Am I the only demotivated wreck here? (1 Viewer)

[sweetish]

I have done absolutely nothing for my short story! its my fault, but im just so demotivated! sure ive done bits of research here and there, but they are so absolutely unrelated! How are you guys doing it?! Do you guys do the whole writing samples of what you think your story may be like, etc?

 

[glitterfairy]

Hahaha! Oh honey, if you think you're at the bottom now, you have NO idea... lol.

Anyway. *puts sugar hat back on*

Don't feel too stressed about "doing nothing" at this stage of the game. Most people I know only really "got" their concepts around now or a month or too later, and from past experience I know how frustrating it is to work when you don't even know what you're working ON. Know that many other people are going through the same thing right now, and don't beat yourself too much about it Save the energy for the creative process.

Being demotivated happens to all of us at least a few times during the EE2 writing process. When you push through it (and some of you may have) you hit burnout, which is even funner (not). There are a few options you can take - what I did personally was to keep an open mind and find something else to do. I hate the head-bashing-against-brick-wall thing. It just gives you a headache... and why give yourself a headache when you can do something else? Come back to it later when you have a fresh mind that's been exposed to new things (read: Potential inspiration/motivation!).

The other alternative is to push through it and write 200 words or so EACH NIGHT. Even if it's pathetic chances are you'll get at least something good out of it eventually, and survey says that it's so much easier to work with something tangible rather than with the imaginary - starting is the hardest part, after all.

*is taking this point by point* Don't worry too much about research. The point is that you're doing some at all! If you're stuck, look outside the square. You can ALWAYS research on the writing medium (I highly recommend watching "Finding Forrester"), or on themes related to your concept. You should get lots out of here - and don't worry if things are unrelated. My research ranged from Finding Forrester to Michael Ondaatje to Madeline - they may not have related to each other, but they DID relate to my story. And that was the whole point of the exercise


In regards to reflection I don't think it's a bad idea to write about what you think your story will be like - however I DO think it's a bad idea to put more effort into this reflection than into the MW itself (who am I to speak... I did this as well! haha). The key is to mentally slap yourself on the cheek and get yourself to write something. Anything. Develop characters if you want to, write extensive preliminary notes/studies. But get something done on the MW - you can extend/edit from there

 

[lilkiwifruit]

I have done absolutely nothing for my short story! its my fault, but im just so demotivated! sure ive done bits of research here and there, but they are so absolutely unrelated! How are you guys doing it?! Do you guys do the whole writing samples of what you think your story may be like, etc?

OMG I'm going through the exact same thing as you! I'm just soo stuck and it seems like everyone else has their MW all planned out and that I'm the only one that hasn't got a clue at where I'm heading! I've also done research in lots of different concepts but nothing has really been of any particular interest to me
I'm so glad to have read this thread, at least I know that I'm not the only one suffering from this "writer's nightmare"

 

[glitterfairy]

Darlings,

I'm 90% sure that only about 10% of the state - if not only 7% - has themselves on a solid writing pattern by this stage. In fact last year on BOS at this time, most people didn't even KNOW what they were going to write about.

Don't stress yourselves out too much! Stress --> no work, when no stress --> potential to work. It's a lose-lose or win-win situation - take the latter! *does a little cheerleading dance*

 

[kami]

I have done absolutely nothing for my short story! its my fault, but im just so demotivated! sure ive done bits of research here and there, but they are so absolutely unrelated! How are you guys doing it?! Do you guys do the whole writing samples of what you think your story may be like, etc?

OMG I'm going through the exact same thing as you! I'm just soo stuck and it seems like everyone else has their MW all planned out and that I'm the only one that hasn't got a clue at where I'm heading! I've also done research in lots of different concepts but nothing has really been of any particular interest to me
I'm so glad to have read this thread, at least I know that I'm not the only one suffering from this "writer's nightmare"

Hey kids, stop worrying! Your inspiration will come when it will come and you will find most of what people have at this stage will be completely changed by the time submission comes around so you aren't behind! All your classmates may get is a little more writing practice is all and when you get a good idea going you'll be on a perfectly equal footing to them.

 

[lilkiwifruit]

Stress --> no work, when no stress --> potential to work. It's a lose-lose or win-win situation - take the latter! *does a little cheerleading dance*

Thanks for the advice, Kami and glitterfairy!
You're so right about the problems with stress, I'm so stressed about not getting any inspiration for my story, that I'm becoming an insomniac!

 

[Asheroth]

[dance] Got my first big storyline inspiration just then, and had to come on here and tell someone [/dance]

 

[gwemma88]

Hey...

I was going through the whole 'no idea' stage about a month ago and yes everyone else seemed so organised and planned out and that made me stressed so i had the whole insomniac thing going too!

The way i fixed it was to not concentrate so much on researching an idea or concept, i shifted my research into styles of writing, genres, aspects of a short story etc in the hope it would lead me somewhere. And it actually did. I was reading a published short story and looking at what made it successful and everything and the ideas that that story presented got me thinking and so now i have my idea and direction for my MW.

True story folks!

 

[Hermzie]

I keep a notepad and pen by my bed because 99% of my ideas come at 3am in the morning when I am feeling the wrath of insomnia. You would not believe how many interesting things comes to you late at night - my entire storyline was formed at 3:40am and each night after that I'd get traits for my characters after midnight.

Now that I have my concept I just have to start writing:\ I only ever write when my idea is pretty much pounding in my tell and dying to be written/typed out, because that's when the most natural sentences comes out.

 

[ryan11]

I spent a year formulating and ruminating over my short story; I wrote it two days before it was meant to be handed in. That is what I call motivation of a different sort. I would be surprised if your supervisor/teacher scolded you for laziness, because at times you can just feel so isolated and grasping at straws for motivation and ideas - staff are perpetually aware of the shit HSC students are under, and, if they're not more humane they're a useless excuse for the profession they're in. It's the same for any subject you take, although the Ext II course is invariably more involving and different.

