Thread: Can't finish a thing.

I've been having the same problem for the past 6 months. I get started on a project, and I keep telling myself that I will get it done. But then I either run out of ideas, or have no clue how to get to the part I want to get to in a script or story I write, so I continue to stare blankly at my computer screen brainstorming

Then I get a better idea, quit what I was writing, and the whole process starts over again. How do I break this habit?

1. Write it anyway, just planning on it being dumb/bad/silly. You are not allowed to edit anything (except basic typos) until the first draft of the manuscript is written.
1b. Fix it up afterwards.

2. Write shorter things.

3. Go get some life experiences. Join clubs/activities/etc - I find I am most able to write when I am too busy to. As Leonard Bernstein said, “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."


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Possibly relevant (especially if you go with option #1 above): read "Shitty First Drafts" from Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.

I used to have the same problem. I would get excited about something, begin writing it, then after the honeymoon period was over, I'd look at my work and think "this is crap! This idea sucks! It's all worthless!"

Then I'd scrap it and start the process all over again.

But now I've adopted a new mentality. I tell myself "there is no such thing as a bad idea. There is only bad execution." By that I mean, most ideas have great potential, it all depends on where you take it, and how you handle it.

If you're disastisfied with an idea.. It often isn't the idea to blame.. It's the direction you tried to take it. Consider fresh alternatives. Sometimes a new brilliant idea can sprout from one that you previously considered to be garbage.

And read the type of stories that you want to write, to gain insights on to what it is you're looking for.

Originally Posted by KyleColorado

I used to have the same problem. I would get excited about something, begin writing it, then after the honeymoon period was over, I'd look at my work and think "this is crap! This idea sucks! It's all worthless!"

Then I'd scrap it and start the process all over again.

But now I've adopted a new mentality. I tell myself "there is no such thing as a bad idea. There is only bad execution." By that I mean, most ideas are have great potential, it all depends on where you take it, and how you handle it.

If you're disastisfied with an idea.. It often ins't the idea to blame.. It's the direction you tried to take it. Consider fresh alternatives.

And read the type of stories that you want to write, to gain insights on to what it is you're looking for.

It's not that I think my ideas suck, I just get stuck at a wall somewhere in the story. As I'm thinking of ways to get past said wall, I get an idea for a new story, so I begin to work at it until I hit another wall, and the cycle restarts.

Oh, well then the problem sounds to me that you are writing before figuring out an ending. I recommend thinking about the ending first, then writing towards it (instead of thinking of a beginning and writing blindly from there, which can often lead to stall outs and writer's block).

Hi Gringo...I would not worry.
if you can't finish one because another one comes up then so be it.
there is no rush but as we all know all things come to an end but never a story.
so come back to whenever you are ready..because writing can take one second to a day to a year or even years before anyhting happens or you can simply finish it by not worrying too much about it.
I like flexibility in writing in the sense that it is never complete really because you can always alter it, add, substracte or start again.
there would be no fun in writing if we all wrote and finised everything and then what!! it is boring.
''where is the fun in that''? quote from a TV add that I like.
I like the idea of being able to just experiment with writing in the sense that I twist and turn stories perpetually whenever I feel like it, it is never fixed but always changing if you see what I mean.
writing is different from reading or watching/listening in the sense that I can dream up new ideas all the time.
this is how I see it but of course nothing is definit.

Originally Posted by Nacian

Hi Gringo...I would not worry.
if you can't finish one because another one comes up then so be it.
there is no rush but as we all know all things come to an end but never a story.
so come back to whiever when you ready..because writing can take one second to a day to a year or even years before anyhting happens.
I like flexibility in writing in the sense that it is never complete really because you can always alter it, add, substracte or start again.
there would be no fun in writing if we all wrote and finised everything and then what it is boring.
I like the idea of being able tojust experiment with writing in the sense that I twist and turn stories perpetually whenever I feel like it, it is never fixed but always changing if you see what I mean.
writing is different from reading or watching/listening to something.

All due respect, that's bad advice. It does matter. If you keep telling yourself that starting something and never finishing it is okay, you will never finish anything.

What the OP lacks, in my opinion, is discipline. There are times when I've thought of scrapping a project because I felt I'd nowhere left to go, or because of frustration with a certain story arc, or because I wanted the thrill of starting something new. I never let myself. Like the presenter of Mastermind used to say: "I started so I'll finish". That's my mentality.

