It's very hard for me to focus when it comes to writing. This is how my process has been for nearly seven years now:
- Phase 1: 100% focus is on my novel
- Phase 2: Suddenly my mind wanders as I struggle to maintain that focus
- Phase 3: Writer's block hits me like a ton of bricks
- Phase 4: I still attempt to write, but pages become paragraphs....then sentences to only a few words
- Phase 5: During this phase, I start opening up the document of the chapter and stare blankly at it, unable to think of anything to type
- Phase 6: I decide to stop working on the novel to focus on a different novel
- Phase 7: Months later I return to the novel with a burst of inspiration
- Phase 8: I slowly start working on it, sentence by sentence, but then...I become stuck again
- Phase 9: Then I decide to revise the entire story and change the plot completely
And that would explain why I have over 30+ unfinished novels...
This has been my process for years now. I have only managed to complete two stories, one 90k word novel and another short story, which was Nightmare Chronicles. Seven years of writing and only two stories completed, and like seven (or less) half completed novels...
I truly dislike the way I am with writing. The procrastinator within me always manages to find the light and escape. My passion is there, but I suppose I am not putting in enough effort to truly be where I want to be when it comes to pursuing this as a career.
In my last entry I mentioned how I was focusing on Atticus and how difficult it is to write. The story is truly something different, but because I placed it on such a different level, it is hard to come up with scenes for the chapters. After doing a lot of thinking for the past couple of hours, I have come up with a decision and hopefully I will stick with it. I don't want another year to go by with me hyping up another story, that will probably never be completed. If you have been following this blog before the deleted blog posts from years ago, then you should know that I have mentioned a few novels and none of which are currently being worked on now. Out of every story I have mentioned, Bandit is probably the only one that I would truly revise one day. However, for now I have already decided what I will do.
My goal is to complete either Atticus or Hell Hounds before the end of this year, and it is a goal that I will make happen!
Good luck! I've been writing for over 10 years, and I've only finish three novels, so I know where you're coming from. You'll get there.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting and for the encouragement! I know that if I put enough focus into this that I will get to where I want to be. Thanks again! :)
DeleteYou got this, Mori! Cheering you on from the sidelines. ^0^
ReplyDeleteI sorta giggled at the eight-phase cycle up there as I recognized my own vicious cycle. My problem isn't focusing on a WIP while I've got my hands in the first draft. No, I suffer from "what to do after it's done" itis. Like, do I go and revise it? But what if I ruin it? But it's crap and could be WAY better if I revise, and so on.
I have faith in us though. We'll figure it out!
Make sure to treat yourself for every 5 or 10K goal - heck, treat yourself for every writing day. I know with my last WIP I used watching Itazura na Kiss (I haven't seen the recent Jdorama adaptation) as the carrot driving me forward: I could watch 1-2 episode WHEN I reached my daily word count goal.
I switch projects, too, and sometimes I start something to come back to it later, and some of my "starts" never go anywhere. However, I do try to commit to things by forcing myself to write at least 100 words a few times a week on any project that's past the 12,000 word mark. This year, I had three different projects that I thought might be the next "big one" and they were all hovering around 8,000 words when I started something completely different, and it's the one that's moving forward, even thought I don't like all of it.
ReplyDeleteI like Marina's ideas on rewards for keeping goals.
You can do this!