Here's my problem: I don't feel like writting in my fanfic, but I want to, y'know?

This always happens to me. I never want to stop with a fanfic, but I stop usually after the 5th chapter and start another fanfic. In this case, I'm trying to work on chapter 17 of it. I'm really proud of this fanfic, it's the longest I've ever written. I've gotten 11 reviews, 1907 hits, 5 favs, and 10 alerts just on that in about two months! But I feel much too lazy to keep wirtting.

I have a problem. ><

How can I motivate myself to keep on? I don't want to disappoint my readers, and myself.

And what's worse is that, in a way, this might stop my career of becoming a mangaka, if I get through college, that is.

I've tried everything that I thought might work for me. I tried to talk to myself(not in an insane way) about how it will help with my future career, but then it doesn't work. I've tried to force myself, but it doesn't work. When I do manage to do something, the idea sounds stupid or something's just not right.

Any suggestions?

Emu: A large flightless bird, much like an ostrich, known for having the smallest brain for it's size and the shortest memory at less than a few hours.

And, as a mangaka, maybe you can get away with a story long enough for only 3 to 5 volumes. No reason to plan a huge 50+ wideban volumes series. You can always think up a new adventure to extend the series if it is popualr enough. And if not, you can be moving on to something which might be even better that much sooner. So maybe you should try smaller scale, and the pride in finishing something might motivate yo uto do more next time.

Did you know, a lot of film students start with 5 minute shorts. Likewise, a lot of story can still be told in a half hour movie. With 5 minutes, they can still tell a story, finish a project, and put to use what they learn without worrying about biting off more then they can chew. Same idea here.

Now, for the story you are in the middle of and want to continue, I don't know what to advise. I say, set aside some time every week, and make yourself try to write a paragraph. Perhaps, you'll get the juices flowing, fall into a zone, and that one paragraph or one page turns into five pages quickly enough. Write some scenes you want to write, or is easier, so you know you have to do the intervening parts. The scenes you want to write get your juices flowing, and the rest is easier to get into. Doodle and scribble on some paper, just to get your pen moving. Just simply start typing, anything, even if you have to erase it and edit it. Just type, makes some lines, get the ball rolling. I find, sometimes, it is just getting started that is hard, and once I get a bit going, the words come easier.

Talk to other people that know your work well can help you get some ideas. Ultimately everyone has their own method of motivating themselves. Good luck with your stories!

Writing for me is a leisure thing to do but aside from that I've got plenty else to entertain my time with. I'm rarely if ever board. The fanfic I'm writing now has crossed the 170 page mark, has about fifteen completed chapters (all in need of revisions/improvements)and about six that are still in process of being typed out. All at varying points of the story. I tend to work on a chapter to the point where it just become monotonous or I don't properly know how to close it. Knowing what comes next according to a rough draft/outline I'll jump ahead and begin scripting a different scene somewhere else until I eventually get board and start somewhere else. Though it makes everything a mess and at times confuses continuity opposed to writing in sequence it's good to know things aren't at a dead standstill and are still gradually moving ahead.

Eventually the motivation to continue where I left off returns and I'll return to previously hanging chapters or sections. A break in between is great because I hate hurriedly capping a chapter for the sake of moving on. Most chapters I've rushed in the past or at the time had no clear idea of how to properly end at the time have been long since rewritten because rushing an idea at any given point of a story is bad idea.

I guess the only motivation I have to keep going with this is knowing I've put way to much time/effort/research into it to pack up and quit now. I can't promise it'll ever reach completion but as long as I remain interested in the characters/concepts I'll sure work towards it.

Have you ever thought that if you're not excited enough about your fanfic to keep writing in it, perhaps you're going about it wrong? That the story may not be what you want anymore?

This is just a suggestion, but you may want to go back through the chapters you have up and edit them. Rewrite parts, change pieces ever so slightly, steer plot points in different directions... Do a textual overhaul until the story is transformed into something you just can't wait to write. Remember, just because you have chapters up it doesn't mean you can't still change them. There is an export chapter function here at FF.

Now, if that option doesn't sound appealing to you, then try this:

1) Like WolfWing said, try writing a few shorter stories. Also, try finishing them completely before posting a single chapter. That way you won't have the problem of abandoning a half-done fic.

