If there’s two things writers do very very very well, they are (1) make tremendous snacks, and (2) complain about writing.
Although, I agree, #1 is a bit of a stretch sometimes because there are writers who make horrible writing-snacks for themselves. But I assume they are able to open a packet — ergo they can still fix a good snack. I, personally, make great brownies and —
OKAY WAIT. THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT.
This post is about complaining. Because we writers do it! We complain about many many things, and just in case you are a non-writer and wish to know what we whinge about commonly, I’ll list some for you.
- I can’t remember how to start a book.
- Typos.
- What is character development.
- Does anyone actually like my story???
- What if I’m a terrible writer.
- Tyops.
- Is this too slow? Or too fast?
- I don’t even know what genre this is.
- Does my book suck, or is it just not right for that person?
- TYPOSSSSSS.
- Plot holes.
- Procrastination.
- help
And I complain about those all the time too. Naturally. I am a whinger writer. But it occurred to me that there are some absolutely LOATHSOME parts of the writers’ life that no one actually talks about. Or at least they don’t talk about it often. And they should! Because these are underrated writer struggles!
Or possibly I am struggling with them alone. But hopefully not. It’s good to cry in groups. You can put your tears together and make a helpful sea and then use it to smite your enemies with. #WeepingWriterTeamWork And if you DO relate to my 10 underrated writer pains, then JUST KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE. The world is hopeless and dark but at least we’re together, Frank. Come sit with me.
1. THE “MY-PROJECT-IS-FINISHED” DEPRESSIVE WRITING DUMP.
This is actually quite common amongst artists! But I still feel like WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT ENOUGH???? But you finish a great project! It was HUGE. You put in so many hundreds of hours. It kind of consumed your brain. In fact, you have no brain now. Just zombie mush. You can’t even spell “brain” because you’re so exhausted. You end up saying BRIAN.
BRIAN and you have just finished something INCREDIBLE and…and…and…
Now what?
I mean. Tell me I’m not alone. I hate finishing projects. I absolutely zoom from this total level of “OMG I MADE SOMETHING AMAZING” down to this pit of despair because (A) I have nothing to work on, (B) I have to reenter society and that seems dumb, and (C) I have to distance myself from my friend, erm wait, my baby, erm my eNTIRE LIFE my project. I hate it okay?!
I personally get super consumed with what I do. As you might know, I binge-write, so I’ll spend about 100 hours STRAIGHT on a project. Then afterwards? It’s like I’ve legit lost an arm. I feel totally in the dumps. It’s even worse if I adored the project, because it’s like losing two arms.
Couple it with that whole “okay now what do I do” feeling and — yes just bury me, thanks. That’d be nicer. CAN I BE UNCONSCIOUS FOR 9 DAYS UNTIL THIS PASSES???????
Brian and I are not doing okay.
2. WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE WRITING THINGS THAT ARE TOO SIMILAR.
If you’re like me (WHICH I HOPE NOT, HEAVEN SAVE US) then you probably have 9893 books you want to write! Which is exciting, yes?! So many ideas. until you get hit with that paralysing moment of, “Okay but does this sound too similar to my last book???”
Cue existential crisis.
We all have things we like writing about, obviously! Themes will reoccur. Types of characters will come back! This isn’t always bad. I mean, look how famous John Green is and he just writes the same male in every book. Sarah J Maas has just written the same book about 9 times now. And even as MUCH OF A STIEFVATER FAN I AM…dude, Cole in Shiver and Ronan in The Raven Cycle share a fair few similar personality traits.
So these things happen.
Do I chill about it then? HAHHA HAHAAHAH…no of course not.
I’m constantly frazzled about if my plots sound too similar. If my characters are similar. Am I allowed to write about dragons this many times??? How often can I stab someone before it seems repetitive. Are my titles too close? Will everyone notice I put cake in EVERY BOOK? Do I explore the same themes too much? DID I JUST PLAGIARISE MYSELF????
#yes
3. READING AN ALREADY-PUBLISHED-BOOK THAT IS SUPER SIMILAR TO YOUR NOT-PUBLISHED BOOK.
How rude can you be, seriously, Published Authors?? I MEAN, I HAD THAT FIRST. I JUST WAS A BIT SLOWER. This is also a good slap in the face to remind you that: there’s literally nothing new out there.
But minnnnnnne. It was miiiiiiinnnnnnne.
I especially find this monstrously frustrating when I thought I had something rather unique going on and then — BOOM — how about we steal your cupcake and eat it in front of you.
I can’t even.
And then you’re hit with the options of (A) do I rewrite mine to be different? or (B) will it even matter because if mine does get published it’ll be in like 5 years?? and (C) do I just drown myself in a vat of chocolate?
I obviously NEVER choose option (c) ..haha…hah..hhhhhhaaaaa. Oh c’mon.
4. WHEN YOU LET YOUR CREATIVE TANK RUN DRY.
I’m super good at absolutely MURDERING my creative tank and not noticing until it’s too late. Like for the first 5 months of this year I wrote 4 novels, outlined 9 other novels, and I’ve been collecting other small smudges of ideas too. And then one day — BAM — I’ve got nothing.
This is 100% an indicator that I’m putting out more art than I’m taking in. Not good, writers! Not good! But the smart thing to do would be never to let the creative tank (or creative well, if you prefer) get so low!
But I just never notice I’m running on empty until I’m literally on the carpet. Crying. With no inspiration. And Brian is petting my hair and just saying “THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS”.
Learning how to monitor your own creative input and output is super hard. Help.
5. HAVING TO WRITE OUTSIDE YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Now I don’t actually mean this as in representing a diversity or minority that you have no experience in. I mean EVERYDAY VERY COMMON THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE IN.
Here, let me quickly list for you some things I constantly need to write about but have 0% clue how to do it:
- Hospitals. I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ONE. I mean, I was born in one, but I was pretty much a useless loafer at that point and not looking towards my future novel research.
- School. Hi. I was homeschooled. This makes writing contemporary somewhat akin to bicycling through hell.
- Eating a ton of different foods. I haven’t tried them all plus I have a lot of allergies. So no. I will not be eating an Oreo any time soon.
- Police / law. Because I’m an upstanding citizen. Except for those library fines, but I am slightly evil, okay? Any time I need to smack my characters with the law I just…I just???? LET THEM RUN AWAY?? I don’t know what it’s like in a jail cell, mate.
- Broken bones. #nope
- Romance. I’ve not been in love, dude. How am I supposed to squish these characters’ ships together?
- Being an extrovert. #SuperNope I swear it actually kills my
Brianbrain when I have to write people who aren’t introverts because…how???? HOW AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE AROUND HUMANS??? - Living in a city. Haven’t done it.
- Public transport. Nooope.
- Severe pain. Unless you count reading MOCKINGJAY. But other than that I’ve stayed boringly intact my whole life.
- Being tall. What’s life like when you can actually reach the top shelf of your cupboard? IDK.
- Weapons and physical fighting. I cut up a pumpkin once. But that’s literally all the weaponisation I’ve encountered. Oh, well, I mean…my TBR is pretty much a weapon. BUT I DIGRESS.
Look I could go on with this list for a long long time. But you get the point, right?!
“Well you could physically research some of this, Cait,” you say patiently while buttering a scone because you’re trying to prove that you actually can make good snacks and therefore fulfil your destiny as a writer.
And the answer is: yes and no?
I obviously am not LANDING MYSELF IN HOSPITAL or stealing the Mona Lisa for “research”. Although it could be fun — NO NO. WAIT. NO. HAHAHA…no, Cait.
And drastic measures like that aside, I also have an anxiety disorder. I refuse to believe that having a disorder can make you less allowed to tell stories. It’s not laziness keeping me from some types of research! And I believe this for many types of writers — you shouldn’t have to be able-bodied, neurotypical, privileged or had a ton of life experience to be able to tell your stories.
I get my research in other ways, mainly: talking to friends I know and feel safe discussing things with; reading blogs and articles; watching movies and documentaries; and reading other books. (Also FYI biographies are great #ownvoices accounts if you want specifics in things!)
However I do frequently tell my family we should eat ice cream. For storytelling purposes. I don’t know what raspberry cheesecake ice cream tastes like so how can I write this book? Hmm??
And I’m actually quite in favour of writers telling things they haven’t experienced.
Dude, if they didn’t, we’d have one story to tell. A super boring biography. I DON’T WANT TO DO THAT. If I can figure out what it’s like to ride a dragon and become Davy Jones, then I can research what it’s like to be very poor or live constantly on the road or be a swimmer or go through the aftermath of committing a crime.
RESEEEEARCH. BUILD EMPATHY. LISTEN AND WATCH AND READ ABOUT REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES.
There are obviously things I think you shouldn’t write about if you haven’t experienced them! But that’s like a HUGE topic and not what this post is about.
My point is: as a writer, there is a LOT of things to research that can be totally underrated and overlooked! Basically our lives are one big puddle of collecting information for stories. Everything from changing the oil of a car to ordering a restaurant.
This is why Brian is overworked and underpaid.
I’m trying to first draft atm (and obviously not succeeding because I”m here), but I do agree with some of these! I’ve never done very in-depth research for a novel, but I do NEED to it’s one of those things I save for future drafts. I think I really suck at knowing what to prioritise and how to have goals for writing but not be too rigid about them. I do typo and I hate it (so much that the other day I noticed an annoying typo in a newspaper and wrote to them to tell them to fix it), but I”m guilty too. I strongly advocate sleep, because it is important for writing.
