How to prevent "plot burnout"?

[junkodudeturkey835]

Its a term i give to when you are writing a story, but then all of a sudden you find yourself "burned out" on the story and are unable to keep the story flowing normally as you could before. You could potentially continue, but the story will become a mess both plot wise and writing style.

I have encountered this issue when i tried writing a screenplay in 2011 (i have since moved into novel writing), half way through i just found myself burnt out on the story and just couldn't do anymore, with the story becoming dull and disjointed.

Im planning my novel as of now but im finding the burn out coming again. The main characters are infiltrating a facility with a man they are trying to act revenge on (similar to the Death Star scenes from A New Hope), but i am currently trying to establish the setting and reveal twists to the reader, but i am unable to think of effective ways to do it. Im having the same feeling i had in 2011 and i dunno how im supposed to sort it out.

A break perhaps? Or just not think about it for a while? I dunno, and share similar experiences if you wish.

 

[tinkerdan]

Hi RyanJ1996,

I would suggest, and I could easily be wrong, that what you refer to as plot burnout is an entirely different phenomenon and if it is what I perceive it is one that I've easily found the fix for for myself.

It's easy to say ' I know everything there is to know about infiltrating a facility and now I just have to get this down on paper.' Of course I'd be wrong and resistant but after enough false starts at commencement I'd knuckle under and do some research, 'just to be sure'.

The research usually unearths a number of interesting things that immediately fit into the story. So in my case most plot burnouts end up being a symptom of needs more information and doesn't know it yet.

The other thing might be that the information you have now, in your head, keeps telling you that this is not as exciting as you want it to be and you may need to do that study to find ways to punch it up a bit.

You likely have great instincts that are trying to make the writing better that you have been able to label and not yet access to your benefit. Look at what you're trying to say to yourself and try to make use of it.

 

[junkodudeturkey835]

Hi RyanJ1996,

I would suggest, and I could easily be wrong, that what you refer to as plot burnout is an entirely different phenomenon and if it is what I perceive it is one that I've easily found the fix for for myself.

It's easy to say ' I know everything there is to know about infiltrating a facility and now I just have to get this down on paper.' Of course I'd be wrong and resistant but after enough false starts at commencement I'd knuckle under and do some research, 'just to be sure'.

The research usually unearths a number of interesting things that immediately fit into the story. So in my case most plot burnouts end up being a symptom of needs more information and doesn't know it yet.

The other thing might be that the information you have now, in your head, keeps telling you that this is not as exciting as you want it to be and you may need to do that study to find ways to punch it up a bit.

You likely have great instincts that are trying to make the writing better that you have been able to label and not yet access to your benefit. Look at what you're trying to say to yourself and try to make use of it.

Well...ugh i keep using the wrong words. Its only a facility in part, since its actually a base. An inverted tower underground actually. So its more accurate to look up infiltrating fortresses.

Shows how confused i really am about the whole thing. I think it's about time i pick up the pace with the story anyway, so im not going to dwell on environmental setting up too much for the time being. I just want to finish this Act of the plan and then leave it be for a long while.

 

[Nerds_feather]

I have the same problem. Sometimes it comes from not knowing where the story is going. Sometimes it comes from figuring it out, and then losing the serendipity of inspiration. Most of the time, I think, the best course of action is to leave the story and come back to it later!

 

[hopewrites]

I like the sound of Plot Burnout more than Writers Block.
It feels more descriptive to me. Categorizes what kind of writers block it is. Identifies what the block part is, which incidentally tells you how to circumnavigate it.

Yes. Give yourself a break. Take your imagination for a walk somewhere else. Let it stretch its legs and have a breather. Then come back to the part you burnt out on fresh and permit yourself the space to expand or contract as your natural instinct says you must.

I would not, however, recommend taking a break from all things creative. Wander down to the Workshop or over to Challenges, see if there is something there that gets you feeling like writing again. Talk a walk and let your mind meander ahead of you down the trails and around the realities that surround your daily life. Seek out fresh ideas and new perspectives. Watch a documentary and imagine how you would present the same information from the other side of the fence. (I love doing this with nature documentaries because there is always someone eating someone else and it's fun for me to turn the tables. Whether the documentary is presenting predator or prey I enjoy imagining the other side. And usually you can find a documentary on the other side to see how well you caught angles) Sit in a cafe or park and let your mind make up little vingettes for the people around you.
if you have other artistic outlets try giving them a go. practice an instrument, draw a picture, take some photographs...

the idea is to try and kick-start your enthusiasm for the project again. artistic outlets like other facets of health must be balanced. perhaps it is your minds way of telling you to stop neglecting your other talents and to give them a good run too.

 

[cgsmith]

Hi RyanJ1996,

I would suggest, and I could easily be wrong, that what you refer to as plot burnout is an entirely different phenomenon and if it is what I perceive it is one that I've easily found the fix for for myself.