2) Just write. Don't stop to think about the quality of what you're writing, just go ahead with it and consider what you have to be a first draft. As long as you have some idea of what you want and a loose copy on paper, you can always go back and edit it later. And, do be sure to edit it.

3) Don't force yourself to write! I know this sounds weird after what I said for point two, but it makes sense if you think about it. Fanfiction is a hobby and writing it should be fun, not frustrating. The minute that fic goes from a pastime to a responsibility, you should take a step back and look at how you're doing.

Now, to get you excited and motivated about your current story...

4) You say you're proud of it? Go back and read what you already have posted again. Maybe reading it once more and seeing exactly what you did that you liked so much will get you back in the writing spirit.

5) The ones in this group are just general and work for me. I'm not sure how effective they would be for others... Drink tea. Lots of tea. Like, ten cups a sitting. (It helps, really. Caffiene does wonders, and the time it takes to brew the tea gives you an opportunity to think about your writing.) Stay up late, or wake up early. (Be sure not to deprive yourself of sleep though.) Consume lots of sugar. Listen to music from the fandom. Watch/read the fandom as much as possible. (Something might spark and inspire you to get writing again.)

And finally, eat bunny-shaped Marshmallow Peeps. I'm not kidding. They're the puffy, sugary elixir of fic inspiration. (Eating them with tea late in the night just adds to their power.)

Anyway, I hope some of that rambling helped. Good luck!

Very good suggestions. Nuber four may be a bit difficult for me, just becuase I have such a big problem with 'having my nose too close to the grindstone'. Basically, I need to back up and get a better perspective of my work, and that requires time away from it. If I don't, all I see are the flaws and even the good stuff can start to look ugly.

Darkwinter999:

I need to back up and get a better perspective of my work, and that requires time away from it. If I don't, all I see are the flaws and even the good stuff can start to look ugly.

Yep, I know what that feels like. I write constantly and am a real perfectionist when it comes to what I do. If I'm not spot-on, I usually get discouraged. (Really discouraged. Discouraged on "Oh man, this is horrible, why so I suck?" levels.) If I manage to put the story down for a while and focus on something else, then when I come back I'm good to go on the story again...

But I know exactly what you mean. It's tough to set aside a story long enough that you're able to look back on it.

Yeah, especially since the longer I wait, the less likely it is that I will ever come back to it. I've got some stuff that have been sitting for years. I've only been writing for about five.

Years? Wow. The best I can do is a few weeks before I'm back at a story.

If you've had that much time away from a fic, you're probably distanced enough. Go back, reread them, and go to work again. You'll probably fall right back in the groove in no time. (Note: Groove, not rut. Big difference.)

Heh, you'd think, wouldn't you. There is actually more than one reason I stop writing a fic. They are:

Boredom with the idea. (Intrest can fail quick with me.)

Discouragement because I can't get it to sound right or don't know enough about what/who I'm writing about.

Lack of writing skill to accomplish what I want to accomplish.

Writer's Block.

Depression.

The last one is the main cause of my art projects going on hold for long periods of time. Depression stiffles my creativity, makes me incredibly lazy, and I feel like I suck and can't do my subjects justice. It's like climbing a mountain; I can get off the damn thing quick, but getting on it is tough, and takes lots of tiem and effort.

Depression does the exact same thing to me. In fact, it's happening right now.

I was about to post a new chapter when I stopped in my tracks. As for writing, I couldn't write at all. Everything just died down to nothing and I put all my stuff on hiatus, leaving a note on my profile. So that's the main reason why I stopped writing lately, because I can't concentrate. I'm practically depressed (with only bad intentions) and I can't find my way around it. Besides, emotions may play a background song in my fics and I don't want it to show. I hate emotions.

StarLove18:

I hate emotions.

Ah, don't we all... They're always seeping into all the wrong places at just the wrong times.

I hate how I sound like a pushy, insufferably conceited broken record with my advice here (because I know I do), but it sounds to me like the best thing for both of you, Darkwinter666 included, is just to force yourself to write again. I'm dead serious. If your depression stems from not writing, it could work. (Though if it stems from something else like the death of a pet or relationship troubles, this advice would do squat for you and I'm sorry.)

