So I'm a writer, but I have a very big problem that I feel is preventing me from being able to write things, or ever end up completing a story.

The problem is that I feel like I'm scared of not writing my stories properly. The first time people experience a story only happens once, and as a story, shouldn't be changed when completed. I really want to write my stories, but I feel like I'll always want them too 'perfect' to ever be able to complete any of them.

Another problem I have, is that I want them to be too big. I don't really like shorter stories, and want my stories to be something I'll be writing for a very long time. In a way, I'm scared of endings, and want my stories and worlds to keep expanding as much as I intended them to. The idea is that my stories I want to become a continuous thing, where they keep going along as my life does, and where it's not until many many years later that I should be thinking about completing them and what their endings should be.

The next problem I have is too many "worlds" or series that I want to write. Whenever I get stuck on one story or "world" I always just put in on hold until more ideas come to me, where I can continue building it. But if I get ideas for another story that I think has potential I also start thinking about that one, and building up it's world and how it works.

So what I'm left with is a few different series that I want to be really big and continuous, that I might not ever be satisfied with enough to end up writing, and officially starting.
And what's worse is that I feel like what I want and hope to do, is too much for one person. This causes the problem of wanting a partner to work with, because I don't know if I'll find someone who I could trust with my stories, who could actually help me with them, or how I would find them.

I've been working on my stories and worlds for more than 3 years at least, and while I can say that I have a lot of the factors, I can't say that much writing has been done.

Does anyone else have these problems? Is this normal for writers? Does any one have any kinds of tips or advice?

Also, on a different note, does anyone have the problem of writing the story out of order? Like where you keep getting ideas and factors for parts later on, but haven't really finished the first part yet? Just wondering.

I'm sure it's different for everyone depending on how they write, and how they view writing in general. I personally rely on my inner-world too much and escape or drift off to it on a daily basis. The voices of people in my head won't quiet themselves, they continue to interact with each other without a second thought. When I think about it's probably the reason why I started writing in the first place.

Being scared to not write stories properly is a normal thing. In fact, I'd be more surprised if you weren't scared. Writing is a very lonely profession. You have to sit at a desk, forging a story out of a blank horizon, selecting the right words, one by one, keeping the momentum going. It requires a lot of delicacy and effort. Many subtle things that consume a lot of mental energy, not to mention you'll be writing for long periods of time. On the front of people experiencing a story for the first time only happens once, I couldn't agree more. All the more reason to choose your words more carefully, but there is no "perfect" piece of literature. In writing, nothing is ever objective. Just like there is no perfect despair.

And having stories too big, I must say, I haven't discounted the idea of having long-running multi-volume franchises. But I later decided to take on one thing at a time. First I started with baby steps. Make a short story. That was my objective. I planned it to be around 30-35 pages, but ended up exceeding to upwards of 70 pages, so I had to cut down on the material I used. In the end, it ended up with around 45 pages in total. Let me just say, that writing even the first 20 pages was a challenge. But as I started to gradually apply myself to this world, this universe, this story, it got easier to immerse myself and forget. I'm sure your worlds will need as much attention as they can get. Writing is like a much more difficult version of dreaming. Dreamers fall asleep and dream. Writers have to dream while they're awake, intentionally, and they have to share that dream with the reader.

Your "worlds" are probably the most important part aside from the cast you'll be writing about. I mean the setting will determine the plot, the progression, the conflict, and pretty much everything in the story will be effected by this one aspect of writing. Be sure to take great care of them.

Having too many ideas for different series is indeed a troublesome problem for any writer. Putting something on hold is something I've always tried to avoid since it isn't healthy. And writing isn't exactly some god-forsaken task that one person can't handle. You're the only person limiting yourself after all.

Now, having a partner. This is one I've mulled over several times and probably could change your writing for the better, or for the worse, depending on who you choose. For someone to be your partner, it's best if they remain as a fellow writer, who edits your story in slight ways. Fix a typo here, throw in a small suggestion there, what's the harm? But the truly good partners know how to bring out the best in your writing. Someone who knows all your little habits, your personality, how you'll respond, the direction and hidden moral of the story, all those tiny little things, and bring them to life into the spotlight.

Every writer has his/her fair share of issues they have to deal with, and embrace in the end. I'm afraid I'm not even sure I'm being helpful at all.

