tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post747973858874260121..comments2024-03-10T00:26:33.241-08:00Comments on <strike>Muse Riding Shotgun</strike>: IWSG: I Don't Know What I'm Doing.Mason T. Matchakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-7154323393785456262017-05-09T21:00:51.479-07:002017-05-09T21:00:51.479-07:00I have learned that my stories need time before I&...I have learned that my stories need time before I'm really ready to work on them, true. But having absolutely nothing work, no matter the time involved? That's something different. >_<Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-85820241866788500842017-05-09T10:51:37.901-07:002017-05-09T10:51:37.901-07:00You're definitely not alone. I've found th...You're definitely not alone. I've found that for some reason, my stories now need a very long time to simmer. I'm not sure why this is the case lately, but realizing it has helped me see that the process is largely out of my control (been working on my current WIP since 2011). Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06317095707905133969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-22221887227122167612017-05-04T20:35:40.620-07:002017-05-04T20:35:40.620-07:00...aaaand thanks to Twitter, you know what this in......aaaand thanks to Twitter, you know what this inspired. >_<Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-11363129142627878302017-05-04T08:30:05.023-07:002017-05-04T08:30:05.023-07:00What about rewriting a familiar story? One where t...What about rewriting a familiar story? One where the plot is already set up, but you give it a twist. For instance, my friend took Beauty and the Beast, made the beast a female werewolf who then had to struggle with self identity because she was hetero and then imprinted on a girl. Maybe putting plot on the backburner and focusing on just your characters might help? Loni Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126958230703180761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-14177479299531861222017-05-03T20:54:22.816-07:002017-05-03T20:54:22.816-07:00I don't know. I've taken breaks before an...I don't know. I've taken breaks before and I come back to the same problems I left behind. I feel empty when I'm not working on writing and wretched when it's not going well, so... yeah.Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-40622538012588770022017-05-03T20:53:31.046-07:002017-05-03T20:53:31.046-07:00Thanks, though. And I don't know how much goo...Thanks, though. And I don't know how much good a conference would do - I did the cruise thing last year, and I came out of it with the same troubles I had going in. Attempting to hammer out a plot while on the boat ruined my desire to ever work on that story again.Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-52631642547394861432017-05-03T20:52:05.097-07:002017-05-03T20:52:05.097-07:00I did a conference of sorts last year (the Writing...I did a conference of sorts last year (the Writing Excuses cruise), and as I said, I don't like writing short fiction. And my history with writing groups is... bad. Nothing quite like writing crap for the group, knowing it's crap, and getting told it's crap.Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-80179895736182156962017-05-03T20:50:29.857-07:002017-05-03T20:50:29.857-07:00I'm sorry, but I don't like the idea of wr...I'm sorry, but I don't like the idea of writing a book with someone else at all. >_<Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-2811257863460953252017-05-03T20:50:06.152-07:002017-05-03T20:50:06.152-07:00I think you misunderstood me; this isn't about...I think you misunderstood me; this isn't about publishing. There's no need to worry about publishing a story when I can't even figure the damn story out. >_< As for everything else, I just don't know. I can't even be sure about feeling any satisfaction from this, though that might be depression talking.Mason T. Matchakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10382636658554302699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-33814031913534291572017-05-03T15:43:34.389-07:002017-05-03T15:43:34.389-07:00You know, I've taken long periods of time off....You know, I've taken long periods of time off. Ease up on the pressure, eh? It will come in its own time, if you're not stressed about it. Promise.Crystal Collierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03912469552483168148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-82926903495435764132017-05-03T15:30:36.730-07:002017-05-03T15:30:36.730-07:00Sorry to hear you're struggling. Unfortunately...Sorry to hear you're struggling. Unfortunately, you and I are vastly different in when it comes to how we work in writing, so anything I say is pretty unhelpful. I work in scenes and unless it's one of the big books, I don't spend long thinking out a plot. Like I said, not helpful. <br /><br />If you do decide to pursue a conference, I've heard really great things about http://writerunboxed.com/. A personal friend has been to several conferences both in state and out, and she said this one was worth traveling across the country for. Unfortunately, it looks like they don't have one of their conferences scheduled at the moment. Loni Townsendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126958230703180761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-26916033453331175622017-05-03T12:18:21.876-07:002017-05-03T12:18:21.876-07:00A conference might really be a good idea. Or go fo...A conference might really be a good idea. Or go for something small like shorts or flash fiction for a bit? A small writing group which meets online once a week (or in real life) can work wonders too. Or sometimes, we simply need to step back and do something totally different for awhile. If you find the magic cure, let me know.Tonja Dreckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07683717853264134466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-73796952871184683462017-05-03T11:46:14.907-07:002017-05-03T11:46:14.907-07:00What Rena said about going to a conference. Or wor...What Rena said about going to a conference. Or working with another writer? I know several who've co-authored books and it seems like a great motivator.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6667260282067472646.post-35336963167045046842017-05-03T07:00:09.685-07:002017-05-03T07:00:09.685-07:00Sounds like you might need to try going to a write...Sounds like you might need to try going to a writer's conference or gathering, or something. The trials of writing are vast and painful even when things are all roses. Finding and connecting with other writers--in person--can really help. It's not you, it is the interface between creation and publishing, and it is cruel. Right now, you seem focused on the end game, the publication side of it, and that's not where most people who are involved in writing gain their strength. It is the creation of the writing, not it's end result. I try to think of the novel as being its own entity, and it deserves the time and attention you give it to be made. It deserves to exist for the sake of creation. What happens after is a whole other ball game.<br /><br />On the other hand, if the idea does not deserve to exist, well, you don't need to torture yourself creating it.<br /><br />Novels need to be things that give you pride in making, to be able to look back at your creations and say, I made those, and even though they are flawed, I still love them. There's a lot of self satisfactiin in that place. Renahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02767762370997304308noreply@blogger.com