.

 

That’s funny! I also vastly prefer reading older books, but I don’t even attempt to write the way they do. It’s considerably above my pay grade...

[Kazaza 54]

On 1/21/2021 at 12:03 AM, Sarah Daffy said:

Procrastination, writers' block, procrastination...

definitely a struggle... have you tried free writing? If you haven't heard of it, It's where you set yourself a time (10, 15 mins, etc.) and you just write for the duration of time. Just concentrating on getting the words out and not whether it makes sense, errors, etc. you're just getting it out on the page. And you can write about anything from the clock on the wall, to the gloomy weather outside, or even a scene you had in mind . It might help with both.

[Kazaza 54]

16 hours ago, Joshua Benefiel said:

Consistency. Finding time to write between pastoring, teaching and home life. I know it's a oft-used idiom, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

 

Even if I carve out some time at the end of the day, my brain usually just wants to decompress, not get into creative mode...

Stuck between a rock and a hard place.  

I don't envy the life of a pastor. A little writing here and there is better than nothing at all though... it'll add up in the end.

 

I'm the total opposite... I want to sleep but story ideas and their treatments keep popping into my mind. My brain starts mentally writing it and I have to keep jotting stuff down so that I don't forget. Why couldn't I just get them during the day?

[Kazaza 54]

8 hours ago, RockyMtn Gal said:

One of my major hang-ups is wording. I think I'm being clever sometimes, until someone tells me they didn't get it.

A consequence of having my nose in much older books.

 

I have many "back to the drawing board" moments.

 

Good thing I like drawing.

I really like the way you worded this. Very funny. Reminds me of the Fancy Nancy books where she plops a big word in there like splendid only to explain that it's a fancy word for very good. 

[Wes B 640]

4 hours ago, Kazaza said:

I'm the total opposite... I want to sleep but story ideas and their treatments keep popping into my mind. My brain starts mentally writing it and I have to keep jotting stuff down so that I don't forget. Why couldn't I just get them during the day?

 

Awww, @Kazaza, I think a lot of us would trade places with you in a heartbeat... 

 

See, to a lot of us, creative ideas are like wild truffles, extremely precious, growing out of sight, and which we have to search far and wide to unearth, when we can find them at all. To you, they're a box of mushrooms that just keep on growing in a corner of your basement. 

 

You may not be able to keep them out in a convenient place, but they're there, and they're plentiful. That's goodness!!!

 

 

 

[Kazaza 54]

I like this! . Thanks - I'll take the goodness.

[LinkPen 378]

My biggest struggle is probably hard-to-swallow sentences (choppy or not as clear at first glance). Character development used to be a problem for me, not so much anymore since I try my best to place myself in their shoes.

Plot development is the same. No problemo thanks to inspiration.

But, I am eager to learn as I go. Occasionally, I do struggle with the infamous writer's block. Well, it happens to the best of us, right?

 

Oh, another thing that I find difficult is killing off characters.

I don't take that so lightly, especially if I have worked with that character for a long time. Can anyone relate?

Edited January 31 by Madyson Rylee

[kiwigummy 271]

Currently, finding a critique partner in my genre. YA Contemporary.

[Kazaza 54]

I'm surprised it's hard to find a critique partner for your genre. Of recent I've been a little confused over the whole genre category list. From my understanding YA is the age group whereas genre would be thriller, romance, and the like ... If someone could clarify that would be great.

Anyhow, there's a critique section on this site that you could post to, if you haven't yet come across it. I'm sure you'll get critiques.

What exactly do you write about? I have a feeling I like YA contemporary. I'm still trying to work out where my novel fits, though it's aimed at YA.

[Kazaza 54]

23 hours ago, Madyson Rylee said:

My biggest struggle is probably hard-to-swallow sentences (choppy or not as clear at first glance). Character development used to be a problem for me, not so much anymore since I try my best to place myself in their shoes.

Plot development is the same. No problemo thanks to inspiration.

But, I am eager to learn as I go. Occasionally, I do struggle with the infamous writer's block. Well, it happens to the best of us, right?

