What Inspires You To Finish Writing a Book?

[The Sum of Awe]

I have a LOT of plot ideas, and have most saved under a private message to myself on facebook a lot time ago.

All together I have finished at least 4 long stories that go above 80 pages, there might be a couple more I don't remember. I know there is plenty of short stories I wrote and saved in hope to mix into a compilation but most of those were from when I was in my single digits and so there are a lot of grammar errors I need to fix; it was before I ever knew about paragraphing or using quotation marks. Some of them are recent or have passable grammar, but I am far too lazy to search through all of my document files for all of them.

Most of the time I will begin a book, maybe get 3 or 4 pages in and I either make some kind of error (it's very easy for me to accidentally switch tenses or point of views), I get stuck, or I just put it off for a day, then the next day the same, etc. until I forget all about it and when I remember it I think back to all of my other unfinished writings and find no reason or interest to continue working on the one I ditched.

Ideas pop up in my head, left and right, and always been that way since a child. I remember seeing a movie Sharkboy and Lava Girl when I was 7 or so and I took interest in wanting to write my ideas down and a little later in life I took interest in writing these ideas into actual plots. I used to love writing with a pencil and paper as a kid, I'd go on to make sequels until I was told by people that they have to be longer stories, and so I began the sequel except put it in the same first book to extend it.

Lately I've just been slacking. It's nothing too different, I'll write a couple pages and ditch the project due to impatience and wanting to get to the point, or at least rush into the middle so it'd be funner to write. However, now, it's harder for me to get motivated than it used to be, because another plot idea would pop into my head and I start on that instead.

Anyone have any similar problems? How do you get past this loop of procrastination?

 

[BSM1]

Some wise person said writing is 10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration. Go to work and write.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I tend to write my stories around a few key plot events, which then I begin to design the world, then I make characters that fit into that world with the goal of making a story that believably works up to those few events.
And it is nothing for me to think of some event as I am writing that is just too out of place for the world I have created, but it gets me started creating another world and more characters. That's what I have a notebook for, to store these ideas and use them later.
My biggest challenges are writers block, which as of now I just have to let it pass on its own, and researching for meticulous details that can easily kill hours of time, half a day, or a full day just so I can write one paragraph and have everything written and explained as it should be. But since my efforts have been turned to research/non-fiction and have shelved fiction for now, the more time spent reseaching the better I suppose.

 

[DreadFish]

It sounds to me that you really just need to write. Don't focus on getting the grammar and everything right the first time; that doesn't work; that's not the way to write. The point is to write and keep writing. You refine and simplify later down the line. That's why there are 1st drafts, 2nd drafts, final drafts and so on. Hell, because im a perfectionist, I write and then refine my posts until they are the way I want them to be.

A big exercise in the writing world is just free-writing for a set amount of time. You do not stop to correct or change anything, you just keep writing. Grammar does not matter when you are getting the ideas and feelings onto the page; it's a phase unto itself. Really, thinking just censors the creative flow of ideas. So, just write. It's not supposed to be all fun; it's like BSM said, it's 90% perspiration. You gotta stick with something to see it to completion, even when it's hard work and not fun.

For inspiration, I prescribe you some Sean Connery:

[youtube]juko0sAndsA[/youtube]

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It sounds to me that you really just need to write. Don't focus on getting the grammar and everything right the first time; that doesn't work; that's not the way to write. The point is to write and keep writing. You refine and simplify later down the line. That's why there are 1st drafts, 2nd drafts, final drafts and so on. Hell, because im a perfectionist, I write and then refine my posts until they are the way I want them to be.

I forgot all about grammar. I get so exhausted from copy editing my school papers and making sure the grammar is nearly flawless that I enjoy every opportunity I can to relax the grammar. And really, grammar is what a sorely under appreciated editor is for. Those unsung heroes who are life's true masochist who prevent authors from looking like fools who can't write at a first grade level.

 

[ScuzManiac]

I've been writing my entire life but professionally for about 5 years...

And have one finished/produced screenplay, 2 published novels, and a few short stories.

With that being said, I still struggle to finish a book.

In fact, I start more books than I finish (probably at a 10 to 1 ratio).

What inspires me to finish? The fact that I can.

I've always been one of those people that get 20 pages in and find myself going back over what I write constantly. I do this until I lose my mind, delete the file, and start something new.

