Dealing with Creative Slumps, Writer's Block, and Low Motivation
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- Опубліковано 11 чер 2024
- One of the most common questions I get is about dealing with writer's block, creative slumps, or periods of low motivation. I've dealt with all these things myself and they are not fun! The tough part is that there is no simple fix for these issues, but I hope today's video can help you familiarize yourself with the ups and downs of your creative process, so you can manage these things as they come up!
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MY SHORT FICTION:
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☾Beautiful Animal - Room: roommagazine.com/issues/twine
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
4:06 - Stuck project
6:26 - Creative burnout
8:16 - Life is impeding your creativity
9:49 - Reasonless writing slumps
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WRITING VLOGS: • Writing Vlogs
WRITING CHATS & DISCUSSIONS: • Writing & Authortube D...
BOOK REVIEWS: • Recent Reads
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"Rest is productive." Perfect.
I legit arrived to the conclusion i procrastinate rest,mainly sleep,so yeah..
Me, reading the title: "How did Shaelin know I have the longest writing slump?"
If the comments have revealed anything to me it's that we're just all in a writing slump. just everyone. all of us. so we're all in this together at least!!
@@ShaelinWrites Yeah, it is comforting.
@@ShaelinWrites #slumpgang
You prolly dont give a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all the new movies on Instaflixxer. Been streaming with my gf for the last couple of days xD
@Benson Miguel definitely, I've been using Instaflixxer for months myself :)
School is definitely something that brings my motivation down. When I have a set schedule that is not in my control it feels like I have no space to fit writing in. So I put it off but then I feel guilty for not writing. It just feels like a cycle.
Writing while in school is SO hard! Literally just be proud of yourself for doing the best you can, it's very hard to be a student and also write consistently!
@shanthi you’re not alone here, keeping my grades up while trying to write consistently is a lot of work.
Sometimes, after a long day of school I just wanna put my brain to rest and play video games instead, lol.
This is such an interesting topic. Writers (artistic pursuits, in general) are stuck with this strange stigma of never being allowed to be tired or stuck or even just “bored”. In any other career, tiredness is expected - I work in finance for my day job, and I often hear “if you’re not tired, you’re not doing it right.” And that makes sense, because work is tiring. And so is writing, even if you love it!
(That said I’ve been going through an unusually productive phase. I even figured out how to solve a huge plot problem I’ve been having with my novel. It requires basically redoing everything, but hey! At least I figured it out.)
Me, who didnt start writing until DURING the pandemic: Wait, there are people who don't have writers block?
tbh not having writer's block sounds FAKE to me
I was literally just telling my writing buddy I've been in a slump all month. Shaelin to the rescue 💜
I hope it helps!
ever since i was accepted into university for a writing degree, i've had this super high and unrealistic expectation of my writing. i feel like i need to start writing like a university kid and that everything i write needs to be ~good enough~ and it's been so draining emotionally and creatively. i haven't been able to produce anything because i hate it all or don't feel that it's good enough! my point being that i really needed this video and i adore all of the wonderful tips n thoughts. rest is so important
This video just magically appeared whilst I was loafing about on UA-cam instead of writing the novel I’ve been writing (not writing) for five years. Please fix me Shaelin. Please. Thanks. Appreciate it.
Oh,,,I relate
Yes! I'm on a creative rest right now as I prepare for Camp Nano
Dude, the pandemic HELPED me write a whole fucking book. I needed all that spare time it gave me. Your videos helped too.
Congrats! Are you publishing or not? What's it about (in as much detail as you're able to share)?
I thought I was the only one that felt stuck on this novel I’ve been working on for six years.
As someone who has also been writing a novel for six years, you are definitely not alone.
I’m curious, what gets someone “stuck”? Is it loss of ideas? Or lack of direction? Or is it something else?