Writing a story out of order, I must say, is something I do very frequently. Having a non-linear story pop into your mind must be confusing at first, but I've learned how my mind's thought process handles things, and learned how to turn it into my advantage. My brain generates what I call "fragments" of a story. I have this small pocket-notebook I call a "log". What I do is that I jot down small tidbits of information or ideas that may very well become useful down the line. It can be a conversation, an interaction, a gesture, or a line of interesting dialogue, everything. When I think up of something that can string all the fragments I've been accumulating to this point, I start writing a "shard". It can be as short as half a page, or it can be as long as a chapter, depending on the fragments I have. My note of advice, try getting a small pocket notebook. I'm not sure if it'll be useful for you or not since my way of constant accumulation for writing might not suit you, but I might as well try my hardest in putting my best for you. Your post was so sincere, and so genuine, it was hard not to acknowledge it. So in return, I'll try to be as sincere and genuine as I possibly can.

I'm looking forward to your worlds, your universes.
Your stories.

Your response was way beyond what I expected so I really mean it when I say thank you. I'm not really even sure what I'm thanking you for, but I do know that what you said helped me feel a little better about things.

I don't think I mentioned this before but I feel like I'm starting to care too much about characters who I write about. The reason I can't write short stories anymore is because I hate the idea of a character to just suddenly be finished, and no longer have any more of a story or existence. In a way, I think of writing like I'm the god over their world, where I decide how long they live for and choose whether they get a story or not. It just started off as a weird habit, but now I can't help myself from caring about characters that I write about. That probably didn't make much sense though, or sounded really weird.

I guess a lot of my worries and confusion are because of how isolated writers are. I don't really know what other writers are like, what's normal to go through or what's different about how I approach things. That isn't to say that I just want to be a normal writer, but I wonder if there are things others know about or do that make things any easier for them.

I think of writers like builders, where you start off with an idea, and then from there you expand upon it, and find new ideas, and keep expanding and writing until your original idea becomes a story or world. The other problem I'm having with wanting a partner is that I would want them to be my equal, and have a lot do add and expand in my worlds. Maybe I'm asking for too much though, or being lazy. And as another part of this, I've become quite an isolated and unaware person, so I feel like having a partner who's more aware of what's normal can help me with the many things that I don't see, if that makes sense.
But maybe I will end up getting an editor though, just so someone else can give an opinion on my stories, as well as fix the small typos and grammar problems. The whole "reading a story for the first time" thing also makes me not want to show what I have written until I think it's better, so no one else really, reads any of my stories or knows what I'm like as a writer, which is really important for if someone would want to partner up with me.

I don't keep a physical notebook on me, but am always writing down notes on my phone. My focus has always been on sorting out all of the factors and adding to the world, so what most of what I've done is, is just notes and explanations about how it all works. Now that I think about it, I've always half had the view that it will be easier to write my stories when I've sorted out all of the factors and have all of the ideas for it. If you just try and write without a plan you can very easily get stuck and not know what to write, or just keep writing for the sake of writing, without saying anything, or having anything important. I've ended up havinv the reverse problem, of never knowing if I actually can write it or not, which is partly why I haven't written too much I have to admit.

Thanks again for even replying to my thread, it really means a lot to me. You seem like a very smart person in the world of writers. Thank you.

I completely share the sentiment of feeling like the God of their world. In essence, you are their god. I mean you do control everything that happens after all. And caring too much for your characters isn't strange at all, and made sense in every aspect, so don't worry about that. I also see my characters as real, tangible, complex human beings (or in some cases, demi-human races) with aspirations, inhibitions, goals and relations with other people. Thanks to that excerpt, I think I can understand why you want to have writing as a long-running multi-volume franchise a bit better than before.

Writers are isolated because the best way to ensure a book is never finished is to tell someone your entire plot. In a way, a writer's worst enemy aside from themselves, is another person being present before the story is finished. Writing is indeed one of the inherently unnatural forms of all the arts aside from maybe audio arts. The way I write is as if I'm writing music, which is probably why my stories are so non-linear and take a more mature, dark, more abstract, psychological turn. And for wanting to know more about other writers, isn't that why you're here in the literature section of this site?

Seeing writers as builders is indeed a very interesting way to view them, and you aren't entirely wrong either. It's quite the amusing notion, but I find myself not able to refute any of the claims. I'm less of the kind of writer to build an entire world than to expand on the current world we live in. My stories are heavily character-driven, character-oriented, and character-based, so while I can see how building a world is extremely vital in your case, it doesn't apply much to me.