But reading my blog is obviously more important than, like, ANYTHING ELSE OF EVER. *pats self on the back* 😂
I think sometimes the reason I don’t move on to doing edits is because i know the sheer amount of research I need to do is deathly overwhelming.😂😂 And typos are just the bane of my life. I can’t SPELL OR TYPE apparently.😂
(What is this “sleep” word you just used???)
Awesome post and so relatable, people should discuss these things more often. I feel so light now that someone’s actually addressed some of these things, like writing a word backward hahhahhaha(I’m not one of those poleple) (jk). I would love to know when you’ll be posting your updated bedroom tour 2.0, Ive been so excited for it ever since i found out you will be making one!! xx
OH WE ARE BASICALLY TWINS WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SPELL THEN.😂 *hi fives* Honestly my typos are super amusing. I can’t even. (And I’ll let you know about the room tour! I actually have moved into a different room due to weird circumstances, so it might be a while.)
Ahaha I wish I relate to your first one on the list, but unfortunately I work through projects very slow and as off now haven’t finished my first one yet… Some writing problems I have that you didn’t mention are (1) when you are forced to do other things while you are in a creative mood, e.g. some form of socialization or school works, because if I am in the mood to write it seems like the universe conspires against me so I don’t have a second to write. Also (2) when your characters have to come up with a very clever plan because gosh dammit can’t they do that themselves? Do I have to do all the thinking around here? I have 0 clever plans so figuring out how to get my characters to have clever plans is a nightmare for me, but I like when things are clever so I can’t just give up on it. Grrr the struggles we writers go through.
Omg I’m WITH YOU for so many of yours too!! I hate being in the mood to write and not being able to. So so rude of the universe to conspire against us. I also hate really really hurting my characters and then realising I can’t get them out of the mess they’re in.😂
I HEART THIS POST SO MUCH, CAIT.
OMG THO. What you mentioned about the authors writing the same book over again is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, so bear with me here: I’M IN A MILD EXPONENTIAL CRISIS. A lot of my books have very similar concepts and symbolism, hence me FREAKING OUT, because readers hate that, right? Some things are pretty broad (like plots, characters, etc.) but there are some smaller bits of symbolism and concepts and other things which are reallyyyyy similar. (There is almost literally a library scene in EVERY fantasy book I write, because big, royal, fancy libraries? YES PLEASE. I *know* this comes from myself, and my love of old libraries and stories, but still… And, unknown fact about me: I loveeee fashion/couture (a la Alexander McQueen, etc.), especially ballgowns, dresses and whatnot, so they tend to appear a LOT in my fantasy/sci fi. Also: on more than one occasion, my protagonist has been more like an anti-hero. HMMMM.) At the end of the day, part of me is like: chill, dude, just write what you WANT; and the other part is like, “NO, READERS WILL HATE THAT. They’ll call you unoriginal!!!!” Hence my crisis. Hah.
Tip: I watch Game of Thrones fight scenes for ideas (don’t know how accurate/realistic they are… but they ARE super cool.)
“I refuse to believe that having a disorder can make you less allowed to tell stories.” OH MY GOSH THANK YOU. Literally teared up reading that. I have severe anxiety and depression, and I have to remind myself of this frequently. Like, some days I struggle — I REALLY, REALLY struggle — but it doesn’t make me ANY less capable writing stories (regardless of the fact that it does, inevitably, stop me from doing things other people can with ease.) Honestly, it’s one of the reasons why having FRAYED published was a massive deal for me. Because, for SO LONG, I felt like because of my illness, I’d just fail at life.
PS. If you ever need help with a broken bone, feel free to email me. I know a little bit about that (unfortunately, haha.)
Nope. That’s when you embrace it and call it your BRAND. People now know what to expect from your books. Existential crisis solved. 🙂
*TACKLE HUGS YOU* I LOVE THIS COMMENT SO MUCH, KARA. I’M GLAD WE RELATE HERE. And I mean, I’m not glad we have to freak out over these crises but at least you’re not alone right?! I’m always terrified I’m just rewriting the one book. And like I have a crisis every time I send something to my agent because I’m like “Omg now is the day they’ll realise I can only write 3 types of characters.”
*eats a brick wall*
And like it’s hard not to subtly slip all our interests in, right?! I’m weirdly interested in some super random stuff and i just WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.😂
And IDK how right/good it is to watch movies for “research” but I fully do it too.😂
Also I think it makes us work harder, when we’re struggling and pushing against a lot of internal setbacks in our lives, right? So like I think it can add MORe to our writing, not take away. BUT SOMETIMES IT’S SO HARD. And I just cry thinking I’ll never be one of those cool authors who does signings and tours and is super professional all the time because ANXIETTYYYYYY and depression and general life collapse. But we CAN do this, Kara. WE CAN. (And you have!! You are my hero!!)
Another great post, Cait!
“Hi. I was homeschooled. This makes writing contemporary somewhat akin to bicycling through hell.” I laughed out loud. (Probably too loud.) Homeschoolers, unite! In your own homes. In an online chat room. Depending on your time zone. Okay, so maybe never…
And can I just say yes to all of the above? I relate with all of these, but #1 is definitely my downfall. Actually, I complain about not knowing what I’m going to write next while I’m in the middle of writing. I’m a super big planner and plan out my entire writing year each December.
And if you ever need help for with tall characters, I’m here. 4/5 years I spent in college, I was taller than all the guys I knew, excluding my brother. A couple major things that stand out: I hit my head on everything, I get asked if I can reach something even if I’m in the middle of writing, and American jeans are too short.
YAY HOMESCHOOLERS UNITE…and then cry when we try to write “normal” contemporary books.😂😂
I’m such a planner it’s terrifying honestly. And like I get really consumed…like ALL consumed by my projects. So once I finish I just feel like I’ve lost a bit part of my entire life.😂
Duuuude, though. YOU TALL THING.😂 I’m 5’1 and basically I’m not sure what the world looks like up there. I can’t reach anything and jeans are so rude with how long the legs are.
POOR BRIAN (I have a cousin called Brian so I found this super hilarious). POOR,POOR BRIAN. Although I don’t consider myself a writer, I do have writing problems! Like having a million story ideas and then choosing one. That’s super hard. Also editing. I would rather just write it once but I want it to be good so #HALP. I don’t think these are underrated problems though.
As for the experiences, I’m lucky to have experienced a lot of things that are good for writing! I’ve travelled a lot, lived in two different countries, the city, a rural village, a slum, a small town. I’ve gone to public school and private school and homeschooled. And my parents are doctors so at one point we lived on a hospital campus. I’ve yet to experience a run-in with the wrong side of the law though (wait, this is a good thing?). But I totally believe you don’t have to have experienced something to write it! That’s what imaginations+research are for, right? Without this we’d have no fantasy.
(I now know raspberry cheesecake is a thing. HOW HAVE I LIVED THIS LONG WITHOUT IT AND WHAT KIND OF PARENTS DO I HAVE? *cries*. In India you can only get vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, or butterscotch. My life is so hard.
SO MUCH POOR FOR SO MUCH BRIAN. 😂You are a writer if you write though, Shar, c’mon now. 😉 It doesn’t matter how much!
You have…so many experiences. And parents to steal from. EXCELLENT. Make use of that.😂 (And absolutely! I mean, it can be easier to write things you know, but we’d all be boring/lazy writers if we ONLY wrote about personal experiences!!)
(Your life is really hard tho. Particularly if you’ve been cheesecake deprived.)
This might be terrible, but I find great satisfaction when I finish something. But I’m a slow writer and terrible at tying things up. I’ve hardly finished anything. One novel, then transcribing/editing it. And there’s another one that should be finished, but I left a bunch of holes towards the end and I’m unsatisfied.
Then there’s the terrible feeling that my book is just a smush of a half dozen others and the only original bits are terrible.
And then there’s horrors of forgetting things. Story related things like characters names (The name is written down… in a tweet from the middle of last month. The only thing I know is that it isn’t Brain), and also place names. (Which is made worse by the major cities in both books starting with ‘V’.)
And there’s platform socisl things like forgetting to add my Beautiful People to the link up, or just forgetting to post at all.
And then I tell myself I’m a mature adult and ready to get married as soon as a guy asks me. It would be useful formy wrriting cause I’ve never really been in love either.
It’s not terrible! It’s AWESOME. I love finishing projects too.😂The like insta-relief is greeeat…I just hate the creative dump I have afterwards.😂 My writing is literally like a HUGE part of my life and gets rather all-consuming, though, so I basically think of nothing else but writing and then if I finish…boom. What does my brain do.😂
I hate hate hate forgetting stuff too. I once was writing a book and must’ve been really tired or something but I forgot ALL my characters names. I literally had to have a list beside me.😂 And this is while I’m writing the freaking book.😂 LIFE IS FUN AS A WRITER.
ALL?!? I’ve never quite done that. I’ve gotten them mixed with other writers characters.
I just realized that I never commented on the homeschooled thing. I just couldn’t write a contemporary story in which my characters go to school. I’d have to write about homeschooled people primarily. Make it more popular maybe. But contemporary never really appeals to me. Not writing it at least.
YES! It was ALL the characters.😂I was a mess that draft.
