I have been trying to get into writing short stories as a hobby. I have a couple of good ideas. But I tend to struggle when actually putting my thoughts to words.

Some issues I struggle with are as follows:

  • Inability to settle on the right words: I’ll write something and think that what I wrote could be written better or differently and then I keep on writing and deleting and rephrasing with different words. Thus making very slow progress.

  • Problems with continuity: I might think up a somewhat long plot line. But I have to write the whole thing in one go because if I don’t then my brain will splinter the story into multiple possible story branches when I stop and I am unable to choose the path to follow.

  • Lose interest in continuing if I take a break: If I stop writing mid way and take a break from writing for an extended period of time, I am unable to find the motivation to resume. Mostly because trying to catchup with the story up to that point feels hard. I have this same tendency with video games as well where I don’t feel like picking up a game after an extended period of absence.

So is anyone here who does writing as either a hobby or professionally? If so how do you cope with your condition?

What I’ve found that works for me is to just make up the story as I go without much planning. The issue with this is approach I’ve found is that it’s hard to find a conclusion to end the story.

  • zzffyfajzkzhnsweqm@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    14·
    2 days ago

    When I try to write something I do not edit anything. I just write. Editing is the issue for future me. Or someone elese. But it will be the last step. I have not decided yet. And I write short stories, such that I can finish one in an evening without pauses. All of them together form a bigger story. You do not have to write short stories but you can organize chapters to be short enough to be finished in an evening.

    • SpongyAneurysm@feddit.orgEnglish
      8·
      2 days ago

      There’s the saying: “write drunk, edit sober”, that’s probably falsely attributed to one author or the other.

      I wouldn’t recommend drinking, but although I’m not a writer, sometimes hyperfocus has a similar trippy energy for me. So I guess the advice to use that energy and focus on putting text on paper and iron it out afterwards is kinda comparable.