![]() |
I can't stop starting new fics
I can't help but not finish my old fics, and then start new ones! It's getting annoying! I think it's because I can't think of new ideas for my current fics. Any ideas to help me stick to one fic until I finish it?
|
I wouldn't try to force yourself to finish something you have no ideas for, especially if something else keeps popping up. I run into this problem all the time too, as is probably obvious by the three chaptered fics I have going right now >.< Just write whatever you keep thinking about and you will eventually go back to your old fic.
|
I have that same problem with my stories (yes, stories. As in novel-length stories that I never actually get around to making novel-length because I keep thinking of new ideas.), and I just work on whatever comes to my mind and go back to my other work later when my infatuation over my current idea has ebbed. (hmm... and yes my novels are better than my fan-fics ^.^)
|
If you are stuck (you know, you have ideas but you'd have to write at least one chapter before you could write the good part), then you might want to force yourself to write. It would be the same if you really, really want to finish the fic. Just open the file, read the fic from beginning to the part where you're stuck and force yourself to write. Don't pay any attention to spelling mistakes or terribly crappy text or awkward dialogue. It can all be fixed afterwards. There's a great change that you get excited after a while of writing, or you can start writing the good part, and thus you've overcome your inability to continue the fic! Then again, it might not work. In that case, you just have to wait and do something else.
On another note: you do plan your fics entirely, do you? I sometimes have the problem that whenever I get a good idea, I start writing before I've thought everything trough. That way you eventually get stuck with the plot. "What now? I didn't think what would happen after this." So, one way to avoid unfinished fics is to think the whole plot and everything trough multiple times. That way you always know what's coming and you can make the chapters so that there are fun-to-write parts in each and every of them. (For example, I'm a wee bit stuck right now because I did think the beginning and I did think the ending but I didn't think very specificly what'd happen in between. Thus, stuck.) Good luck, though. I hope you'll finish your fics, because the feeling of finishing a chaptered fic is something truly awesome. I promise! |
It happens. The new ideas are what we call "plot bunnies." To tell you the truth, while I think it's a bad idea to force yourself to write (because you sometimes can tell when something's forced, and forced work isn't as enjoyable), I also think it's not a good idea to start projects and completely abandon them (that is, go after those plot bunnies and leave the old work). It means you'll never finish a story, and if your readers get the idea that you're not going to finish a story, they'll be less likely to stick with your new stuff. (I know this from experience.) Likewise, if you start too many new stories, you'll just end up diverting your focus, so the old one gets cold.
Instead, what I would suggest is write down those other ideas on a piece of paper so they're out of your head. Try free writing (or writing the first ideas that come to your mind) both with those plot bunnies and your current work. If you keep writing down your thoughts, first off, you'll be less tempted to chase after a new work you know you can't finish. Second, you'll be likely to come up with ideas for your current fic by generating idea after idea in quick succession for anything in particular. Basically, stop writing the actual work for awhile, pick up a notebook, and spew ideas into it. Eventually, you'll be able to work out your temptation to chase plot bunnies while keeping your mind running hot to come up with ideas for your current work, if that makes sense. |
What I do is try to predict what I want to happen in all of the chapters of my fic (60+ chapters deep :) ). Though my fic is somewhat similar to the game, I still have to find a way to put my own twist on it, or it will be unoriginal. Therefore, a fic is somewhat like an essay: you have your introduction (the intro of all things, such as characters and villains), body (the meat of the story where the action takes place), and the conclusion (possibly the climax and falling action and the ending). Just utilize these tools and you should be fine. If I were you, I would make a short fic, just to get your legs wet. Don't plan on writing super long fics because you might run out of ideas. Just grow as an author and you'll be able to write novels in no time.
|
Thanks for the advice. It really helped, I'll try and get more into a current fic before I start a new one ;D
|
If you have trouble following through with chaptered fics, why don't you just try a one-shot every now and then? They may not be the most widely read of fics, but you know as soon as you post that your readers will be able to see the ending. Also, they don't require as much of a long-term attention span.
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 3:46 AM. |
![]()
© 2002 - 2018 The PokéCommunity™, pokecommunity.com.
Pokémon characters and images belong to The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo. This website is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK, The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International. We just love Pokémon.
All forum styles, their images (unless noted otherwise) and site designs are © 2002 - 2016 The PokéCommunity / PokéCommunity.com.
PokéCommunity™ is a trademark of The PokéCommunity. All rights reserved. Sponsor advertisements do not imply our endorsement of that product or service. User generated content remains the property of its creator.
Acknowledgements
Use of PokéCommunity Assets
vB Optimise by DragonByte Technologies Ltd © 2023.