Think of it this way: Since you're both writing fanfiction and not getting paid for it, I assume it's a fun hobby for you. So writing = fun, and not writing would be relatively boring and unrewarding.

Now from what you've both said I know that if you're depressed, you're not writing. If you're not writing, you would be missing out on a chunk of fun, and thus making yourself even sadder. Then, being even more depressed than before, you don't write and plunge yourself into a vicious cycle of inactivity.

So, if your depression stems from not writing, then the act of just getting back into writing should make you feel better by breaking the cycle while staying out would only make you more sad.

Ah, anyway, I'm just saying all this because I really can't stand to see a fellow writer suffer from stifled inspiration and whatnot. It's just because I know that if I were in that position I'd want someone to snap me out of it. So, I got my advice out there and I'm done for now. Sorry if I annoyed you or sounded like a self-important prat.

Force be with and good luck!

I'm glad to hear i'm not the only one that is discouraged to write. I never use to have problems writing fanfics but now I am having trouble. I think its the fact that I started reading some of the fics in the fandoms i write about and some of them were so good that I feel discouraged to even think about writing a fan fic in those catagories again. For example, I want to write a fan fic in the Assassin's Creed catagory but a lot of the fan fics i read in that catagory were so good that i'm running low on ideas and i'm afraid that my fic will be unsuccessful in the areas of discription and plot. Does anyone have advise for me?

Blayr, I'v got advice for everyone. Too much for my own good.

I suggest that you try and get inspiration for your fics from the fics you admire in your fandom. I'm not, I repeat NOT, saying copy or filch anything from anyone else as that's low-down, dirty, and disgusting. What I am saying is that you should look at how they describe things, orchestrate battle scenes and actions, write dialog, ect.

Look at the basic building blocks of the story to see how they made them fit together because that may give you insight on how you could make things move more smoothly in your own fic.

Also, remember that not every story needs to be a fifty-chapter epic. A well-written oneshot can be just as good as an entire saga.

In the Assassin's Creed fandom you could have a fic be a few-chaptered (like, one to four) affair of how the protagonist completes a mission. He gets in, gets his target, and gets out. It could be an action fic of his daring infiltration then escape, or a psychological drama focusing on how the act of taking a life effects this professional killer, but it would be short and to the point.

Anyway, that's what I've got. I hope it helped, even if only a little.

Thank you Twilight Scribe that really did help me. I shall put your advise to good use when writing my Assassins Creed Fanfic (along with all my other fanfics) and how i put the thoughts within my head on paper. I was also planning on doing something with Desmond in my assassins creed fanfic but we'll see how it turns out first. i really appreciate the help.

Thanks for your advice. I'll give it a shot, but it takes a lot of power.

In the meantine that's wavering. Normally, I'm not the type to say 'I hate emotions'. It's not like me to say such things, because we're all human.

In fact, I wasn't meant to be human from the start.

Call me crazy if you wish. Most people saw me as this angel, and if I was ever upset I had to hide it and put on a fake smile, let alone tell a lie to bugger off. In all honesty it's annoying to the extreme, and I'm not the most perfect being they've always wanted. That's why I was always hated.

People are getting back at me for being me. Maybe I'm against the world, I dunno. Dealing with friendship issues is not cool at all, and if you ever read any of my posted fanfics, they deal with friendship one way or another (even though it's not the main genre). That's one of the reasons why it's so hard for me to write at this time. I felt like getting back to it yesterday, but had other things to focus on.

I always saw writing as fun and recreational. It's also something I'm gifted with. Just, right now I can't scribble or type anything (really). I'm way beyond discouraged, and the inability to write (let alone hold off posting time for fans) hurts even more. I hate pity, and that's what I'm trying to avoid showing in my writing. I don't want my readers/betas to realize something is wrong with me when writing a scene, a character or an event. Believe me, my emotions show and that's what I hate at this point. Growing up I was told not to cry. I'm supposed to stay strong, and if being an aggressor to hide the tears is the way to go, so be it. That's the way I had to go.

