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Having Writing Problems... Any Advice?



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Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:38 pm
TimmyJake says...



Hey everybody!

I have been writing a novel for two and a half years, and my version I am working on now is up to 430 pages, which is a big deal for me... But I have ran into a problem. I have noticed the quality of my writing decreasing gradually over the past few weeks and even months, instead of increasing like it used to... How did you get past writing obstacles like quality when you had this problem?

Just for the record, I will state a few things I do when writing...

I listen to music.
I write late at night, just before I go to sleep. The last thing I do before falling asleep is close my laptop lid. :)
I write fantasy.

Do any of you have any ideas? :D Thanks for everything. :mrgreen:
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Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:13 am
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LadyLazarus says...



I completely understand. I've found the quality of writing is much like being physically fit. The more you write, the more you read, the stronger your writing becomes. But I also think the quality of what you write and read helps as well. When I'm working on a certain project, I try to read books that have the right kind of voice for the story I'm writing because I am heavily influenced by what I read.

However, sometimes you have to push through rotten writing patches by just writing crap. I've had this happen several times, and re-reading can be very discouraging, but never underestimate the power of revising. Revising your rough patches frequently can restore confidence in your writing. Also, have someone else read something you feel is your strongest work, and then your weakest. They can give you feedback and tips to help you know what went wrong.

Hope this was helpful.

~Laz
  





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Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:48 am
TimmyJake says...



Thank you so much! That is very helpful. I will just continue writing and push through this hard period. :D
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Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:30 pm
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eldEr says...



Just thought I'd throw in a quick addition!

I've actually found that reading anything, good or bad, and reviewing the work helps (not talking YWS specifically, but it's an excellent resource of reviewing materials xD). Pick apart what you like or don't like about the author's sentence structure, grammatical habits, punctuation habits, and overall style and then look at your own stuff.

Oftentimes, I find that I catch a writer doing something that I hate, and then realizing that part of my own problem is exactly what I just found out that I dislike about another writer's work.

Grab your favourite novels. A piece that you've never read before. Things with amazing reviews on Amazon and things with terrible ones. Run around YWS a little and totally shred writing styles.
Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurl.

got trans?
  





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Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:24 am
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TimmyJake says...



Thanks for the awesome advice! I confess that I am not a big reader, so I should start picking up more books than just those on YWS! I have also started writing early in the morning, and that has seemed to help me as well.
Thank you! :D
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Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:43 am
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Tenyo says...



Hey Timmy!

Okay. This is a tough one.

Whose perspective is it?
It's only natural for your most recent work to seem like an appalling quality, even in comparison to your previous work. The more you notice it, the worse your view gets of your own work and the worse the quality seems. It's a vicious circle, because then your lack of confidence in your writing will inhibit you.
Sometimes it helps to ask someone else to look at two pieces of work and tell you how your writing has changed. It might have even changed for the better because you're trying harder! But you'll never know until you get that outside perspective.
Also getting specific advice is the easiest way of weeding out a bad habit you might have picked up, rather than sitting around for hours trying to figure out why it's not the same as before.

External influences
Your writing habits may be the same but that doesn't mean your life is. What's changed over the past few months? You joined YWS for a start, maybe the critiques have hit you harder than you expected, or made you think more critically about your work? Maybe the new school year brought an increase of homework and academic stresses?

Writing is an art, and art comes from inside you, but that doesn't mean the world can't have an impact on your creativity and inhibitions.

Enthusiasm
Sometimes things just get a bit boring. There are thousands of creative and literary challenges you can play with. They'll help you learn new skills, but more importantly they're fun and push you to open doors in your mind that weren't there before, or that you may have closed already.

Don't forget, you don't stop playing when you grow older, you grow older because you stop playing. A lot changes when you're a teenager and the world of grown-ups is storming in fast, but creative writing requires a very childlike state of mind. The most important thing is to enjoy the process otherwise you'll loose that childish sense of wonder that's so essential to the craft.

Hope this helps!
~Ten
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Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:07 pm
TimmyJake says...



Thank you so much! Everything you stated is true to me... I will work on what you said and thank you for all of your help! :D

I will have someone read my work to see if it changed any. Perhaps its just crazy Timmy! :D
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Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:46 am
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Tenyo says...



Feel free to send it my way if you want another pair of eyes =]
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Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:02 pm
TimmyJake says...



Awww... thank you so much! You guys rock. :D
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History repeats itself. First as tragedy, second as farce.
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