How do you motivate yourselves to write?

[Stocky Boy]

How many of you like writing? I think there's a fair number of you.

I've got all these fantastic ideas, but no inclination to actually start the writing process. I think a large part of it is that I'm scared I'll come across hurdles and mental blocks, so I'm putting myself off from trying. But also, it's clearly going to demand a lot of my time to be productive in this way, and I'm always finding something else to do.

How in frig do you 'put pen to paper' so to speak and keep yourselves there?

[jedispyder]

My motivation? Fear of An, lol.

[StoneTable]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy.

Motivation might be the biggest hurdle for writers to get over. I've lost track of the times I've heard someone say "but I don't have the time to write". Bullshit. It's not about finding time, it's about making it.

Start by setting small goals. 150 words/day. Find a spot you can work comfortably. Some people like distraction, others can't handle it. Find what works for you. I like writing in a coffee shop. When we're at home, An & I tend to write with reruns on tv (Law & Order: SVU usually).

Find a contest or themed anthology you like, like PARSEC, as long as it has a fixed deadline. Mark it on your calendar, write it on your whiteboard, setup a reminder to email you every day.

The butt-in-chair (BIC) method works well. Take 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Use a timer if you have one. Sit down and write. Don't fixate about grammar or spelling. Just write.

First drafts are always shit. The point is to get it on paper (or computer) first. Editing is the proverbial toilet paper, wiping away the shit and leaving you with a nugget you can be proud of.

Like any skill, writing takes lots and lots and lots of practice to master. And there's a difference between writing and telling a story, but developing writing habits that work for you is the first step.

[ChimeraCreative]

Chris > Hmmmm... fear of me is fantastic as a motivator. I can also be the most gushing, supportive, cheerleader for writing. Or the most hardcore, unrelenting, uncompromising bitch editor. I wear different hats for different folks. ^_^

Stocky > Don't screw with me, Stocky. You really wanna write? That's fantastic, there's no one smoother and more engaging than you. :emoteHail:

***

1. Outlines - I think having a really detailed outline makes the writing go so much faster. I firmly believe that sitting down with a movie, or being bored at work, or car rides is a great time to plot a story in your head. Some folks will spend two weeks organizing a story in their head and on paper in point form notes or shorthand. I've had some outlines so through writing the story was like nothing more than connecting the dots, I had a five thousand word story done in 2 1/2 days.

2. Writing Space - It's like sex, try a whole bunch of shit and see what works for you. Tv or no tv. Music or no music. Comfy chair/couch or hard chair and desk. Bed or floor. Try to make a space that's dedicated to getting the work done though. I know someone (who wishes to remain anonymous, so I shall call him Stoney the Damned) has a lot of problem staying on task. He's always checking his mail, livejournal, etc and it really, really impedes his writing. So, limit distractions. Oh yeah, coffee shops and book stores with coffee shops are great for getting some work done.

3a. Help & Partners - There are some great writing sites and there are quite a few people here that love to write and wish to do more of it. When I started writing seriously back in the day I was teamed up with Captain Jack. He was very encouraging and I was always thrilled to turn something in to him. I will totally read anything of yours, Stocky, and if you're looking for publication I can help you find the right market to submit to. A lot of us here can help edit, help you figure out daunting plot holes and writer's block issues.

3b. Exercises - Some folks find 'word wars' to be extremely motivating (Where two writers write furiously for a designated period of time and see who has the most written after said time period.) Prompts and flash fiction help people get over their 'fear of writing', helps them commit to a first draft that isn't perfect, and stretches their ability to BS with a theme or style they might not of picked on their own. Nanowrimo is national novel writing month, it's in November and the goal is to write a 50, 000 word novel. Some people swear by it.

4. Manure - First drafts always suck balls. You will second guess your story idea, the words you pick, your skill level, everything. It's really important (and really hard) to allow yourself to suck. Power through it the best you can and put it aside for a week, a month, whatever, then try to write the second draft. You'd be surprised how awesome the second draft can be when it comes from such a shitty first draft. Some people write seven or eight drafts (which boogles my mind).

5. Deadlines - Like Stone the Damn... I mean, what Adam said, pick a contest, anthology or a magazine/ezine with a deadline. If you're into novels, comic books, screenplays, graphic novels that don't have a deadline, you're going to need additional help looking for a reason to write. For short stories and their ilk, there are two places that kick a lot of ass.

http://duotrope.com/ Is The Shit. It's a massive list of mags, ezines and odds and ends in every genre. You WILL find a market here for you. ^_^

http://www.ralan.com/ Is a little harder to navigate and is primarily concerned with genre fiction. It's not everybody's cup of tea.