But my good, leading, optimistic soft side shows more. That's my biggest regret. I wasn't the tough, aggressive, near-masculine attitude girl I was supposed to be.

My teachers will read my essays, my classmates will read my lyrics, my parents will read my poems...and right away they know when things are good, and when they aren't. This is what angers me, but it's not my writing that bugs me. It's dealing with "friends" that bugs me, and it's been swallowing me up I don't think I could deal. I just don't have a voice out there, and I'm considering backsliding because they're the very first that hated me from the start.

Sorry if what I'm saying sounds pretty redundant and off, but after reading this post you'll realize how I'm feeling. So there you have it, I wish I was a boy at this point. Only then will I go back to writing...I won't get any pity from nobody. That's what I've been trying to avoid all my life.

Blayr:

Always glad to be of assitance. Good luck with your fics! (And if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.)

StarLove18:

You're not crazy, not at all. It sounds like you've been very unfairly pressured by many self-absorbed people in your life, ones who have trying to sculpt you into their view of an ideal girl without considering that you may actually be your own person. (Parents, in fact, tend to do this a lot; viewing their children as extentions of themselves and not separate people with their own needs and goals.) It's sick.

I know I'm really not qualified to speak here, seeing as how I don't know the full story behind your situation... But I can't help but think that if your parents and friends are forcing you to be someone you're not, just so you can be accepted and blend in with them, then maybe they don't truly have your best interests in mind.

I know it sounds harsh, and if I'm way out of line here please feel free to yell at me. (I've honestly got no clue what's going on in your life aside from what you've written in your posts.) But it sounds like what you're going through with all of them is doing some really devastating emotional damage and sending your quality of life down the tubes.

Growing up I was told not to cry. I'm supposed to stay strong, and if being an aggressor to hide the tears is the way to go, so be it.

If you'll excuse my language... Screw that! Cry. You're a human, you can't always be "strong" (read: unfeeling). You have emotions and, despite what anyone tells you, it's okay to show them. In fact, not showing them is downright unhealthy. You say you've got a "good, leading, optimistic soft side" that shines through? Then let it! It sounds like listening to what others say you're "supposed" to be like has caused you nothing but suffering, so ignore them. Tell them all to sod off and be yourself.

If your friends can't accept you for who you really are, then find new ones who do. You sound like a nice person so that shouldn't be that hard. If your parents have a hard time with you not being their perfect little angel, then make them understand that you're not a doll for them to play with. That may not be quite as easy, but I have a feeling you'll be much happier once you stop listening to what they want and start doing what you want.

I know this very well may be an "easier said than done" course of action that I'm recommending. It takes a lot of willpower to confront others, and a lot of dedication to get them to change the way they see you, but this is your life and it's the only one you get. You should do whatever it takes to make it the best and most pleasant it could possibly be. Besides, if being under their thumbs is what's making you so upset that you can't write straight, then once you're free of them your writing ability, the skill you enjoy and treasure, should return again and improve.

(And just for the record: Trust me, you do NOT want to be a boy... Boys get pressured even more than girls do.)

Oh, it wasn't my parents. Just some other adults who think I'm a dog or something. Like, excuse my language, WTF?? That's exactly what I wanna say to them one day, but it's not like me to do that because 1) I'm too freakin' nice and 2) I can't spit fire like a dragon. People like me are highly unnecessary to have nowadays. That's the truth.

No offense intended. Just making a point about today's society and what we're all living in. Just a while ago there was a 16 year old girl who got beaten up by six others because of gossip on MySpace. Down here in Canada a group of blacks (and a few whites) beat up two brothers from Ontario because they've called them the n-word.

Now, those are just examples of how times have changed...and worsened. Luckily, I've never been a victim in situations like these, but they're beyond dangerous to a certain degree. My main point is...

Nobody cares!

Whatever though. Sometimes I just couldn't care less. It's no use when people always jump to conclusions, like parents (once again, no offense intended. Sorry if I sound rude and conceited). It seems as though life is all about being stuck in the middle; love or hate? Good or evil? Angel or devil? Optimist or pessimist? There's no choosing, because in the end we're a combination of both from each category.

