Constantly starting new projects is like writers block but instead of walking into a wall you are in one of those circular doors that us just going around and around
I don’t understand people like this. For me I started writing to tell my story, not to show off my writing skills. I want people to hear about this fantasy world I’ve been builing in my head for years, even before I had ever thought of writing. I couldn’t even think about writing a different novel right now. It would take years to come up with a concept as intricate that I’m this passionate about.
“Polish a couple of scenes to get confidence “ If I hadn’t done that I don’t think I would be motivated enough to go on. It’s such a booster to see you can turn first draft into something you like.
This. I quickly lose confidence in my draft if I think that it's not as good as I can write. The method I've found that works for me is that I write several new scenes, then go back and polish several earlier scenes (so that I'm more likely to see where it needs improving after a few days away). Rinse and repeat. That gives me the confidence to keep on going. I know that editing as you go doesn't work for everyone and isn't recommended, and I know that I will need to do a proper edit once the draft is finished (there's still places where a full scene rewrite will be needed), but if the alternative is getting too dejected with it and abandoning it entirely, I'd rather have a slower process that gets me there in the end (and the end is now in sight!).
That’s the “clean your room” of authors! 😁 And given that most creatives are high in openness, low in conscientiousness, this is exactly the type of “counter-measure” that our natural chaos usually needs (even if it’s the thing a lot of creatives struggle with the most).
This was my experience specifically. Just the first two opening pages. I hated it. I thought I had no skill after so many years of not being able to write. But I sat with it and spent a lot of time rewriting and editing. I refused to continue the story without knowing it was as perfect as I could get it. It did wonders for my confidence and its allowed me to write consistently every day 🙏🏾
I think the frustration that leads to abandoning projects comes from our own expectation and a fear of being judged by others as a writer, and having the writing itself judged. If writers can step away from this fear and accept that making art, and being judged are separate concepts, it's much easier to push through. I've heard it said that making art of any kind is about struggling against our own limitations of expression.
@@kytinia1728 Well, everyone is different. Maybe your process is to switch back and forth between them. I'm not saying people should force themselves to work in a way against their process, or make themselves frustrated or stuck. I'm just saying that sometimes we need to be disciplined and committed to keep going and not just give in. For me, my dream of what writing should always feel like isn't realistic. Sometimes it's just hard work. I agree that we can only work at our own pace, and some days are better than others. I wasn't trying to dictate how others work, I was just trying to offer encouragement.
In the video game industry, in pre-production, we do a "vertical slice" of the game. The core team builds 1 mission to perfection early on. And that way, we can see how much work it will take to make the rest of the game. It helps with the schedule, hiring, and budget. It also helps get everyone on the creative side to see what we're actually gonna make. So polishing a few scenes when you just have an outline is a really good tip!
@@Ika0713 Right. I think applying this to chapters in moderation, might be valuable, but there's the danger of polishing pieces repeatedly forever and never completing the whole.
@@Ika0713 Note: It doesn't have to be Chapter 1. In games, the first level is usually a tutorial, so we try to polish an early to mid Level. If there are 10 to 12 Levels in a game, we usually pick one between 3 and 5. For writing, I'd recommend polishing a chapter or set of scenes that push the theme of your story. Keep working on it until you are happy with it.
For me, I didn't finish my first book until I realized I was a plotter trying pantser methods. I wanted to just write without planning anything, and when I hit a problem my character couldn't figure out I gave up. I was only able to overcome this when I realized the way I work is to plan everything out and fix those big problems before I start drafting. Thanks for this Erin!
I think everybody works like that though. If you don't plot *anything*, you will eventually run into a brick wall. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with pantsing, but it's best to outline the general story and characters.
Why feel compelled to stick to writing one book? Mark Twain spoke of many unfinished projects "baking on my literary shipyards." He returned to each as inspiration took him.
6:40 "When you change projects quickly, you don't learn the higher level skills" Yes, Yes, Yes. Looking at a lot of writers I know in my critique group and beyond.
Hi guys! Apologies for the background noise at a couple points. My neighbors are having their home renovated. I hope you find this video helpful. Let me know if there are any other reasons you struggle to stick with a novel or if you have any suggestions for writers struggling with project hopping. Also let me know if you have any other topics you want me to cover in future videos. Thanks! -Ellen
Honestly didn't notice it :) I was just about to tell my wife that I like that your videos don't have bg music and that it's just you talking about editing
OK, when a story is no longer new and shiny, some of us need to buckle down and do the work. When you started talking about being discouraged by a messy manuscript I raised my hand. Thanks for the pep talk. 📖🤦👍❤
I don’t understand people like this. For me I started writing to tell my story, not to show off my writing skills. I want people to hear about this fantasy world I’ve been builing in my head for years, even before I had ever thought of writing. I couldn’t even think about writing a different novel right now. It would take years to come up with a concept as intricate that I’m this passionate about.
I second everything you said, just want to add some (unorthodox) advice that worked for me: 1. Try switching genres 2. Don't think about the story ALL the time. Focus on other things to avoid burnout. 3. Write from a more intellectual place than an emotional place. Emotions fade quickly. 4. Even if you aren't a plotter, at least map the story enough that you know what you're aiming for. 5. Make writing a habit with a day/time to write, but don't put pressure on yourself to write x amount of words. 6. Write a story with a message that you know you'll always want to tell, something evergreen for you. 7. Read bad books. It's an ego booster, especially if the bad book has a lot of rave reviews. 8. Edit every chapter (lightly, just one or two passes max) as you draft to avoid coming back to an unreadable mess.
I really appreciate how you balance being non-judgmental with being honest and practical in your advice! Your reframing and challenging of assumptions (such as the "real writing happens with a glass of wine and a spontaneously filled blank page with excellent prose" illusion) is really helpful for new and aspiring writers to adjust their expectations to be realistic. Thank you!
You read my mind. I've started a fantasy novel, then two screenplays, a cooking book, and another non-fiction project. So many ideas getting piled on top of one another!
This is absolutely stellar advice. I’ve fallen into this trap so many times, and I’m still trying to claw my way out. You’re right on the mark, that developing skill and confidence is a better boost than any individual idea. I guess it can feel a bit chicken-and-egg sometimes, trying to push past that point and gain that confidence.
I would love more about this. I don't write new novels while writing the one, but I would love your take on other things that are common novelist issues. Like "What if your creative spark disappears for a time because life gets in the way."
I think changing your mindset to see editing as the whole *point* of writing really helps. Or at least it helped me! I get so overwhelmed and intimidated by the first draft that my excitement fizzles into fear. When I realized that I can do whatever I want in an exploratory draft and use the editing process later to finesse my ideas, I was able to write much more and finish a piece.
Yes, it'd be great to hear more about procrastination, etc.! On the topic of this video: I keep about 10 books in my head, switching back and forth between them, and that process goes on for a decade so far. Whenever I sit down to actually start writing any of them I soon feel like it's probably waste of time and one of those other 9 books would be a more relevant project/better representing what I can achieve. Any of them would take a long time to write but genres are different, plots are different, there are not many similarities between them all, so whichever book I choose it feels like I'm choosing just 1/10 of what I can show to people, and thusly my motivation drops correspondingly. What should I do...
