I Hate Writing - Writers Forum

rashadow · 07-23-2004, 10:46 AM

I hate writing, I mean the actual writing part. I love creating and developing and coming up with all types of cool sh*t to write about. But I hate the long boring task of actually writing it...

Anybody feel the same way.

How do you make the actual writing part fun, or at least bearable?
I'm talking about novels of course. How do you get through the 3-12 month period of writing them.

This is not a post about forcing yourself to write. This is about making it fun or at least not so tedious.

Any suggestions?

sully474 · 07-23-2004, 11:54 AM

I listen to music and stuff. I'm never inly writing. I found it boring at first too whenI didn't do anything else. Distract yourself and it seems like you aren't really writing.

Airborneguy · 07-23-2004, 12:22 PM

When I wrote my first novel, and now during the writing of my second, it just flows. Sometimes, I feel as if my hands can't keep up with my brain. I don't hate it at all.

eleutheromaniac · 07-23-2004, 01:47 PM

To be honest with you, if it's tedious for you to write it, it's probably equally tedious to read it. I haven't read your work, so I can't really comment.

If you hated the writing, then you might want to hire a few paramedics to be on suicide watch when you start editing and marketing.

'Do you have a prediction for the fight?'

Pain.

Emma LB · 07-23-2004, 02:29 PM

Why is it tedious for you? What I’ve found is that it’s great fun to just write (not caring for everything to sound right first time). If you’re worrying about every sentence sounding right, then that might be your problem. Just write, even if the sentences themselves sound really bad and aren’t even grammatically correct. Once you’ve written a piece you are really happy with (I mean the story of course) then you’ll probably want it to read well to and you then you might want to sit down and actually change and re-write it to sound nice. Don’t worry about all that when you first write a scene though, it’ll just ruin the writing process for you. I hate having to think about every sentence I write as I write it, but find it’s not much of a problem to change them afterwards, it can be quite fun (well, some passages are so bad, I just have to re-write them totally, but that’s fun too).

Wyndham · 07-23-2004, 04:00 PM

For most writers there is little pay, less recognition, a lot of rejection and frustration, and only a small glimmer of hope. Why would anyone do it who found it tedious? Unless you are one of those people who gets big advances for turning out formula novels that the public has come to expect from you. That would be tedious, but it would have its rewards. So I could see getting locked into something like that, even if you hated it. Otherwise I haven't clue why you would do it.

rashadow · 07-23-2004, 04:12 PM

It isn't any of that, I just hate writing. I mean, if the words can go from my mind to the page I would be in heaven. And although I find the writing part tedious the work is never so. I just do not like the actual writing part.

Emma LB · 07-23-2004, 04:43 PM

Do you hate writing, or typing?
Do you mean you hate hitting the keys with your fingers? Maybe a few typing lessons would help there, if your only problem is getting the words from your head onto the page fast enough.
Otherwise sullies advice doesn't sound too bad, listen to some music while you're typing (but don't try something like Europe or System of a Down, I find rock music distracts me from writing).

Chris · 07-23-2004, 09:53 PM

Read lots of novels. Then pick a novel you really respond to in terms of writing style. Emulate their writing style when you write your own story. *shrug* just an idea. I know, I've enjoyed writing sentences a lot more after reading Toni Morrison. I try to capture her beautiful prose so I can apply it to my own stuff.

It might also make the process more challenging, therefore more interesting, to write in a tyle so unlike your own. Experimentation will take you a long way, and is also fun. Good luck!

DL Ferguson · 07-23-2004, 11:10 PM

Some of the ways I fight the tedium of writing...

I never have just one thing I'm working on. Right now I have a crime novel I'm writing, an action adventure novel and a couple of short stories in various genres as well as a few fan fiction things I noodle around with just for fun. The point is, when I get bored with one, I turn to another project for a while. Just working on the same thing day in and day out can get tedious, sure.

Writing a novel is a long process sure, but to keep myself interested I allow myself room to throw in stuff to keep myself entertained. That's why if you read my stuff you'll find that I mix up genres so I'll come out with a western/fantasy or a horror/comedy or a action/domestic comedy. I don't write to an outline and very rarely know the outcome of my story when I start it. So in effect, I'm telling the story to myself as I write it and I'm just as eager to find out how it ends as anybody else. So the freedom I allow myself to add in and take out stuff prevents me from getting bored with the material.

Vixen · 07-24-2004, 03:26 AM

I'm gonna agree with eleutheromaniac. Put yourself on suicide watch. You think writings hard, thent wait to you get to writer's block, editors, rejection, heavy crit, or even publication....

Do you mean that you are frustrated by the way your writing turns out, or by the way words do not keep pace with thoughts?

I hate it when my writing does not go well, but I never have hated writing... yes, sometimes my hand cramps, or my writing is not up to par, but I can't say I hate it.

As for the thoughts flowing idea, yes, I'm sure we'd all like to have thoughts perfectly captured by a page, but the only way to come close to that is to continue writing...

rashadow · 07-24-2004, 12:32 PM

I do not need to go on suicide watch, I do not think writing is hard, I never get writer's block (don't even believe it exists), I have been rejected, and I do not mind heavy criticism. I usually love the way my writing turns out. I just hate writing. It's too much, too many words takes too much time out of my life. Maybe I should find someone to collaborate with. They could do the writing, I can develop the story and orate.

eleutheromaniac · 07-24-2004, 12:36 PM

I meant that if you think putting pen to paper and writing is hard work, wait till you have to start marketing and editing. If you have enough money to hire a personal marketing assitant, a webmaster, a stenographer and an editor, then I envy you.

Vixen · 07-24-2004, 03:58 PM

Well, If you enjoy speaking, and have clear diction, you could always invest in a program like DragonNatural Speak. All you would have to do is train the program to recognize you voice.

You could speak the story into a mike, the program would convert what you say into text, and your problem with the writing might be solved.

I hope you took no offence with the whole suicide watch referance. I was borrowing it as a humurous hyperbole, I don't really think your going to try to kill yourself...

gabriella · 07-24-2004, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Maybe I should find someone to collaborate with. They could do the writing, I can develop the story and orate.

Call me crazy, but I wouldn't want to write someone else's story... and if I'm doing all the writing and rewriting and editing, and you're doing just part of the creating of the story, then it's not fair to have your name show up alongside with the person who actually wrote the thing and labored over it day and night.