And I’d rather write fantasy too. So #relatable. 😉
NUMBER TWO. Ahhh it’s so frustrating! I think my new idea is the next best thing and then….I realise it’s basically the same as my other ideas. Changed slightly. (Okay, I’m exaggerating, but a lot of the time I feel this way). 😀
Also, hi!!! I’m sorry I haven’t commented for so long. I promise I’ve been reading your awesome posts, but somehow life always pulls me away before I can comment. So sorry about that. XD Hopefully I’m back now!
This was another wonderful post that made me smile. 🙂
No noooo it happens to me all the time. *cries* I borrow and plagiarise from myself SO MUCH it’s just embarrassing and depressing.😂And like I’ve written 25 books now and it’s just AHHHHHHHH. AM I REPEATING MYSELF.😂I can think up new plots just fine but characters are hard to do without repetition!
Aww no worries at all! I love your comments but I totally understand being super busy!! <3
Hi, Cait!
The struggle is real. I mean, what about the pain to have the perfect idea in your head with the most special characters and the evilest of villains and the greatest plot and you love and cradle the idea in your brain but you are not able to actually put it on paper because it sounds rubbish as soon as you put one word down? I think that is the worst struggle of them all. :(((
Also, plot bunnies. I actually crocheted a dragon for my writer friend to eat all the plot bunnies so she doesn’t have to shoot at them and waste precious time she should spend writing her new book which is about dragons. #important
I don’t know about broken bones or agony or how to bake a cake but I guess most of the stuff you usally don’t know anything about is just best guess. But that’s life basically – best guess.
Have a nice day, Cait!
LG, m
IT IS ALWAYS HARD TO BE A WRITER. We honestly have like 1000% a battle uphill.😂 Omg you crocheted a dragon?!? You are amazing.😂
Honestly though, baking a cake is the kind of research I like to try. :’)
I don’t relate to the writer hangover, because I’ve never actually finished anything I’ve written. I wish I could finish them though. *whispers* I wish with all my heart *whispers*! The thing about hospitals though is so true though. If I was injured I’d probably be deathly afraid of the hospital *nervous laughter*.I did get all my wisdom teeth out last month, but apparently I didn’t have a normal reaction to the anesthesia (it took me forever to fall asleep, and a lot more of the drugs later). It was weird. I also just feel like editing is exhausting. Like the thought of reading and fixing so many things makes me physically tired. I just want to wiggle to the ground and turn into a puddle. I just cannot look at all of the mistakes! It also still amazes me that you haven’t eaten Oreo’s yet! How?! I guess they are just really popular where I live, almost every fast food place has an ice cream flavor with Oreo’s in them. But we also have so much processed stuff. So much! Organic stuff is also more expensive, so sometimes I just want to yell at grocery stores, “DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HEALTHY OR NOT?!” Then I see the bakery section and have to resist from getting one of everything, because cookies, cake, and just bread. I’m hungry now. I’m going to go raid my fridge:P
You definitely haaaave to finish something someday! I mean it’s simultaneously the best and worst thing ever.😂
OMG. Wisdom teeth…*pats shoulder* My brother had his up and he looked like a dead chipmunk forever, so I feel sorry for you. AGhhh.
Oreos aren’t even THAT big in Australia tbh? I mean you can get them, but it’s not a “thing”.😂 So it’s not weird I’ve never eaten them. AH. Allergies. :’)
Argh, writing about things I haven’t experienced is such a love-hate thing. I enjoy the learning new things, reading about them and maybe trying them (not, um, stealing the Mona Lisa though 😂). But motivating myself to research… *tries to block out the siren call of books and food*.
It’s probably wise if we both decide not to steal the Mona Lisa…ALTHOUGH IT’D MAKE A GOOD STORY, LET’S BE REAL HERE. *ahem*
I agree with this list 100% (expect for the broken bone part… had 7 (?) of those…) and the being tall part 😬
I also always feel like I run out of stuff to write at the 20k mark and then get really frustrated and decide to just scrap it and start a new project so I have like 30 million projects that are only a quarter finished. Is that an exaggeration? The world may never know…..
Also my Brian misspells it’s name all the time too 😂😂
OMG YOU’VE HAD 7 BROKEN BONES?!? NOT AT ONCE I HOPE???? I mean I’ve never even had stitches or a sprain or like…anything.😂 One would think I live a super careful life and I don’t particularly…I just am lucky?!😂
Also Brian and I are relieved we’re not alone in how we can’t spell.
I’m fortunate to have a very supportive family, but in my past life I did not. So unsupportive family and friends who think pulling words from Brian and weaving them into stories is a silly waste of time?
I’m really glad you have a good family now and sad for your pst family. 🙁 That’s really tough.
Do you ever read a book that is so utterly detailed and well thought-out and made of pure brilliance wrapped in a shiny silver bow that when you’ve read the last page and put the book aside feel instantly that every word you’ve ever written is a waste of time and you need to stop now and become a nun?
Or that you have so many ideas you forget to revise, proofread, have others proofread, etc. your previous manuscripts and then ten years have gone by and oops? Nothing is even close to published?
😛 Those are my big two.
Also #3 on your list. ACK.
YES YES YESSSS. *cries forever* Sometimes I read books that are just TOO good and then I go into a massive slump and remove myself to Iceland to be a sheep herder. We can share a hut if you like. Rotate cooking days. Cry together. *HOWLS*
I make brownies, and chocolate chip cookies in a snap. but if you want something good, you have to buy me chocolate covered mints and give me some time while I make ripple fluffs. *starts drooling from the memories* ahem. 😛
1. I actually haven’t had this??? because I’ve never finished a project. but I’ve felt like that after binge reading a book series, so I shall say i kind of know what your talking about. 😛
2. UHG, YES. I have three books planed, and one in the works, and two of them include quiet-ish girls with purple dragons. halp.
3. how rude.
4. thats when you read a book. XD
5. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS IS SO DIFICULT. but the book I’m writing, I think I made the main character an extrovert without trying. #howdididothat
research is HARD. like navigating though thousands of pages overloaded with star wars info JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE HOLLOGRAM COMUNICATORS ARE CALLED. and I never thought I would need one of those weird books about the anatomy of a spaceship.
Most crazily, ~Olive
CHOCOLATE THOUGH. I mean, if it’s covered in Chocolate, it’s going to be excellent, right?! 😂
It’s so weird writing extroverts right?! I’ve written a few and mostly I’m like “Why are you like this, dear character?” EXTROVERTS ARE STRANGE.😂
CAIT! I LOVE THIS POST!
I did write some small things in the past but I didn’t care about them all that much, but this year I’m doing Camp NaNoWriMo and I just love my story but I feel aaaaaawful as writer because well IDK it just feels weird. Especially the little bit of romance that’s in my novel but I’m not romantic and I’ve never really been in love and I’ve never kissed and well the list goes on and I’m like what am I even doooiiiinnggg?! But it’s fine. Ahaha no it’s totally fine. I take LOTS of inspiration/”research” from other books and movies that I read or watch but then I feel like I’m just copying and that feels weird…
ALSO I’m writing it in English wile it’s not even my first language but I have my own stupid Dutch language so I’m like how am I even doing this? And then having to think about the RIGHT WORD FOR FIVE MINUTES because I keep repeating world everyone knew since they were in diapers and I… basically taught myself hahaha
And I’ve never finished anything so I don’t know what it feels like but I’ll probably be like really upset because IT’s MY LIFE NOW and I’m already thinking about things I’ll need to add or delete or do differently once I edit… oh god. IT NEVER ENDS.
Anyway, thanks for this post, it was wonderful! (as always!)
AYLA! I’M SO SO GLAD! *flails happily*
I’m sooooo with you, don’t worry.😂I think things do get easier the more you write them too. Like my romances are HORRIBLE but slowly getting better after just practise and reading the heck out of so many books.😂 And it’s hard not to feel like “copying” when going out looking for inspiration, but you can do it!! Sometimes it’s just influences and direction!
DUDE, YOU ARE BILINGUAL? YOU ARE AMAZING AND 500% INCREDIBLE. JUST SO YOU KNOW. I fail at English and it’s all I’ve got.😂
These are so scarily accurate. Especially the things to research- I’m a homeschooler, a very short person (5’1″), an introvert, a law-abiding citizen… you could go on and on. I’m so bad at writing things I don’t understand. All my protagonists are short introvert girls. #Issues
And the withdrawal when you’ve finished another book? Agony! I do that approximately every two months and it hurts. A LOT.
OMG WE’RE PRACTICALLY THE SAME PERSON. It’s hard being small and boring and a writer, isn’t it?😂 Good thing we have imaginations! Ha! But sometimes I really struggle with motive. Like people who go out and socialise…and I’m like…no why wouldn’t you stay home with a book? *smacks self in the head*
THE WITHDRAWAL IS SO BAD THOUGH.
I COMPLETELY get the “creative tank running low” thing. A couple years ago, I hit that BAD. Interestingly, I was also going through a dry reading spell, and I didn’t have a lot of new favorite movies, either. So, really, I guess the two do go together… (taking in art to produce more art)
As far as writing your own experience/lack of experience, I think definitely stealing (yes, literally) relatives’ or friends’ real life situations can be helpful. I happen to have had a variety of experiences in certain areas — but most of them I will never return to — so I may need to draw on the more exciting lives of my relatives.