 

Oh, another thing that I find difficult is killing off characters.

I don't take that so lightly, especially if I have worked with that character for a long time. Can anyone relate?

I can't relate, sorry, as I don't write in the genre where I have to kill-off characters.  

 

Just wanted to comment regarding the sentences struggle. I've found that critiquing other stories (especially in your genre) helps with writing your own as you can see what works and doesn't work, causing you to reflect on your own and how you could improve it. But best of all, you're eager to learn as you go, so will master it just like you did character and plot development.

[kiwigummy 271]

46 minutes ago, Kazaza said:

I'm surprised it's hard to find a critique partner for your genre. Of recent I've been a little confused over the whole genre category list. From my understanding YA is the age group whereas genre would be thriller, romance, and the like ... If someone could clarify that would be great.

Anyhow, there's a critique section on this site that you could post to, if you haven't yet come across it. I'm sure you'll get critiques.

haha, a critique partner and a critique section aren't equivalent. Critique partners have a relationship that follows the principle of equivalent exchange. (Full metal alchemist reference) In other words, we would each critique each other's manuscript and suggest revisions.

 

And yes, YA is the age range of the intended audience. There is also Middle Grade (MG), Adult, and New Adult (NA)

My actual genre is Literary Fiction that takes place in the contemporary real world, as opposed to historical fiction or fantasy.

 

[kiwigummy 271]

by the way, I think you would look cool with a profile picture 

Edited February 1 by kiwigummy

[Kazaza 54]

9 hours ago, kiwigummy said:

by the way, I think you would look cool with a profile picture 

Haha, maybe so...

 

9 hours ago, kiwigummy said:

haha, a critique partner and a critique section aren't equivalent. Critique partners have a relationship that follows the principle of equivalent exchange. (Full metal alchemist reference) In other words, we would each critique each other's manuscript and suggest revisions.

Haha... I'm aware of that... I was just thinking in the meantime since you're having a hard time finding someone, but I get it. How long have you been writing? And, how many novels do you have under your belt?

[kiwigummy 271]

@Kazaza I've been writing seriously since 2017 maybe. I've finished two novels and a handful of short stories.

[Kazaza 54]

OK. Which do you like writing more or find easiest, short stories or novels? And, have you had any of your short stories published?

[Carol Peterson 224]

My biggest challenge is turning off the idea spigot. I've got over 30 book projects nestled in happy little computer files; some in first draft; some in revision; a few completed but awaiting a production schedule.

 

Now that I've started also writing books with my husband and pastor, though, those guys have not learned how to turn their own idea spigots off and not direct them at me. (Hey, Carol, we should write a book about...) Aaargh! 

 

Of writing books, there is no end (Ecclesiastes 12:12).

[kiwigummy 271]

1 hour ago, Kazaza said:

OK. Which do you like writing more or find easiest, short stories or novels? And, have you had any of your short stories published?

I self-published my short stories on smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Kiwigummy

 

Short stories are way easier. You ever read Jhumpa Lahiri or Haruki Murakami? Their stories are the bomb diggity.

[Kazaza 54]

Nice! Thanks for the link. Will have a read. Do you plan on self-publishing your novels too?

No, I haven't heard of them but will look them up, thanks!

 

[Kazaza 54]

3 hours ago, Carol Peterson said:

My biggest challenge is turning off the idea spigot. I've got over 30 book projects nestled in happy little computer files; some in first draft; some in revision; a few completed but awaiting a production schedule.

Sounds good! You'll always have something to work on... @Wes Bdescribes it as goodness!

 

3 hours ago, Carol Peterson said:

Now that I've started also writing books with my husband and pastor, though, those guys have not learned how to turn their own idea spigots off and not direct them at me. (Hey, Carol, we should write a book about...) Aaargh! 

they probably just figure give it to the mastermind. 

[kiwigummy 271]

1 hour ago, Kazaza said:

Do you plan on self-publishing your novels too?

Trad pub.