Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [discipline]

These questions are for writers having trouble finishing work, or those stuck in the planning phase.

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How does one deal with world builder's syndrome?

I am a planner in the extreme. I tend to drift toward fantasy oriented novels when writing; it's just what comes out. This means that I do quite a bit of planning for the world that the story will be set in. I know that's not a bad thing, but I have…
Nathan Fischer
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How to manage getting depressed by what my main character goes through?

I'm writing a war (sci-fi) novel. The MC dies in the end. It's not as thoroughly depressing as "All Quiet on the Western Front", but Remarque's work is definitely one source of inspiration. Now, partway through writing, I find that writing is too…
Galastel supports GoFundMonica
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Writing discipline

In today's frenetic, fast-paced lifestyle (especially if writing is not currently your career or means of earning an income), it can be extremely difficult to "make" or find the time that can be set aside and dedicated to writing. Not only that,…
Zayne S Halsall
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Tips for expanding my vocabulary?

Looking back through my texts, I noticed that I often use a lot of the same words and resort to using quite a basic vocabulary. I was wondering if there are any good exercises or anything else for expanding my active vocabulary. I know that the…
pHneuma
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Getting emotional while writing, good or bad?

Once in a while I get really emotional when writing. Writing about love, jealousy or even thinking about a simple scene in which a father plays with his child can get some strong emotional responses from me. I usually stop writing then, fearing that…
Ido Tamir
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Why can't I write something longer than a few pages?

I write short stories, a lot of short-shorts. I would say the longest thing I've actually finished writing is "Lord of Snakes", which was about 19 pages typed. (And not even very good.) So I've always wanted to be able to write something...at least…
MadameChusi
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When is it a good time to move on to another project?

I've seen it mentioned in software development the concept of Fail Early, Fail Often. Using failure as a learning process is important to get better at any craft. In my writing, I have a habit of beating on story for a while, hoping to get them to…
ICodeForCoffee
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What is a good daily word count goal?

As a NaNoWriMo participant, I've been trying to meet a rather ambitious 1667 word/day goal. I've heard that professionals do a lot less, but the first two days of this month, I actually wrote 5000 words/day, so I know it's possible. Quantity over…
Johnny
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What disciplines/habits are used to stay focussed on one novel over a long period of time?

One of my biggest issues is staying focused on a single novel. My imagination is always creating new and wonderful ideas. I write a few chapters on this story, a few on that story, but never finish one. What disciplines / habits can I put into place…
Stu Andrews
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Switching POV: Should it ever be done at all?

When I started, I had a nasty habit of hopping from perspective to perspective to perspective. I forced myself down to one perspective per chapter, but I still wonder if it's acceptable to do it at all. There are plenty of good authors who never…
Satanicpuppy
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I'm not enjoying my attempt at a science-fiction novella; should I continue?

I'm only 12, and I've been writing seriously since last year. I tried writing a novel before (I wrote only 5 chapters; I gave up later due to time constraints). I've written a couple of short stories, which have generally received positive feedback.…
Soha Farhin Pine
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How can I write GOOD work consistently?

For the first time in a while, I have made quite a bit of progress in writing my book. For the last two weeks or so, I have forced myself to try and write at least 2,000 words a day, regardless of how I am feeling or how good I think the writing is…
SmartBulbInc
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What are tips / techniques to manage the consistency of a plot encompassing several subplots ?

When I lay out a plot consisting of interwoven threads, one of the most annoying things is to manage effectively the factual, logical consistency of the whole. In order to be more effective and disciplined, are there techniques / suggestions ?
Max Bolondi
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How do I balance reading time with writing time?

It's rare to find a how-to-write book or blog that doesn't have this advice: "Read. Voraciously. In all genres, especially your genre of choice, books both good and bad. You won't develop as a Writer unless you are a Reader." I'd like to spend more…
Sheelawolf
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I keep setting aside WIPs I don't think are good enough

I have started and stopped at least a dozen erotic romance novels because "I" don't think they are good enough and never finish them. How do I put my own doubt aside so I can finish what I started?
Margie Nunes
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