@@jackgaffney8468 Me too
Linda Barsi has a lovely video called something like "it's ok if you can't write that one book for ten years" that's like a hug in video form, if yr interested 🖤
@@jackgaffney8468 I know it took me a day to reply but yes it is because I barely have any ideas for the story, and I don’t know what to do about it.
It makes me confident that it’ll be full of shit.
Just lost a loved one to covid and writing has been the one thing that I’ve been trying to do excessively to get through, but I am in sort of a slump due to -everything- so this came at a perfect time, thank you ❤️
Oh my goodness I am so sorry to hear that, sending you love❤️
@@ShaelinWrites Thank you so much
I've realised a lot of times when I get stuck it's because I take my work too seriously, whether it's art or writing. It's usually when I have to go back to basics and allow myself to 'play' - to paint without thought, to write a few random journal entries that will never see the light of day. The worst of my creative slumps began when I started looking into publishing; it now feels like everything I write has to be THE STORY that will get published. The actuality of the situation is that my best work has always been produced when I take time to relax, experiment with different new mediums and generally just have fun!
I learned this from my occupational therapy degree:
“rest is the PURPOSEFUL pursuit of non-activity”
I stand by this!
Thanks for posting this while I’m currently in a slump.
I’m having the worst creative burnout from my final year of university. I haven’t even thought about writing my novel for two months. But also, I’m excited for when I graduate, because it will be the first time that I won’t be in school in like… forever.
You uploaded this just when I was having a week-long writing slump. Thank you.
Shaelin, I feel that pressure to write a certain way or certain type of story can often contribute to a writing slump. I was actually rather productive and satisfied with my writing during the beginning of the pandemic, which was around this time last year. This month has also been a busy time for schoolwork and I have had to hear about the deaths of my relatives one by one. I need to clear my mind and allow myself to write in any form without worrying about word count. I also need to read books, which I have not done in a while. I have always been able to get out of creative slumps and it may just be that I have a different process for every project I am working on. I am still sailing aloft the wings of imagination, pouring my life out through words. I must allow myself to write anything and not feel guilty for any of the decisions I make. I love you
I needed to read this. Thank you and I hope things have improved
I swear this channel like stalks me because every sort of video I need is uploaded they second I need it-
(This is a JOKE)
Idk if it’s just me but her videos are basically the only writing videos that help me in concrete ways. All the other videos seem to be by people who don’t have or understand normal struggles, or are pretentious, or something else. Idk. A lot of it is very “tough love” “you suck right now so beat yourself up until you’re better or you’ll never get anywhere”. Her videos feel more compassionate.
Thank you so much for this video !!! I’m currently in a creative slump and have been for a month or so? I’ve been writing some songs but some of them didn’t really turned out too well or I felt like my voice didn’t really fit the melody. But yeah this video really helped me cause it’s been nearly 2 months since my last song came out and I’ve been stressing myself to write more as fast as possible and I need to relax and realise that that won’t help. I also deleted TikTok and am trying to get into reading again to get my mind flowing again.
I've been stuck in a creative slump for a couple of months and it's been weighing on me. This video has some great points and certainly helps. Thanks Shaelin.
So happy it could help!
My biggest writing slump= 2020
Ligit in that crazy year i didnt write for MONTHS and MONTHS, the only thing i did was create 4 very understood charcters.
oh RELATABLE CONTENT 2020 also provided me the worst writing slump of my life. Absolutely terrible vibes.
"And that's the B!+CH of capitalism for you Baby!!" Loved it
Based Shaelin
my latest "bit of a break" has been like 2 months long (!!!) and I was TOTALLY stuck until my friend sent me this video! thanks for making it Shaelin!
I needed this. Thank you so much. You've helped my life in so many ways
i’m writing two fanfiction atm. i haven’t written in a month so thank you. i needed this.
This is such great advice and really useful! I especially connect with the need to take a "break" that's not burdened with the guilt of not writing.
I'm going through a writing slump right now, so this video came at a perfect time. I always appreciate how genuine you are and seeing you talk about your struggles makes me feel significantly better about myself.