I'm thinking maybe your problem, Gringoamericano, is that you're writing to get to a certain point in the story. All writing should be enjoyable and relevant. Find a way to make it exciting again. When I'm a little lost for inspiration, I introduce a new character and viewpoint into the story. Then, the ideas start flowing for the things s/he could be doing, and my zest for writing returns. You might even find ways to merge this character's storyline with your initial character, and that opens up a plethora of ideas to take the story forward.

If all else fails, put your main character in a life-or-death situation. How will s/he get out of it? What will it do to them?

There are dozens of ways to advance a story and keep it interesting for you, the writer.

Benjamin Button it - Write a story starting at the end, see if you can get it to meet an unfinished one coming the other way!

Originally Posted by Bloggsworth

Benjamin Button it - Write a story starting at the end, see if you can get it to meet an unfinished one coming the other way!

isn't he by any chance related to Jenson Button my favourite F1 racer?
that would be really funny if he was.

Originally Posted by Nacian

isn't he by any chance related to Jenson Button my favourite F1 racer?
that would be really funny if he was.

No.

Originally Posted by j.w.olson

No.

wow..I know about Scott Fitzgerald and I have heard of Benjamin Button but never actually looked it up or read about the book.
I have just looked it up and I must admit this kind of plot is freaky and just by skimming through it my head started to hurt.
I can't actually physically deal with 'illogic'.
all the same thank you for drawing my attention to it. it is a real eye opener and makes you me think WHAT THE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. HECK!!!

excuse my language

Originally Posted by KyleColorado

But now I've adopted a new mentality. I tell myself "there is no such thing as a bad idea. There is only bad execution." By that I mean, most ideas have great potential, it all depends on where you take it, and how you handle it.

Agreed: I've critiqued hundreds of short stories and novels over the last few years and I've never once seen one that was based on a bad idea. Good ideas are everywhere, good writing isn't.

If I remember correctly, some famous writer once said something alone the lines of 'when I get stuck I send in a man with a gun'. That's the simple way to get a story moving again; throw in something unexpected and see how the characters deal with it, whether it's a nuclear war wiping out their town or their cat running into the house and dropping the remains of a bird on the carpet ('But dear, Fluffy didn't kill this bird' Holds up the remains by one wing. 'It was shot!' Fluffy whines at the cat door. 'I think he wants to show us something').

I had the same problem. Then for some reason, I decided to write a very simple, relatively short account of something significant that happened to me. It kind of wrote itself, because I knew the outcome. But the important thing was, I finished it. It gave me some level of satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment. I posted it and got some positive feedback too. And it pretty much opened the floodgates.

I've seen variations on this thread umpteen times. And I've offered this advice. I'm betting no one's taken it -- but who knows. I have a feeling people just spontaneously break through and finish something at some point for reasons they can't pinpoint. That's what happened to me really -- and I can only say in retrospect that the above worked. Maybe you'll have your own breakthrough -- or maybe you won't.

You could try outlining your story. You obviously had a starting point and at least one, or two main scenes in mind before you started, so write those down on a piece of paper and come up with ideas of how to connect them. If John gets fired from his job at the start and you know he's going to kidnap a local cheerleader at some point, do something like this.

John gets fired.





Kidnaps Kate.

Oh, hell! Now I've got all that space to fill. Do some brain storming and come up with a couple of ideas about how to fill it.

John gets fired.



John's car re-possesed.

John gets drunk.
John busted.


Martha leaves John.

John gets drunk.
John kidnaps Kate.

The space between your ideas can represent your best guess at how far appart the scenes happen in your story. The ideas give you milestones to work toward and they can give you a sense of accomplishment at reaching them without having to finish the whole story before you feel good about it. Just an idea. Good luck.

I think it comes down to discipline and having a sketch outline to refer to when the story starts to feel like it's going off-track. Of the stories I've written, the ones I abandoned were those where I didn't have a clear idea* of the middle and ending.

Once I finished my first large project, though, it was such a thrill. And from then on it seemed to get easier to see things through to the end.

(*to the extent that anything is clear in a first draft)


Regards,
John.