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I have been writing a lot in the last two or three months. Unfortunately, none of it could in any way be termed productive writing -- the closest to original is the back-story for my D&D character*.
It's frustrating in a kind of good way. Good because I'm loving it. The actual process of writing is FUN, and unlike many of my other projects, I seem to be able to tell myself to do, say, 4000 words a week, and DO it. Frustrating because all of my abortive original story starts suffer from the same problem: I suck at interesting/original or even barely useful PLOT (this has been confirmed by professionals! When Marion Zimmer Bradley's fantasy magazine was still a going concern, I sent them a story and got a personalized rejection that said, basically "Your writing is beautiful, but something needs to happen").
I could write dialogue all the live-long day. Dialogue and character development make me very happy. Humorous ensemble-cast situations are a blast. My recent writing obsession is helping me get much better at flow from scene to scene and character arcs.
A reason to have the whole damn story? Much more difficult.
I've been building the same world for years, and it's morphed and evolved and I'm very fond of it, but... when I think of the stories I'd planned, I don't see anything interesting enough to be worth the time and effort (Except perhaps for two stories which demand to be told in graphic novel format, which has it's own issues. I have now proven to myself that I can write speedily enough to be useful; I'm still prohibitively SLOW as an illustrator).
Having a hobby you enjoy but aren't good enough at to make even occasional income at is normal. Most people have them! I suppose the frustration comes in because I thing I'm at that stage with just about everything I do. Which means this is just another variation of the "Wow, I admire people who can focus enough on one thing to be really good at it" moaning.
From that day to this
I have wandered alone
I'm a jack of all trades
And a master of none
With the sky for my roof
And the earth for my floor
And I'll dance out my days drinking whisky galore!
*Maeve is a dwarven cleric of the elven goddess of Love and Beauty. Her story is told in a string of letters, none of which she wrote or received, detailing the various temples she got kicked out of along the way to her current posting.
It's frustrating in a kind of good way. Good because I'm loving it. The actual process of writing is FUN, and unlike many of my other projects, I seem to be able to tell myself to do, say, 4000 words a week, and DO it. Frustrating because all of my abortive original story starts suffer from the same problem: I suck at interesting/original or even barely useful PLOT (this has been confirmed by professionals! When Marion Zimmer Bradley's fantasy magazine was still a going concern, I sent them a story and got a personalized rejection that said, basically "Your writing is beautiful, but something needs to happen").
I could write dialogue all the live-long day. Dialogue and character development make me very happy. Humorous ensemble-cast situations are a blast. My recent writing obsession is helping me get much better at flow from scene to scene and character arcs.
A reason to have the whole damn story? Much more difficult.
I've been building the same world for years, and it's morphed and evolved and I'm very fond of it, but... when I think of the stories I'd planned, I don't see anything interesting enough to be worth the time and effort (Except perhaps for two stories which demand to be told in graphic novel format, which has it's own issues. I have now proven to myself that I can write speedily enough to be useful; I'm still prohibitively SLOW as an illustrator).
Having a hobby you enjoy but aren't good enough at to make even occasional income at is normal. Most people have them! I suppose the frustration comes in because I thing I'm at that stage with just about everything I do. Which means this is just another variation of the "Wow, I admire people who can focus enough on one thing to be really good at it" moaning.
From that day to this
I have wandered alone
I'm a jack of all trades
And a master of none
With the sky for my roof
And the earth for my floor
And I'll dance out my days drinking whisky galore!
*Maeve is a dwarven cleric of the elven goddess of Love and Beauty. Her story is told in a string of letters, none of which she wrote or received, detailing the various temples she got kicked out of along the way to her current posting.
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no subject
Date: 2011-06-19 07:44 pm (UTC)From:If you have a setting and a group of characters and don't know what to do with them, you could try sending them to me and see if I send you a useful plot back. Might solve both our problems!
no subject
Date: 2011-06-20 02:41 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2011-06-20 02:42 pm (UTC)From:I love my house and my town, and you love your house and your town, but sometimes these things give me a sad.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-20 04:40 am (UTC)From:Buck up! It really does take time to make money at it. Personal example: my mom. She's been writing for decades, and finally got her first book published last month! You just have to muddle through those rough spots.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-20 02:38 pm (UTC)From:Good for your mom! That's fantastic.
I don't really care about making money at it or not, honestly... I suppose I just want the sense of accomplishment. "This is a thing! I made this thing!" is probably the root motivation for almost everything I do.