I'm well and truly stuck on this story. So stuck in fact that I'm posting that I'm stuck, which inevitably unsticks the stuckness.
The main reason I'm stuck is because this story, aka The Last One, is the pits. Here's me thinking editing and rewriting was getting easier, but in actual fact my stories were a little easier to work on. Alright, I had to rewrite 90% of the last three stories, but I had a solid foundation of premise, characters and motivations to build on.
I realised on Friday evening that not only had I made a hash of showing/telling (which came naturally to me when writing the first draft, so no surprises there) but the plot was thin, the characters were two-dimensional and the premise, while something that still grips me, cannot work within the current story.
I've picked it up several times since then but nothing doing. So I am posting this in hope that my muse comes back from her hollibobs or gets better from the flu or whatever is keeping her from my side.
Or perhaps she is staying away to show me that, despite my recent hopes of the opposite, that writing is and will remain hard work so I'd better show it the respect and time it deserves. Which means an hour or two in a quiet room with no television, laptop or music to distract me. More fool me for thinking I could do it any other way.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Teaching me a lesson
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9 comments:
I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this one. I'm afraid it is incredibly difficult and I'm still trying to come to terms with that.
I've been trying to write this afternoon while blogging and facebooking. Then I wonder why I've only written 300 words when I've been in front of the laptop ALL afternoon.
I hope you get it sorted.
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear your problems with your last story. It's so hard when you get stuck in that space. I find a trip into 'reality' can help sometimes, just a walk around town, stopping off for a coffee and listening and watching to everything going on. I often find a way around things like this.
JJ I also succumb too much to blogging and facebook when I should be writing! Glad to hear it's not just me!
Hope the two hours with no distractions has done the trick.
The 'show don't tell' thing gets me every time:-(
Maybe the fact that you're so close to the end is blocking you. Hope some time mulling over it helps.
Ugh. I also have those days when I wonder why I've written so little after I've spent time emailing, facebooking, and today's problem: watching the news. You're right; it is difficult and the process deserves our respect and, more importantly, time.
I hope you find your muse soon.
JJ, some days you've just got to cut the imbilical cord and go without all that! I ended up doing a lot of writing so the break really helped.
Mummy, you're dead right, just a few days without even touching my ms and I knew exactly what to do as soon as I picked up the pen.
Lane, it's a curse isn't it?
Helen, you're right, the fact that the finishing line is so close slows me down sometimes.
Angie, my muse came flying back once I started taking my writing seriously again. I'm also a facebook, emailing addict!
Hope this post gave your muse the nudge she needed to come on back and help you out.
Good Luck!
Sorry you're stuck. I'm the Queen of stuckness. I find I have to be quiet when writing. Even if I have the tv muted, I find myself distracted by it. Breathe, close your eyes, inhale deeply then open a bottle of wine. Fx
I revisited a story I wrote last year this week and was appalled by it's terribleness!! Needs a total rewrite - to think I was pleased with it at the time!
Undistracted time is worth a lot. I'm sure that's all you need :-)
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