The Writing Thread

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Spooky all year said:
Silly question perhaps, but do you have any tips on getting the good old attention span back to functional? Sitting myself down to just read is awfully hard nowadays even though I've got a few interesting (sounding) books lying around.
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Trying to fix mine as well. And what's been working so far is just setting my phone in a different room and just reading a chapter minimum.
 
Spooky all year said:
Silly question perhaps, but do you have any tips on getting the good old attention span back to functional? Sitting myself down to just read is awfully hard nowadays even though I've got a few interesting (sounding) books lying around.
Click to expand...
+1. I have phases where I can crunch out content like crazy but then inexplicably start getting side tracked about ~3 weeks into a project. Dopamine burnout is a hell of a thing. Reading is great through. From personal experience, what works best for me is to open up a book I am reading or otherwise want inspo from, take critical notes of a chapter or two, and then try to write. Usually that gets the ball rolling.
 
Squanto Airi said:
Trying to fix mine as well. And what's been working so far is just setting my phone in a different room and just reading a chapter minimum.
Click to expand...
I can actually put my phone aside when I want to. My issue is more that I just can't get myself to fall into the book, if that makes sense. Like I can read the words on the page. And then they won't stick.

Ferryman said:
From personal experience, what works best for me is to open up a book I am reading or otherwise want inspo from, take critical notes of a chapter or two, and then try to write. Usually that gets the ball rolling.
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I was never much of a voluntary homework sort of person, unless it's some obscure spergy interest. But maybe my issue is the stuff I'm trying to read, hah. I'll have to keep this in mind, thanks!
 
Spooky all year said:
Like I can read the words on the page. And then they won't stick.
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Would sitting for a few minutes after reading help you in that? It helps me, cause when I set aside time to reflect on my daily bible readings, I remember the verses more than when I'm in a rush to get to work and just read them during a break.
 
Squanto Airi said:
Would sitting for a few minutes after reading help you in that? It helps me, cause when I set aside time to reflect on my daily bible readings, I remember the verses more than when I'm in a rush to get to work and just read them during a break.
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Might be worth a shot! Like I should keep around 10 minutes before actually going to sleep to maybe reflect on what I've been reading rather than just going "ok, did the (however long) reading, bed now."
 
Spooky all year said:
I can actually put my phone aside when I want to. My issue is more that I just can't get myself to fall into the book, if that makes sense. Like I can read the words on the page. And then they won't stick.


I was never much of a voluntary homework sort of person, unless it's some obscure spergy interest. But maybe my issue is the stuff I'm trying to read, hah. I'll have to keep this in mind, thanks!
Click to expand...
Try reading in a café instead of doing it at home. Just being at home can passively put you into "I don't feel like doing jack shit" mode.
 
Spooky all year said:
Silly question perhaps, but do you have any tips on getting the good old attention span back to functional? Sitting myself down to just read is awfully hard nowadays even though I've got a few interesting (sounding) books lying around.
Click to expand...
Squanto Airi said:
Trying to fix mine as well. And what's been working so far is just setting my phone in a different room and just reading a chapter minimum.
Click to expand...
Ferryman said:
+1. I have phases where I can crunch out content like crazy but then inexplicably start getting side tracked about ~3 weeks into a project. Dopamine burnout is a hell of a thing. Reading is great through. From personal experience, what works best for me is to open up a book I am reading or otherwise want inspo from, take critical notes of a chapter or two, and then try to write. Usually that gets the ball rolling.
Click to expand...
Start with small periods of time, maybe even 5 minutes, then build to larger chunks of time. Start with reading things that really interest you, then venture into things that are not quite as attention grabbing to build up the skill of paying attention to things that may be a little boring.

With writing, start with a larger chunk of time, like 10 or 15 minutes. Try to set a goal for yourself, like X number of words or drafting a certain scene. If you approach your writing with an agenda for each session, you are less likely to experience burnout or have your attention wander.
 
VeteranOfTheRetardWars said:
I’m trying to put together a collaborative Kiwifarms fiction digital zine collection type situation, and any submissions would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.
This thread is great, but I also love the aesthetic and experience of things such as those old pulp magazines and I think it would be a fun project to make our own, given how many creatives we have around here.
If you want to throw your hat in, that would be greatly appreciated
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How do you feel about short fiction in rhyme form? (If 'no' that is totally fine)
I have a 'loletry' series imagining a kiwi bird intern working at the Hamster News Network and details Kiwi's interactions with the MATI hams and Slobbermutt the CEO of HNN. (Also Kaczynski ham has some cameos)

...It is rude at points, has swearing, and pokes fun at Null a bit, so if those are dealbreakers, lmk.
Spooky all year said:
Silly question perhaps, but do you have any tips on getting the good old attention span back to functional? Sitting myself down to just read is awfully hard nowadays even though I've got a few interesting (sounding) books lying around.
Click to expand...
Take a soaking bath (you deserve it) and read in the bath. It helps pass the time while your tired feet soak up all the epsom salt in the water.
 
