Hello my Darling! (Sorry I got behind on this ask, I meant to answer it a while ago but things get in the way!)
That’s me when I try to write!! Honest! That’s what I call the fighting-orcs uphill part of writing and I am mired in it in a few of my stories. It’s horrible and frustrating and you feel bad. Don’t!
I’m going to tell you something (and then try my darnedest to follow my own advice).
Writing is just one word in front of another. And then you do it again. Try your best to get your thoughts down on the screen. Every little detail you’re thinking of. Just put it down. Are the sentences grammatically correct? Does it make sense? Congratulations!! You’re a success!
Once it’s down then you have something to play with. Maybe certain sentences sound better when they’re linked together. Maybe sentences sound better when they’re shorter. Maybe you can add some description. Maybe you need to take some things out. It can help to get your mind “unstuck” by reading things that you like, that inspire you! Your mind starts picking up phrasing and rhythms naturally. When you’re done, read it out loud to yourself to see how it sounds.
I want you to know that good, enjoyable writing is not necessarily beautiful! And just because it has a lot of pretty words doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fun to read. That is something that I really want new writers (and old, I guess) to keep in mind. Sometimes the simplest language can tell the most compelling stories. Sometimes odd phrasing is what makes your piece unique or beautiful!
Writing is fucking hard. People who write a lot think it is hard, they just have managed to make it look easy over time. (There are probably people who don’t think it is hard, but we don’t like them very much and we shan’t invite them to our birthday parties)
The most important thing is to just do it, and keep going! No matter how frustrated you get or how much you think you hate it, don’t give up! We can do it! ᕦ(ò‸óˇ)ᕤ
Also to note: you do get out of practice with writing! I’ve started and stopped so many times that I’ve gotten used to that feeling of being rusty. Or maybe it’s that your critical eye has progressed but you haven’t put in the practice to keep up with it lately. In any event, when you’re starting up again after a long break, it’s partly a matter of simply dicking around for a bit before it starts to come back to you.
In other news, Michi is an emoticon ninja. Look at that thing. I don’t even know how.