Best advice I have heard in a long time. Thank you!
I've been having bad writing days (can I call it that?) for the last two days and it's been killing me. I'm so glad I watched this. I'm kind of feeling less guilty about this and am going to take a day off writing anything serious and maybe just read through a book! It's also my sister's birthday tmrw so I hope that'll make me feel better. Thank you, thank you so much for this video! My heart feels lighter :)
Shaelin, you're great! And so so smart!
Great advice for anyone, thanks!
i needed this today! thank you 🖤
This is perfect timing. I've been writing every day since November, I have ADHD and wasnt writing in the right way (hyperfixating, and not looking after my health) even if I was enjoying it at the time and almost finished ACT 1... Naturally it could only continue for so long, so here I am in April, opening my laptop and staring at the screen for a while then closing it again. I am stressed in my life rn due to a massive change in responsibility, and also trying to move house, and I'm forcing myself to take a break for self care and trying not to push myself too hard to get back to my project. ❤️ Thank you for this video.
i rlly needed this; thank you so much 🥺
Shaelin, that's such great advice. Thank you for making this video :)
I liked this a lot. Writing is imperfectly beautiful.
This is such a great book channel.
I swear you are the cutest human. Thanks for the help 😊
Thank u for the video! I am super stuck on my story and been trying to get inspiration. it is a fantasy/action book about vapmires and wolves. But they're scary and not romantic lol! Anyway thanks again!!! I wish u luck on ur story! :)
Usually when I'm in a slump or have a block with a story I'd try to find ways out of it and if I can't find a way out I set that one story aside and work on another one that seems to help me and helps keep my imagination going.
This takes all the pain away.
Thanks Shaelin for this video, especially on writing slumps during pandemic. I have been in the slump for over a year now. I used to write 1k words so easily everyday. But ever since the pandemic hits, I can write a paragraph, at most. Your video validates my struggles and I am somehow feels at ease knowing that someone out there share the same struggle as me. Thanks again. Oh, and I just subscribed.
I so relate!! I’ve been in a big writing slump the past few months and it’s sooo frustrating not knowing when it will end or how to get out of it. I’ve just been holding onto hope it’ll end even if I’m not sure exactly when haha
I'm a few chapters away from finishing a first draft of my novel (which I started in 2015). I'm trying to write it without going back and editing anything (and I've mostly succeeded). I've got a very complicated plot, and it seems that with every chapter I have to spend longer and longer before I start, making sure there are no inconsistencies. And the longer I spend doing that, the more likely I am to think that my writing isn't very good…
However, a few weeks ago I did manage to come out of a fairly long slump, and now I think I've got the motivation to carry on to the end! Touch wood.
I found an out of the box solution for my (horrible) writer's block. I bought myself an exercise bike with an attached desk. I put a bluetooth keyboard on the desk, then my iPad on the kitchen table, and I draft on the bike. Obviously that's not a solution for everyone -- it was an investment (~$200 USD), and not everyone needs to be moving to write. But my job is remote (not just pandemic remote -- always remote) so the money was worth it, and it's super super helpful for me to get my feet going to the rhythm of the typing. Helps me stay concentrated and centered. I'm not one to make a huge deal out of word count, but it's gone up so much since I got this thing. I'm also just way more motivated to sit down and write. It's a very fun experience.
Definitely only works for drafting, though. I can't edit on the bike. It helps me get into that flow state where my fingers are flying, but it isn't good for paying close attention to details. I mean, with this current setup, I can't even see what I'm writing. If I want to read it back, I have to pause and put my glasses on. But I find that works well for drafting.
Also: finishing college and working in a totally non-writing related field was the only way I got over the creative burnout that haunted me for yEARS. Some people are perfectly capable of having a writing-related school program or job, while also doing their own creative writing. Or, making a career out of their creative writing! But I am not. Getting a job in software was honestly the best decision I ever made for my writing. It uses a totally different part of my brain and doesn't involve any emotional labor, so that leaves me with the mental space to write.