I found that writing in my journal daily (sometimes twice) greatly increased my confidence in my writing and my ability to communicate from the head to the paper; I wrote three journals, and none of them contained meaningless crap. I really poured my heart and head into it, and thus completely avoided progressing with my short story. It's damn easy to say "Oh, yeah, I can write an 8,000 word short story, or write a perfectly plausible critique", but it's hard to make yourself believe it when you're working. Writing in the journal about anything put me in a good stead to sit down and write about my story; cutting out crap from various newspapers and magazines made me feel my journal was pretty, and thus my story could turn out to be pretty; ripping pages out and banging my head against the wall didn't work (but it certainly got me out of General Maths).

Anyway, if there's anything useful I can say, it's to write in your journal about anything and clarify in yourself what it is you truly want to achieve with your MW, as writers truly write about what they know and what they care.

 

[ScottyG]

Just sit down and write. Research is good, but research alone does not constitue a short story. You need to set aside a time to just write. Don't go milling around in the journal instead. Pick a free session at school, away from your friends, and just write that first section, that first chapter, those first few page. Doing that was the only way I could start, and now that I've started it's far easier to build upon.

You can be told not to worry from now till kingdom come, but if you want to make life easier for yourself, you'll just sit down and commit yourself to writing *something* for an hour or an hour and a half. Extension 2 English does not have to be a stressful subject for you. Turn it into a subject you truly enjoy. Start writing, you all have the capability to write well and the capacity to enjoy the process. What you write may not relate to your final direction, but it will give you a base with which to work with, and it gives you something tangible that you can call your own. From there its development, embellishment and edit(ment).

Sit down and write.

 

[doradiamond]

i completely agree with you guys and honestly, don't worry (i become a huge insomniac in hsc year so it's perfectly normal) although it did result in me falling asleep in the ancient history exam...

anyway, the research isn't everything. and you can always make it up later. even just crap on about it... as english students, we're good at that remember?

what is your muse? i found that i always wrote best in the wee hours of the morning or when i was really sad... just find what inspires you and work with that... dont worry about what you write because once you've got something down on paper, no matter how crap it is, you can always work on that. and dont worry about changing ur ideas or sticking to one solid one... i knew what i was writing about since year 11, my friend changed it 3 months before the due date and we both did great... so it's not a big issue!

good luck sweeties!

 

[Neea]

I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm going to do. I have my idea and I know (at least I'm praying that I do) where I'm going with it, but somehow when I sit in front of the computer or just have a peice of paper in front of me, my mind decides to die on me. Literally, I feel like I have BIG fat spiders running through my brain busily creating cobwebs!!

I need help, but I seriously don't know what I need help for!

To top that off, when I see other poeple's major work it freaks me out, considering frankly I feel like I won't match up to what many people on this site have written. They're just so damn good.I feel like my story is going to look like a three-year-old wrote it against such masterpeices.

I need chocolate.

 

[glitterfairy]

when I see other poeple's major work it freaks me out, considering frankly I feel like I won't match up to what many people on this site have written. They're just so damn good.I feel like my story is going to look like a three-year-old wrote it against such masterpeices.

I need chocolate.

You have to remember that all the MW's on the forum showcases went through an entire year's work before reaching the final draft. EVERYONE went through a stage like what you're going through now.

Just write. Don't worry about what other people will think of your work, or what it will look like in comparison to other works. All that is totally irrelevant right now - just write.

 

[ScottyG]

You'll see the common theme throughout this thread is to write. Put aside your concerns and standards, and write.

 

[lilkiwifruit]

I have absolutely no idea what the hell I'm going to do. I have my idea and I know (at least I'm praying that I do) where I'm going with it, but somehow when I sit in front of the computer or just have a peice of paper in front of me, my mind decides to die on me. Literally, I feel like I have BIG fat spiders running through my brain busily creating cobwebs!!

I need help, but I seriously don't know what I need help for!

To top that off, when I see other poeple's major work it freaks me out, considering frankly I feel like I won't match up to what many people on this site have written. They're just so damn good.I feel like my story is going to look like a three-year-old wrote it against such masterpeices.

I need chocolate.

ahh I have the same problem! The research is easy ..I just need to start writing something decent! I handed in my first 1000 words today and the teacher scribbled all over it and left me with one sentence left Its soo difficult to get motivated and its also really difficult to accept criticism from teachers even though deep down I know that they are right..

 

[AB2006]

Heh, its fine, Im still really only in my ideas stage as well. I had a very good idea and one I wanted to develop, got writing, had 2,000 solid words (after several times having the shit ripped through it by the 4 unit teacher) only to realize I have absolutely no idea for a plot and can't really to think of anything to develop through it.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

 

[glitterfairy]

Think about how plot-based your story is. If you KNOW you need plot, set aside a few hours to plan it all out. Work on a priority "chain" basis - eg do project A before jumping to project B which uses A as a foundation, etc etc.

In other words, PLAN your writing process. Think realistically about what you need in order to move on, then do that.

 

[sung]

I'm in a similar situation.
After writing for the entire holidays, I made the 8000 word limit only to have it torn to shreds by my ee2 teacher when we came back. I now have to start again and although i know exactly what it is that i want to do i just cant seem to get it out on paper. I always just write something then quickly delete it, thinking that its not good enough. Starting again has made me really demotivated and i feel like i have to drop but i really dont want to.
I'm drowning "gurgle gurgle"

 

[sung]

By the way, im doing extension 2 maths as well so my time to work on ee2 english is very very limited. Boo hoo now im a really procrastination(ish) mood.