Ok, that's my rant for the day. I still don't think I could write just yet. I need to find a rant/venting board first before I snap another cord.

It seems as though life is all about being stuck in the middle; love or hate? Good or evil? Angel or devil? Optimist or pessimist? There's no choosing, because in the end we're a combination of both from each category.

That's a spot-on assessment. Don't think I could've said it better myself. Life's a hell of a thing... And don't worry. If anyone's going to sound rude and conceited here, it's me. XD

People like me are highly unnecessary to have nowadays. That's the truth.

No no no! That's entirely untrue! You, my dear, sound like you actually have a brain in your head, making you exactly the kind of person the world needs in this day and age of MTV.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear I was wrong and that your parents are sane people. Other adults though... Yes, they'll most often be menial, mediocre, and generally annoying. There are cool ones I must admit, but there's something about middle age and having children that I find turns people who would otherwise be generally intelligent into complete morons. (No offense to any of you cool children-having, middle-aged people out there. You do exist and you're the exception to the rule.) High school hall monitors are especially bad. For some of them, being invested with a walkie-talkie and a small shred of undeserved power drives them completely insane.

Your other thing, about the girl being attacked and the boys beaten up, that's mob mentality for you. Before they're old enough to realize how dumb they're being, most high school-age kids (Note: Most, not all. It wasn't so long ago that I was a highschooler myself. I haven't forgotten there are some smart ones out there.) are just so ridiculously apathetic and unquestioning that they'll believe and do whatever they're told. (That's why the Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines recruiting techniques still work.)

But you have to remember that a lot of what you're hearing is from the mass media. The conglomerate who, above all else, wants you to live your life in a state of thinly-veiled stark raving fear. (Do I sound bitter? Maybe.)

You can be as PO'd with the dumb folks around you as you want, but when it comes to society in general; yes, there's a lot of bad but there's also more good out there than you would think. People do care. There's actually a rather sizable shred of hope if you just look for it and stop paying attention to FOX news.

As for that rant board you're looking for... Try CoolDiva's Official Rant Board. (http://www.fanfiction.net/forum/The_Official_Rant_Board/27647/) Ranting is what they're all about and it's a pretty friendly forum to boot.

Now, as much as I'd love to keep chatting about dumb folks and annoying trends and everything that's wrong with the world, we should probably let this thread get back on track. Anyone else have problems getting motivated to write? Anybody? The floor's open.

(It's 999, not 666, but the 9's are to remind you of that!)

My depression actually stems from a lot of self-loathing. Maybe some puberty carry-over, since I was a little late on the depression part of teenagehood, but mostly lots and lots of anger at myself. Writing is for fun, but when you believe you don't deserve happiness, it makes it pretty difficult to do fun things. :(

As for freaking out about inadequecy, I do that too, but mostly because I don't meet my standards, rather than the fandom's. I am accustomed to being much better than the bulk of my peers at everything I care about, and that is no different here since the majority of this site seems either new or not determined to improve. I still get frustrated about not writing thngs as well as I can, mostly because it's easier to see what's wrong than figure out how to make it right.

I also have trouble remembering or plotting events (esp. in sequence), so it's tough to make it meld well with canon.

As for not letting my emotions show through in fanfics, I really see no point. I always though all art, any art, was there to express your feelings in a way that you can't with other people. If you look through my writings, I wear my heart on my sleeve, even though I am almost impossible to read in real life. Writing, drawing and anything else is how I work through the feelings I feel I can't express in RL. All my pent up rage, fear, and perversion (emotional, not sexual....much) comes out in my art, so I can go on in RL seeming like a sweet, innocent little girl, that just happens to be 23.

StarLove: Wow. You have some real issues. I can really commiserate here, since I feel like expressing negative emotions will get me into trouble I really can't deal with. You need an outlet. Please, please find an outlet for all of that stiffled emotion and let yourself have it, before you blow. If you can't allow yourself to type up a fic with all your emotions foured into it, then write it down, and lock it in a safe or burn it. You don't have to post evrything you write, just express everything you have, and when you are done, keep it hidden or destroy it. Trust me, you will feel a HUGE weight lifted off your shoulders. Keeping it in is unhealthy and needless punishment.

Good luck.

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