Im so glad I found you
I'm working on a novel and I took a break for awhile and I was looking for writers to offer some of their experiences and advice
Thank you
I really think all writers have writer's block but they just power through it because that's what a professional does. Its similar to a real job where you have a high skill at something and you're getting paid for it. When your boss asks you to do it by a certain date, you've got to get it done regardless and you learn how to deal with it. Not that there aren't extreme circumstances but I think its something people learn, how to work and produce even though you're not at your best. That is a mark of a professional.
That's very true if you are a professional writer, because you might not have a choice, but many writers aren't professionals, and so it's only unhealthy to hold a hobby to the same standard as a job.
@@ShaelinWrites Absolutely. For me I always wonder if I should try to hold myself to the same standard as my regular job but I'd probably end up crashing because that's not healthy. As a testament to what you said, my best writing has come when I'm relaxed and just having fun. And sometimes I have a problem with not taking my first draft too seriously. Maybe it's just the fact that I'm so used to not being able to make any mistakes at my day job and that seems to spill over. I just need to learn not to be a perfectionist at everything. I hate being like that! Thanks for your words of advice, I appreciate it.
thank you soooooo very much !!!!! The pandemic did make me feel less motivative......I do have enthusiasm I just need the discipline . I feel like I lost that during the pandemic.... I need to have a schedule ...at least a little one not such a pressure one ...Im used to having deadlines but not I don't have any ..my publisher and illustrator are so patient and they are just waiting for me .xoxoxo they are very patient and are working on several. things at once ...when you mentioned that I 'm thinking that might work for me ...I should start my 6th story thee same time as my 5th story ....that might do the trick ..it is a series ...so they will be a bridge to each other ...thank you so much . You are so good...You should do a masterclass .....you would be great I have told many of my friends about your program..you. are exceptional.!!!!
If one has been a competitive cyclist, train 800 km a week on lonely roads, on Saturday you're in 100 km race, and all you can think off, "This is for the bird." After a good night's sleep, your body wakes you up, and craves to be saddled and spin your feet mastering ocean wave hills. As a dancer little pains don't allow you to make a movement, as a golfer something has upset you, and the flight of your ball goes off course, muscles aren't in a harmonious motion when you swing that club. I find writing is no different, you leave it alone, the need to write crawls back to mind -- our minds are addictive machines -- 7 am a drink of water. My carrot after writing for an hour is an espresso at 2.5 km brisk walk west. Groceries for the day, every day. My best writing is the first 4 hours. Noon, 5 km east, an espresso, 5 km back. Now my body knows it is going to be fed, I don't eat between 20hr00 and 14hr00 the next day. the next 4 hours is editing, with an hourly break a bit to eat, and a drink of water, and a short break, like now listening to Shaelin. it is all about who is in control, your mind, or your greedy organs.
This has been helpful. Thank you. I've been going through some low motivation lately. It's been coming back slowly, but still not quite where I like to be. As I take a little time off, a whole new idea has been forming, even if the plot is unclear. The new idea so far is presenting in my head like a series of journal/diary entries of several different characters mostly in regards to the character whom I suppose is the protagonist. Does that make sense?
I've been in the longest one for like months now. Seriously, I haven't written anything since last year.
Thank you for this video! For me, there are a lot of different things going on at the same time. The pandemic of course and the fear of the actual virus was one thing, then work trouble that came with the pandemic. But also not being able to go to a coffee shop, which used to be a guaranteed trigger to start writing. And not being able to speak to a lot of different types of new people is a source of creativity and inspiration which I underestimated greatly. I'm getting very bored of my own writing lately in all sorts of aspects. Even the wording in this comment sucks. Weak verbs, weak nouns, adverbs, the sentences are too long....bleurgh...
thank you :)
My story has layers and layers of reveal some of them in past and multiple characters, I'm going crazy thinking of the best way to make the reveals most effective and most importantly not just one but all of them comes to know something 😁 but it's great to just sit down and keep thinking and imagining.. My first book project btw 😊😊
Siempre toma un tiempo en calentar el motor..