Being isolated and unaware as a person isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hell, I'm pretty much in the same situation on that front. Though with your style of writing, I can see how having a partner could be very efficient in the long run. I mean just think of the amount of time you could shave off. Though, seeing what's normal isn't exactly a thing you should look into much. I mean think about it this way. The only thing normal in the real world are the consistent happenings of abnormal things and how often they appear. But often doesn't mean all the time. Normal problems might not apply to you since you might not be normal. And to see things you don't see is just a matter of perspective. Granted it isn't something you can get used to instantaneously, but I try to keep myself open-minded and as flexible as possible in an attempt to see things from all angles and to see my story (or other stories) in the most objective manner possible that my brain allows. I do realize that viewing a story objectively is virtually impossible, but it doesn't hurt to try, right?

I'm very glad that you have something on your person to jot down ideas, gimmicks, or aspects of your story. It was very difficult for me to actually get writing without having any structure or backbone for the next chapter. But mostly, my notes are excerpts of possibly interesting dialogue that could arise in various different discussions. Never knowing if you can write something or not is probably the most irritating feeling to me. Not knowing if you can write it in the best manner possible for the reader to find interesting, or thought-provoking. Failing to do that is a real problem, since if they don't find a reason to keep reading, they most likely won't keep reading. After reading a part of dialogue I wrote down, I try to find all the possible ways that this outcome of dialogue could come from. I mean that's how I usually find the controlling factor of how the chapter will be oriented. It could be focused on a gesture, a a phrase, or a problem a character is having. Honestly the possibilities are endless. But this ends up being a major problem when you consider that having too many options to choose from, just makes it harder to decide. And if you haven't written too much, that in itself is completely fine. There is nothing wrong with taking it slow.

Thank you for taking the time to make this thread in the first place. Your problems and your views on writing have been proven to be very stimulating for me. It's quite inspiring. Really. I mean it.

I guess the main thing that worries me is that I can't seem to get things to start flowing, if that makes sense. I feel like it's easier to describe with physics mechanics, where it's not about how much distance you've traveled, it's about having a constant acceleration so that you're always moving, because you will make so much progress in the long run that way. The way things tend to work out is that I feel like I'm just starting and then stopping, coming up with parts of it that aren't connected and missing the overall part of the story that makes everything flow and gets things going.
But I guess that’s a problem that a lot of writers might have though, and kind of makes sense considering what kind of world we live in. It can be unclear where things are meant to go, or how things are meant to get somewhere.

The reason I am here is like you said, I wanted to hear what other people have to say. As someone who doesn't interact with others much, and with no writers or artistic people at all, if I find myself not having many ideas or much to write, I feel like I've stopped moving. You could say my biggest fear is becoming stagnant. I don't really get how it works though, because I feel like other people can be a good source of motivation and like you said, can stimulate things, but in general just help get things moving. I guess, as irrelevant as I pretend it to be, I’m probably a little lonely in a way, despite choosing to isolate myself like this.
My sense of reality can be kind of off, because I don’t really have to much interest or expectations for the real world compared to what I do my best to do, in the story worlds I write. But in the end, I’m still just the main character in my own story, but in a more real world where things are more uncertain.

The whole builders thing doesn't make sense to me anymore, and I feel like I didn't use a very good comparison there. Maybe describing it as improvisational building will make more sense. But the idea is that one thing leads to another, and then when you get to that point you will get more ideas and ways of expanding it even further, so the strangest, even seemingly insignificant focus, can lead to something very interesting.
And I don't think I mentioned this before, but when I say "world", I don't mean it literally. I generally write stories in this kind of world, or setting maybe, sort of.

There's a very different viewpoint between the person who wrote the story and someone else reading the story. Because the writer wrote the story, it will all make sense to them, but to a reader there might be parts left out or unexplained, that don't make sense without the mindset of the person who wrote it. But also, from the outside perspective, I feel like there are probably ways of expanding things, and ideas that the writer wouldn't think to do or try, or might even stimulate ideas that the writer wouldn't have come up with on their own. I'm just assuming that having a partner will be something like this, because I obviously have never worked with someone on a story before.
Normal, maybe wasn't a word I should have used, just differently or something. You've probably got the right way of doing things though, maybe I'm too lazy or don't trust myself enough to see enough, and see everything.

