heyy ( ´ー`).. it's me, the lurker from a while back,
I have materialized from the writer's limbo with a question (´▽｀)
with 257 OCs (many of em scattered across multiple stories) I have a tendency to.. "storyhop"
and bc of that, I guess I haven't finished one story..
and when I try to start actually writing one down instead of letting it float in the mental cinema (bc imagening the chapter like a film is more.. fun than writing it down I guess?) I just.... can't seem to stick with it.
=w= for some reason I seem to be frustrated that I can't just bluetooth connect the reader to my mental cinema =w=
I know that's not how writing works but uh... I still can't finish chapter one of this one story, bc I keep getting off track, and perfectionism is holding me hostage ._.
I guess the question I have is... how is one supposed to navigate this "limbo"?
bc I can start with "this is the mc, and they're seeking a job after a long period of unemployment due to
disability burnout and a complicated past job"
and end up at "how does humanitarian law work in this fantasy world with magic where war would probably suck bc there's so much magic can do that the potential of it all has me staring at the wall :D"
the characters for me seem to be the fun part.. not actually writing all this down, so.... atp I'd really appreciate some advice whenever you have the time ( ´ー`)
ooof I feel that "limbo" quite a bit, not so much with LR but a lot with Time Gate which also has so many little scenes and moments that have been living rent free in my head for years but have yet to actually manifest.
I think it's good to distinguish between productive planning and maladaptive daydreaming. The latter of which creative thinkers (especially those who are neurodivergent, it tends to be tied at the hip lol) tend to fall for as "productivity" because it feels so real and developed when it's existing in your mind, but then when you actually go to write things down, all of a sudden you hit this wall where it's like none of your ideas are actually able to exist and everything you spent the last week thinking about doesn't make any sense.
I think of it as like a translation issue, when it's in your head, it's entirely in your own language, you don't have to worry about the tiny details, just the big stuff that matters to you - but then when it comes time to actually writing it down, now you have to communicate it to both yourself and to others, in real words and not just internalized vibes. If that makes sense?
Most of all, coming up with new ideas and concepts within ourselves is something we're all really good at, it's literally part of our programming as human beings. Productive planning, on the other hand, is an actual skill that takes intentional practice. So for many people who create their stories entirely within their own heads, it can feel like a whole new hurdle to try and overcome when it comes to putting those ideas into something tangible.
Like, it's easy to think about having children, to fantasize about life with kids and all the fun and excitement and experiences one can have as a parent - but no matter how much planning you do and how much you expect it to turn out a certain way, it always without fail surprises new parents with unexpected twists and turns, no matter how much you planned ahead for it. And that's because parenting is just not something we're all naturally perfect at, it takes practice!
So, here are some recommendations / tips to hopefully help with idea wrangling and the actual process of writing:
Note-taking! If writing paragraphs and chapters feels too overwhelming right now, take notes. Get the ideas out of your head, it's the first step in translating your deep thoughts into something real.
Writing isn't exclusive to the mechanical act of writing - if writing words down feels too restrictive or difficult to do, record your thoughts instead! Again, the goal here is to get the ideas OUT of your head and into the real world where you can then start to properly translate them into something workable. It also allows you to really analyze those thoughts objectively, because when they're living in our own head, we're not really able to do proper problem-solving, we're just playing in a mental sandbox.
Build a routine. I know, this is difficult as hell for the neurospicy, but it really does help. Make actual writing a part of your daily routine. 20 minutes, an hour, whatever time fits in well to your life (and you can always adjust it later, no one will get mad!) Even if it's just small increments, small amounts will build up over time and eventually it won't feel so difficult anymore to just sit down and write, regardless of whether it's good or bad.
Your various story ideas do NOT all have to be built equally. It's okay if you explore one character story through multiple chapters, and another simply through a poem or short comic.
Relating to the previous point ^^^ if you're the kind of person to get pulled in 2589328 different directions by all the ideas and characters in your head, try and think of them instead like guests within the walls of your mind - you don't have to treat all of them as permanent residents, some of them are just swinging by for a visit, others just want to borrow some flour. Learning to differentiate between your ideas in terms of importance helps a ton so that you don't wind up investing all your time and energy into a fickle visitor who's just swinging by to say hello; instead, you can invest that time and energy into the ideas that are worth investing in because they live there.
If a new idea or character comes to mind that you really wanna explore more of but it's not going to currently benefit the story you're telling - or it's just gonna distract you from your current goal - write it in a notes document and stow it away for later. Most of the time I find when I return to that notes doc, enough time has passed that now I find the ideas in there definitely weren't worth chasing lmao
Remember you only need to accommodate ideas that are actually necessary to your story. Worldbuilding is fun, but oftentimes people get swept up in it as a distraction because it's often more fun to come up with new things than it is to commit to the stuff that needs to be finished. New stuff has novelty, new stuff is fun and exciting, but you can't write a story entirely through new things, you need to be able to satisfy the stuff you've already written, too. So try and keep the broader story in mind, the themes and message you're trying to convey. Keeping the story's purpose in your front view can be a great way to snap yourself out of the worldbuilding haze, especially if the extra detailed worldbuilding is largely inconsequential to the story.
You can always implement worldbuilding details as you go, there's no need to have it all figured out right this second. If anything, establishing too much worldbuilding and lore right out the gate can make the writing less fun by extension, because you wind up restricting yourself to way too many made-up rules and restrictions that only exist because you convinced yourself they needed to exist. They don't, you're telling a story, your audience doesn't need to know what they don't need to know and whatever they don't know they'll have fun coming up with anyways, so don't fall for the idea that you need to have every detail carved out right out the gate, loosen up on the details and rules. It'll not only make the writing more fun for you, but the right audience will enjoy it regardless. Case in point: the significant majority of people who have watched and/or read The Lord of the Rings have never touched The Silmarillion.
Worst case scenario, there's no law stating that you have to write fully completed stories for every character you come up with. There's a place in the world for character designers and creators who simply live in the moment of new ideas and conceptualizing. Look into adoptables! There's a whole economy built around them and I'm sure places like Toyhou.se would love you and your 257 OC's ;)
Additional point to the above ^^^ you could also always look into working with other writers, there are a TON of writers out there who are in the complete opposite boat as you - great at the actual writing but terrible at coming up with fresh new ideas and characters. I'm totally willing to bet there's a writer out there waiting for someone such as yourself to team up with :')
Final addition to that last string of thoughts ^^^^ it's important to keep in mind that just because doing something seems obligatory or appealing, doesn't mean it's any sort of failing or fault of your own if you try and try and try again and it just doesn't appeal to you. While most of the tips above will hopefully help you with your writing difficulties, it's also absolutely okay if the traditional means of writing just don't jive with you. There are so many forms of expression to utilize, and new forms are being born every day. Don't limit yourself to writing traditional stories if it doesn't bring you joy. As much as we're taught to overcome discomfort and just practice our way to perfection, there is a lot of merit in recognizing your own limitations and finding ways to work with those limitations instead of against them. Even if it means doing things the unconventional way!
Whew, that was a lot, but I hope it helps! Best of luck pal, you got this 💓
