CAMLIN WRITESA Blog About Creative Writing |
I also enjoy creating my own stories. However, it is here that we come across a dilemma. I entertain too much self-doubt, and I lack a writer's discipline. Many fantastic stories swirl vaguely through my mind, but each time I try to pluck one and put it to paper, it dissolves into fragments. Sooner or later, I become discouraged and stop trying to fit the fragments back together. My stories are never finished, if they're ever even started. I'm told to keep plowing on and to practice. But without a whole story to tell, my motivation always withers away. The answer to this dilemma? I'm honestly not sure. But I have some ideas, and that's what this blog is all about. Self-Doubt | I'm a textbook perfectionist. All the stories I haven't written yet are precious gems, and I'm afraid to spoil them with my inexpertise. The answer seems blatantly obvious—just practice. Of course, I've never been good at doing "just" anything. Ideally, fanfiction will be a comfortable, reduced-risk environment in which I can practice. There's less pressure, because regardless of how good or bad the material is, I can't publish what I write (for money). Moreover, chunks of the work have already been done for me, so I can get from plotting to writing more quickly. Thus, I'm starting a fanfiction called Muggleborn. You should definitely check it out! ;)
Discipline | Professional authors must acquire discipline. Specifically, they need to be able to sit themselves down every day and meet their word-count goals. The motivation required for this kind of job is very different from a nine-to-five job. No one is setting your daily schedule except you. There are no immediate consequences if you just skip a day here and there. To be a disciplined writer, you need to 1) have a routine, 2) be held accountable by someone other than yourself, and/or 3) intrinsically have superpower-levels of self-control. Number 3 is automatically out for me, and number 1 requires either 2 or 3 to get started, so I'm left with number 2. I'm holding myself accountable to my friends and readers through this blog, which just might be the motivation I need to get writing. This is where you come in. I need your help. Accountability doesn't work if no one is enforcing it. I need you, my readers, to encourage me as I go and to remind me why I'm doing this when I go quiet for too long. Hopefully your reminders will be gentle, but I suppose "beggars can't be choosers," as they say. Thank you for your time and support. I hope this post has helped encourage you to make steps towards your own goals, or that you've at least enjoyed reading my thoughts. I also hope to see you again in the future! Written with self-reflection, Camlin
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AboutA blog all about my experiences a creative writer. Includes grammar tips, dubious writing advice, and more! ArchivesCategories
All
|
Photo used under Creative Commons from marcoverch