I have the same problem and what helped me is making a priority list. I chose my main story to finish first, and then a second one to write when I am tired of the first ( so switch between them). The rest of my stories I put on wait list. If I get an idea for some of them, I write it down but I do not touch the stories ( I am not actively writing them). Remember that the more you write the better at writing you will become. So start with that story that seems to be the most simple one, and build towards the one you love the most. Always remember those simple truths: What you can achieve is not represented by the type of story you chose to finish first. The best you can achieve lies far into the future. The best you can achieve won't ever be book 1 out of 10, but book 9 or 10. What you lack is patience, you want to quickly reach the success, you want to immediately write that one perfect book. But you can't. No matter which of the 10 stories you choose to finish, it won't live up to your expectations. You have to write them all. You have to build up your skills. Genre, plot, ideas - those are just paints on a canvas - but you have to learn to paint like a true master in order to use them well. Picasso didn't paint his most famous paintings on the get go. He grew into the painter we know in time. So make a list, stick to it and have patience and persistence.
@@vicky5al aha! So I shouldn't start with the one I love the most (which coincidentally is the most complicated of them all). Thanks to you I at least know the order of preference now, and that it won't be too much of a crime to work on two books at once. True, severe lack of patience.
One of my rare comments. I love all your videos although I don't write books. The ideas often translate to my hobby of creating synthwave, especially this problem of why we don't complete a piece of work and why. About 50% of my lounge is a recording studio so I have plenty of toys to distract me from finishing a track and I can imagine designing a world and characters in Obsidian, timelines in AeonTimeline, outlines in Scrivener, and yet never getting past page one. 😄
I'm that magical person who can intuit through a book and then publish it with minimal edits. BUT! It only works for romance with light adventure and stuff like family drama. Now that I've come up with an idea for a more complex story, I'm buried to my neck in beat sheets and character profiles. And for me now it requires a lot of self-dicipline to write this when I know I could pick up one of those simple romance plots and execute them in a few months perfectly without any planning. It also doesn't help that the story I'm focusing on now sounds like it might turn out super good, and that puts additional pressure on the quality of my writing and my reasearch. So it's not easy for us, intuits, either, and switching may be dependent on how procrstinatogenic a project is ))
If you have ideas for other projects always write them down for later! You can start them at any time, no need to feel like you need to tackle a million projects at one time!
I'm definitely in that first camp. I actually struggled the beginning of this month with having an idea I knew I should write out and finish to turn into a comic pitch later, but another idea almost sabatoged my efforts. It took a lot of self control to reign it in and get back on the first idea. Sometimes I think of it as a "new idea fairy" that magically comes in all shiny and new, but eventually it turns into old idea fairy (which is really the same idea but with a body image issue) and boy do you really need to take that new idea out back, otherwise it just makes everything else all the harder
Musicians have exactly the same problem. A lot of songs or just riffs, motives that are not finished. About suggestions for another video, I would like to see story structure for a book series.
This video addressed EXACTLY what I’m going through (although I’m 230 pages in). More please! I think a mood board is a great suggestion (already have a playlist). I had to take a break from my novel due to some historical research I wanted to do last winter. Then life happened, then spring then summer…I prefer writing during the winter anyway and intend to get back in the saddle. Fortunately I never got bored with my story.
Thank you Ellen. I have a spreadsheet that tracks my WIPs and there are too many balls in the air. In the words of Yoda, "Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship."
Thank you Ellen. I feel better about my habits of never finishing anything I wrote, mainly because I think my writing sucks 😔. I would love to watch more of these writer lifestyle tips, alongside some of the more technical videos you've put out
I dunno if this helps, but if I have an idea, I write a 2 page story outline with a theme in mind. I put it away for a few days and look at it with fresh eyes, adding details. The outline is now 5 pages. I put it away... fresh eyes... more detail... 10 pages. Repeat. 20 pages, 25 pages, 30, pages, 35 pages... at this point everything is figured out. Even the key dialogue, action scenes, and foreshadowing.
I really like this type of video, hope you do more, sometimes it really os our own minds and emotions that get in the way of writing and not so much the technical stuff
For me, watching craft videos (cause I'm new to publishing), inspired me to get reignited for my 3/4 book series. Lol I had all my 1st drafts done. Editing was getting to become boring. But when I learned MORE I became reinvested
I used to think that a very meticulous plotting process was the way to be a "real" writer. Like, if I didn't turn the process of writing into a job, I couldn't expect to make it into a career, which was a childhood dream of mine. It hampered me a lot, and made some of my first projects not only feel soulless, but also excruciating to work on, since it turns out I'm a lot more intuitive than I thought. I'm still refining my process, (maybe I'll never feel done refining it?), but I'm now able to actually finish projects that I'm happy with, and your videos have helped me so much in getting to this point. Sincerely, thank you for sharing your insight!
This topic resonated with me so much! I have dozens of unfinished projects on my USB and I feel like people may think I’m crazy if something happens to me and they come across that USB, lol. Good to know I’m not alone in doing this! Many thanks for your tips Ellen 🤗
For me it's the constant distractions and changes of routine. I'll find a space of time each day to focus on writing then after a few months something happens to derail my efforts. Then I lose all my threads and find it hard to get the train running again. Then I get another idea and it all starts again. Great video, thank you.
It's interesting, i had this problem until i wrote not one, but two fan fiction novels (85k and 170k words). I think it was because 1) i had an existing structure to work with and 2) i didnt have the pressure of "is this good enough?" and so i felt freer to make mistakes
Omg EB! I could Not remember your name to search and had enjoyed your vids some time ago but the homogenized alg waited till NOW to put you back 😮in my feed! Thankye Lawd!! Now for a memory trick: writers block? Ellen Brock! writers block? Ellen Brock! Love what u do 🌺🌺🌺
Wow, really calling me out right off the bat. The point about if it's same author, then it's the same problems is going to be very important for me to remember. I've worked on like 5 different projects this year (not including a quick swerve into a fanfiction that i DID finish 💅). I know I can finish long projects, so I need to stay focused and figure out a plot that works and nail down character motivation instead of hopping to something else when things get difficult
Even when I think I lack a good question, videos addressing my problem(s) always materialize! Thank you. Def looking forward to more lifestyle videos!!
I absolutly love your disclaimer, that all is fine as long as it doesn't stress you out/ keeps you from working. When I'm in my planing phases and sometimes during editing as well I keep doing plans on multiple works. Normally on all my - far to many ^^ - ideas at once. I look for loose plot points/ events parallel for up to five stories a day, until I finally settle with one project that feels just right at that moment. Sometimes I do this while editing another piece of work as well, because I will get blind and exhausted if I stick with "the same problem" over and over again, but if that's the case then I normally dedicate seperate hours to each work.
Editing is where I struggle. I got my book back from my developmental edit 2 weeks ago and have barely touched it. If I set deadlines it seems I rebel. So I'm just going to set times to work on it and not stress on being ready to publish by Christmas.