I'm out of ideas. Not motivated.
In a block since 2-3 months 😭
A lot of my issues with creative slumps and low motivation is my family always not leaving me alone to get writing done and my mental health dealing with severe depression and generalized anxiety. I wish I could just tell my family I need to be left alone to get writing done because that's /what I want to do to earn money/ because my anxiety and other physical problems /keep me from finding or keeping a normal job/ but when one of them has a triple-whammy set of mental disorders that keep her from sitting still and never leaving me (or anyone else for that matter) alone to get work done. Having an office/bedroom to work in with a locking door doesn't help either. That and attending university kills all motivation for anything in general LOL
There was a Masterclass Ad from the author Amy Tan from the beginning of your video. I'm gonna check it out. It was interesting.
I think The “Art For All” is hitting on a few solutions for creatives in general. Because I binged all of the episodes of that podcast, I was recommended it’s predecessor, “Shut Your Monkey” a supplemental podcast to the book (same name) about working around a debilitating inner critic (left brain).
Good video 🙂👍
4:34 I felt that in my bones
For me, when my motivation is down it stays down till I keep writing or till I get inspiration and that is really hard especially while at school because I'm stuck with hw and getting through my classes and I miss being able to write, know what youtube needs? A writer's community channel where we can post about our stories and get help and ideas from others!
The fact that I haven’t started writing and I already have writer’s block
I’ve been dealing with all of these since Corona started last year. When COVID happened I really thought big progress would happen on my book. Boy was I wrong. Still 1/4 planned, nothing written.
i am a new subsrber and this is good
I haven't written something real in about seven months. I need to fix my room and get my life together because I feel so disconnected.
Hey Shaelin! Have you given any thought about procedural narrative generation? If you had to teach a machine to write, what would you do? What issues do you notice in the techniques used today?
Ha, I have the same thing with a few different stories at once. I have started a few books, I know what I want to do with them but being stuck on one at a time is a hard slog. I thought I had a problem like ADD or Autism or something because I preferred working that way. I'd be buggered with a deadline or if someone likes my book and wants a series.
And every time I sit down I get guilt trips because I spend too much time on myself. Writers should never get married.
I've seen "Rest is productive" on a pillow.
I'm not sure whether I'd call what I'm going through a creative slump, I have the problem of rather than not having enough ideas having far too many
"Maybe I'm not a real writer" seems a bit essentialist.
me, a university computer engineering student taking notes because i've always wanted to write a book
Did you get the book today?
I found out over the years that I am a seasonal writer just like I am a seasonal reader. I don’t do anything in spring/early summer and write intensely over autumn/winter. This is not uncommon I hear
How do you tell the difference between rest and procrastination?
Procrastination is when you want to work, but you keep putting it off. Rest is when you are tired and burned out and want to take a break!
8
Hey, i lost my job recently and i’m investing all of my tine into building a motivational youtube channel . You think im doing a good job till now??
According to Stephen King: "I just plug myself into the mains socket.." (⊙_◎)
...but seriously, much needed pep - ty ty 👍
"And that's the bitch of capitalism for ya baby."
If only there were a way to break free. And not get lynched for it.
Is this Friday? Because it feels like Thursday.
First
you've reclaimed your title
@@ShaelinWrites 😃
pls explain to me how you read my mind because its kind of cool and edgy ??
that is my secret :)
The big problem is when it’s school related
Hsshshshsh we can't use that word any more, we were in a national Panini
Fran Lebowitz devours her writers block by writing nothing
"The bitch of capitalism" Word.
I had to rewind and do a double take for "that's the bitch of capitalism baby." Amazing 😂