big_old_dave's picture
big_old_dave from Watford, about 20 miles outside London, Uk June 30, 2015 - 4:46am

Hi Everyone, 

Not sure if this is a summer thing but I've been really trying to get a short story finished and just finding it a real slog. I've not finished anything really since last years thuglit competition. After that I splurged 30k into a first draft of a novel which I need to pick back up again and rewrote a story I put on here ages ago and been through the usual submission\rejection merry go round. 

Every time I sit down and make a start and trying to get the latest story down I just think what's the point? I dunno, maybe it's just something in the air at the moment with all the bad shit in the news of late. Just kinda sucks the energy out of me. It's just feels like I'm fatigued out at the moment which is pissing me off. I've had a break and come back to it but yeah I dunno. Maybe just getting tired of trying and trying and trying for five years but still being pretty bad as a writer.

Sorry to dump this into the community, just needed to vent a bit. 

 

Adam Jenkins's picture
Adam Jenkins from Bracknell, England is reading RCX Magazine (Issue 1 coming soon) June 30, 2015 - 6:35am

I've been hearing this more and more recently. Not the writing thing, but certainly the lack of energy. I had a very similar conversation with one of the guys from work, about how he feels exceptionally fatigued, even after a recent holiday. There seems a lot of this listlessness around at the moment.

In terms of writing, I've gone through the same thing previously. Personally I didn't force it, just gave up for a while and made a conscious decision not to write. I was down at the time, and trying to write was making me feel worse. Instead I just dicked about doing very little of anything. Everytime an idea popped up, I forced it back down again.

In the end I came to realise that I had to write. Just had to. It didn't matter that it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, or that it would inevitably rejected. For my own sanity I had to do be able to create something, and writing was the only thing I could do. Once I was realised that, the flow came back, and I became happier with the quality of writing I was producing. Now I just write for me. If nobody else likes it or wants it, so be it.

I can't say that this would work for you, but I don't think I've stopped writing since.

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like June 30, 2015 - 8:14am

You only live once. However much you write in that time is all you will produce. That can either be depressing or liberating, depending on perspective. Sounds to me like you might do well to conceptualize some goals. Not to be discouraging, but "get better" or "improve" are pretty vague (though not unworthy) ambitions.

Or maybe you could take some time to write about the current events weighing on your mind, and (as per AJ) do so without concern for whether you'd publish it. Get it out, sort of like you've done with this post.

Anyway, best wishes.

SConley's picture
SConley from Texas is reading Coin Locker Babies June 30, 2015 - 12:39pm

A. Try more fiber in your diet.

B. Stop masturbating.

rachel1121's picture
rachel1121 from Colorado is reading anything I can get my hands on. June 30, 2015 - 12:46pm

I don't think what you're feeling is uncommon.  No one likes rejection, and yet if you put your stuff out there, chances are it will get rejected by someone.  Best-selling authors have been rejected.  It doesn't mean your writing is bad.  It means it wasn't right for that market/agent or whatever.  Sometimes writing feels like a waste of time--a stupid pipe dream.  I find myself wondering if I should be putting more effort into my "real" job or into dull household stuff like weeding and vacuuming.  But at the end of the day, what makes you happy?  If it's a lack of dust bunnies, then by all means, quit.  But if you like knowing you've created something or you like what you wrote, then keep at it.  Take a bit of pressure off yourself.  Getting good at something takes time. 

I read (and of course my memory is a leaky sieve so I can't remember the book title) that to become an expert at something, you have to practice it for a minimum of 10,000 hours.  Personally, I found this quote quite liberating.  It gave me permission to know that time and practice will help me improve but only if I put in the time and the practice.

At the end of the day, you have to do whatever brings you joy.

Good luck!

big_old_dave's picture
big_old_dave from Watford, about 20 miles outside London, Uk July 1, 2015 - 8:54am

Cheers folks, 

Ahh SConley you know me too well...

Maybe will take a break and possibly looking into doing the story mechanics cousre with Richard Thomas on here in August and give me a kick up the butt to get back into gear. 

 

Gordon Highland's picture
Gordon Highland from Kansas City is reading Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore July 1, 2015 - 11:18am

I dunno if it's hot in England right now, but the heat makes me lethargic. Summer sucks for getting things done. I don't even have kids, but they're running around all the time making noise, people are on vacation and I'm envious that I'm not, etc. So I crank up the AC, strap on the headphones, do my creative work late at night and watch TV earlier instead of vice-versa, etc. It also helps if you're convinced that you're writing for your own amusement and satisfaction rather than what you think the world might want.

This from a guy who hasn't written or even read anything in a year, but I'm working on another creative project that's similarly taxing.

voodoo_em's picture
voodoo_em from England is reading All the books by Ira Levin July 2, 2015 - 12:57am

Yes it is hot in England right now...far too hot :l

Adam Jenkins's picture
Adam Jenkins from Bracknell, England is reading RCX Magazine (Issue 1 coming soon) July 2, 2015 - 3:21am

Noooo... we get so few hot days, I'm loving this! It's a bit of a pain to be suited and booted during the sunny weather, but I'm ejoying it while it lasts. No such thing as too hot.