When I get past those 20 pages and don't find myself doing that, I get inspired to finish.

 

[BSM1]

I've been writing my entire life but professionally for about 5 years...

And have one finished/produced screenplay, 2 published novels, and a few short stories.

With that being said, I still struggle to finish a book.

In fact, I start more books than I finish (probably at a 10 to 1 ratio).

What inspires me to finish? The fact that I can.

I've always been one of those people that get 20 pages in and find myself going back over what I write constantly. I do this until I lose my mind, delete the file, and start something new.

When I get past those 20 pages and don't find myself doing that, I get inspired to finish.

Maybe you should start your projects on the 21st page .

 

[DawudTalut]

Peace be on all.
Do you good writers write about real life happenings?

 

[ScuzManiac]

Maybe you should start your projects on the 21st page .

Maybe so!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

My current obstacle isn't finishing the writing, but deciding when my research is finished enough to begin writing. Even though I've read several books and watched a bunch of documentaries for my current project, my list of things to research keeps growing and growing and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed. What started as a grabbing a few sources from an article I read and picking up a few related things at the library has grown into a page-and-a-half of single spaced 8-text sized list of books, articles, and authors to read.

Peace be on all.
Do you good writers write about real life happenings?

Very typically there has been some sort of real life happening that inspires a scene or events in my stories, or sometimes inspires a part of a story that develops the plot.

 

[Vinayaka]

Anyone have any similar problems? How do you get past this loop of procrastination?

It really helps to get a little positive feedback once in a while.

 

[psychoslice]

I went out for coffee every morning, and that is where I wrote most of my book.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Now that this thread re-opened I'd like to say that I once again failed. I spent way too much time on plot development. I created an entire almanac for the world, an entire mythology, and when I started on the book I wrote about a page and a half before I started to get picky and gave up. It is supposed to be about something falls out of the sky, nobody knows what it is, it's a glowing cube that pretty much eats through matter infinitely and they have to find a way to stop it before it gets too deep and destroys the earth.

I avoid starting paragraphs with the same word twice, I only use "I" at the start of a paragraph rarely, I never begin the story with the word "I", I find it somewhat difficult to jump from a description paragraph to an action paragraph, I often will lose interest with a part of the story I spent a lot of time on and give up on the project altogether.

 

[DreadFish]

Now that this thread re-opened I'd like to say that I once again failed. I spent way too much time on plot development. I created an entire almanac for the world, an entire mythology, and when I started on the book I wrote about a page and a half before I started to get picky and gave up. It is supposed to be about something falls out of the sky, nobody knows what it is, it's a glowing cube that pretty much eats through matter infinitely and they have to find a way to stop it before it gets too deep and destroys the earth.

I avoid starting paragraphs with the same word twice, I only use "I" at the start of a paragraph rarely, I never begin the story with the word "I", I find it somewhat difficult to jump from a description paragraph to an action paragraph, I often will lose interest with a part of the story I spent a lot of time on and give up on the project altogether.

Dude, you gotta get over that ****. Don't be so concerned with the details or what to start a paragraph with from the get-go. You refine as you go on, but you gotta get the story out in its raw form. Heck, write it all with no paragraphs and justified for all it matters. The organization and details of sentences and paragraphs can come later. Heck, Kerouac wrote On the Road on one giant scroll of paper without stopping.

Don't get yourself hung up on these little things; you refine later on. Seriously, you write stuff out and then, after you've written it, you go back and tailor the sentences and paragraphs. For now, you have to keep writing.

Im not really a story writer, but it doesn't sound like spending a lot of time on plot development caused you to get too picky and quit writing.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Dude, you gotta get over that ****. Don't be so concerned with the details or what to start a paragraph with from the get-go. You refine as you go on, but you gotta get the story out in its raw form. Heck, write it all with no paragraphs and justified for all it matters. The organization and details of sentences and paragraphs can come later. Heck, Kerouac wrote On the Road on one giant scroll of paper without stopping.

Don't get yourself hung up on these little things; you refine later on. Seriously, you write stuff out and then, after you've written it, you go back and tailor the sentences and paragraphs. For now, you have to keep writing.

Im not really a story writer, but it doesn't sound like spending a lot of time on plot development caused you to get too picky and quit writing.