This life can be kind of vague, like even this thread I'm not really sure what I was hoping or expecting from it, or where it would ideally go. It sometimes feels like we're powerless, and either wait until something happens, or have something bring you inspiration or ideas to write more. It's hard to say how much "trying" can do, because the other side of it is forcing it.
I feel like what this thread was about wasn’t actually important, but rather just an excuse, or medium, for me to talk about these kinds of things with someone. The kind of random ideas people have, the way they look at things, their focuses and interests, are all things that can give you an idea of what someone’s like. You can tell how close your worlds are, if you get along with them and even if you think you could end up close to them. Or at least, that’s how I imagine things like this working, in the end they’re just impressions that could mean anything. As much as we think we know about someone on here, it’s the same as knowing enough about someone to be able to say that they’re a human and not a fish or tree. I feel like this didn't go where I intended it to...

As ambiguous as this all seems to me I’m going to say this next part direct, so feel free to simply ignore this or answer however you see fit. Simply put, do you want to chat more and be in contact in some way (thinking most likely emails)? I don’t talk to people much so it will be nice to have someone to chat to for a while. Just to put this in perspective though, I don’t know how I come across, but if I seem interesting or unique, you might very easily end up bored of me, or discover I’m not the kind of person you might think I am.

I figured there might not be much more we can say being this vague, and as open as I like to think I am, I would still prefer not to reveal too much about what I do as a writer too publicly just yet.
But yeah, thanks for reading, and spending the time to reply like this, it means a lot to me. Despite not finding the words to say it, I am very much interested in you, and am glad to meet someone like this in the real world. Even if nothing comes of this, I thank you for the positiveness that this brought me.

Comparing writing to physics is an interesting notion. It's the same with how I like to compare writing to music. I've learned that listening to music while writing is a great way to evoke the atmosphere that the characters bring (Personally I listen to Jazz, Bossa Nova, and Classical Music), the ambiance you could add, the small little details you didn't think of before. A song that seems to transform people into poets, is Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No.1. Give it a listen if you can. To agree with your comparison, I'll make a small comparison of my own. How did I learn to write? Music. And what's the most important aspect of music? Rhythm.

You creating worlds just seems like a very convincing thing to me. I mean the way you take notes generally focuses on the world itself instead of dialogue or character. Or maybe that's just me being short-sighted. After all, I've actually never read your work before. Though I wouldn't object to the suggestion.

I know the feeling too well, having a reader not fully understand something because it hadn't been elaborated on enough. I know someone who writes in such a fashion, because in his head, it makes perfect sense... But he's rather bad at explaining things, so you could tell how that turns out. I'm sort-of his editor, and a fellow writer. Having someone else by your side to stimulate ideas and have long-ended debates is a beautiful, and overall helpful thing. I just pray that you don't get yourself partnered with someone who doesn't have the decency, concern, or is willing to help your writing. Your assumption on having a partner isn't wrong. In fact I think I agree with it.

My way of doing things isn't the only one that works, though. It's not the best one either.

Living as a writer is indeed rather vague. Well, it's up to you to give it your own definition, to go into detail and elaborate. We are powerless. We are powerless to the masses, the readers, the viewers, the audience. We are influenced by everything that comes are way, and what's wrong with that? My writing is a form of expressionism, which is probably why I have such a constant driving force behind my writing. I'm not telling you to through the same trials and that my way is the best. I'd rather tell you to take your time and explore.

If this thread was an excuse, well that is one way to say it. I think you were complaining. A way to vent. But that's alright. Everyone vents, everyone complains. That's just a part of life. I do think about the other people like that too, in a way. Imagining their world, what they've experienced. How it shaped them, how they've established themselves as people, how defined they are. Sure, while they might simply just be impressions that could mean everything, they don't have to be. At least, not to you, the writer. Even the roughest of lies can become the cleanest truth.

I hoped to be as much help as I possibly could to you, but it seems like that keeping things as they are wouldn't make matters much better. If you're okay with someone like me, I'd be delighted. I'll leave my email contact information at the bottom of this thread post. Yes, I might become bored of you. However, that's only one of the many possibilities that lie ahead. And I'd rather not use the word "bored of you" since you're a living, breathing human being. It'd be rather rude, wouldn't you agree? If I discover that you're not the kind of person I might think you are, I wouldn't hold it against you. I'd simply accept that you are you, and leave it at that.

It's fine if you don't want to reveal what your writing publicly yet. Well, I highly value privacy, so I understand completely if that's what you want. I'm extremely honored that you've taken interest in me. I'm glad I could be of use.

email - vincebilan13@gmail.com