I'm back! This time with a tip! This is only my opinion on this issue; so if you feel as if these don't work for you, don't stress over it. Everyone has their own ideas and opinions. Do what works for you, and don't do what doesn't! Simple as that.
I realise that many people have stories that they've written, posted and not finished. I'm one of those people who work better with one shots, because when I post a chaptered story, I either don't finish it or rush through it. A lot of the time I've noticed that people don't finish their stories because they quickly lose inspiration for their story. It's either that, or they don't have the time to write, which then leads to abandoning the story (not that I can say much, LOL).
I stick to my belief that to finish a story, you must have some sort of attachment to your story. I also believe that you have to enjoy writing. For me, writing brings about another way to express myself, so I use it as a kind of therapy. It keeps me sane. If you don't enjoy writing, and if you don't have any attachment with your story, why are you writing in the first place? Because everyone else is doing it?
I often read interviews from authors, both online and offline, and I've realised that the main reason online authors give up their stories is because of time management. Offline authors (those who write those awesome novels we read in every day life) enjoy writing. They write whenever they feel like it, not at a certain time of the day. Like this, writing doesn't seem like a chore, but more of a hobby.
Today, I'll share with you some tips that helps me continue with a story. I'm the kind of author who prefers to write my stories until they're near completion before posting anything, and this way, I notice that I work with my stories for a few years, and so I must have some sort of muse to keep me going, right? Right.
1. Enjoy writing.
I cannot stress enough on this. I really don't understand those who write, and not enjoy it. What's the point in writing in the first place? As harsh as it sounds, I think that a good story is written by an author who finds the joy in expressing him or herself in words. I'm not the best person when it comes to expressing myself, which is why I use a lot of description in my fics, but I think that because I can express myself via the characters dialogue or through the description of a certain scene, that it's interesting to experiment with, because there are endless possibilities.
If you start to find writing a chore, step away from it. Take a break from writing. Do something else you enjoy, like taking a walk, dancing, playing a game - anything that keeps you away from writing for a few hours or days. When you come back to your fic, if you still feel as if you can't write it, maybe take a longer break or stop writing altogether.
I think that sometimes, you should question why you're writing if you feel as if it's a chore. If your answer is anything along the lines of 'because everyone else is doing it', you might as well stop now. I know I've repeated myself a couple of times only at the first tip, but if you're forcing yourself to do something you don't like, what's the point in doing it? You're not going to find it fun, your readers are probably going to be able to see how much 'effort' you put into it, and I don't think you're going to gain many readers.
2. Having a 'connection' with your plot.
I can't say that I have a connection with every story I write, because then I would be lying. But then again, this mainly applies to oneshots. I have a lot of oneshots I've written simply because I liked the idea of writing something like that, not because I have any specific connection with the plot. My Jinchan oneshot, 'One of Those Days', is one such story in which I just wrote it for the sake of writing a story with that kind of narrative (which is so much fun!).
When I say you need a connection with your plot, I mean to incorporate something that interests you into the story. For example, I have fics about domestic violence, forensics, the apocalypse, depression, suicide and so much more. Why? I'm interested in these kinds of things, mainly the human condition. Why is there domestic violence? What prompts someone to resport to this kind of behaviour within their household? How do people recover after a trauma such as rape or domestic violence? How do people change when put under a situation with a lot of pressure on them?
Embed some of your personality into your character. Maybe include some of your daily routines in their lifestyle. If writing about a certain aspect you're interested about doesn't help, include your own experiences into your story to help with that connection. Be careful to make sure it links in with your original plot, if your story doesn't revolve around the experience(s) you put in.
3. Unoriginality?
I don't know if this is such a main factor, but I think some people might give up their stories because it's becoming to unoriginal. I haven't really seen anyone admit it, but hey, shit happens.
Cliché plots are everywhere. It's not unusual to see a plot that is similar to someone elses'. I like to believe that everyone's storyline is unique - unless you completely plagarized from another author. As similar as some plots are, no two plots are the same. Maybe they're both driven by the same kind of idea, but the content between the prologue and the last chapter/epilogue are different. Originality is hard to come by these days, and we all know it. So why not turn a unoriginal plot, into something that's uniquely your own story? Paint some colours onto the bland canvas!
4. Plan your story.
I was once an author who didn't plan any of my stories, thus leading to me writing impromptu everytime I had to update. Now, because I plan my stories beforehand, and prewrite my chapters, I've gotten better with eliminating impromptu updates.
When I plan my stories, I write out a small summary, so whenever I forget what a certain story is about, I can read the summary I wrote for myself and remind myself what I want to write about. When I write stories, I generally know how I want to end it and certain scenes I want to put into it, so I just have to figure out a way to start and bring about these scenes and the ending. It's also helpful to carry around a notepad with you. This just means that when you're out, if you ever come up with a storyline, you can jolt it down and plan it while it's still in your head. For me, I do this on my iPod, because I always carry around my iPod, and I have the Notes app, that's preloaded into every iPod Touch or iPhone.
I've seen many people who've run out of ideas to throw into their story, and so they write in whatever they think will make the story good. Sometimes it just makes the story a little rushed, because you're just trying to finish it off quickly. I don't blame anyone though, I've been there.
5. Time management.
Okay, I stated above, that some people don't write because they don't have the time to. This leads to them abandoning their story, yes? Unless put on hiatus, and they definitely start writing again. For people like me, who write whenver I can and whenever I feel like it, time management isn't a problem. I write when I have the inspiration, I don't force myself to write, and this also comes under the idea that you have to enjoy writing. I treat it as a hobby that I can pick up at any time, and so I do.
But if you're one of those people who want to write, but have no time, then try jolting ideas down into a notebook or making notes on your iPod/iPhone like I do. You can keep little snippets of a story, and then weave them together later. Writing shouldn't be something you're forced to do, as I have said in the majority of this article.
I hoped this has helped you in some way, or has at least inspired some of you to keep up with your story! Find what works for you, and keep at it until your story is finished! Don't give up, perseverance is the key. I know I sounded harsh at the very beginning, but that is my honest opinion - if you don't enjoy it, don't do it. Enjoy life because it's short, don't spend it doing things you don't like (besides for school, you need that knowledge).Labels: Tip, Type: Writing
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