2:40 I think this one is just excellent and really hits the nail. I never thought of it that way, but actually, it's so true. You think "I need this ONE supergud idea, and everything will fall into place." But it's a lie. I see myself so much in this. Currently, I have Novels sitting at around page 58, 30, 23 and 12 (the 58-pager being the most recent), which I abandoned. With those, I basically dumped my initial sparks onto the digital paper and then asked myself, how I can possibly make a full story out of it, gave up and put them aside. Although I'm still interested in the underlying ideas I used for each of them. Thx for making me aware of it! 13:47 I'm usually a planner-type in my whole life to an almost unhealthy degree. And I'm a literal sponge for theoretical knowledge. But for my novel ideas, it really is hard for me to think the story through to the end... it's weird.
Its also not bad to have several projects in the works at the same. My preference is two. I will spend one week working on one then the next switch. This gives my mind time to rest from one set of characters and setting and plot and take a vacation elsewhere. The back and forth helps with preventing burnout and can help set you into a routine.
Agree with what you’ve said. Am still writing my first novel and am slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but man is it tough. I know for sure I will not want to edit it because there would just be way too much to do and would rather take the lessons learnt and start anew, than spend more time on it. Has almost been two years (and I naively thought I would be done in a year). Biggest struggle has been finding dedicated time. As this is a hobby and not how I earn money, choosing to spend my evening or lunch break on it I find difficult. Do love the idea of really polishing a scene or chapter. Think having that go to place that you are so happy with will put one in good stead for the next part. Going forward I would love to see videos of you taking a scene or chapter etc, and breaking down where it is wrong etc and what you would recommend in order to improve it. Not just with add this or that but more in terms of how you would as an editor want it to change. Something like that I think would be useful 😊
I tried being a pantser and it was fun...for a white, I would always end up getting stuck and not completing, mainly because the story had changed too much by the time I reached halfway that my writing felt so disjointed I could no longer figure out how to continue. I also tried hardcore plotting, only to get burned out and bored by the process itself and never writing any of that story. Watching your types of writers video introduced me to the concept of the intuitive plotter which I am giving a go now and so far I find I think I like it. I am essentially doing summary plotting, and writing the story as it comes, not thinking much about structure but just what feels likes should come next and for me it seems to be a great mix of the excitement of pantsing, while also being sparse and flexible enough that if I come up with brilliant new ideas throughout the story I can very easily adjust everything else (instead of just giving up). I think it ultimately is turning into a bit of a draft 0 really. Something I found helpful for getting myself to stick to one story is to simply write down my brilliant new story ideas when I have them (as you suggested) and then telling myself I can start one of my new ideas once I finish at least the first full draft of my current story.
Polishing a few scenes is very good advice. Whenever I lose my spark for writing I just have to read through my older finished work to regain it. When following this advice I highly recommend polishing the scenes you already had a lot of fun writing the first draft on. Or at least scenes you're very excited about. Your favorites, really. Things like the inciting incident, or a part where the romantic interests have that first spark of connection, or a scene where your main character gets to be really cool. Any scene that you love and know your readers are going to love. Very interested in a video about how to improve writing skills. I imagine most of it is just practice and maybe targeted research, but I'd love any tips I can get.
This comment is more directed to the viewers of this video. 100% agree that becoming a better editor will turn you into a better writer. Your prose might still be missing some pizazz, but your structure and storytelling ability will allow you to spot problems way in advance. I also have to second figuring out what type of writer you are. I've tried plotting, it doesn't work for me. It leaves me discouraged and makes me not want to write. But when I try to pants my stories, then I end up writing myself into roadblocks and dead ends. Once I figured out that I'm one of those "chaotic methodological" writers I could finally tap into my strengths which gave me the ability to push through some particularly rough narrative spots. Okay, back to Ellen! This might be a difficult topic but I'd love any ideas on how to get *faster* at revising. I can bang out a rough draft in 3 months, but once I'm editing I find myself delayed by several years. I can get stuck on a problematic scene for MONTHS before I finally have a breakthrough and hobble my way to the finish. Lastly, love the new additions to the book shelf! Too blurry for me to read, but I recognize the fonts. Big smile on my face!
as someone who has struggled their entire life with starting multiple projects but never finishing them, this has been just the advice and needed, so thank you. i have another i was wondering if you'd be interested on giving advice about. i often get caught up on doing research for my stories (especially when it comes to fantasy worldbuilding) that i get completely overwhelmed and feel upset that i'm just not 'knowledgeable' enough. how much research should a writer do beforehand that strikes a good balance and doesn't completely take over the writing process?
How dare you make a video specifically about me? 😂 My pitfall is usually the boredom trap, where my project isn't shiny and exciting anymore and I have to push through a lackluster, routine segment to get to the more fun parts. It annoys me how I can see myself losing steam and drifting away, and yet I still do it. Gah! At least I'm not alone. Loved this video!
My last few novels I’ve been able to get through to the end of the first draft. It’s the editing phase which absolutely breaks me and I abandon to move on. Reading my writing and see it’s not where I had wanted it to be or thinking I need to rewrite for some changes and then almost restart with a whole new draft and rewrite everything. I watched the 4 different type of writer last and changed my approach to match the one where I thought I more closely aligned to and completed that rough outline so there is scope for me to “pants” as well. First time I breezed right through. Am busy editing now but don’t feel that same frustration l. Still a little daunting at all the changes, even in story but I’m enjoying the edit now. So thank you very much for the help already provided
Great channel and topic! this always happens to me between novels, when I'm not that invested in one thing or another. and it's torture. I start, I hope. I just have too many passions. What helped me a lot was setting dead lines to finish each book, that way its easier to commit to one, because I have an end point as to when I can start on the next.
Your videos are THE most helpfull advice I've ever been given on writing (even before the Brandon Sanderson lectures). I always feel motivated afterwards and I have actual steps at hand that I can take - espacially because you have some really unusual tips that finally fit my crazy ADHD brain. Actually editing - as in polish to perfection - before finishing? I did edits before, thanks to your writers types videos, but allowing myself to make it perfect to regain interest: game changer. Thank you SO much!
I’d love to see more videos of this style- honestly I’ve been so focused on the technical and structural side of stories that I’ve hardly spent any time actually writing or improving my skills. Amazing video, keep up the great work :-)
I've been doing my best to stick with my ONE main novel and only keeping a synopsis of future novels, yet I somehow feel personally attacked! 🤣 Thank you for your continued awesome advice. I often go back to old videos when I'm stuck somewhere to help get me out of my rut.
Many writers seem to have the boredom thing and I have it in Spades due to my add. Get people to hold you accountable. Motivation is not something you have you do things to get yourself motivated so if you wait to be motivated you will be waiting your whole life. Simple concentration exercises as opposed to mindfulness meditation exercise your prefrontal cortex and develop more focus and stick to its and can be read about how to do online. I prefer candle meditations or you can stare on a DOT at a wall or count. If you have a difficulty with Focus get people to hold you accountable and practice focusing on things such as candle flames, dots, or counting.
thank you for this. i am a new writer, and i definitely fit your description. i have 5 or 6 projects I've fleshed out anywhere from 5k to 20k words and keep bouncing between them. this video was very helpful to me. i think for me it just comes down to self discipline. i lose motivation for a certain novel/series then work on another one. I've come back to projects I abandoned a few months prior, read what I had, and was like "this is amazing! why did I ever bail on this??"