***

And on a personal note, nothing helps me write as much as looking at the stack of stuff I've already written. I love having a stack of my work, makes me feel accomplished and makes me want to do more. I just need to get off my ass and submit more often. ^_^

[Junkogen]

I would like to write novels and more short stories, but for now I write stand-up comedy routines. For me, it's often that I don't have enough time in the day to write all that I'd like to. A lot of the time inspiration hits as I'm trying to go to bed. But anyway, what gets me motivated is I like to perform what I write and see how people respond. As a comedian, it's probably a little easier to get motivated because I get more of an instant gratification than novelists and other types of print writers. Sometimes people can spend years on a novel and never see it published or read by many people. At least as a comedian, I know people are hearing it, even if it is only 20-30 people a lot of the time.

I'm also motivated by not wanting to work any other jobs. I fucking hate mainstream occupations. It's pretty much just modern slavery. I don't want to make money for other people's bullshit materialism and greed. I'd rather be in the artistic arena, if it's ever possible. Just the chance of being able to do something I love for a living is motivation enough. That's how much I despise regular jobs. Sure I'll probably always be broke as a writer, but at least I'm expressing myself, being creative, and not feeling like a rotting carcass all the time. I guess, to be honest, I have to do it or I'd probably kill myself. I just can't go back to feeling that worthless and exploited.

Now I just have to be discovered.

[ChimeraCreative]

Hey Junk, you could make a really good living doing screenplays. It's not as much "writing" as regular manuscripts and you can be as funny, crass or serious as you wanna be in in your movies. It's a perfect outlet for a comedy rich fella like yourself.

[Stocky Boy]

Okay chaps and chapettes,

Before I adopt the BIC method and write my inevitably shit first draft, I'm going to outline the crap out of my story. Connect the dots clearly seems like my thing rather than totally spontaneous free-writing Or atleast, I need a chart of where the story is going in order to let the 'creative ooze' spill forward onto the page a-la spontaneous free-writing.

I really don't think I'm in the right environment to write though. I don't think I'll be a big fan of taking my laptop out of the house though, so I'll have to explore a few options here.

Stoney, CC, what have been your favourite works to write and why?

Jedi, how frightened must you be in order that you are at your most productive for writing? :D

Junk, when you write for stand-up, do you write absolutely everything you are going to say down?


And for everyone, what the hell got you into writing and why do you enjoy it?

[Junkogen]

Junk, when you write for stand-up, do you write absolutely everything you are going to say down?


And for everyone, what the hell got you into writing and why do you enjoy it?
Not all the time. It depends on the routine. A lot of my best stuff has just come from improvisation on stage. That's what makes it different as well. I have an audience. I feed off of their energy. It's a very symbiotic relationship.

It also depends on the comedian, same as any form of writing. What I do may be totally different from what other comedian's do. In fact, I know what I do is vastly different from what other comedians do. I have rarely done the same act twice. But I'm also in my nascent stages of stand up. I'm trying to challenge myself. The vast majority of comedians I've seen do the same material all the time, for months on end, and they're just starting out. Maybe that's what's comfortable for them, but I find that to be very limiting and too easy. But I'm also not getting paid. I have the privilege of not owing anybody anything. If I bomb, I don't feel like I've ripped people off. Whereas professional comedians have to deliver or their audience will feel cheated. I suppose I'll be confronted with that dilemma someday, but for now, I'll just keep doing what I feel is best for me as a developing comic.

Ultimately, you just have to find your own artistic voice and what works for you. If you want to be true to yourself and your self-expression. I suppose some people aren't strong enough to do their own original work. Some people have to be hacks, unfortunately. I suppose that ties into people's motivations for writing. Some people just want the fame and fortune and don't care about the self-expression and the art. So they rip off other people. Many famous comedians have done that. Hell, many "successful" people have done that. I don't know how those people live with themselves. But I guess if all you care about is the materialistic rewards, than I suppose those higher principles wouldn't matter much.

And as far as why I got into it, I think I said it previously. I have to do it. It's what gives me self-worth and self-esteem and makes feel alive.

[Junkogen]

Hey Junk, you could make a really good living doing screenplays. It's not as much "writing" as regular manuscripts and you can be as funny, crass or serious as you wanna be in in your movies. It's a perfect outlet for a comedy rich fella like yourself.

I've thought about that, but we'll see. I don't like the idea of writing "just to make money."