LimeRikki said:
How do you feel about short fiction in rhyme form? (If 'no' that is totally fine)
I have a 'loletry' series imagining a kiwi bird intern working at the Hamster News Network and details Kiwi's interactions with the MATI hams and Slobbermutt the CEO of HNN. (Also Kaczynski ham has some cameos)
Click to expand...
I am good with anything.
 
I have been thinking about my story I have been writing.
In a nutshell after world war 1, Woodrow makes a pact with an ancient being of immense power, able to mutate human beings.
Due to America only having this power, they force world peace and cooperation between countries while the infighting continues.
The characters live in the 70ish+ years aftermath of this world, where strange entity roam the world which the main characters investigate.
Entity are known to eat fabric, something's place in the world physically or mentally with the goal to manifest or to stay alive if not able to manifest.

The twist is that the narrative itself is an entity, constantly switching between POV and one of the main characters only being able to see the entity.
It amplifies already existing emotion to eat the fabric created from the intensity.
The one character being able to see it constantly tries to trick it or to get rid of it by taking medication while it inhabits another host.
Out of the three main characters it amplifies their worst traits.
The one able to see them her anxiety, trying to stop her from speaking about the entity infesting their family, making her sometimes freeze up entirely.
Her brother, who's perfectionism and will to be good turns into obsession to better his life in any way possible, later joining his adoptive father figure.
Their adoptive father, an officer who's justification gets amplified till the end justify the means.

The story begins at the end, where she still has not defeated the entity yet, but just gave up a long time ago.
Her now estranged adoptive father brings her to an abandoned gas station to talk about classified case documents regarding her brother's disappearance because he believes she is owed an explanation.
 
LimeRikki said:
Take a soaking bath (you deserve it) and read in the bath. It helps pass the time while your tired feet soak up all the epsom salt in the water.
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Madam, I live in a chicken coop that is entirely far too tiny to have a bath. At most I can attempt to read a book and wish I had a bath, which would be entirely counterproductive.

Also, everybody has given excellent advice that I will try and incorporate to see which of it actually sticks for me. Much obliged!
 
I'm having trouble whenever I want to write a story. I usually start with the basic premise, but I always don't know what to come up with. I got lucky a couple of times, but most of the time I don't have any inspiration or things in mind for a story or plot. Is this a skill issue or does everyone only write when they have an idea at the top of their head?
 
Squanto Airi said:
Can you give more description on the comics
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CowBoyCormack said:
What sort of theme are you interested in? I'm Cowboy McCarthy, and I can help (DM me)
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Copy pasted from my twitter hence the brevity:

Fairydust: FCPD - Pixie officer Lillian Puck seeks to redeem her father's death and flush out a corrupt department while taking on magical crime in Fairydust County. Meanwhile, a petty thief stumbles into this world while escaping a heist gone awry.

Red Rabbit: A trashpunk odyssey - Telma Redd loses her sister in a dystopian megacity, and embarks on a vengeful rampage. A series of events leads her to losing her legs to a power-hungry tech baron and she learns to take advantage of her new cybernetics amidst a civil war.

Part Time Angel - Joel Weiner is an average Joe(l), who dies after being struck by a car. His sins and virtues are perfectly balanced, landing him in purgatory. He is scouted by an angelic agency who give him a chance at redemption - he must battle the invisible demons all around
 
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Payne in the Max said:
I'm having trouble whenever I want to write a story. I usually start with the basic premise, but I always don't know what to come up with. I got lucky a couple of times, but most of the time I don't have any inspiration or things in mind for a story or plot. Is this a skill issue or does everyone only write when they have an idea at the top of their head?
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Usually what I do is I try to put myself in context. I write longform but when a chapter stumps me, I try to think: what would happen then, in that moment, in that specific context? What would Joe Schmoe do when John Doe tells him this thing, how would he react, what would he think or feel? Thinking long term is great and necessary, but writing in the moment, so to speak, works wonders at breaking ruts.
 
Payne in the Max said:
I'm having trouble whenever I want to write a story. I usually start with the basic premise, but I always don't know what to come up with. I got lucky a couple of times, but most of the time I don't have any inspiration or things in mind for a story or plot. Is this a skill issue or does everyone only write when they have an idea at the top of their head?
Click to expand...
It depends for me. If the premise is all I have, then I struggle too. It takes a while for me to figure out where to go and usually boils down to dumb luck.
If I have an ending in mind, I just work backward until I get to a good starting point. I just ask myself "what should slow or stop the characters? Who should get involved? Who should die here? Etc."
Makes writing introductions a bit easier too if you already know the character's journey
 
update from my last post: things have been going well!

started reading properly (i cleared 118 pages of a book in one day and i feel proud of myself) and doubly have been peeking back at charles dickens (bleak house, i have great expectations but GE is annoying plot-wise,) and its managed to stir up some very good ideas for a plotline i've been stalling a long time on due to concept difficulties. either way, i've began typing up some rough draft outlines, and if anything happens ill report back here
 
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