And I definitely worry about my characters seeming too similar! And about subplots that seem too familiar. I just had that happen while revising my draft for Volume 2 — that literal moment of, “Did I already use this scene in Volume 1?” IT WAS A BIT TERRIFYING.
AGhhhh, I relate and it’s the worst feeling of EVER. I just hate that I always wait until the situation is dire before I remember to refill! I tend to feel like reading all the time is “refilling” but it’s nooooot. Not when they are ARCs and kind of feel like “work”? And I do like the visuals of movies, I just hate how loud they are so I never watch.😂
And that’s why we writers must make sure we have friends/family around right? SO WE CAN STEAL FROM THEM. I also keep my ears open for random weird stories that happen to real people. Then I steal them. #MasterThief
I constantly freak out about reusing things. Especially when there’s only so many ways you can kill off characters.😂
All of these. ALL OF THESE. After I finished my first project, I struggled to write at all. For over a year. And I once made an entire post panicking over how similar two of my characters were (they were in different stories, for crying out loud, why did I think it mattered?!). And reading a story that’s like yours is the absolute worst, because what if someone thinks that I copied them?!
I know right?!? Like I freak over it ALL the time. But whenever I read multiple books/series by one other author, there are ALWAYS similarities. So maybe it’s accepted/normal?! I mean, we’re just one person…so it makes sense our characters will seem similar sometimes. BUT I STILL GET ANXIOUS OVER IT.😭😂
If you need any info about broken bones, I’m your girl. I keep occasionally breaking my bones, so I have got tons of experience. Aaaand, I wish I was kidding.
Anyway, LOVE this post!! Can’t agree more.
Oh EXCELLENT…except also noooo I’m sorry you’ve broken bones!! It sounds super painful omg. 😭
You seriously make me laugh out loud with every one of your posts, specifically Brian in this one.
Fun story: my husband’s name is Bryan spelled with a Y, because his mother was afraid that if she spelled it with an I, somebody would misspell it as Brain. Interestingly enough when we were going through all of his elementary school awards, sure enough, there was a certificate in there made out to Brain.
Maybe that’s why I found this post so funny….
Also, we should become pen pals you and I.
AWW, THANKYOU, HANNAH!😂 And honestly misspelling Brian and Brain is like my entire life, so I think your husband’s mother was onto something there.😂
Snacks are my go-to procrastination method, which probably isn’t the healthiest, or the most productive, thing, BUT IT SURE IS TASTY. (And isn’t every one of your posts a thinly-veiled post about food? I thought we’d established this?)
Yep, #2 happens to me a lot. My characters are the same, or that sort of fantasy magic is the same, or wait didn’t I have a kidnapping scene JUST LIKE THIS ONE in my last two books.
#5 THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. I went on a small stretch where lots of my characters were involved in abusive relationships of some sort and that just? wasn’t?? me??? I had to do a lot of Googling and article-reading until my eyeballs fell out. Also hospitals. What even are hospitals. Luckily, my dad is a doctor, so I can ask him handy questions about broken bones and other random injuries until he stares at me like I’ve gone insane. ALSO SCHOOLS. SCHOOLS ARE SUCH A MYSTERY. I mostly use my knowledge of schools from other contemporary novels to write my own. xD For some reason it hasn’t occurred to me to just write a homeschooled character. Huh.
(We HAVE established that my posts and life are just me being a foodie blogger but pretending I’m here for books/writing. It’s just I like to pretend I’m deeper than that??? BUt no. I am shallow and there’s food.)
IT’S SO HARD TO NOT PLAIGIARISE YOURSELF. *cries* I literally have characters and I’m like “Okay you’re like twins just in different books. Pls stop.”
HOSPITALS ARE SO HARD. I’m kind of jealous you can ask your dad questions though!😂 My dad is an Engineer and my mum was a music highschool teacher. And I’m like…this is not helpful for me, you guys.😂And my sister went to school so at least I can ask her stuff,…except then it’s like OKAY SO THAT’S AUSTRALIAN SCHOOL, WHAT’S IT LIKE IN THE UK?? WHY IS EVERYTHING SO COMPLICATED. *howls*
#3 is the bane of my existence. Picking up a book THAT I HAVE NEVER READ BEFORE, and realizing: “Well this is exactly like my book. But it’s fine. Each writer brings a unique touch to the story? Right? So it’s okay???” *curls up and cries* IS ACTUALLY THE WORST THING EVER. World hunger? Death? Disease? None of it even compares to the tragedy that is a published book copying all of my brilliant ideas.
IT’S SO DEPRESSING.😂I finished editing a book and then picked one up to celebrate and … it was like 74% mine. I CAN’T EVEN. WAIT TILL I GO EAT A BRICK WALL NOW.😂
Hi there Cait,
I appreciate this post so much! I can relate to most of your struggles, especially the last one. Though I have been to highschool my schooling has been a bit all over the place due to developing a chronic illness, so writing about a normal highschool experience is something I would find hard. Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with hospitals due to my health issues but I have no interest in including them in my writing. Something I find difficult is writing about real life places I have never visited. The amount of research is overwhelming and I’m so afraid of getting the details wrong. There are some things you just can’t learn from the internet. Also being quite young, there are so many things I have yet to experience.
I wish you the best of luck with your writing. I hope I will get to read it someday 😊
I totally get you with how hard it is without experience on things! And how difficult writing can be when you do have setbacks…but I think that also can mean we work extra hard and it’ll definitely pay off in our work, right?!
I wish you so so much luck with your writing journey too!!
Hi! I love this post! It made me laugh out loud (literally) and I can relate to all five points!
I always feel like a fraud when I am writing about something I didn’t personally experience. One of my main characters is an extrovert. I myself am an introvert but I did get a sense of how extroverts talk and think from listening to my extroverted friends. Another MC has depression- this is difficult for me to write so far, since I don’t have personal experience, but I’ve been trying to read other novels/biographies/blog posts and watching videos about depression to inform myself. That’s probably the most difficult part of my novel so far.
That’s AMAZING that you can write so fast! I don’t know how you can do it! I am on my 4th draft of the year, and it’s all for one novel haha…
Cheers and happy writing,
Sophie
OH EXCELLENT. I’m so so glad you enjoyed it!!
And the fraud-feeling is soooo much me too. Omg it’s so hard writing extroverts.😂 I also wrote like a really happy/witty/flirty character and the whole time I’m like “This is so weird and not reasonable.”😂 I do think it’s ver possibly to write things well that we haven’t experienced though! I think like the biggest thing is that research isn’t something you do for like 20mins or whatever. It kind of becomes and ALL the time thing, right?!? I have a Deaf character and so basically I follow blogs and watch youtubers and read books on it ALL THE TIME. So it’s not like a big hunk of research, it’s constant bits here and there till you really flood yourself with knowledge.
BEING WRITER IS HARD.
AGH YES I have experienced so much. e.g Killing people, romance. I’ve never broken a bone and being tall seems tough. I’m an ambivert so I have the best of both worlds. ALL THE IDEAS HAVE BEEN TAKEN, it’s so unfair. I have all these ideas and the next day I just die because I’ve read a booK WHICH LITERALLY ate my brian.
THIS POST was so short?
BRIAN AND YOU GETTING EATEN SOUNDS SAD AND VERY RELATABLE. Like why can’t people just stop using all the ideas???? We need more time.😂
(Hey it was pretty normal length!😂)
When I finish a project, my depression usually comes about in this way: “BEHOLD! I stand TRIUMPHANT upon my ACCOMPLISHMENTS!” Then I look down and realize what I am standing upon is actually a dead fish which I turn over with the toe of my shoe and then stagger away to some cliff side cave where I can hide and recover from my wounds. This generally repeats for…. ever. One minute I’m so proud because I actually FINISHED something and it is AMAZING. And next minute I’m thinking I should dig a nice grave in the backyard and bury this thing.
And I know first drafts are supposed to be terrible and I just need to edit…. but I don’t want to dissect a dead fish. I don’t know how. And I have ridiculous sensitive gag reflexes. And also, will it hurt the fish? Will it hurt ME?!
THE SIMILARITY THING. I’m writing one thing and then go over to work on a different project and LOOK WHO’S HERE. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? YOU FOLLOWED ME?!” And my character shushes me and says, “I’m in disguise. No one will ever recognize me. I have a different NAME.”
Experience. Yikes. I too am from the ranks of the homeschooled, and yet for some reason I am always writing about characters who go to school. “And then they….uh… they had a class… in a class room. There was a teacher and a chalk board.”
I have, on more than one occasion where I felt my life was in peril (like when someone convinced me to go on the ferris wheel and I thought we were going to flip over backwards), thought “Well, either I’ll die and I won’t have to worry about it anymore, or I will survive and have a dramatic experience to use for writing purposes.”
I TOTALLY GET YOU. I GET YOU SO BAD. *cries* And I actually have trouble even if I DO like the project once I’m finished because like…I miss it??? I get so invested and now it’s like I LOST MY FRIEND. And then I reread it and realise I need a new career.😂😂
And omg dude, the SAME with the characters being like “I’m totally different” while we’re sitting there going “No you’re not. I literally wrote you last time.” WHY IS WRITING SO HARD.
*homeschool hi five* My way to get around it is basically to be like “AND NOW IT’S SUMMER” because how the heck does a school work.😂
Basically if I ever remotely hurt myself I’m always like “Okay writing research.”
