I think we’ve all been there where we can’t find a direction to go in and we start losing that drive of continuing our story. So I got a small story to tell you, I find it kinda funny. I recall wondering if I should drop my story at the start of March because I wasn’t sure if anyone really enjoyed it but got plenty of feedback that they did so I kept going. I was really surprised at the compliments I got about my character writing that I felt obligated to keep going to keep em happy haha. It was a great feeling, I rather enjoyed all the comments and likes I would get Now I think I’ve reached that point again of being stuck haha and I only lasted a month after. Damn it lol Funny thing is, I’m working on publishing a second story where I’ve MUCH more to work with as well. Like I made a huge mistake writing the first story without any direction, it wasn’t really a story I wanted to tell but moreso a story to see what happens. Bad idea XD quick tip if you plan on writing a story know how it continues and ends, else you’ll find yourself stalling every time you want to write. I feel bad cuz I’m sure I’ve still a few who read my chapters but... I’m sorry I just don’t know how to continue and feedback is a goner on my end. I guess maybe just ask them for ideas I suppose, but I’m not too upset. As I said before, I got a second story I’m really hyped for haha If any of you are curious what my story is, it’s Private School, Public Life. But yea feel free to share any similar experiences you guys have had, writers block or losing your drive or anything around that area. Seriously I mostly come here to chat and hear some advice hahaha XD feel free to spam with replies lol
I don't think this can be considered a universal answer. Some authors work best if they work towards the end (start with the last sentence of the story) Others plot out the whole story before they start writing. Others just start with the idea and let their characters decide what will happen next and when the story ends. For getting new ideas, read the last chapter and then have a shower or take a nap. Or just go out and watch people (not the creepy way.)
It’s definitely not universal and wouldn’t fit for everyone, in fact I’ve read stories where the author made everything up on the fly and those stories were really damn entertaining. We all have our different methods and good on that, whatever makes you happier with your work For me, I felt like my mistake was not knowing how my story would go. I’m not sure, it’s just for two weeks now I’ve been left publishing a chapter but not being satisfied. Not being happy with the direction, the result, even the response has lessened so I feel like the audience also sees the content lowering in quality. And right now to my first story, I don’t know what to do. I’m in a state where I throw my hands up staring at a dead end knowing I should be moving forward, but find no direction to continue. It’s weird and is why I find myself desiring and yearning for feedback and ideas for others XD cuz I think I’ve run out
I definitely go through phases where I really struggle to write. I find myself thinking about what is going to happen but being bored with the chapters it takes to get there. I just find that some time away from writing really helps. Regarding planning - I have a rough plan for events that will take place. I then try to let the character's evolve. My best ideas often come to me as I'm writing - it just seems like the right thing for the characters at the time. Feedback from readers really helps. I'm lucky to have some fantastic dialogue with a number of regular readers. Their ideas often overlap with my own. What I find really interesting is the varying interpretations of characters and how people read between the lines. This helps me to work harder to portray the characters better and also offers up some new ideas.
One of the things I've learned over the years is how to deal with writer's block. A lot of it, for me at least, involves getting into the habit of relatively small, regular updates with plenty of variety - which is basically the outline for how I've approached Lois Lane's Night Out, but applies to a lot of my non-porn work as well. Downside of that is it can be easy to lose plot threads, or difficult to really plot out something in advance - for longer works (like my project after LLNO finishes, whenever that is) I almost always do an outline, breaking things down as far as I feel like, working the angles...but outlining isn't writing, it's just establishing what you need to write. The act itself, staring at that blank page...there are a couple of tricks. With CHYOA in particular, you usually end each chapter with a question: answering that question establishes something about what needs to happen in the next chapter. Which for me is usually enough to get a general idea for what I want to have happen, even if things change while writing the scene ("finding" the story as I write it tends to happen quite a bit), I've still got that image in my mind. If the chapter is "Lois Lane Eats Pussy," then Lois Lane needs to give some woman oral sex in that chapter. I love feedback from readers, but I don't get a lot of it. Whether they don't like my writing or just have no idea or preference where things are going to go next, I dunno. It makes it hard to up my game, and sometimes looking at the to-do list of chapters to be written can itself be a drag. But I still get to experiment and play around with different scenes, and the hardest part of the act of writing is usually getting started than anything else. If your brain gets tired of dialogue, write pure description. You get tired of description, try some exposition or have one of the characters tell a story or remember an event from the past. Toss in a drug sequence or dream sequence. Switching gears helps amazingly for keeping the creative juices flowing.