Thanks for always posting amazing content. This video hit home. I've written a few novels and every time I get one back from an editor with detailed feedback, I just can't go back to the novel and fix it. I'm a slower writer so novels take me more than a year. Thinking of editing the book for another year absolutely kills my motivation. It's probably because I don't yet have the story telling skills needed to tell a coherent story. But I keep trying!
@@LeviathantheMighty No judgement here. Writer UA-cam makes me feel like I have to write six books a year so calling myself a slower writer is definitely my own distorted metric. Keep writing! We'll get those books out there eventually.
Ellen's writer type videos have been the most helpful writing videos I have ever come across! Learning I'm a Methodological Pantser was so incredibly helpful in working out my writing method
Extremely helpful video! As someone who bounced around projects a lot, what really helped me to stick to one was... using a spreadsheet! Watching my word count tick up day by day, approaching an estimated benchmark for completion... it was really rewarding!
I feel like I'm repeating myself when I say I like this type of video because I also love all your other ones, but I really like this kind of video! I'm specially interested in tips on how to actually improve my writing! Thank you for this video! You do a great work through this channel 😊
I write new novels. Exactly the way you said. So far, I'm leaning into that - by which I mean I'm using it as a charge, as a rage. I've plotted out about 16 books out, this provides me the ability to get a big picture view of my tec over a span of a decade (spring, summer is one case; fall winter is another. My tec will be solving two crimes a year.) So although it's true that I haven't finished my first novel, a fear that I have is that by the time I have the skills, maybe I won't have the brilliant ideas. So I'm writing it all - new novels starts provide a much needed break from the old/ first.
This video was very helpful. I needed the coaching today. I was a pantser for too many years. The experience was useful, but all I have to show for the time is a file cabinet full of unfinished work. Outlining has given me the structure I needed. I had to commit to knowing where I was going and why. So far, so good
It took me a long time to learn outlining because I had some success as a pantser. When my projects failed, I never figured out why. It was different project to project. I also had to find the right outlining method. I learned from Erin's videos I'm a methodological gardener.
I've gotten better at rotating projects, but when I first started writing at like 16, I had to sit down w myself and go, "Listen, we're not doing this thing where you sit down and refine chapter one over and over and then move onto the next book. You have to finish this before you get to work on anything."
yesss i wanna watch other writer's psychology and lifestyle topics from you!!! excited to watch this queen i love your work and i am watching all the ads
Messy plot is what usually blocked me. Well, it's more like "I'm lost and don't know how to proceed". My ideas tend to be based around "what stuff happens", and then when I hit a point where I need to elaborate on the why/motivation, I get stumped because I don't know. When I asked some people in the past, their advice is that my character or the world is not fleshed out enough, and I need to work on it more. Doesn't really help, because nothing clicked, so I end up shelving projects over and over.
I usually get stuck with story structure and unable to make it all add up despite having a structure to help me. I end up losing interest, start a new project and end up with the same issue
Yes, I love videos on topics like this just as much as videos on story structure, character development and so on. All of your videos are great and to the point, I wish there was a transcript of everything you say to download for us. I am taking notes every now and and again, just like I would have during a lecture in University. But the best lectures also offered transcripts which were always so helpful for the studies I did. But thank you for all your effort regardless of there being a transcript or not. 😀👍
I just have so many ideas I can't choose which one to write. I've stuck to working on 3 projects right now and recently finished the first draft of one. I do still start new ideas and write whatever I feel like writing, but I'm getting somewhere. I think working on multiple things helps with the boredom a lot honestly. I mean, even if you start a new project you can always come back to previous stories.
Hello Ellen, thank you very much for your content, it’s always both useful and entertaining. Since you asked to express suggestions about possible topics, here are two questions to which I can’t find a technical, or just convincing, answer: 1) What makes good prose? How do you, as an editor, recognise it? 2) What makes the difference between a good novel and an extraordinary novel? I.e. why do some novels, with apparently simple story structure and dialogue, win relevant literary prizes, whereas some other with very complex stories and structures are categorised as good ‘commercial’ products? Thank you so much for all the work you do!
I don't think I have this problem because I only have three projects going on simultaneously that I go between, all different genres. And I'm not making new ones for the sake of shiny new idea syndrome. Whenever I feel stuck with boredom on one I move to the other. It works pretty well for me as I never get bored and get exciting ideas and stuff that refreshes my motivation. I will stick to one project when I see an actual problem and work through any issues. I write almost every day, and this usually happens once a month. I think it helps with my skill as a writer, and find out what I'm best at. I've not published anything yet, but almost finished the first draft of one. I'm not in any rush to finish these stories, so it doesn't really matter that I'm not published yet.
I started writing a novel more than two years ago. I had dropped it a year and a half ago and just picked it back up. It's definitely a scary task, editing it, cause one, it's not finished, but even bigger is the fact that i started writing it by bouncing between the second half of the story and then to the first and then back. And with over 140 pages and over 40 chapters, it's hard to figure out where everything goes now.
I have this issue. I start working on a novel, I'm excited, I end up pantsing half the novel and then I get to the middle and my novel comes to a screeching halt. Most of it, is that I get bored, I get tired of the story and/or I am unsure how to handle or what to write the middle without boring my reader. In addition, whenever I start picking up again I end up reading to see where I am and I end up rewriting the last page or two (really unnecessary edits to be honest) and then I end up maybe adding a sentence or two and giving up.
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Constantly starting new projects is like writers block but instead of walking into a wall you are in one of those circular doors that us just going around and around
perfect wag of explaining!
Yes
Basically
I don’t understand people like this. For me I started writing to tell my story, not to show off my writing skills. I want people to hear about this fantasy world I’ve been builing in my head for years, even before I had ever thought of writing. I couldn’t even think about writing a different novel right now. It would take years to come up with a concept as intricate that I’m this passionate about.
“Polish a couple of scenes to get confidence “ If I hadn’t done that I don’t think I would be motivated enough to go on. It’s such a booster to see you can turn first draft into something you like.
This.
I quickly lose confidence in my draft if I think that it's not as good as I can write. The method I've found that works for me is that I write several new scenes, then go back and polish several earlier scenes (so that I'm more likely to see where it needs improving after a few days away). Rinse and repeat. That gives me the confidence to keep on going. I know that editing as you go doesn't work for everyone and isn't recommended, and I know that I will need to do a proper edit once the draft is finished (there's still places where a full scene rewrite will be needed), but if the alternative is getting too dejected with it and abandoning it entirely, I'd rather have a slower process that gets me there in the end (and the end is now in sight!).
I just did this for my first chapter and it helps so much.
That’s the “clean your room” of authors! 😁 And given that most creatives are high in openness, low in conscientiousness, this is exactly the type of “counter-measure” that our natural chaos usually needs (even if it’s the thing a lot of creatives struggle with the most).
This is also why writers should at least experiment with short stories before trying to swallow the elephant that is a novel.
This was my experience specifically. Just the first two opening pages. I hated it. I thought I had no skill after so many years of not being able to write. But I sat with it and spent a lot of time rewriting and editing. I refused to continue the story without knowing it was as perfect as I could get it. It did wonders for my confidence and its allowed me to write consistently every day 🙏🏾
I think the frustration that leads to abandoning projects comes from our own expectation and a fear of being judged by others as a writer, and having the writing itself judged. If writers can step away from this fear and accept that making art, and being judged are separate concepts, it's much easier to push through. I've heard it said that making art of any kind is about struggling against our own limitations of expression.