I have totally done the brain/Brian thing! (oops! Did I confess too much!)
Brian and I are just relieved we’re not the only dysfunctional ones.😂
I am not a writer, but I loved reading your post. maybe because I whine all the time, so I can relate to people that hyperventilate to everything all the time:)) The line about reaching the cupboards absolutely cracked me:)) I am 1.54, so I can barely reach the top shelf on my bookshelf, let alone the cupboards.:))
I’m so so glad you still enjoyed the post!! I always get a little worried blogging too much about writing, because most of us are more bookworms here BUT AHH I’M GLAD IT WAS STILL RELATABLE.😂
But seriously, why do people insist on putting things on top shelves?!? Do they WANT us to cry???
All I know is, reading about your severe pain from MOCKINGJAY ripped me from the present and flashed me straight back to that book, and reminded me I’ll never get over it. Grandkids-asking-me-about-THG-and-I-start-to-cry never get over it, you know???
Love everything on this list!! Especially the whole published books coming out before my book does – *CRIES*
Your writing brings me such joy!! If you’re ever terribly afraid about being original again, seriously just write a stream-of-consciousness autobiography! Imagine all the dragons, cakes, and scary things in it! 😀
*pats shoulder* I’m sorry for triggering that Mockingjay memory. IS THERE A TIME WHEN IT WON’T BE SUPER PAINFUL TO RECAL? BECAUSE IT’S BEEN LIKE 3 YEARS AND I’M STILL CRYING.
Awwww, you’re wonderful and hilarious!😂I’ll turn my blog into a book, right?!
Honestly my biggest writer problems are “HOW DO I CONCLUDE” and “HOW DO I TITLE” because I’m rubbish at both. The conclusions got easier once I realized how to gauge their strength–I figure if I can’t picture myself dropping a mic after the last word, it’s not good enough. But titles remain terrible and elusive.
DUDE, TITLES ARE HARD. I can’t title to save my life. *cries*
I really relate to number five. I relate so much that it hurts. School? Hospitals? Jail? WHAT? I know nothing of these things! Basically everything you listed. (Being an extrovert? How does one do that?) And research is…erm…very, very difficult. That is why most of my stories take place in magical worlds where I can make up my own rules, because I know absolutely NOTHING about the world I live it apparently.
You and Brian keep it up!
IT’S SO HARD SOMETIMES. I watch movies for research but then like…sometimes I don’t even trust what they’re doing.😂 And omg can we just write introverts…extroverts don’t make SENSE. *cries*
Magical worlds = so much easier than contemporary.😂
I’ve never broken a bone, either. My sister? She’s done it 4 separate times over the years. #showoff
I make passable snacks. I can dump chips and nuts in a bowl. What else do you want from me?! 🙂
WOAH. That’s a lot of bones! My little sister has split her chin/head open a couple of times and I’m like…I’ve literally never even hurt myself badly.😂
Look, putting chips and nuts in a bowl seems to be a lot right there. I think you deserve an award for that.
Is it a trick that the headline says 5 ways and the body of the text says 10? Cause I’m hoping for 5 more at some point. There’s SO much more to complain about.
My main takeaway, though, is YOU’VE NEVER EATEN AN OREO?!?!?!?
It’s just 5!
And yes no oreos…allergies. 🙂
I have definitely struggled with #3! A lot of the time when I was writing my novel I was like….Is this too similar to what I’ve been reading at the moment? I’m also not great with editing, I can do the simple stuff like picking out typos and stuff but more difficult stuff like world and characters and pacing? Not so much. I also admire people who can write like 20 page outlines for their books, I literally just sit in front of my laptop with a vague idea of what I want to write about and kind of just spew the words onto the page!
Agh the fear of accidentally copying something you’re reading is HUGE. I freak out over that all the time.😂 (And hey I admire people who can get a whole novel done without a detailed plan.😂 I’m hopeless!)
Okay so FIRST OF ALL. There can never be too many dragons in books??? Blasphemy?!?!
And omg yesss. Except for maybe writing 53685 novels in one year. My biggest issue is finding the time???? I need to earn dragon coins and my best writing time is while I’m doing that.
#writer problems
Oh! Oh! Also EDITING. Can I just complain all day about editing and feeling like my four-year-old self wrote my book please 😂
You have so much wisdom! Literally all of my books are 90% things I’ve never done so….A+ maybe? 😆
FINDING TIME IS SO HARD TOO. We need those dragon coins and yet…*sobs over endless to-write list* I pretty much just cry over editing recreationally. I’d probably get more done if I whinged less and edited more? But yet…NAH.😂
My husband was reading over my shoulder. “Yep. That’s you. Oh and that one. And that one.” 😒Had to take my brownies and my complaints and my project-is-finished slump in the other room to finish your article. You nailed it.
AHhhahhha WE RELATE! I’M SO GLAD.😂
Omigoodnes yes! All of these, I have been freaking out because all my characters are sarcastic jerks, and they all sound the same. *help* I was home schooled too, but I’m pretty sure it’s basically like riding a bike through hell, so maybe you know more than you think.
My characters tend to all be the same in their sass levels too sometimes.😂 But at least we have fun writing them!??
Um, does toast count as a good snack? I can make “good” (or, you know, just not completely burnt) toast.
I ALWAYS type brain as Brian. Every. Single. Time. I’m such a terrible speller.
OF COURSE IT DOES. Toast is amazing. Toast is everything. And Brian and I understand your pain.😂
I’m always stuck on the brainstorming and construction part of writing. Ugh. I have so many ideas, but the effort of sitting and writing is just so hard for me for some reason. I know they say to just write and don’t stop to think but MY BRIAN* WON’T STOP THINKING. (*brain, oops, “tyops”…) XD
AND OMG #3 THIS JUST HAPPENED TO ME RECENTLY (SORT OF). I had this AMAZING idea for a story, which I started to tell my boyfriend about, and he completely ruined it by saying “Didn’t they make that into a movie already?” uGH. My heart was destroyed. It makes me so bitter that “there’s literally nothing new out there” but then LAINI TAYLOR COMES ALONG WITH “Strange the Dreamer” and my brain turns to literal goo. She is #writergoals.
And I definitely have trouble with #5 — writing outside of my experience -.- I, also, have never broken a bone. *high five*
Oh that is so HARDDDDDDD. Brian and I understand *nods*
And it’s always annoying when someone rains on your brilliant ideas right!?? Especially movies. HOw rude. (Also can we please all be Laini Taylor. Why is she so perfect.)
Ok so. I need to add to your post because I was looking for this everywhere and COULD. NOT. FIND IT!! My problem is… you have motivation and ideas, but you NEVER write! There’s not a reason, you just don’t do it. I do this a lot and then I deprive myself of the cupcakes I rightfully deserve because I need to WRITEEEEEEEEEE!!!! But… I don’t!
Do you ever do this?
-Dani Jones
Ah yes that’s a good one too! Tbh I don’t struggle from that as much anymore??? But I have in the past.😂 I think it’s because we KNOW how emotionally exhausting writing can be so like we’re subconsciously avoiding it?😂
I never thought about it like that! That makes a lot of sense! :’)
-Dani Jones
I really like this post! Although I haven’t done a ton of writing, I’ve definitely done enough to relate to some of these, especially the part about writing outside your life experience. I too have relatively limited life experience, in a lot of the same areas as you (I especially feel you with the bit about being an extrovert, what would it be like to actually enjoy meeting new people and making small talk?!?) But, one thought I did have while reading the list of stuff you haven’t experienced is that for some of those things, there are experiences that you have had in place of the ones you haven’t had and that a lot of those are experiences I haven’t had that I would enjoy reading about. For instance, you were homeschooled. I have always wondered what it would be like to be homeschooled so I see no reason why you couldn’t write a contemporary about a character who is homeschooled, I would totally read that! Also, while you have never lived in a big city, I have never lived anywhere other than a big city, so again, even though you listed that as an experience you haven’t had, you have had an experience that I haven’t had.
Sorry about the over use of the word “experience” but basically I guess my point is that while I agree that doing research is great and that books could get boring if writers completely stay within their realm of experience, its also important to focus on the experiences that you HAVE had and that those experiences, while they may seem boring and obvious to you, could be new and interesting for some of your readers.
Aww, thank you, Karen!!
And also you ARE right about the experiences! I think sometimes, for me at least (😂) it can boil down to a bit of what I need to write to pursue publishing? Like homeschooling is a very niche topic and haha, I’m trying to get traditionally published.😂 But WHO KNOWS. Maybe one day?!? And until then *aggressively sets all books in summer* 😂
But I do totally agree with you. While our lives seem “boring and normal”, to someone else they will always be strange and interesting!
My Brian/brain is constantly like “are you sure you want to kill Male MC 1 and cut body parts off of Female MC 1? Maybe you should switch it.”
or “HEY NO WAIT. FEMALE MC 1 HASN’T SLAPPED ANYONE, THE WEAKLING.”
or something like that.
and #yes to struggles. Like, HOMESCHOOLED CHRISTIAN NERDS DON’T GET BROKEN OR PUT IN JAIL OR HAVE ALL THESE STRUGGLES HOW WE WRITE CONTEMPORARIES?? 😛
I watch Netflix and read books for ‘research’. Right now I’m binge-watching The Flash for ‘research’.