This XD this is so incredibly true and the one thing I wish I could get as well. This post is still very relatable for me today even if it’s nearly a month later, as my current story has slowed down a lot and it shows. I actually began writing a second story, one I hope to gain more fans and follow ups from. I felt that taking it slow on my first story was needed, I had been writing it since January and my ideas finally began to reach a dead end. So, I’ll get back to it once I’ve thought up of more that can happen with it. As for my second story, it is different in genre and I find myself enjoying it a lot just as I did with my first story in my prime days of writing it. I love writing, which is funny as I never really gave writing a thought before, and now with my new story I’ve plenty of story ideas and characters to explore and read into, with much more content to entertain others with! It’s just my first story I may need a break from until I can return with plenty more to offer, I just feel unfair to keep writing more content for t when it’s content I myself don’t feel happy with you know? What you say is true, and I’m thankful for your response and opening up to it. Writers block is a pain I feel we all go through at some point, it’s just a relief knowing you aren’t alone in it. Even better to hear how we all come to cope with it and move forward.
This is true and I totally relate, feedback is very underrated and I feel that people don’t realize how important or precious it can be to get of intel from what people like or dislike or hope to see n your story. Heck, sometimes feedback alone can help you avoid writers block altogether. The side effect of not much feedback is that it does get hard to know if you’re writing good content or if it’s slowly losing its value, and it does make it harder for you as a writer to grow better too. It’s like never being told of any mistakes you make, you just assume you’re doing fine and find yourself becoming repetitive or stagnant because there’s no need to fix what isn’t broken. Mixing it up does help, I appreciate your insight to that. It is helpful to get out of your comfort zone and find more to work with through that route. For me, I’ve slowed down with my story and found myself writing a new one, one ripe with opportunity and story ideas, with a whole new genre and this time I’ve got an outline to keep myself busy with it. Though I won’t disregard my first story though, I still get notifications of new people marking it as their favorites so I’m aware I’ve a few fans wanting to read more. I’m just beginning to take my time with it, slolwh building up more ideas with it before I decide to regain my flow in publishing chapters with it once again. Funny thing, I used to have a whole lot to work with. My first story I made it almost routine to publish two chapters a day on a story that began on January XD four months later I’ve finally reached my end and had to stop publishing in routine fashion so that the ideas could catch up haha. I just need a little break and some time to get back into it, I wouldn’t leave that story since their is still an appetite for more. I love writing and I love entertaining people with my work, if they want more I’ll deliver. I just want to write stuff I’m happy about and not regretting anything later on haha
Well, speaking for myself, I can say that it actually costs me some writing time, though it is good for the motivation and more often than not lead to (good) ideas how to continue, both things which can lead to a higher outcome in less time.
I'll be honest, I'd be lying if I'd say that I haven't been having an issue with either a lack of inspiration or writer's block for probably almost two years now. I had a lot of fun writing A Fantasy Dyansty for about a year, but my enthusiasm slowly dried up and I chose to move to other projects, but I didn't write any of them with nearly as much energy as I did that first story(and it probably shows).Over the last two years, I've written a few chapters here and there, but nothing very expansive. So i'm trying to get back into writing regularly again, but I don't have nearly as much free time as I used to and I spend most of it just reading back over what I had done and refreshing myself with where I was going. Then I run out of free time and put it off for another week or two before having to spend my free time trying to refresh myself again. I'm kind of just stuck in a viscious cycle edit: I feel like it's kind of a form of writer's block, because while before I was just naturally inspired and dropping whatever in my mind down onto the metaphorical paper. Now I have to go through and actually look for that inspiration and that's what's been taking up much of the time that I could use for writing.