It's easy to say ' I know everything there is to know about infiltrating a facility and now I just have to get this down on paper.' Of course I'd be wrong and resistant but after enough false starts at commencement I'd knuckle under and do some research, 'just to be sure'.

The research usually unearths a number of interesting things that immediately fit into the story. So in my case most plot burnouts end up being a symptom of needs more information and doesn't know it yet.

The other thing might be that the information you have now, in your head, keeps telling you that this is not as exciting as you want it to be and you may need to do that study to find ways to punch it up a bit.

You likely have great instincts that are trying to make the writing better that you have been able to label and not yet access to your benefit. Look at what you're trying to say to yourself and try to make use of it.

That's it, that's exactly what's been happening to me. Inspiration just seems to dry up and everything becomes a grind because I don't know what the heck I'm writing about.

I wrote two short stories recently, the first came to me in a flash. I thought of blades of grass laying across someone's throat like a knife and the story came out because I had the whole scene around it. I knew what the protagonist was doing, where he was - everything. So it was easy.

The second story, which i want to write again 'cos it was pish, was set in a house - I'm not even that excited by the plot really, well I wasn't until earlier today when I thought of an idea for some symbolism that I liked - but a house is a complicated thing, they're all different. I should have drawn it all out actually, and I will tomorrow now I come to think of it, because all my brain power has been going into figuring out technical spacial things as well as how those variable things are going to affect the plot.

You know how people say that limitations always cause better movies/books/inventions to happen, maybe part of that, when it comes to writing, is that by setting the limits, like deciding where rooms are and what's in them, makes things solid and then you can invent things that would be affected by the now actualised thing, er if you know what I mean, it's late and I am just of the back of an extremely busy shift.

Decide there is a room with two doors and its easy to write what the characters will do in that room, decide that there is a room but don't decide how many doors there are and you can't write what the characters will do, because it's all in flux. Maybe that's what I wanted to say.

I doubt that helped you very much.

I do have another thought though, sorry about that, do you ever feel daunted by all the different threads in your story that have to be tidied up by the end? Like its just too much for your brain to hold and its all just going to stop making sense, I do when I write something big, I feel like I am forgetting something all the time.

Good luck though, I like the idea of an inverse tower in the ground, claustrophobic, controlled environment, its cool.

 

[junkodudeturkey835]

I finished planning Act 3 despite rushing some of it to get to the climax. I feel satisfied and will give myself a long break from it. Im looking forward to Act 4 too, since thats the big moment the whole story builds up too.

So yeah, i guess its a miracle i was able to do it. I just hope i can get it written down as a draft in the best way...oops, thats one of the problems i have had recently hehe. Well write it down in a way that doesn't feel rushed and fairly detailed, thats all that matters for now.

And boy it will be long when i write it (at least over 100 pages) and it has a plot twist which i didn't realise helped the main character become much more deep.

 

[jastius]

it sounds delightful ryan. the more you do it, the more you'll learn how to slog through it.
if you are ever really stuck again what i find is helpful is to look to the ending you need for the bit and steer towards it. you won't always get there. often times you find yourself somewhere else entirely. but you can still use it to guide you in.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I'm going to have to sound repetitive and recommend reading Save the Cat and The Writer's Journey for a very good understanding of structure. Chances are they will inspire.

 

[Alexander Lesnoy]

There's no sure way to prevent plot burnout, but what I do is this: whenever I'm lacking in motivation, I will always refer to my Project Goals, and remind myself what's at the core of what I want to write.

I also keep and massive to-do list on Evernote for any research I can do to inspire me.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I expect we all approach this in our own way, but if I can quote a very wise Seventh Level Pa'u; 'Wait for the wheel.'

Meaning that your mojo for that project will return. Just as has been said above, something is probably not quite right, or missing, and once you've identified it, you'll most likely get going on it again.

I find that I have to be inspired by what I'm working on - which sounds like a pretty obvious thing to say to another creator/artist/writer. What I mean is when I am excited by my story, there is an element where I am discovering it almost like a reader would. True, I know the narrative arc and have the beats mapped out, but there is still a lot of excitement for me. When you've got that pot on the boil - when you have flow - it's hard not to churn out words. I was in that zone with my first full length wip until I got to a point where one of the characters had to be arrested and interviewed by the police. I had to handle it precisely or the lack of research would show and the tricky plot point would have unravelled. I couldn't get the info I needed then, until recently and now I am steaming away on it. Two and a half years later.

Another way is to passively 'work' on your wip without actually working on it. Think about it when you are walking, in the car, washing dishes, other mindless tasks that occupy what I call your 'local' brain. Trust me, ideas will percolate down and you will be hit with an idea sooner or later that will breathe life back into your work.

Do you take part in the writing challenges? Usually the 75 word one has me stumped, and I rarely have an idea right away. I just sit on the theme and genre and have a think about what the theme means - like a mental mindmap (if that doesn't sound like a tautology!). Usually by the end of the month something has popped up which is why my entry is usually posted within a day or two of the deadline. This approach may help you.

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