Your Brian sounds about as annoyingly indecisive as mine.😂 MAYBE WE SHOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR BAD LIFE DECISIONS WITH THIS WHOLE WRITER THING.😂
*steals the Mona Lisa for research*
Is it weird that I just discovered you like a month ago and already I’m checking this website everyday for new posts? #NOPE
p.s, you are funny and have a lovely way with words (i also read your GoodReads reviews so I can decide whether to read a book or nah)(I feel like I’m bordering on to stalker mode)and such an inspiration, not only as a reader but also as a writer
p.p.s i can’t wait for your books to get published so I can read them
*hands you a platter of cake* *awkwardly walks away* ♥♥
I WAS WATCHING A KOREAN DRAMA FOR “RESEARCH” DURING AP SEASON (advanced placement classes, which are like college course classes in high school where you study insanely and almost die everyday and for almost dying, you get rewarded with that class counting towards your college credit) so after finishing the class, you get to take a test that’s like 5 hours long and I was “planning” to start studying several months prior to the test, but then the library happened…)(#NOREGRETSTHO
I ended up checking out 50plus library books and sneaking in some feel good books while “attempting” to study for AP U.S. History
#noblamepastself, you did good ♥
Which Korean drama?
OKAY THAT MAKES ME EXTREMELY HAPPY. MY DAY IS MADE *fails from the mountaintops* 😂 <3 <3
(Also I would love to be published someday.😂 Fingers crossed?!)
*accepts cake and carefully lures you back for a Mad Hatters teaparty*
(Also being an avid bookworm AND doing college sounds intensely hard!! yOU ARE A MARVEL.)
I related to absolutely every one of these. Especially the “depression after finishing a project” one . . . except I’m even worse, because I get depressed after finishing every major SCENE. As soon as I come off my writing high from that really exciting scene, I go into this super low place of “oh no, this is horrible, no one will ever want to read it, I should just quit and go to the Yukon right now.”
#isweari’mnormal
EEEK IT’S SO HARD, RIGHT?! I honestly LOVE finishing a project, but also I hate it. I get so so saaaaad. And I miss the characters?! They feel like my close friends. 😭😂😂
#iswearwerenormaltogether
So, some of these I definitely can relate to. Like the whole “crap, this synopsis of a 2019 book sounds exactly like that thing I was going to write” and then I rage at whoever had the audacity to NOT procrastinate and write the thing before me. But I have such an opposite problem when it comes to ideas. I have VERY few ideas. I want to write characters and make them dance like my puppets, only… what should they DO? No idea. This is also my same problem with blogging. And I ermm never finished anything, so I’ll let you know if I ever do 😉
And I DEFINITELY agree completely about the whole not having to have HAD the experience to write it. Because just like you said, we’d only have boring memoirs and such! Because who has enough fun stories to fill a whole book? I mean, sure, I THINK I do, but that’s probably just narcissism, and not reality.
So much rage, tbh. I mean how dare they take our idea that didn’t even truly belong to us yet. #rude
And exactly! It’s obviously NOT a writers job to only write what they’ve experienced, but it still makes it hard when you live a limited life. 😂 And, like, don’t steal Mona Lisas recreationally or anything. It’s really stunting my book ideas. *sighs dramatically*
ilovethis iloveyou. i love the john green
insultnamedrop. also this made me want to write. even more it made me want to read your stuff immediately and forever, so publish something instantly ok??? i am going to ignore the complicated nature of the publishing process for my own selfish and nefarious purposes.It wasn’t supposed to be an insult!! 😂 I LOVE JOHN GREEN! I love Maggie Stiefvater too! It makes me feel better as a writer to know they do the things I worry about haha.
Omgggg you’re so LOVELY. Hopefully one day?!😂
Out of the amount of writing problem posts I’ve read (for someone who doesn’t even write fiction that much) I’ve not once seen these things mentioned so you’re sure as hell right with the underrated bit. Also the running out of creativity thing: YES! I do this all the time with taking photos and trying to make up tunes on my guitar! I’ll keep making stuff and making stuff without doing anything else aaaaand would you look at that the creativity jar is empty! Whoops. Haha great post!
Eeep, I’m glad you related to this! We totally need to talk about these things more, right?!? It makes us not feel like such loner writers.😜 We totally need to be careful about our creativity jars!! ARTISTS MUST BE FED.
Cait,
Thank you SO MUCH for what you said about anxiety! I have a lot of trouble with many kinds of research because it can easily set me off, and sometimes it’s really hard to explain that or even realize it yourself. It’s been a big source of shame and frustration for me, feeling constrained by my own mental limitations. Other writers take it for granted and so matter-of-factly that OF COURSE you’ll do 984834957 hours of research in 4624821 different ways because that’s your JOB and it’s what you DO so SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP or you don’t have what it takes to be a writer. 😖😭 Everything you said made me feel more empowered and was a good reminder that I’m not broken and am still a human bean. 😉 THANK YOU. ❤️
Also PS: I love how you ordered an entire restaurant there at the end. #goals #PutItOnTheToDoList 😂
*GIVES YOU ALL THE CAKE* <3 I'm glad you liked this post! And like it sucks that we have to go through anxiety, but at least we're not alone, right?! And I think it's really easy to feel shamed about it...but the truth is we don't have to. There is no one in the world who deserves to tell stories more than anyone else. Sure we might have to work harder, but we can do this, Kat!!
I mean, that's what you do at restaurants right??? Order the like entire building???
Ah, your post ideas are so freaking amazing that I can’t even.
I thought that I was the only one with the self-plagiarism problem and let me just tell you, IT FEELS SO GOOD TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS THE SAME ISSUES. So, thank you for that.
And, yes, reading a published book that’s similar to your unpublished one is the absolute worst. And sometimes, it’s not even an entire book, it’s just that one scene or something that’s the exact same as yours and you just weep and dissolve into dark, glittering dust. I usually choose option c because what else is left in this world except chocolate… and well, cake and ice cream.
I am constantly shoved in the face with #5 because I live in India and we don’t even have most things that are typically featured in books. And the school system is so different here. Also, I don’t really like oreos and ergo, can’t write about them.
In conclusion, you’re as relatable as ever and seriously, paperfury.com has amazing font.
Also, not sure if this underrated, but you know how you can have the beginning and the ending perfectly in your head but get stuck in the middle of the book and die?
OMG THIS MAKES ME SO PLEASED, ALICE. I’M GLAD WE’RE NOT ALONE IN OUR WRITER FREAKING OUTS. *comes to stand with you*
And omg we can die continually over stealing from ourselves.😂 I have this constant problem hhaha. And when another book has done your thing first? IT JUST MAKES ME WEEP. I finished writing a book last month and promptly read this one I thought would like and…turns out it was so nearly identical to the one I just finished writing. Ya. I’m weeping.
I’m agented in the UK but I’m Australian so THAT’S weird sometimes trying to merge the differences.😂
(Also thank you about my font!)
(And also I plot with lots of detail, so I don’t get stuck TOO much in the middle, but I definitely think beginnings/endings are easier!!)
I have literally never been confronted by most of these. Complete a project? What? What’s that? I lose motivation for my projects/get stuck and then never go back to writing them even though the story is still bouncing around my brain waiting to be written.
It’s been five? six? years since I started this one story and it’s still – just a bunch of disconnected scenes that are not even in the correct order?
… I should probably actually get back to writing that. Eventually.
I have literally nothing to add to this. It’s amazing and hilarious and you should not feel bad about writing things you don’t know, because, obviously, we can’t all go to regular schools?? How do we replicate years of normal teenage experience???
Also, you gave me an idea for a blog post. So thanks 😀
That’s so true! And like I think we can get good at fudging things.😂I’ve fudged SO many experience and am kind of surviving it haha.
#3 though
ABSOLUTE WORST. I’ve run into that more than once, and honestly, I think it’s the one thing about writing that can make me more depressed than anything. (also, I had one person complain in a review of one of my books that it was “almost word for word” like another book…that I hadn’t actually read. So that was weird. And maddening.)
I would say another problem for me is when your characters have knowledge (supposedly) that you do not and somehow you’re suppose to write this genius/mathematician/warrior/someone with specialized skills and you have none of the aforementioned skills. Like, writing a character who’s a hacker when you can’t even remember your email password. H O W ???
Aww, I’m so sad for you! That would’ve been a really hard review to take. 🙁 I think that maybe it isn’t SUCH a bad thing when we writers put similar things in our books…doesn’t it define us a little?! And if the NTY bestsellers can do it, then it mustn’t be too bad.😂 Although I still panic about it. haha!
DUDE YES. I die when I try to make my characters smarter than me.😂
Ahh, the “Writing outside your experience” thing! Yes yes yes. I have not written any books all the way through yet, but as I’m coming up with ideas for books, I often have this conversation with myself: “Then this will happen… But I know NOTHING about that at all. I’ll have to do tons of research. But ugh, will I really be able to describe it well if I haven’t experienced it? I should try anyway. Ahhhhhhh…”
There are also a lot of things that I have never experience and know nothing about. Ugh. So I totally get that!
https://chocolateandchapters.wordpress.com/
I know right?! It’s SUPER hard!! I want to write books with lots of differnet things in them (Because seriously if I just wrote things I’d experienced, my books would be dead from boredom.😂) but it’s so hard to get all the research right?!
