Too unmotivated to write

[Wanton_Wordsmith]

Hey, Online Book Club! I'm Wanton Wordsmith, and I would really love it if I could get some advice from you kind people.
I have a problem. I tell myself that I want to write fiction, but I can't motivate myself to do it. I know I'm just an amateur, and whatever i write will be bad. Even worse, what I want to write is nothing more then silly revenge fantasies. I want to write of bullies getting their comeuppance, old lover getting humiliated, ect. Just stupid revenge fantasies. I know I'm not best-selling author material. I just use fiction writing as a way of getting out my anger. Yet, I can't make myself write.
Why am I like this? I wish I could get myself motivated, but I surf the net instead, or whatever.
Thank you for listening to me whine, OBC. Any answers are appreciated!
Thank you!

[DATo]

We have a forum here for people who would like to show their writing. I might suggest looking at some of the short stories others have written for inspiration. It might strike a spark in you.

Go To Link Below - then scroll down
viewforum.php?f=67

[Amanda Deck]

You just wrote on here, that's a start.
Do you know how that bully will suffer and pay? I mean, what's going to happen to him, just very generally? You can start typing an answer then copy and paste it into Word and keep going...

[maggi3]

Hi! I'm in pretty much the same situation. Reminding yourself that it's okay to write "amateur" or "bad" stories as long as they help you is an important step. Revenge fantasies can be the premise for a great story!

I don't know if you want to share the stories with anyone, but getting a writing partner or joining a writing group could be the motivation you need. It could also help you grow as a writer. If you want to keep your writing to yourself, setting daily word count goals can help. There's a lot of apps that help you meet those goals!

Personally, I know just starting is usually the hardest part. Turn off your phone if you can. I heard about an app called Writeroom that blocks out the rest of your computer while you're writing, so you won't be tempted to do other things. If you're at home, you could even try turning off the Internet. Whatever you have to do to get yourself to start writing.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

[Alexthec00lnerd]

Revenge stories seem like they would make great short stories! Especially with backstory to build up the plot.
I don't really know how to motivate someone, however I recommend forcing yourself to write for ten to twenty minutes whenever possible, write a summary of each chapter (what happens, who says what, a quick description of their surroundings, etc.), then go back and edit. Writing summaries instead of perfect, full length chapters helped me write five pages in two days. I just think "I need to do it eventually, there's no better time than now" in order to get myself started, then I write everything I can imagine.
It works for me and hopefully will help you. Good luck!

[milissamcdaniel1]

Hi, I'm new here and am a writer, as yet unpublished. Every writer goes through periods of self-doubt, but the best thing to do is just push past it! Writer's Block, which is any obstacle to writing at all, is really just about fear of some kind or another. How good your writing is or isn't, has no bearing on whether you should or should not write. You can do it just for yourself! If you have dreams of publishing, you have to start somewhere, so start small and slow and see what happens. I'll admit you're getting this whose first novel came in at just over a 130,000 words, but still, all those words started with the first one!

[magnoparisi]

Man you should start writing anything that pleases you. It doesn't matter if your writing is not perfect at the begining. If you let your fear take over, you can't do this kind of work.

[Artizi]

Ugh, that sucks. You should try and write whatever you feel like, and little by little shift toward what you'd like to try, in this case, fiction.

[Afturnitsa]

I like the metaphor author Ally Carter uses in her book "Dear Ally, How Do you Write A Book?". According to Ally, writing can be like muddy water from a hose that has set for some time. The muddy water like writing will eventually clear up after running for a while. Give yourself permission to write bad. Only then will the beauty come through.

[Nisha Ward]

Your first draft is going to be bad. There's no getting around it, but that's fine. What matters is just getting the story on the page and then moulding it to what you want it to be. You can do this.

[clint_csperry-org]

For me, when I reach that spot where I'm staring at a blank screen or page and cannot get the juices flowing, I get up and go do something weird or different. I challenge myself to something I've never experienced before; think a bucket list of things to do before I die. When I finish whatever it is, I'll write about it. Usually this opens the pathways to get me back to my Work In Progress.

[mariana90]

I would recommend you to make writing a part of your routine: creating a habit of it keeps you from overthinking it.

Joining a writing group is also a great idea, cause they can hold you to account on your writing.

And don't worry! Writing is rewriting, so even if what comes out at first isn't great, you need to keep working at it until you are satisfied with what you wrote.

[LinaMueller]

Hey, Online Book Club! I'm Wanton Wordsmith, and I would really love it if I could get some advice from you kind people.
I have a problem. I tell myself that I want to write fiction, but I can't motivate myself to do it. I know I'm just an amateur, and whatever i write will be bad. Even worse, what I want to write is nothing more then silly revenge fantasies. I want to write of bullies getting their comeuppance, old lover getting humiliated, ect. Just stupid revenge fantasies. I know I'm not best-selling author material. I just use fiction writing as a way of getting out my anger. Yet, I can't make myself write.
Why am I like this? I wish I could get myself motivated, but I surf the net instead, or whatever.
Thank you for listening to me whine, OBC. Any answers are appreciated!
Thank you!

Try to start little by little. Maybe 30 minutes every day. At the beginning, it doesn't matter if what you are writing is a masterpiece or not. The best way to ensure an activity is done consistently is to create a habit. There are motivational videos that can help you as well. David Goggins is a good example:

[ElizaPeaks]

I don't know if you want to share the stories with anyone, but getting a writing partner or joining a writing group could be the motivation you need. It could also help you grow as a writer.

Yes! A writing partner is a wonderful idea! I used to have a writing buddy. We loved reading each other's stories, even in their poorly formed first draft stages. We would share a Google Doc with each other, write, and check each other's documents a few times a week. It was so much fun because we could encourage each other by leaving comments about what excited us, and we would bug each other to get back to writing if there hadn't been any additions to the story in a few days.

Remember, the more you write and read, the better your work will become, even if you think that the stuff you're writing is silly. So many people enjoy silly and cliche short reads! It's okay to have fun with your work!

[Florence Nalianya]

Sometimes this happens like when you write a review and the editor tears it down it really demotivates the upcoming writer.