September WIP Challenge Check-In, Day 6

[soldierwitch]

 

Hello, writers! Hopefully all is going well with everyone on this Monday.

I'm strapped in for another day of progress in this September challenge, and it has me thinking about encouragement. It's such an essential part of the creative process no matter the amount someone needs to keep motivated and working on their projects. So today I thought we could be our own cheering section and reflect on what keeps us chugging away on the fics that have our hearts.

Here are our discussion prompts:

-What inspires you to keep writing even when it's difficult?

-Share some encouraging words that you tell yourself whenever you're stuck or struggling to write.

-Request a pick-me-up gif or photo for encouragement (your choices: a specific fandom or an inspirational quote. gif/pic doesn't have to be users. credit if able.)

Comments

[soldierwitch]

It used to be that reader response kept me inspired to write. I love the feeling of publishing a fanfic and getting feedback from the fandom audience. However, that can't sustain my own motivation to write, so in recent years, what's kept me inspired to keep plugging away at my keyboard is completing the idea I have in my head.

I'm the only one who can tell the story that's blooming in my heart. No one else can, it's up to me. That's what I hold onto now, and it's helped immensely because I do want to see my fanfic ideas out there and in the world to share with everyone but at my core I really just want to tell myself the stories that won't leave me alone.

[frogfarm]

Paradoxically, my comparative lack of popularity keeps me writing. Having hundreds or even scores of fans would feel like an awful lot of pressure. As it is, I have a handful of Constant Readers with the occasional random passerby stumbling across my little corner of the library, and that feels just fine. Although I can't help but continue to be confused and frustrated at the fact that book 2 of the trilogy is getting less traffic than book 3, and I'm constantly trying not to obsess about the reasons why.

[soldierwitch]

It's cool you have your own corner of the fandom library. Having constant readers who get your work and look forward to what you write is a great motivator.

When you say book 2 is getting less traffic, do you mean people are hopping from book 1 to book 3? Because that is weird that the middle book has a lower hit rate considering it's necessary to get to book 3.

[frogfarm]

That's the most obvious explanation my brain leaps to, but as much as people tend to defy what I think of as common sense expectations, it just doesn't pass the smell test for me. I mean, the numbers don't lie -- the traffic patterns for the trilogy are the same on both AO3 and Twisting the Hellmouth, and with this last chapter, book 3 officially passed book 2 in hits on both sites.

Bizarro world, indeed. It's one of those baffling things that even if I couldn't change it in the least, I'd kill to understand it. As it is I've learned to temper my frustration and try not to let my brain run around yammering WHY DO YOU NOT LIKE BOOK 2 WHEN IT IS EVERYTHING BOOK 1 IS ONLY BETTER IN EVERY WAY. It's also occurred to me that people are hesitant to commit to a series WIP, and that maybe as I get closer to actually finishing -- 6 chapters plus an epilogue to go! -- it'll result in more folks deciding that it's worth the time it'll take to read something this long.

Oh, and I should have the next chapter done by tomorrow, 3 weeks after the last -- better than expected with everything else going on for me. And if I can post updates every 3 weeks, I'll be done around New Year's.

[soldierwitch]

Fingers crossed on the traffic numbers shifting into some sense once your fic is done because that really is a head trip.

[peachpai]

So I guess I am informally joining the WIP challenge for Sept - yesterday and today have been good writing days and I'm feeling more confident about my ability to finish something!

What inspires me to keep writing a lot of times is other people. Sometimes that's sharing a snippet with a friend for a quick reaction, sometimes it's group writing sessions. I've started doing writing sprints with some folks in a fandom server and that's been great encouragement. Even if I'm not sharing what I'm working on, just having that tiny bit of accountability when we check in with word counts can work wonders. The sprinter bot makes it into a bit of a game too, so it's fun!

[soldierwitch]

Writing sprints sound fun! It's always nice when you find something that works for you. Community also helps. Writing can be an isolating activity but, like you said, checking in with folks can help with motivation. That's why I joined writethisfanfic, to feel less alone in the writing process.

[peachpai]

Yeah, this is a great community! I always keep coming back to it. :)

[athaia]

Currently, the only thing that gets me to write consistently, is a cold, hard deadline hanging over me, which is why I'm signed up to more exchanges than I should. On the other hand, those exchanges also make me write stuff outside my main fandom, and outside my comfort genre of action-adventure, and those self-imposed challenges make writing interesting again.

As for my main series, I have planned it out so far ahead, and there are such good scenes waiting for me, I just need to write all stuff that happens in between to reach those treasure chests!

As for encouraging words, I tell myself, "it doesn't have to be good (that's what editing is for) - it just has to be THERE!"

[soldierwitch]

Cold, hard deadlines are so much more effective than self-imposed ones. I wish that weren't the case, but it's true.

I love your description of the scenes you can't wait to get to in your fic. Treasure chests. God, I love that. Same for your encouraging words. I'm jotting those down in my fandom journal right now.

[athaia]

Ha, glad they're helpful!

[xmarksthespotwhereistand]

When it comes to getting words on the paper, i motivate myself by telling that by writing a draft can i have something to edit later.
When it comes to starting the story, i usually have brainstorming questions to get me hooked, usually it's once i know the voice of the story or the format that it happens (that is, when it's a prompt that haven't already grabbed me).

[soldierwitch]

Oooh, I like your way of motivating yourself. Editing definitely can be its own motivator.