My main struggle as a writer is probably THE ENTIRE JOB OF WRITING. I am absolutely incapable of turning my inner editor off so I can’t write a sentence without research. What if that’s not how things work? What if that’s not accurate based on the timeline? Whatifwhatifwhatifwhatif?! I swear, I write a great sentence and then I read it two minutes later and it’s the most garbage thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on.
*LE SIGH*
Basically… I relate.
I WOULD THOROUGHLY AGREE WITH THIS. WHY IS WRITING SO HARD. SOMEONE GIVE US AN AWARD FOR JUST TRYING TO DO THIS.😂
Can’t believe you actually shaded John Green. Isn’t he one of your favs? xD I personally don’t like how so many of his protagonists are the same except for Hazel Grace but it’s better than plagiarising others xD
I struggle to even write about having a crush on someone. Sure, I’ve had crushes. Celebrities and YouTubers only, though. Send HELP. I’m just so picky. The guys around me are not my type (super douchy) and when they’re nice, I just want to be their friends. I have such a platonic mind.
I actually find it easy to write about extroverts. Mainly because they’re so many of those people *stares them down* and when I was younger, people convinced me that there was something wrong with me being introverted. I also only found out that I was an introvert when I was about 15? That’s when I just found out about introversion and extroversion and that introverts can be outgoing as well.
I also have too many ideas yet I’ve not been writing much for such a long time. I need to fix that.
I do love John Green! AND Maggie Stiefvater! I was using my favourite authors on purpose because it goes to show you can be a successful author and much loved even if you write the same sorts of things continuously. It works for me. ;D
Platonic minds ftw. *hi fives* 😂 We do our best right? Haha.
Introverts can totally be outgoing! A lot of people think introvert = shy and that’s sooooo not the case.😂 It’s just where you need to go to regroup and calm down and refill your energy!
Monty Python, Kindergarten Cop!! *i shriek in excitement*
MONTY PYTHON IS HORRIBLE AND AMAZING. I LOVE IT.😂
Number One is currently me. Not that I’m depressed, per se, but I just finished a project and now I’m kind of awkward floundering around wondering HOW DO I PICK WHICH OF MY TEN THOUSAND IDEAS TO START WRITING NEXT????? I need help.
I don’t mind Number Two so much!! Because it’s nice to have a kind of unifying trait… a trademark that appears in every one of your books so that people can always tell it’s you…
Ugh!!!!! Number Three!!!! Happens to me!!! All!!!! The!!! Time!!! *intense sobbing* I SWEAR I HAD THAT IDEA FIRST. I SWEAR I DID.
I think I’m on the wrong side of Number Four to be honest… I take in more art than I produce. Whoops!! ://///
Saaaaaaaaammmmeee!!! I am homeschooled, have never been in a relationship, never go to the hospital except to see other humans be born, have never broken a bone, been in jail, killed someone… NADA. ZILCH. HOW DO I WRITE. HALP.
Okay, I’m done now. Fabulous post, Cait.
I literally get SO obsessed and consumed with my projects that it’s a problem when I finish.😂I feel like my friend died?! HELP ME.😂
And actually that’s a REALLY good way to look at #2! And I honestly don’t mind when I notice it in other published authors’ works, so who knows why I freak out over it in mine so much.
Hey but at least your creative tank is super full. THAT IS A GOOD THING.
Can’t really relate to #1 since I write like I read: that is having a zillion things I am currently working on so it takes me AGES to finish any single one.
Number 3 happens too damn often 😐
Oh and do it, steal the Mona Lisa for research >:) You don’t have to keep it.. that way it’s only borrowing 😉
That’s fair!! I think it’s awesome you can multitask like that!! I SUCK at multitasking so bad it’s a problem.😂
And omg so true, right? It’s for research. *clears throat awkwardly as tries to explain that to the court*
“Brian and I are not doing okay.” First off, you are so quotable. Secondly, give Brian a hug from me. Brian needs all the love it can get. AND UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG THIS LIST ISSSSSS MY LIFE BIOGRAPHY!!! #2 had me like ‘OH good, I’m not the only one” but also like “Should I stop putting charming vintage small town diners and soulful Indie music in all of my books?”
Also NOT HAVING THE LIFE EXPERIENCEZZZZZ. Like bruh, idk how smart sensible people think. Every single one of my characters goes off on emotional squishy internal mental tangents and I don’t know how to stop them. It was for this reason that I had to abandon my Camp NaNoWriMo project at 10K words and work on something different. Idk man, I’m still questioning this life choice and trying to catch up again half way through.
Also why do I keep making my MC character too much like MOI?! Do you ever have that struggle? Or did you and you got over it? If so HOW DOES ONE DO IT?! I need all the helps I can get ASAP.
OH AND DON”T GET ME STARTED ON SNACKS! Chocolate. Always chocolate. And peanut butter and carrot sticks. How are they so good?! Also my family owns a bakery so leftover pastries and toast with butter and jam are go too’s.
Okay I should go write now, I am seriously procrastinating XD
I’M SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED THIS.😂😂 Brian and I thank you very much for your concern *nods seriously* We’re working through issues and disagreements, but hopefully we’ll get it sorted soon. *LAUGHS HYSTERICALLY AT SELF*
I ask myself that ALL the time when I end up writing about people with the same hair or putting the same sort of quotes in books….like omg someone save me from me.
I actually generally write boys over girls because I HATE the idea of author-self-insertion.😂 It terrifies me! SO I find doing the opposite gender does help me with that?
YOU SOUND LIKE YOU MAKE GOOD SNACKS. MAYBE I’LL COME INVITE MYSELF OVER FOR AFTERNOON TEA.
(Good luck with writing and NaNo!!)
PREACH about being paranoid over stories that sound similar. I’ve been working on a novel series for like five years but part of the reason why it’s taking so long is because it contains the four classical elements which is such a common thing to use in novels????
“Plagiarizing” one’s self = YES. I’m currently writing two competition pieces for two different competitions, and while their storyline is different, THEY BOTH SOUND THE SAME IN THEME. Which makes me want to scream. Gah….
Also, if you ever need someone to talk about a hospital with for novel writing stuff, ASK ME. I’ve literally had to go there so many times because of a problem in my eye (because first grade me thought it was a good idea to skid into the snow and have their EYE BLEED FOR OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS WHICH REQUIRED SURGERY), a heart irregularity removal procedure and most recently, an allergic reaction. xD Fun times!
xoxo Abigail Lennah
I steal from myself SO MUCH it’s a problem.😂 I’ve written 20+ novels and I’m basically constantly paranoid that I’m retelling the same story hahaha. *SCREAMS*
OMG THANK YOU, THOUGH, ABIGAIL!! I will probably one day shout out that I need hospital advice! eeek. (And omg that’s terrible about your eye and heart! That must’ve been rather terrifying.😳)
I’m not really a writer but I often type ‘brian’ instead of ‘brain’. You’re not alone *hugs*. Great post!
I’m sure Brian will forgive us. 😭😂
This as fabuloussss!
Also if you need help writing a tall character, I’m not legally five eleven so I can help with that. XD I used to make all my characters tall because I wanted them to be just like me, and…yeah, that didn’t work out.
YOU ARE SO TALL. WOW. I WOULD BE LIKE AN ELBOW REST TO YOU. 😂😂 I keep making my characters super small and then making them have to climb on chairs to reach cupboards and it gives me an evil sort of pleasure to torment them so. :’)
Omigosh! This is so true!! Lately, I haven’t been able to write and it’s probably cause my creative input and output are completely off balance. I have a fashion blog, so I’ve been blogging on there because in a way that doesn’t take much creativity. But I’m just not writing writing and it’s because I haven’t been reading. It’s like I want to read, but I physically can’t. I lose focus or become tired when I try to read. It sucks. Like how can I be a writer that doesn’t read? I’ve been in this runt for a few months and it sucks.
Agh I totally get this!! I DO. It happens to me when I keep reading really BLAH books and it kills my joy/enthusiasm for reading. Have you tried re-reading some old favourites? You can also get creative-input from movies/TV shows too. I really like to watch them to study like how people move and mannerisms and things. But I do think it’s important for we writers to read. I hope your slump ends soon. 😭😭 *gives you cake*
*devours cake* I actually haven’t tried rereading old favorites, I’ll definitely try that!
Cait, has anyone ever told you that you are funny? Damn girl, you are.
I hate staring at the blank document thinking of something to write about, And not having the time or the place to write, when the ideas ebb out. Both these scenarios are so common with me.
Gayathri @ Musings Over Nothing
WHY THANK YOU.😂 YOU ARE SO KIND. (And staring at blank screens is absolutely terrifying agughugh.)
Look, all of these. Although perhaps not the finishing a project one. I wonder what that’s like? But finishing NaNo is very….weird. I don’t write QUITE as quickly as you (DOES ANYONE?) but still, a novel in about 10 days is more than I write at any other time during the year. First drafts are the best, though.
Heyyyy you’ve finished projects!😂 I just get WAY too obsessed with mine and kind of struggle to come back to the real-world. Ew the real world needs more magic and less American politics.😂
(First drafts are so FREEEEEEING.)
I suffer from aaall of these. Right now I have this mood where I want to write but my brain goes NOPE and I has no words. *weeps*
Noooo, I hope your words come back!! I want to write for July NaNo but the book I want to write isn’t *quite* ready yet and the book I was GOING to write I don’t feel like it.😂 Because of aforementioned un-ready book. WHY IS THE WRITERS LIFE SO HARD.
