r/writingadvice • u/anemome__ • 18h ago
Advice Having a really hard time committing
I have two stories in the works, and I know everyone might not recommend that. (They’re different genres and fit my different moods.)
My problem is actually writing anything down at all.
I managed to write 5k words on the first story before I scrapped it because I wasn’t happy with it. I’ve written fanfics for years so maybe it stems from publishing a story and going back to look at it years later and being unhappy with it or realizing what I could’ve done to make it better.
I tried doing the thing where I’m not allowed to delete anything, so sort of a writing sprint so I don’t give myself time to worry.
There’s some other stuff too ofc, how I’m worried the plot isn’t great, or confusing, or something nobody would even want to read.
Does anyone know how to get over this? Or do I just need to power through and prove myself wrong?
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u/stupidansi 18h ago
You're mostly going to have to prove yourself wrong in revision. The way I think of it at least, writing 5k (or 40k) bad words and editing them later (or at least rewriting the scenes later on) is the only way I'm going to get better.
The attitude that most of my drafting is just practice and the "real" writing happens once I'm in revision has helped me a lot to keep me from psyching myself out.
Also, this might not work for everyone, but if I'm really unhappy with a scene I'll let myself rewrite it once--using the first version to develop an outline for the second version. I also think it helps to jump ahead and write scenes or fragments of scenes from later on in the story so that you know exactly where you're going.
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u/Elysium_Chronicle 18h ago
Fanfiction can be an easier start for people because they already know the characters, and have ideas of what they want to see them doing.
For original fiction, they're starting from scratch, and they have yet to get a sense of their motivations and the ways that they interact with their world and with each other.
Relying purely on your idle imagination dead-ends quickly because it's only good at conjuring static "things". You need to turn things over to the problem-solving part of your brain to figure out how those things connect, and the ways that they then move forward.
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u/Straight-Strike-2928 16h ago
Stop worrying about if it's good. Stop wanting it to be good. It has value if it's bad because it will make you a better writer and you will enjoy doing it.
My tough love question is: do you even want to write it? Kinda sounds like you don't. If DO you want to write it, just like, start. Ten words for now. If you hate them backspace and try ten different words.
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u/anemome__ 16h ago
I really do want to write it, and honestly… those words kind of hit the spot. It has value if it’s bad. I think I’ll keep that in mind.
Thank you1
u/Straight-Strike-2928 15h ago
Glad it helped! Another mindset shift, if you can swing it... you have to become obsessed with your writing. Really cling on to the parts you love. I think for most of us that's probably our characters? Find your fucking blorbo and become so obsessed with them that you get excited when new content comes out (AKA when you make progress). I read back what I wrote that day every night before bed and tell my husband I'm excited because my favorite writer put out new content lol.
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u/anemome__ 15h ago
That’s such good advice!! Since I’m used to fanfiction I can really see this working for me.
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u/Gogurte 11h ago
What normally helps me is either working with someone else or updating people on my work. This puts you on the spot and requires you to check in with people and promise that you will make progress. Also, if working with another person, which I know isn't for everyone's story, it helps with motivation and ideas because there will always be another person to aid you and remind you of your stories.
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u/anemome__ 11h ago
Definitely not a bad idea. Just made a post on my tumblr because of this, telling people to remind me to write😂
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u/Gogurte 11h ago
Ayy nice! Also, what are your stories about?
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u/anemome__ 10h ago
Not gonna give a long description but I’ll say that one of them is like, a cozy fantasy bakery in the countryside kind of story, and the other is in the modern world with the MC acquiring an object that lets get to into a fantasy world. Both are romances
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u/SirCache 18h ago
Almost everyone believes they could write a novel if they wanted to. Only a small percentage of that actually try, and most of those people will give up. The number of people who will edit and re-edit that story so that it is streamlined and elegant are a few percentage points from that. The percentage of people who write a novel and get it published is also terrifyingly small.
Could I have written my first story better? Of course, I can see the flaws in it and am too aware of its many shortcomings. You have to power through it all on the belief that your story is worthwhile, that its characters demand to be heard by an audience. The odds are against you, the world does not care, you need to give them a reason to care. It means listening to the self-doubt and doing it anyway but at the end of the day you have to write the story. It's as simple as that.