I don't have this issue. It's just that I got plenty of interesting ideas that I can't focus on one. If I force myself, then the outcome will be bad.
I don't have this issue. It's just that I got plenty of interesting ideas that I can't focus on one. If I force myself, then the outcome will be bad.
@@kytinia1728 Well, everyone is different. Maybe your process is to switch back and forth between them. I'm not saying people should force themselves to work in a way against their process, or make themselves frustrated or stuck. I'm just saying that sometimes we need to be disciplined and committed to keep going and not just give in. For me, my dream of what writing should always feel like isn't realistic. Sometimes it's just hard work. I agree that we can only work at our own pace, and some days are better than others. I wasn't trying to dictate how others work, I was just trying to offer encouragement.
In the video game industry, in pre-production, we do a "vertical slice" of the game. The core team builds 1 mission to perfection early on.
And that way, we can see how much work it will take to make the rest of the game. It helps with the schedule, hiring, and budget.
It also helps get everyone on the creative side to see what we're actually gonna make.
So polishing a few scenes when you just have an outline is a really good tip!
That is super interesting. Thank you for sharing.
I think writers should practice on short stories before (or in parallel with) jumping into novels.
@@HasteWriting I'd agree because it is easier to iterate on something small, than something huge.
@@Ika0713 Right. I think applying this to chapters in moderation, might be valuable, but there's the danger of polishing pieces repeatedly forever and never completing the whole.
@@Ika0713 Note: It doesn't have to be Chapter 1.
In games, the first level is usually a tutorial, so we try to polish an early to mid Level. If there are 10 to 12 Levels in a game, we usually pick one between 3 and 5.
For writing, I'd recommend polishing a chapter or set of scenes that push the theme of your story. Keep working on it until you are happy with it.
For me, I didn't finish my first book until I realized I was a plotter trying pantser methods. I wanted to just write without planning anything, and when I hit a problem my character couldn't figure out I gave up. I was only able to overcome this when I realized the way I work is to plan everything out and fix those big problems before I start drafting. Thanks for this Erin!
same. then I had the problem of not having a proper plan to tackle editing so I have 2 novels that I haven't edited more than once!
I think everybody works like that though. If you don't plot *anything*, you will eventually run into a brick wall. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with pantsing, but it's best to outline the general story and characters.
Why feel compelled to stick to writing one book? Mark Twain spoke of many unfinished projects "baking on my literary shipyards." He returned to each as inspiration took him.
6:40 "When you change projects quickly, you don't learn the higher level skills" Yes, Yes, Yes. Looking at a lot of writers I know in my critique group and beyond.
Hi guys!
Apologies for the background noise at a couple points. My neighbors are having their home renovated.
I hope you find this video helpful. Let me know if there are any other reasons you struggle to stick with a novel or if you have any suggestions for writers struggling with project hopping. Also let me know if you have any other topics you want me to cover in future videos. Thanks!
-Ellen
Honestly didn't notice it :) I was just about to tell my wife that I like that your videos don't have bg music and that it's just you talking about editing
@@arsenicbug1537 I second this.
@@arsenicbug1537 me too ✌🏽
OK, when a story is no longer new and shiny, some of us need to buckle down and do the work. When you started talking about being discouraged by a messy manuscript I raised my hand. Thanks for the pep talk. 📖🤦👍❤
I don’t understand people like this. For me I started writing to tell my story, not to show off my writing skills. I want people to hear about this fantasy world I’ve been builing in my head for years, even before I had ever thought of writing. I couldn’t even think about writing a different novel right now. It would take years to come up with a concept as intricate that I’m this passionate about.
I second everything you said, just want to add some (unorthodox) advice that worked for me:
1. Try switching genres
2. Don't think about the story ALL the time. Focus on other things to avoid burnout.
3. Write from a more intellectual place than an emotional place. Emotions fade quickly.
4. Even if you aren't a plotter, at least map the story enough that you know what you're aiming for.
5. Make writing a habit with a day/time to write, but don't put pressure on yourself to write x amount of words.
6. Write a story with a message that you know you'll always want to tell, something evergreen for you.
7. Read bad books. It's an ego booster, especially if the bad book has a lot of rave reviews.
8. Edit every chapter (lightly, just one or two passes max) as you draft to avoid coming back to an unreadable mess.
I really appreciate how you balance being non-judgmental with being honest and practical in your advice! Your reframing and challenging of assumptions (such as the "real writing happens with a glass of wine and a spontaneously filled blank page with excellent prose" illusion) is really helpful for new and aspiring writers to adjust their expectations to be realistic. Thank you!
You read my mind. I've started a fantasy novel, then two screenplays, a cooking book, and another non-fiction project. So many ideas getting piled on top of one another!
"Editing is the best way to improve your writing." yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
This is absolutely stellar advice. I’ve fallen into this trap so many times, and I’m still trying to claw my way out. You’re right on the mark, that developing skill and confidence is a better boost than any individual idea. I guess it can feel a bit chicken-and-egg sometimes, trying to push past that point and gain that confidence.
I would love more about this. I don't write new novels while writing the one, but I would love your take on other things that are common novelist issues. Like "What if your creative spark disappears for a time because life gets in the way."
I think changing your mindset to see editing as the whole *point* of writing really helps. Or at least it helped me! I get so overwhelmed and intimidated by the first draft that my excitement fizzles into fear. When I realized that I can do whatever I want in an exploratory draft and use the editing process later to finesse my ideas, I was able to write much more and finish a piece.
Yes, it'd be great to hear more about procrastination, etc.!
On the topic of this video: I keep about 10 books in my head, switching back and forth between them, and that process goes on for a decade so far. Whenever I sit down to actually start writing any of them I soon feel like it's probably waste of time and one of those other 9 books would be a more relevant project/better representing what I can achieve. Any of them would take a long time to write but genres are different, plots are different, there are not many similarities between them all, so whichever book I choose it feels like I'm choosing just 1/10 of what I can show to people, and thusly my motivation drops correspondingly. What should I do...
I have the same problem and what helped me is making a priority list. I chose my main story to finish first, and then a second one to write when I am tired of the first ( so switch between them). The rest of my stories I put on wait list. If I get an idea for some of them, I write it down but I do not touch the stories ( I am not actively writing them). Remember that the more you write the better at writing you will become. So start with that story that seems to be the most simple one, and build towards the one you love the most. Always remember those simple truths: What you can achieve is not represented by the type of story you chose to finish first. The best you can achieve lies far into the future. The best you can achieve won't ever be book 1 out of 10, but book 9 or 10. What you lack is patience, you want to quickly reach the success, you want to immediately write that one perfect book. But you can't. No matter which of the 10 stories you choose to finish, it won't live up to your expectations. You have to write them all. You have to build up your skills. Genre, plot, ideas - those are just paints on a canvas - but you have to learn to paint like a true master in order to use them well. Picasso didn't paint his most famous paintings on the get go. He grew into the painter we know in time. So make a list, stick to it and have patience and persistence.
