From one writer to another:
Our elder shares a few secrets on how to get back in the zone and finish that story.
Dear EWC:
I write fiction as a hobby. I started around late 2017 to early 2018. I’ve barely managed to finish 1 chapter. This year is a tough year, I barely write a sentence or two a month. Today, I was looking over my earlier work, and I thought to myself, this is some good stuff. When I first started, it was so fun. But back in 2018, the world was brighter to me. This year, I think I lost something I had back in 2018, something that made me write for hours instead of minutes. I am glad the world has taught me it’s not all fun and games, it’d be unwise to live in ignorance. But the price, I lost something that made me write my fantasy world, perhaps because today things aren’t how I thought they were back then. I’m not depressed, and I’m not sad all the time. But when I try to write, I don’t have the vision anymore. But I want to finish that story. Advice?
Scriber replies:
Thank you for writing. As you know, you have to get into a sort of zone when you write. You’re feeling kind of stuck right now. I know that feeling very well. There have been many changes recently, as you noted in your letter, which may be affecting your ability to concentrate, but I’m confident that you’ll get back on track.
Remember, writing fiction is a hobby for you. If you can’t get into it right now, that’s okay. Don’t try to force it. Put the story away. You’ll know when you’re ready to work on it again. I also write as a hobby, but not fiction. Sometimes I like to read over some of my old stuff too. I keep hard copies of everything in notebooks in addition to saving everything on my computer.
Writing is a solitary endeavor, as you well know. Even though you’re not depressed, you may be feeling a little melancholy, which is perfectly understandable given everything that’s been going on. Perhaps instead of trying to work on your story right now, you could start free-writing whatever comes to your mind. Maybe it will turn into a journal or a memoir, but it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is to try to get back into writing again. You don’t want to feel pressured or like you have to do it. Remember, it’s your hobby, not your job. I know from your letter that you probably prefer writing fiction, but you may also get something beneficial out of writing some of your own personal thoughts about things and that whole process might get you back on track to working on your story.
I’m assuming that you probably like to read too since writing and reading go together. If so, this may be a good time to catch up on reading some books of your choice. Reading books right now may also motivate you to want to work on your own story.
I’ve always loved books for as long as I can remember and this is probably where my interest in writing started too. My earliest memories in school are in the first grade when we ordered books every few weeks from a scholastic publisher. Other memories include trips to the public library. I remember the grand steps leading into the building and the feeling I experienced once inside. I’ve written several essays over the years about my relationship with books and a few were published. Perhaps your story will be published one day. If so, please let me know because I’d love to read it.
I hope I’ve inspired you a little to start writing again. Just take it slow. There’s no pressure or deadline.
Self-Improvement
#468986