Overcoming Writing Apathy

[paranoid marvin]

Have you considered that you may be losing interest in your own story? You've already mentioned that you already know how the story is going to progress, but half the fun is not knowing.

Perhaps try starting a new story about something completely different? Or maybe have a 'From Dusk til Dawn' moment, and radically change the direction of your existing one by throwing a spanner in the works.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Have you considered that you may be losing interest in your own story?

This may be part of it. Intellectually, I feel I have an interesting world defined and I have a plot twist that I am curious about seeing whether I can pull it off. I just don't feel enthused about sitting down and writing those connecty bits to get from point to point. It would probably be an easy decision, if I had another story calling out to me. I suppose I could fall back and do an edit pass on a previous story. I think I will give myself about one month to get excited about the current story and, if not, abandon it at the end of the year.

 

[HareBrain]

I suppose I could fall back and do an edit pass on a previous story.

Or it might work to do an edit pass on the current one, especially if you've never read it in one go before. I've sometimes found myself re-enthused about a novel after doing this.

 

[Astro Pen]

I'll skip the advice platitudes because this is actually a way more serious problem. For everyone, not just writers.

Big Picture:
I thought it would be pretty obvious why many of us gave up on writing. I'm not allowed to discus it on here but many of you know the reasons.
The wanton destruction of our way of life over the past four years led to an existential crisis. A future once easily envisioned and planned for now hideously uncertain.

Local Picture:
I also went from being a single retired male who wrote for days in reclusive immersion to being in a new relationship. Which was wonderful but also carved up my weeks like an egg slicer. Immersion became impossible in the time windows.

And that is the truth and the bones of it for me. Currently I only write shorts and flash fiction.
I'm trying to restart the novels but the mojo is not back.

 

[miken277]

Hello - I’m not a professional writer by any means, and currently I write more poetry than fiction. However, the OP’s conundrum reminds me of when my dopamine levels are low. Dopamine is the motivation neurotransmitter, so when it’s low, I have a hard time doing anything. I found the best thing for dopamine is organization and planning, a healthy diet that can support a healthy brain, plenty of exercise and goals that are highly motivating, plus a wise use of caffeine, especially good tea and coffee, enjoyed in moderate amounts. That last one can sometimes be the game changer for me, as someone with sometimes severe ADD. The other suggestions on this thread have been amazing.

 

[Wayne Mack]

I'll skip the advice platitudes because this is actually a way more serious problem. For everyone, not just writers.

Big Picture:
I thought it would be pretty obvious why many of us gave up on writing. I'm not allowed to discus it on here but many of you know the reasons.
The wanton destruction of our way of life over the past four years led to an existential crisis. A future once easily envisioned and planned for now hideously uncertain.

Local Picture:
I also went from being a single retired male who wrote for days in reclusive immersion to being in a new relationship. Which was wonderful but also carved up my weeks like an egg slicer. Immersion became impossible in the time windows.

And that is the truth and the bones of it for me. Currently I only write shorts and flash fiction.
I'm trying to restart the novels but the mojo is not back.

Yes, there have been major upheavals in society of the past several years and many of us are still readjusting our lives. I am happy that you have found new relationship. Yes, spending time with someone else does eat away at time dedicated to oneself, but I find the trade-off to be an overall positive one.

I guess I am also trying to rediscover my mojo (while trying to ignore Austin Powers sidetracks). I think I have a way forward and I hope you can also recover your desire.

 

[sknox]

>I believe writing should be fun
This might be important.

I've never believed it should be fun. It's work. Not work the way a job for pay is work, but work in the sense of most anything worthwhile is work. For me, it's not supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be satisfying. If I can argue by analogy, I have to be willing to get callouses, to be tired and yet do the task, to get discouraged yet persevere.

To pull from another direction, playing music is definitely fun, but *writing* music is work. Even playing music means countless hours at the keyboard or with guitar or horn or whatever, mastering the thing. It's repetitious, laborious, and necessary. But it's also worth it because all those hours pay off in fleeting minutes of pure joy in performing.

If I felt writing had to be fun, I would have given up on it long ago. Writing for me is challenging, interesting, gratifying, frustrating, intimidating, and just about anything and everything but fun.

But I'm with others here. If you *can* stop, then stop! It's fine. Enjoy life and let other things be fun for a while. I'm not sure there is anything that can be forced to be fun.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

I'm not sure there is anything that can be forced to be fun.