@@vicky5al aha! So I shouldn't start with the one I love the most (which coincidentally is the most complicated of them all). Thanks to you I at least know the order of preference now, and that it won't be too much of a crime to work on two books at once.
True, severe lack of patience.
@@fourleggedlys It's hard but it will be worth it at the end. Just don't give up! Good luck with your writing.
One of my rare comments. I love all your videos although I don't write books. The ideas often translate to my hobby of creating synthwave, especially this problem of why we don't complete a piece of work and why. About 50% of my lounge is a recording studio so I have plenty of toys to distract me from finishing a track and I can imagine designing a world and characters in Obsidian, timelines in AeonTimeline, outlines in Scrivener, and yet never getting past page one. 😄
« But one day you’ll wake up and it will be done. »
Love that phrase!❤
I'm that magical person who can intuit through a book and then publish it with minimal edits. BUT! It only works for romance with light adventure and stuff like family drama. Now that I've come up with an idea for a more complex story, I'm buried to my neck in beat sheets and character profiles.
And for me now it requires a lot of self-dicipline to write this when I know I could pick up one of those simple romance plots and execute them in a few months perfectly without any planning. It also doesn't help that the story I'm focusing on now sounds like it might turn out super good, and that puts additional pressure on the quality of my writing and my reasearch. So it's not easy for us, intuits, either, and switching may be dependent on how procrstinatogenic a project is ))
Adhd doesn't help either :/ Great helpful video. Thanks :)
If you have ideas for other projects always write them down for later! You can start them at any time, no need to feel like you need to tackle a million projects at one time!
I'm definitely in that first camp. I actually struggled the beginning of this month with having an idea I knew I should write out and finish to turn into a comic pitch later, but another idea almost sabatoged my efforts. It took a lot of self control to reign it in and get back on the first idea. Sometimes I think of it as a "new idea fairy" that magically comes in all shiny and new, but eventually it turns into old idea fairy (which is really the same idea but with a body image issue) and boy do you really need to take that new idea out back, otherwise it just makes everything else all the harder
I felt bad for rewriting (completely) the first 1/2 of my novel 13 times until I saw this video. Maybe I made the right choice after all ...
Musicians have exactly the same problem. A lot of songs or just riffs, motives that are not finished.
About suggestions for another video, I would like to see story structure for a book series.
I feel personally attacked 😂
Thank you so much for your content, I love your videos, they're always insightful and inspiring ♥️
This video addressed EXACTLY what I’m going through (although I’m 230 pages in). More please! I think a mood board is a great suggestion (already have a playlist). I had to take a break from my novel due to some historical research I wanted to do last winter. Then life happened, then spring then summer…I prefer writing during the winter anyway and intend to get back in the saddle. Fortunately I never got bored with my story.
Yes! Please do more of these. Novel idea hopping is such a problem for me.
Thank you Ellen. I have a spreadsheet that tracks my WIPs and there are too many balls in the air. In the words of Yoda, "Concentrate all your fire on the nearest starship."
It's amusing/amazing how much of this can be applicable to artists with very little tweaking
Thank you Ellen. I feel better about my habits of never finishing anything I wrote, mainly because I think my writing sucks 😔. I would love to watch more of these writer lifestyle tips, alongside some of the more technical videos you've put out
I dunno if this helps, but if I have an idea, I write a 2 page story outline with a theme in mind.
I put it away for a few days and look at it with fresh eyes, adding details. The outline is now 5 pages.
I put it away... fresh eyes... more detail... 10 pages. Repeat.
20 pages, 25 pages, 30, pages, 35 pages... at this point everything is figured out. Even the key dialogue, action scenes, and foreshadowing.
Definitely the best writing advice channel ever
I really like this type of video, hope you do more, sometimes it really os our own minds and emotions that get in the way of writing and not so much the technical stuff
"...5, 10, 15 novels that you've gotten 20-50 pages into..." cries
For me, watching craft videos (cause I'm new to publishing), inspired me to get reignited for my 3/4 book series. Lol I had all my 1st drafts done. Editing was getting to become boring. But when I learned MORE I became reinvested
I used to think that a very meticulous plotting process was the way to be a "real" writer. Like, if I didn't turn the process of writing into a job, I couldn't expect to make it into a career, which was a childhood dream of mine. It hampered me a lot, and made some of my first projects not only feel soulless, but also excruciating to work on, since it turns out I'm a lot more intuitive than I thought. I'm still refining my process, (maybe I'll never feel done refining it?), but I'm now able to actually finish projects that I'm happy with, and your videos have helped me so much in getting to this point. Sincerely, thank you for sharing your insight!
One thing I think I've learned is that you have to write out your idea while the passion is there - it won't last forever.
This topic resonated with me so much! I have dozens of unfinished projects on my USB and I feel like people may think I’m crazy if something happens to me and they come across that USB, lol. Good to know I’m not alone in doing this! Many thanks for your tips Ellen 🤗
For me it's the constant distractions and changes of routine. I'll find a space of time each day to focus on writing then after a few months something happens to derail my efforts. Then I lose all my threads and find it hard to get the train running again. Then I get another idea and it all starts again.
Great video, thank you.
@EllenBrock seems like someone is using your name for phone give outs?👆
It's interesting, i had this problem until i wrote not one, but two fan fiction novels (85k and 170k words). I think it was because 1) i had an existing structure to work with and 2) i didnt have the pressure of "is this good enough?" and so i felt freer to make mistakes
Omg EB! I could Not remember your name to search and had enjoyed your vids some time ago but the homogenized alg waited till NOW to put you back 😮in my feed! Thankye Lawd!! Now for a memory trick: writers block? Ellen Brock! writers block? Ellen Brock!
Love what u do 🌺🌺🌺
Thank you! I'm glad you found me again. I hope you like the new videos!
Wow, really calling me out right off the bat. The point about if it's same author, then it's the same problems is going to be very important for me to remember. I've worked on like 5 different projects this year (not including a quick swerve into a fanfiction that i DID finish 💅). I know I can finish long projects, so I need to stay focused and figure out a plot that works and nail down character motivation instead of hopping to something else when things get difficult
Even when I think I lack a good question, videos addressing my problem(s) always materialize! Thank you. Def looking forward to more lifestyle videos!!
I absolutly love your disclaimer, that all is fine as long as it doesn't stress you out/ keeps you from working. When I'm in my planing phases and sometimes during editing as well I keep doing plans on multiple works. Normally on all my - far to many ^^ - ideas at once. I look for loose plot points/ events parallel for up to five stories a day, until I finally settle with one project that feels just right at that moment. Sometimes I do this while editing another piece of work as well, because I will get blind and exhausted if I stick with "the same problem" over and over again, but if that's the case then I normally dedicate seperate hours to each work.
Editing is where I struggle. I got my book back from my developmental edit 2 weeks ago and have barely touched it. If I set deadlines it seems I rebel. So I'm just going to set times to work on it and not stress on being ready to publish by Christmas.
I love this type of video! A lot of it is, in retrospect, obvious, but sometimes you just need to hear it!
2:40 I think this one is just excellent and really hits the nail.
