Listlessly pokes at Out Of Bounds.

[icarus]

I'm making no progress on Out Of Bounds today.

Have already whined at the betas.

Thought I'd whine at you guys now.

I'm making no progress on this story today. Right now it feels like I'm trying to make a living tree out of a handful of dead leaves.

I wrote all these scenes out of order and now it feels like I don't have the flow of the story any more. *throws leaves in the air*

Comments

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

My writing has changed and I don't recognize my own process any more. I'm hoping if I sit here and read fic long enough eventually I'll be able to finish one of these half dozen wips.

Sigh.

Hi!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Well, I've always written scenes out of order. But I'm also distracted with a friend who's got a major situation going on (not something I'll talk about in LJ) and am totally distracted from what I need to do.

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

RL. Sigh.

Hang in there, and I hope your friend is able to as well. *more hugs*

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I've been trying not to get dragged too deeply into it, but it's been hard. Because I want to be there for her, at the same time I can't let her situation cause me to, say, flunk this entire quarter, soak up the time I need to do my thesis proposal, take over energy I need to spend on WG, and derail Out Of Bounds.

[princessofg.livejournal.com]

boundaries are HARD.

I feel like I should fumble around for my copy of Codependent No More and mail it to you..... dragging your own life into misery cannot possibly be helpful to her, nor should she expect that. which, of course, you already know. sigh.

hang in there. wish there was something I could do.

*hugs*

[gnine.livejournal.com]

*huggles* gambare!

As much (as an anxiously awaiting reader) I hate saying it, maybe take a break for a couple of days, don't look at any of it, and then trying reading all of it (or at least the last like 30 pages or so) to try to recapture the flow? *shrug* Sometimes that can work?

Good luck! ^_^

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

If I take a break for a couple days, it will be for a week, given my schedule right now. *heavy enormous frustrated sigh*

[infiticus.livejournal.com]

Hang in there!

I *so* know what you mean.

As a suggestion, you could (just for yourself) write something totally uncalled for ... like "and then they smashed into a semi and both died the end" for some fun. :)

Last time I got to the stage you describe, I decided to effectively set aside all the scenes I'd already written but not posted, and just start from where I stopped and see where the story goes. I figured if it goes off in a direction that didn't match the scenes I wrote, well, that's what "deleted scenes" are for! As it happened, I used them all in a slightly different order than I'd expected. A break is always good, but don't let the break eat you up. The last break I took on Shelf Life lasted almost 18 months, and I'd really hate to see that happen here. :)

*hugs* and good luck!!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, you've been there. Cool, thank you.

Yeah, a break doesn't feel called for. I don't see what that would accomplish except to give the frustration time to be fully embedded. I need a new creative turn.

I like your idea of just letting story grab me and go.

[infiticus.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I have been there many times, including my latest!

I like your idea of just letting story grab me and go.
Maybe that's why you're struggling - maybe your subsconscious has something new in mind and it *really* wants you to write it. :)

There is an interesting post by Laurell Hamilton about "the Anti-Muse" -- that point in the story where the evil anti-muse sneaks in with doubts and disinterest. Check it out: http://blog.laurellkhamilton.org/2006/12/muse-and-anti-muse.html