I don't know, I think it depends on your personality. I reckon you need to push but not force writing. I'm not sure if the activity is a million miles from playing sport -in that the drills and practice can be a dose but the more regular and consistent you are the easier they get and the better the games.
Writing is definitely a weird one, but I don't think ya can just drop it if you have the bug, and could be best grinding it out from time to time*

*am often wrong

 

[msstice]

Not work the way a job for pay is work, but work in the sense of most anything worthwhile is work. For me, it's not supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be satisfying. If I can argue by analogy, I have to be willing to get callouses, to be tired and yet do the task, to get discouraged yet persevere.

Thank you for mentioning this.

For myself I divide my recreational activities into consuming or producing. Consuming is easier but ultimately less satisfying. There are higher levels of consumption, like reading a more complex book (and analyzing it in my head) or watching a movie or show that explores complicated scenarios. But these don't reach the satisfaction of producing.

Producing for me is writing. If I were more talented it would include drawing and making music. Writing can often be hard. I often give up. But I have found that if I persist through the initial resistance I break through to a place where my writing is clearly better and I feel better. Writing is difficult, but having written I end up in a much better place than having consumed.

 

[Wayne Mack]

As a follow up, I spent several hours on editing my current story. I had intended to simply do a read through today and dive back into writing tomorrow, but instead spent my time on the first editing the first chapter. I will see if I maintain momentum through December, but, if not, I will likely discard this story and look to start a new one. I'll record today's progress in the word count thread and may update it as I go along (or not).

 

[Wayne Mack]

This will probably be my last update. As I feel that the second day is the most critical in normalizing a change, I spent the morning again focused on writing. I'm still doing an editing pass, this time for chapter two. In terms of word count, today was less productive than yesterday; I ended up with slightly fewer words than I had originally. I hope that this will result in reengaging my brain and lead to me continuing the story from the point where I paused.

 

[The Big Peat]

I don't know, I think it depends on your personality. I reckon you need to push but not force writing. I'm not sure if the activity is a million miles from playing sport -in that the drills and practice can be a dose but the more regular and consistent you are the easier they get and the better the games.
Writing is definitely a weird one, but I don't think ya can just drop it if you have the bug, and could be best grinding it out from time to time*

*am often wrong

Oooh you swine. I got almost all the way through the thread sure I was about to bring in the big helpful ideas and comparison, and you trot it out four posts from the end.

Anyway.

Yes. I think I know exactly what was going on, and what the answer is for future cases.

Wayne had got out of the habit.

And because writing is bloody hard work, enjoying it or no, once you're out of the habit and out of the rhythm it's misery restarting. It's like going back to the gym after not doing it for a while, or doing your first sports practice in forever, or even a bit like picking up a guitar for the first time in ages, or doing computer coding after not doing for a few days.

It hurts, and it's unsatisfying, and you can't do what you want... so why do it?

And the only real thing to do when you get there is to push/force/however you want to phrase it. You've got to get back in the saddle and keep getting back it into until the skill and habit are rebuilt.

Obviously that's not every case. But it sounds like it was the case here.

 

[Toby Frost]

One option - which won't work for everything, by a long way - is to take a step back and cut the Gordian knot. I've been trying to work out for a while how three characters secretly get onto a space station. Yesterday I decided that they just don't: they come in the normal way, get arrested and it all goes from there. The outcome is similar, but I've avoided having to answer the question.

 

[Phyrebrat]

One option - which won't work for everything, by a long way - is to take a step back and cut the Gordian knot. I've been trying to work out for a while how three characters secretly get onto a space station. Yesterday I decided that they just don't: they come in the normal way, get arrested and it all goes from there. The outcome is similar, but I've avoided having to answer the question.

^this.

IMO I try to approach hurdles like this. As if your subconscious is trying to tell you

 

[Bren G]

@Wayne Mack

I recently went through the same over the last year or so. Writing a novel is a long haul, rife with self-doubt and isolation. only to subject oneself to criticism when it is done. Why would anyone ever do that! It's because you have a story to tell - and HAVE to tell it. Find that story and the urge will come back.

I got back at it - but - not writing novels. I started learning guitar and writing songs. It gives me great joy to create something in a much shorter writing sessions and then take what I learned and hone the craft on another song soon after. The constant learning is reward itself for me.

I am certain I will get back to writing novels but not yet. I am having too much fun!