I never thought of it that way, but actually, it's so true. You think "I need this ONE supergud idea, and everything will fall into place." But it's a lie.
I see myself so much in this.
Currently, I have Novels sitting at around page 58, 30, 23 and 12 (the 58-pager being the most recent), which I abandoned.
With those, I basically dumped my initial sparks onto the digital paper and then asked myself,
how I can possibly make a full story out of it, gave up and put them aside. Although I'm still interested in the underlying ideas I used for each of them.
Thx for making me aware of it!
13:47 I'm usually a planner-type in my whole life to an almost unhealthy degree.
And I'm a literal sponge for theoretical knowledge.
But for my novel ideas, it really is hard for me to think the story through to the end... it's weird.
Its also not bad to have several projects in the works at the same.
My preference is two. I will spend one week working on one then the next switch.
This gives my mind time to rest from one set of characters and setting and plot and take a vacation elsewhere. The back and forth helps with preventing burnout and can help set you into a routine.
Just writing a comment that I would like more of these types of videos :)
Writing plans for later projects did helped me control my ideas.
Agree with what you’ve said. Am still writing my first novel and am slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but man is it tough.
I know for sure I will not want to edit it because there would just be way too much to do and would rather take the lessons learnt and start anew, than spend more time on it. Has almost been two years (and I naively thought I would be done in a year).
Biggest struggle has been finding dedicated time. As this is a hobby and not how I earn money, choosing to spend my evening or lunch break on it I find difficult.
Do love the idea of really polishing a scene or chapter. Think having that go to place that you are so happy with will put one in good stead for the next part.
Going forward I would love to see videos of you taking a scene or chapter etc, and breaking down where it is wrong etc and what you would recommend in order to improve it. Not just with add this or that but more in terms of how you would as an editor want it to change. Something like that I think would be useful 😊
so MUCH advice here, and this is exactly my issue. shiny new project syndrome. Thank you♥
I tried being a pantser and it was fun...for a white, I would always end up getting stuck and not completing, mainly because the story had changed too much by the time I reached halfway that my writing felt so disjointed I could no longer figure out how to continue. I also tried hardcore plotting, only to get burned out and bored by the process itself and never writing any of that story. Watching your types of writers video introduced me to the concept of the intuitive plotter which I am giving a go now and so far I find I think I like it. I am essentially doing summary plotting, and writing the story as it comes, not thinking much about structure but just what feels likes should come next and for me it seems to be a great mix of the excitement of pantsing, while also being sparse and flexible enough that if I come up with brilliant new ideas throughout the story I can very easily adjust everything else (instead of just giving up). I think it ultimately is turning into a bit of a draft 0 really.
Something I found helpful for getting myself to stick to one story is to simply write down my brilliant new story ideas when I have them (as you suggested) and then telling myself I can start one of my new ideas once I finish at least the first full draft of my current story.
Polishing a few scenes is very good advice. Whenever I lose my spark for writing I just have to read through my older finished work to regain it. When following this advice I highly recommend polishing the scenes you already had a lot of fun writing the first draft on. Or at least scenes you're very excited about. Your favorites, really. Things like the inciting incident, or a part where the romantic interests have that first spark of connection, or a scene where your main character gets to be really cool. Any scene that you love and know your readers are going to love.
Very interested in a video about how to improve writing skills. I imagine most of it is just practice and maybe targeted research, but I'd love any tips I can get.
This comment is more directed to the viewers of this video.
100% agree that becoming a better editor will turn you into a better writer. Your prose might still be missing some pizazz, but your structure and storytelling ability will allow you to spot problems way in advance.
I also have to second figuring out what type of writer you are. I've tried plotting, it doesn't work for me. It leaves me discouraged and makes me not want to write. But when I try to pants my stories, then I end up writing myself into roadblocks and dead ends. Once I figured out that I'm one of those "chaotic methodological" writers I could finally tap into my strengths which gave me the ability to push through some particularly rough narrative spots.
Okay, back to Ellen!
This might be a difficult topic but I'd love any ideas on how to get *faster* at revising. I can bang out a rough draft in 3 months, but once I'm editing I find myself delayed by several years. I can get stuck on a problematic scene for MONTHS before I finally have a breakthrough and hobble my way to the finish.
Lastly, love the new additions to the book shelf! Too blurry for me to read, but I recognize the fonts. Big smile on my face!
A video on revising faster is a great idea! I will think on that for sure. I'm glad you noticed the new books!
as someone who has struggled their entire life with starting multiple projects but never finishing them, this has been just the advice and needed, so thank you. i have another i was wondering if you'd be interested on giving advice about. i often get caught up on doing research for my stories (especially when it comes to fantasy worldbuilding) that i get completely overwhelmed and feel upset that i'm just not 'knowledgeable' enough. how much research should a writer do beforehand that strikes a good balance and doesn't completely take over the writing process?
How dare you make a video specifically about me? 😂 My pitfall is usually the boredom trap, where my project isn't shiny and exciting anymore and I have to push through a lackluster, routine segment to get to the more fun parts. It annoys me how I can see myself losing steam and drifting away, and yet I still do it. Gah! At least I'm not alone. Loved this video!
My last few novels I’ve been able to get through to the end of the first draft. It’s the editing phase which absolutely breaks me and I abandon to move on. Reading my writing and see it’s not where I had wanted it to be or thinking I need to rewrite for some changes and then almost restart with a whole new draft and rewrite everything.
I watched the 4 different type of writer last and changed my approach to match the one where I thought I more closely aligned to and completed that rough outline so there is scope for me to “pants” as well. First time I breezed right through.
Am busy editing now but don’t feel that same frustration l. Still a little daunting at all the changes, even in story but I’m enjoying the edit now. So thank you very much for the help already provided
Great channel and topic! this always happens to me between novels, when I'm not that invested in one thing or another. and it's torture. I start, I hope. I just have too many passions. What helped me a lot was setting dead lines to finish each book, that way its easier to commit to one, because I have an end point as to when I can start on the next.
I'm really enjoying your videos. They are insightful, helpful and well done. Thank you.
Your videos are THE most helpfull advice I've ever been given on writing (even before the Brandon Sanderson lectures). I always feel motivated afterwards and I have actual steps at hand that I can take - espacially because you have some really unusual tips that finally fit my crazy ADHD brain. Actually editing - as in polish to perfection - before finishing? I did edits before, thanks to your writers types videos, but allowing myself to make it perfect to regain interest: game changer.
Thank you SO much!
I’d love to see more videos of this style- honestly I’ve been so focused on the technical and structural side of stories that I’ve hardly spent any time actually writing or improving my skills. Amazing video, keep up the great work :-)
I've been doing my best to stick with my ONE main novel and only keeping a synopsis of future novels, yet I somehow feel personally attacked! 🤣
Thank you for your continued awesome advice. I often go back to old videos when I'm stuck somewhere to help get me out of my rut.
Many writers seem to have the boredom thing and I have it in Spades due to my add. Get people to hold you accountable. Motivation is not something you have you do things to get yourself motivated so if you wait to be motivated you will be waiting your whole life. Simple concentration exercises as opposed to mindfulness meditation exercise your prefrontal cortex and develop more focus and stick to its and can be read about how to do online. I prefer candle meditations or you can stare on a DOT at a wall or count. If you have a difficulty with Focus get people to hold you accountable and practice focusing on things such as candle flames, dots, or counting.
