>> I haven't even attempted to write a longfic since I was in high school, and I've noticed that I tend to burn out after writing the first couple chapters.<<
Things you could try:
* Start at the length you can routinely complete, identify the next-longer size, and try that one. Work your way up the length ladder a step at a time.
* Level-grind. Get a bingo card or other prompt list, and just churn out as many words as possible, nevermind the length per story. Once you've gotten to where you're writing a ton of stuff, longer works just don't seem like a big deal anymore.
* Some writers work better with an outline, especially for longer works, whereas others write on the fly and are put off by outlines, and there aren't a lot who are equally good at both. Try both methods to see which works better for you.
* Work a long storyline in short pieces. Think like a Joss Whedon seasonal arc with individual episodes. If you look at my Serial Poetry Page you can see how I do this.
A crucial thing to remember in regard to narrative burnout: if you're having fun, the reader is having fun; if you're bored, the reader is bored. Look at your writing and try to identify what excites you and motivates you to keep going. Spread that over the plot and it'll help carry you through.
Me, I like to mine fanfic for things that people love so much they'll make their own, pick some personal favorites, then load those into my original canons. "All those years wasted fighting each other, Charles." Nope, my boys figured it out in high school, because one of them has The Joy of Gay Sex. :D
I also pick characters who are entirely capable of getting into trouble without my assistance, so I don't have to "think up" a plot. I just sit back and watch, then write what's happening. It saves me from making an outline then going, "Wait, no what the fuck did you just do?!"
>> It's very encouraging to know that it's the sort of skill one can build up! <<
Writing is a conglomerate of many skills, all of which can be practiced and improved. It also has talents, knacks, perspectives, preferences, and other things that are less easily changed. Some writers do favor a particular size or range, and they're neither as good at nor interested in other sizes. It's worth trying a wide range of sizes to see where you fall, but be aware that it could be wide or narrow.
Me, I can't tell the difference between a short story idea and a novel or series idea, more often than not. I've oopsed a book more than once just writing language notes.
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Re: Thoughts
Date: 2023-07-27 09:30 pm (UTC)Things you could try:
* Start at the length you can routinely complete, identify the next-longer size, and try that one. Work your way up the length ladder a step at a time.
* Level-grind. Get a bingo card or other prompt list, and just churn out as many words as possible, nevermind the length per story. Once you've gotten to where you're writing a ton of stuff, longer works just don't seem like a big deal anymore.
* Some writers work better with an outline, especially for longer works, whereas others write on the fly and are put off by outlines, and there aren't a lot who are equally good at both. Try both methods to see which works better for you.
* Work a long storyline in short pieces. Think like a Joss Whedon seasonal arc with individual episodes. If you look at my Serial Poetry Page you can see how I do this.
A crucial thing to remember in regard to narrative burnout: if you're having fun, the reader is having fun; if you're bored, the reader is bored. Look at your writing and try to identify what excites you and motivates you to keep going. Spread that over the plot and it'll help carry you through.
Me, I like to mine fanfic for things that people love so much they'll make their own, pick some personal favorites, then load those into my original canons. "All those years wasted fighting each other, Charles." Nope, my boys figured it out in high school, because one of them has The Joy of Gay Sex. :D
I also pick characters who are entirely capable of getting into trouble without my assistance, so I don't have to "think up" a plot. I just sit back and watch, then write what's happening. It saves me from making an outline then going, "Wait, no what the fuck did you just do?!"
>> It's very encouraging to know that it's the sort of skill one can build up! <<
Writing is a conglomerate of many skills, all of which can be practiced and improved. It also has talents, knacks, perspectives, preferences, and other things that are less easily changed. Some writers do favor a particular size or range, and they're neither as good at nor interested in other sizes. It's worth trying a wide range of sizes to see where you fall, but be aware that it could be wide or narrow.
Me, I can't tell the difference between a short story idea and a novel or series idea, more often than not. I've oopsed a book more than once just writing language notes.