I think the problem with that is that my favorite part about making a story is character/object background description

 

[DreadFish]

I think the problem with that is that my favorite part about making a story is character/object background description

I think it's great that you love developing characters and backgrounds. The only problem I see, from what you've written, is that you just need to work on letting your story go and write itself before you worry about particulars in word choice and format.

Try freewriting for a set amount of time. Decide five or 10 minutes, set a timer and just write without stopping or correcting anything. Then you can look at it and see if there's anything that you like. Many writers do this as a warm-up before they start writing because freewriting helps to let that creativity flow without being inhibited by particulars and contrivances. People also save their freewriting because there can be stuff in it that may inspire something at some point. You don't have to take any of it, or all of it, and make it into anything. The point is to get you writing without inhibition. It's very important to write without inhibition. You can omit or add things after the fact. Sometimes you read what you've written and that inspires some spontaneous creativity to add something else to it, or maybe you realize that a certain part messes with the flow of it and needs to be removed. But that comes after the initial writing.

Write first, refine later, if necessary.

 

[s2a]

I have a LOT of plot ideas, and have most saved under a private message to myself on facebook a lot time ago.

All together I have finished at least 4 long stories that go above 80 pages, there might be a couple more I don't remember. I know there is plenty of short stories I wrote and saved in hope to mix into a compilation but most of those were from when I was in my single digits and so there are a lot of grammar errors I need to fix; it was before I ever knew about paragraphing or using quotation marks. Some of them are recent or have passable grammar, but I am far too lazy to search through all of my document files for all of them.

Most of the time I will begin a book, maybe get 3 or 4 pages in and I either make some kind of error (it's very easy for me to accidentally switch tenses or point of views), I get stuck, or I just put it off for a day, then the next day the same, etc. until I forget all about it and when I remember it I think back to all of my other unfinished writings and find no reason or interest to continue working on the one I ditched.

Ideas pop up in my head, left and right, and always been that way since a child. I remember seeing a movie Sharkboy and Lava Girl when I was 7 or so and I took interest in wanting to write my ideas down and a little later in life I took interest in writing these ideas into actual plots. I used to love writing with a pencil and paper as a kid, I'd go on to make sequels until I was told by people that they have to be longer stories, and so I began the sequel except put it in the same first book to extend it.

Lately I've just been slacking. It's nothing too different, I'll write a couple pages and ditch the project due to impatience and wanting to get to the point, or at least rush into the middle so it'd be funner to write. However, now, it's harder for me to get motivated than it used to be, because another plot idea would pop into my head and I start on that instead.

Anyone have any similar problems? How do you get past this loop of procrastination?

Having been "there" myself, I'd say my primal motivation is "fear".

Fear of disappointing my publisher. Fear of going unpaid for months of effort and work.

Finally..."procrastination" has yet to rear that ugly head of doubt or vacuum syndrome for me. In fact, I have discovered grand inadequacy regarding decent recording methods for budding or veteran writers.

The only counsel/advice I might lend to any prospective author is...

...don't give up.

Find your niche, your place, your passion.

Write about that interest, and ignore the other currently multitudinous venues or accounted numbers ("click bait" hits) of any daily readership.

We live within a unavoidable swirling mass of equine excrement every day. Here's yet another shot to rise above, and enlighten us all.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Now that this thread re-opened I'd like to say that I once again failed. I spent way too much time on plot development. I created an entire almanac for the world, an entire mythology, and when I started on the book I wrote about a page and a half before I started to get picky and gave up. It is supposed to be about something falls out of the sky, nobody knows what it is, it's a glowing cube that pretty much eats through matter infinitely and they have to find a way to stop it before it gets too deep and destroys the earth.

I think the problem with that is that my favorite part about making a story is character/object background description

That is most certainly not a problem. You can't show your audience whats going on and what the environment is, so you have to tell them. When your audience can get a clear vision of the characters, they can start to feel they know them. When the environment is so well described that your audience can smell it, you have brought the forest, or desert, or city, or where ever the fallen object lies to your readers.
Myself, I establish the base-plot, a few key characters, and then I design an environment in which my story can reasonable allow for the story to take place in. From there, the descriptions of the environment become crucial as the difference between a cowboy, a samurai, and a knight is really just their environment.

 

[Warbird]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw2KXX7WrOY

This got me through my first novel.
Hopefully will for the second one too!