This was super helpful! I would like to see more of that type of "writer lifestyle / workflow" advice.
I have problems with this and procrastinating. I would like to see more videos like these. Love this one.
Loved everything about this video - it's the same with non fiction. You need a catalogue :)
thank you for this. i am a new writer, and i definitely fit your description. i have 5 or 6 projects I've fleshed out anywhere from 5k to 20k words and keep bouncing between them. this video was very helpful to me. i think for me it just comes down to self discipline. i lose motivation for a certain novel/series then work on another one. I've come back to projects I abandoned a few months prior, read what I had, and was like "this is amazing! why did I ever bail on this??"
Thanks for always posting amazing content. This video hit home. I've written a few novels and every time I get one back from an editor with detailed feedback, I just can't go back to the novel and fix it. I'm a slower writer so novels take me more than a year. Thinking of editing the book for another year absolutely kills my motivation. It's probably because I don't yet have the story telling skills needed to tell a coherent story. But I keep trying!
I've been working on my book for around 15 years!
Heheheheh
@@LeviathantheMighty No judgement here. Writer UA-cam makes me feel like I have to write six books a year so calling myself a slower writer is definitely my own distorted metric. Keep writing! We'll get those books out there eventually.
Ellen's writer type videos have been the most helpful writing videos I have ever come across! Learning I'm a Methodological Pantser was so incredibly helpful in working out my writing method
Extremely helpful video! As someone who bounced around projects a lot, what really helped me to stick to one was... using a spreadsheet! Watching my word count tick up day by day, approaching an estimated benchmark for completion... it was really rewarding!
I feel like I'm repeating myself when I say I like this type of video because I also love all your other ones, but I really like this kind of video! I'm specially interested in tips on how to actually improve my writing!
Thank you for this video! You do a great work through this channel 😊
Love the lifestyle advice. Personally keeps me going more than technical skills
I write new novels. Exactly the way you said. So far, I'm leaning into that - by which I mean I'm using it as a charge, as a rage.
I've plotted out about 16 books out, this provides me the ability to get a big picture view of my tec over a span of a decade (spring, summer is one case; fall winter is another. My tec will be solving two crimes a year.) So although it's true that I haven't finished my first novel, a fear that I have is that by the time I have the skills, maybe I won't have the brilliant ideas. So I'm writing it all - new novels starts provide a much needed break from the old/ first.
This video was very helpful. I needed the coaching today.
I was a pantser for too many years. The experience was useful, but all I have to show for the time is a file cabinet full of unfinished work. Outlining has given me the structure I needed. I had to commit to knowing where I was going and why. So far, so good
It took me a long time to learn outlining because I had some success as a pantser. When my projects failed, I never figured out why. It was different project to project. I also had to find the right outlining method. I learned from Erin's videos I'm a methodological gardener.
I've gotten better at rotating projects, but when I first started writing at like 16, I had to sit down w myself and go, "Listen, we're not doing this thing where you sit down and refine chapter one over and over and then move onto the next book. You have to finish this before you get to work on anything."
Also, although every book is different, finishing that first book is such a confidence boost!
I love this kind of videos! Please keep making them! (The one about procrastination, for example.)
Thankyou so much. I thought i was the only one!
yesss i wanna watch other writer's psychology and lifestyle topics from you!!! excited to watch this queen i love your work and i am watching all the ads
First half of the book: "I'm writing the next best seller!"
Beginning of second half: "I'm writing trashcan food."
Messy plot is what usually blocked me. Well, it's more like "I'm lost and don't know how to proceed". My ideas tend to be based around "what stuff happens", and then when I hit a point where I need to elaborate on the why/motivation, I get stumped because I don't know. When I asked some people in the past, their advice is that my character or the world is not fleshed out enough, and I need to work on it more. Doesn't really help, because nothing clicked, so I end up shelving projects over and over.
I usually get stuck with story structure and unable to make it all add up despite having a structure to help me. I end up losing interest, start a new project and end up with the same issue
I'm convinced there's a connection between red hair and creativity.
Yes, I love videos on topics like this just as much as videos on story structure, character development and so on. All of your videos are great and to the point, I wish there was a transcript of everything you say to download for us. I am taking notes every now and and again, just like I would have during a lecture in University. But the best lectures also offered transcripts which were always so helpful for the studies I did. But thank you for all your effort regardless of there being a transcript or not. 😀👍
Never stop making videos!
I'm at it almost everyday, but it takes a freaking long time. Crickets chirping
I just have so many ideas I can't choose which one to write.
I've stuck to working on 3 projects right now and recently finished the first draft of one. I do still start new ideas and write whatever I feel like writing, but I'm getting somewhere. I think working on multiple things helps with the boredom a lot honestly. I mean, even if you start a new project you can always come back to previous stories.
This is exactly what I needed to hear, thank you!
Thank you for the video Ellen! Also it’s great to see you back and looking well 😊
Thanks Ellen! Great video. Great advice.
More like this, please, definitely! Thank you.
Hi!
This is great!
I'd love to hear about dealing with procrastination as that's what I deal with. Can't make mistakes when you don't do anything!
I love these writing lifestyle videos. Def do more! Thank you.
It's good to see a new video again!
Hello Ellen, thank you very much for your content, it’s always both useful and entertaining. Since you asked to express suggestions about possible topics, here are two questions to which I can’t find a technical, or just convincing, answer:
1) What makes good prose? How do you, as an editor, recognise it?
2) What makes the difference between a good novel and an extraordinary novel? I.e. why do some novels, with apparently simple story structure and dialogue, win relevant literary prizes, whereas some other with very complex stories and structures are categorised as good ‘commercial’ products?
Thank you so much for all the work you do!
I don't think I have this problem because I only have three projects going on simultaneously that I go between, all different genres. And I'm not making new ones for the sake of shiny new idea syndrome. Whenever I feel stuck with boredom on one I move to the other. It works pretty well for me as I never get bored and get exciting ideas and stuff that refreshes my motivation.
I will stick to one project when I see an actual problem and work through any issues. I write almost every day, and this usually happens once a month.
I think it helps with my skill as a writer, and find out what I'm best at. I've not published anything yet, but almost finished the first draft of one. I'm not in any rush to finish these stories, so it doesn't really matter that I'm not published yet.
I started writing a novel more than two years ago. I had dropped it a year and a half ago and just picked it back up. It's definitely a scary task, editing it, cause one, it's not finished, but even bigger is the fact that i started writing it by bouncing between the second half of the story and then to the first and then back. And with over 140 pages and over 40 chapters, it's hard to figure out where everything goes now.
I have this issue.
I start working on a novel, I'm excited, I end up pantsing half the novel and then I get to the middle and my novel comes to a screeching halt.
Most of it, is that I get bored, I get tired of the story and/or I am unsure how to handle or what to write the middle without boring my reader.
In addition, whenever I start picking up again I end up reading to see where I am and I end up rewriting the last page or two (really unnecessary edits to be honest) and then I end up maybe adding a sentence or two and giving up.
I ended up just combining two of them because I needed more fantasy names