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campanulai · 2 years

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How to work on a writing piece

(when you don’t have the motivation to do so)

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1. Create a journal

- Sometimes, it’s hard unbelievably difficult to work on a novel. Thats okay. Finishing a story is daunting, especially to new writers or people who still don’t have a single clue how they want their story to play out. A journal dedicated for your novel can help you:

- figure out details about the characters, settings, and rules/societal expectations in your world. Make character charts. Write down their strengths and weaknesses, their traits, their fears…

Ask yourself questions like: What is a quirk about my character that only those close to them would know? What is a challenge I would like my character to face at some point in the story? How do i describe the setting? The government? Etc.

- Simply writing these things down can help you include them in the story, as well as help you, the author, get a better grasp at what you are creating. The focus on other aspects of the story will differ depending on plot and genre. A sci-fi or dystopian novel will generally need more information on the government and societal rules, while a romance novel will need more information on the characters. It is important to have a well-rounded scope of your story, so be sure to not just focus on characters or technicalities. Adjust to what you deem necessary.

- A journal can also include dialogue that you want to have in your story, a specific situation your characters find themselves in, or even just words that you want to use (along with their definitions).

2. Use 3D room planners

- This tip is really fun to do, and while it may seem unnecessary, it gives yourself something concrete to visualize. If your character is in a specific room a lot, or if it plays a major role in the story, knowing the layout can help you write scenes in that setting. Most websites have options for furniture, so you can expand their personality more. Include colors you know your character loves, make it minimalist or maximalist, etcetera.

Personally, i’ve used this app to throw together a post-apocalyptic bunker that my character resides in for my upcoming work, and its worked like a charm for keeping the setting the same throughout my writing. Its never a good thing to discover that halfway through your work you reversed what side of the room has certain furniture or something of the like. It’s confusing to readers and inhibits their ability to visualize what tf is going on. Try to avoid this like the plague.

If you are unlike me and have the ability to draw, i would recommend doing so in place of computerized layouts. Drawing cities, buildings, etc that are in your story doesn’t really feel like writing, but it is a step toward finishing a story, and really, thats all that matters.

3. Go somewhere quiet, and think

- I’ve noticed a shit ton of writers who expect that they can just sit down, pen in hand, and come up with their plot on the spot, and get overwhelmed and frustrated when nothing comes to them. If that works for you, great! But, it is not a skill that comes lightly or with a minor amount of experience, and generally doesn’t produce the best writing.

- Go to a park. Bird watch, look at the clouds/stars, and just think about your story without any expectations or deadlines. You do not need to know everything about your new work right now. You don’t even need to know everything about your work as you’re finishing it.

- I like to think that creativity is created only when there are no presumptions or limits. Get bored. Get so bored that all expectations of writing your story fades away. Then, you will start to plan— to dream— about your story. Write down what came to your mind, and the next time you feel like writing, look back to your notes and base it off of that.

4. Create Pinterest boards/music playlists

- I do this for every single piece that i write. Every. Single. One.

- Look for songs/pictures that remind you of your world, your characters, the mood. Again, its the farthest thing from writing, yet it progresses the story more than you could ever imagine.

Wrap up:

When you can’t write— don’t. In fact, don’t even think of picking up your pen or pulling up your document. Simply dream. Writing is only one small factor included in the process of finishing a novel, and really, shouldn’t be at the top of your concerns. It doesn’t matter how good of a writer you are, without inspiration, without completely involving yourself into the world that you write, you won’t get attached, and you won’t be satisfied with your finished product.

Hope these tips help! - a chronic procrastinator

#writing advice #writing talk #writing tip

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