What if the entire story creates that feeling? It's what I'm struggling with and have on more stories than not. Most of my stories are unfinished drafts and I feel ashamed about it. I struggle to uncover backstory, it's like I'm searching for random pieces and they never fully fit seamlessly. If I can get past early planning, it halts right when I start to draft. I loose interest and I'm not sure if it is actual interest of fear of not writing well. When I do push through and get words down they are so bland with on the nose dialogue, I'm never sure if it's fixable. I want to write novels, but struggle greatly. I'm not sure if I don't know enough about characters and their struggles or the settings and concepts I pick aren't familiar enough. I just feel lost really.
Hi Tonya! First off - unfinished drafts are nothing to be ashamed about. Finishing a novel is HARD and many writers struggle with it, whether it's their first or fiftieth novel. Your comment about "when I do push through and get the words down they are so bland" makes me wonder if you're expecting too much from your first drafts. After all, revisions are part of the process too - and yes, of course it's fixable! Did you happen to read this post last week? I think it might speak to what you're going through here! https://michelleschusterman.substack.com/p/why-cant-i-write-like-that?r=dz82r
Thank you! I try to embrace the bad first draft, but my perfectionism may very well be buried deeper than I admit. Could that be what makes me lose interest and shut down creativity? This is something I need to work on.
It absolutely could be! A lot of writers deal with that. Honestly - it's why I never finished the first book I started writing. If I'm being honest, I thought I was going to knock that first draft out of the park. Seeing the reality of my words on the page really messed with me.
Ha, yes - I still start to question them halfway through a draft sometimes! I just decided that I was going to finish a book no matter how much doubt I had. The first draft I ever finished was a sci-fi novel. I queried it but eventually shelved it. However, I learned a TON about writing a book simply by finishing. So the next book I wrote was better, and that one did actually get me an agent. My best tip is to keep two lists as you're writing: a list of things you love (like a really good piece of dialogue or a character you like), and a list of things you'll fix later. When the doubt starts to kick in, look at the list of things you love. And writing down the things that you need to fix in revisions kind of helps put your mind at ease so you can keep writing.
Having numerous wips (works in progress) is normal for writers in my experience. I myself have been writing for at least 20 years & have at least 100.
If having them unfinished bothers you; try to make time every day to work on at least one of your WIPS. In a year you might be amazed at how much you've done!
But also, some stories might never work & some need time to grow in the back of your mind. So it all depends
Super helpful. I realized I didn't want to write the scene because it was information I wanted the reader to know but had none of the elements that make a scene fun to read (or write for that matter).
I have also worked with many writers with this exact problem and the way you've explained this is so, so true. Thanks for writing, I'll definitely be sharing a link to this post with my clients!
Michelle, it’s like you read my mind with this post. For the past week, I’ve been unable to progress past the first three paragraphs of a scene where my MC is driving into a tense, dangerous confrontation. I kept obsessively rewriting the same paragraphs in the van over and over in different ways, unable to arrive to the next plot point. It was like my MC just didn’t want to do what my plot outline told him he had to do. I finally realized today that the tense, explosive, exciting scene I had planned wasn’t going to work because of prior changes in the plot and character motivation. My MC WAS refusing to go along! I s-crapped the whole scene and the block was gone. What a relief!;)
What if the entire story creates that feeling? It's what I'm struggling with and have on more stories than not. Most of my stories are unfinished drafts and I feel ashamed about it. I struggle to uncover backstory, it's like I'm searching for random pieces and they never fully fit seamlessly. If I can get past early planning, it halts right when I start to draft. I loose interest and I'm not sure if it is actual interest of fear of not writing well. When I do push through and get words down they are so bland with on the nose dialogue, I'm never sure if it's fixable. I want to write novels, but struggle greatly. I'm not sure if I don't know enough about characters and their struggles or the settings and concepts I pick aren't familiar enough. I just feel lost really.
Hi Tonya! First off - unfinished drafts are nothing to be ashamed about. Finishing a novel is HARD and many writers struggle with it, whether it's their first or fiftieth novel. Your comment about "when I do push through and get the words down they are so bland" makes me wonder if you're expecting too much from your first drafts. After all, revisions are part of the process too - and yes, of course it's fixable! Did you happen to read this post last week? I think it might speak to what you're going through here! https://michelleschusterman.substack.com/p/why-cant-i-write-like-that?r=dz82r
Thank you! I try to embrace the bad first draft, but my perfectionism may very well be buried deeper than I admit. Could that be what makes me lose interest and shut down creativity? This is something I need to work on.
It absolutely could be! A lot of writers deal with that. Honestly - it's why I never finished the first book I started writing. If I'm being honest, I thought I was going to knock that first draft out of the park. Seeing the reality of my words on the page really messed with me.
How did you breakthrough and progress to writing multiple books? Did you ever struggle with not liking your ideas,?
Ha, yes - I still start to question them halfway through a draft sometimes! I just decided that I was going to finish a book no matter how much doubt I had. The first draft I ever finished was a sci-fi novel. I queried it but eventually shelved it. However, I learned a TON about writing a book simply by finishing. So the next book I wrote was better, and that one did actually get me an agent. My best tip is to keep two lists as you're writing: a list of things you love (like a really good piece of dialogue or a character you like), and a list of things you'll fix later. When the doubt starts to kick in, look at the list of things you love. And writing down the things that you need to fix in revisions kind of helps put your mind at ease so you can keep writing.
So I just have to determine to push through despite doubts and how lame I think it might be
I've been keeping a revision list. A love list is harder, but I'm going to give it a try.
Are short scenes in a first draft awful? I've read some say that's really bad. It seems to be how I write, though.
It could be. Don't hesitate to discuss with a therapist if you think it's really hindering you. Or other writers who also suffer from perfectionism.
Thank you. I'm glad I'm not alone.
Having numerous wips (works in progress) is normal for writers in my experience. I myself have been writing for at least 20 years & have at least 100.
If having them unfinished bothers you; try to make time every day to work on at least one of your WIPS. In a year you might be amazed at how much you've done!
But also, some stories might never work & some need time to grow in the back of your mind. So it all depends
Thanks. That's good to know. I think I have seven started and unfinished. Only three finished first drafts.
Super helpful. I realized I didn't want to write the scene because it was information I wanted the reader to know but had none of the elements that make a scene fun to read (or write for that matter).
So glad this helped, Noor!
I have also worked with many writers with this exact problem and the way you've explained this is so, so true. Thanks for writing, I'll definitely be sharing a link to this post with my clients!
Thank you so much, Erin!! :)
Michelle, it’s like you read my mind with this post. For the past week, I’ve been unable to progress past the first three paragraphs of a scene where my MC is driving into a tense, dangerous confrontation. I kept obsessively rewriting the same paragraphs in the van over and over in different ways, unable to arrive to the next plot point. It was like my MC just didn’t want to do what my plot outline told him he had to do. I finally realized today that the tense, explosive, exciting scene I had planned wasn’t going to work because of prior changes in the plot and character motivation. My MC WAS refusing to go along! I s-crapped the whole scene and the block was gone. What a relief!;)
Wow! That's such a great revelation - and it must be such a relief. I'm so glad this was helpful!
"Think of your book as a giant, multi-course feast." Love this line.