I guess one of the main reasons I write and perform is because I feel like I'm being heard. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I think all the time. I'm constantly thinking and analyzing everything and trying to gain new perspectives on things. And I feel like what I have to say is important and should be considered by humanity. In a way, I feel obligated to express myself and get my ideas heard, even if it is in such a limited way. I don't care if people think my ideas and opinions are stupid, naive, or just plain shit. I believe in myself and my abilities as a thinker, writer, and performer; and I know what goes into it--every aspect of my being, every available resource and experience. So I don't give a fuck what other people think of me.

...that was kind of a tangent...

I guess what I'm saying is that writing for the sake of just making money would make me feel worthless, angry and depressed again.


:soapbox:

[Fasheem]

So how the hell do you feed yourself, Junkogen? Not getting paid for stand-up, not doing any other job...

[JediMindTrick]

CC knows i don't force my motivation...AT ALL...i just jump on it when i get it...i find i write much better quality material when i just "let it happen"

[MGM]

Not all the time. It depends on the routine. A lot of my best stuff has just come from improvisation on stage. That's what makes it different as well. I have an audience. I feed off of their energy. It's a very symbiotic relationship.

Do you have examples of your work? I mean, from written parts, not from the improvisation.

[Mr Wallstreet]

How many of you like writing? I think there's a fair number of you.

How in frig do you 'put pen to paper' so to speak and keep yourselves there?


Day late and a dollar short, but when I used to write for fun, I'd find a time and place where I knew I wouldnt be disturbed and write. It's Stone's "Butt-in-Chair" method. I can't write with others around me because I have the attention span of a 5 year old. The slightest thing will distract me to no end, hence finding isolation when writing. And, this is just me, but if I were to say "I'll write when I feel inspired", I'd never have gotten around to writing to begin with". By forcing myself to make time to write I was able to get some good shit down (even if its only me who thinks so).

That may not work for everyone because as Junk (in the Trunk) pointed out, people get hit with the inspiration bug at odd hours of the day but for me, I'd force myself to think and write during that period of time I set aside to write. Even if I had zilch to write about for my subject material, I'd just write random sentences about various things until something clicked and then I'd write like a madman.

My favorite subjects to write about were politics (both domestic and international). There is something fascinating about dissecting other peoples political ideologies because you're invariably going to find something you don't like and fight about it. I think thats whats drew me to politics. The confrontational nature of it.

[Mr Wallstreet]

I guess what I'm saying is that writing for the sake of just making money would make me feel worthless, angry and depressed again.




I miss worthless, angry depressed Junkogen.

[ChimeraCreative]

CC knows i don't force my motivation...AT ALL...i just jump on it when i get it...i find i write much better quality material when i just "let it happen"

It's like pulling teeth trying to get him to put words on a page. Flattery and compliments grease his creative wheels the best, but sometimes I'm too tired to make shit up. :hehehm:

[ChimeraCreative]

I've thought about that, but we'll see. I don't like the idea of writing "just to make money."



Could you give me some examples of movies you've really enjoyed and some movies you've really respected?

[StoneTable]

Before I adopt the BIC method and write my inevitably shit first draft, I'm going to outline the crap out of my story. Connect the dots clearly seems like my thing rather than totally spontaneous free-writing Or atleast, I need a chart of where the story is going in order to let the 'creative ooze' spill forward onto the page a-la spontaneous free-writing.


The point is that you need to allow yourself to write a crappy first draft. If you agonize over every word you write in an attempt to write the perfect first draft you're doing yourself a disservice. You're in good (in a manner of speaking) company:

“The first draft of anything is shit” - Ernest Hemingway

Outlining is good to cover the main characters, plot, theme, etc. It shouldn't squash creativity, but compliment the writing process. I use index cards to outline. I usually have one that lists the characters, their relationships to each other, and a short sentence or two that defines them. Another sketches out the plot and any theme or points I want to make. A few others to expand on key points or facts I need to keep in mind. Then I have an index card for each "scene", focusing on advancing the plot. What happens from there, how the characters move from beginning to end, is free form.


Stoney, CC, what have been your favourite works to write and why?


That's tough. I've got 23 or so stories written. I don't know if I could name a favorite. There are a few stories that I'm extremely passionate about and won't go back out for submission until I've done them justice, and a few I'm sick of and probably won't look at again.

[Mr Wallstreet]

Alternatively, you could also tether some electrodes to your body and whenever you zone out, daydream or try to leave prematurely, an electric shock will be administered to the most sensitive areas of your body. :devilish:

[JediMindTrick]

Or at least give you a wet dream...

[CountD]

I write when it comes/strikes me, not when I WANT to.

Does that make sense?