I’M SO LATE ON COMMENTING ON ALL YOUR POSTS AGH. <3
Anyways, yessss! This post! I feel like the creative tank running dry and just feeling SO unproductive are really closely related — and I HATE when it happens agh! And YESS how can I write about people who like talking to people??? How can I write about someone who lives somewhere other than America when I've only lived in America? Realistic writing is SO hard when you have no experience! Love and relate to this post very much. <3
It can just be so hard to get all the details right?! It always really hits me that I do noooot know enough stuff when I’m writing. Like recently I needed to send someone to court and I was just like, “Aaaand cut that scene to black I haven’t a clue.” 😂😂
This was hilarious! Number 3 is my fave. I found you via Reading is My SuperPower.
My dilemma is if I’m out with people I want to be home alone and writing my next WIP. And If I’m home, I want to be out with people. It seems like I can never be quiet satisfied with where I’m at which can make it difficult.
AWw, thanks for stopping by, Michelle! *flails*
AND I TOTALLY GET THAT PROBLEM. Every time I get super stuck I tell myself I’m taking a break…and then of course I feel like writing again.😂😂 I swear our writer-brains are super cantankerous.
Cait, you are perfectly allowed to write ALL YOUR BOOKS OF EVER about dragons. In fact … can they all have a dragon in? Please? I love dragons and I love your writing, so the combination would obviously be MEGA.
Also, thanks for the correct use of the term ‘able-bodied’. Kind of a weird thing to get excited about, but it made me smile.
OH GOOD. DRAGON BOOKS 100% OF THE TIME IS MY NEW LIFE GOAL. Even the contemporaries. :’)
YOU’LL JUST HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF FITTING THEM INTO THE CONTEMPORARIES.
I was just about to come down here and say there are no limits to the amount of dragons that anyone wants to write about. Dragons are amazing. Fuck unicorns, they’re just narwhals which made it on land, but dragons are when magic met a T-Rex who flew and decided fire would be an excellent upgrade.
(Okay, narwhals are also amazing.)
I totally relate to this post! However, one of the things I complain about being a writer is that I haven’t finished a manuscript yet. I have about 30 started and restarted… but I haven’t finished one yet. IT KILLS ME AND DRIVES ME BONKERS!!!
It’s always nice to find fellow writers who are also book bloggers! <3
Finishing stuff is hard but SO SO WORTH IT!!😂 And omg it is nice to flail with fellow blogger-writers. We are a marvellous multi-tasking herd. :’)
OMG the ‘an author just released a book and it sounds eerily similar to mine’ is HORRIBLE. I found this book that looks so similar to one of my manuscripts and I almost died. Until I realised that even if the blurb makes them sound similar how similar are they REALLY? Because there are a lot of words in books, and little plots, and big pots, and in mine: romance. And what are the chances that everything that happened in mine will happen in this other author’s? Zilch, pretty much. So even though it can be scary coming across that book that looks JUST LIKE YOURS there’s a bloody high chance it’s actually nothing like yours.
Writing things you haven’t experienced is just part of being a writer! I have never been or done lots of the things that my characters have experienced. I think if we all wrote what we know then there’d be, like, five really interesting novels in the world, haha.
You are 100% SPOT ON.😂I mean, we freak out about it, but often times it’ll never be the “exact” same…especially if we haven’t read the other version yet.😂 (I feel like I’ve accidentally been “too” influenced by a book sometime? But I just throw those ones hahaa or rework them majorly.) And like the YEARS it’d take to get to the publication part makes it not a problem anyway.
Haha, typos 😀 you know the worst kind of typos that are actually a word and software won’t filter out for you? Like her and here, or your and you’re. THOSE. Those are evil.
Also: BRIAN.
Also II: OREOS ARE NOT THAT GOOD (everyone else please don’t kill me). I used to have these European ones that look like oreos but are so much better. So when I tried Oreos I was like.. Meh. Tastes like.. nothing..? Don’t know what all the commotion is about.
That should have made you feel better.
Actually, I don’t even know HOW writers write characters. Like The Girl With All The Gifts? (I almost wrote with all the GIFs – that’s how tired I am) So anyway, A GUY wrote that, but he wrote the women so well, I thought he was a woman! How do people do that? That is baffling and wonderful!
Wait. YOU are the girl with all the GIFs.
I am too tired tonight to write a proper comment, BUT KNOW THAT I WANT TO. This was an awesome post!
My typos are just….amazing. 😂 honestly it’s gotten to the point where people are like “Cait do you know words” and I just have to go live in an embarrassed hole.
I BELIEVE YOU ABOUT OREOS. The hype is never worth it. Unless it’s cheesecake.
Haha. I actually almost always write boys! I think it’s sometimes easier to write the opposite gender to oneself actually? It puts distance in and I like that. But omg I called The Girl With All the Gifts, the Girl With All the GIFS for aaaages.😂 I thought it was going to be a very fantastically progressive story full of zombies and memes.😂
Haha, maybe it should really be changed to The Girl With All The GIFs xD I know that if I was writing a review now (instead having written it maybe a year ago), I would be renaming it that xD
Really though? I don’t think I could write boys! No idea how it feels to be one, and how they even think! Like, especially children, cause let’s begin with the fact that children are from another planet completely? It least for me 😂 but maybe it’s different for everyone. It’s possible that I could only ever write ME 😃 which is why I don’t really write! (Blog posts are different)
I am capable of making GREAT snacks. But I often forget to make snacks and then have to scramble for something a little less great…
Could you please include a cake in every book you write? I think that would be delightful. I’d read each book wondering “when will a cake appear?!” and when the cake does appear I will cheer!! 😀
True story: I used to be in a Sailor Moon newsgroup way back when my only online access was a local, graphicless, freenet… and I wrote fanfiction. And I was pretty good at editing my fanfics before posting them… but I had some very consistent typos. And spell checker was not a thing back then, when dinosaurs still didn’t have legs… So someone created a “maggie to english” dictionary reference post…. Someone even created a script for the chat room that had commands with my typos built in.
Anyhow. I don’t do much creative writing any more. But, some of these struggles apply to technical writing ;D I had to write a standard procedure policy for an emergency that involves a surgery I have never done. RESEARCH FOR THE WIN. And, honestly, there are so many different ways to experience hospitals and high schools and public transit that I’d say it is hard to tell who writes from experience vs research for some of those things you have listed… I’ve been taken to hospital in an ambulance twice in my life and my hospital ER room experiences have been nothing like what TV and books have lead me to expect 😉 (I may have lucked into “quiet” times at the hospital both times, but still… was much less chaos.)
EXCELLENT. You are an exemplary human clearly, with your snack making. *nods*
AND YES THERE IS BOOK IN EVERY. SINGLE. BOOK I’VE WRITTEN.😜 It’ll probably be like my trademark. 😂And then if I ever write a book without cake, you’ll know it’s like a secret message saying I’ve bene kidnapped and am being forced to write against my will or something. #seemsreasonable
That totally makes sense that things aren’t exactly like books/TV in real life. They tend to glamorise things? Or perhaps none of us silly writers know what we’re talking about so we all make it up. 😭😭
Fun fact: someone actually did a study and published an article about how often CPR is successful on TV vs real life. TV definitely glamorises things 😉
(it is like 75% successful – meaning the patient eventually goes home – on TV. And in real life it is like <10% successful…. which leaves people believing CPR is way more effective than it really is….)
This may be a super common complaint but…. editing! I think I kind of hate it. I love writing new things, it is very exciting. and when I have finished writing a new thing I like to then write another new thing. Not spend forever agonising over the same novel going over and over every sentence….. which is probably why I have written four novels, remain fully unpublished and now have a bucket load of editing to do…. oh noes! 🙁
Great post (and website) by the way. I am new 🙂 But will now be visiting often for sure!
P.S. I found your website because I was trying to figure out what bookstagram is, and found your very educational post on that subject. I even started my own bookstagram now, so thank you very much for your advice! 🙂
I totally hear you on editing!🙈🙊 I think we all complain about that a lot right?!? IT’S SO HARD. 😭😂
Aww thank you so much for linking my posts and I’m so glad they were helpful! GOOD LUCK FOR BOOKSTAGRAM. It is so much fun!!
I would LOVE to be able to finish a project. I have literally NEVER finished a story though I have got soooo many ideas.
OMGGGG, I totally agree with that John Green bit!!!! And RESEEEARCH!!!! Thanks for that tip.
I am rubbish at making snacks, I like to concentrate on the eating bit. My mum’s good at making cake though… (and obviously, I always need a nap.) Great post!!!!! You’re so funny and amazing.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 😜 And honestly, it IS hard to finish a book for the first time but soooo worth it.
Age-wise I’m at the other end of the spectrum to you (while mentally 40) and just LOVE your style. You’ll go far – just wait and see. I’m an eclectic writer with a special liking for humour – and you could major in that! Having had three sons, I’m up on the modern trends, which make me giggle (while some make me want to throw up too…) What genre appeals most? If you continue writing the way you do now, you’ll do more than OK The very best 0f luck. Joy Lennick.
Aww thanks, Joy! I’m glad you like my style.😂 Writing is a LOT of fun, haha!
ALL OF THESE. They’re so, so true. All of them. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone in my craziness 🙂
I’m so glad you liked the post!! We are definitely aaaaall together in our writing insanity. :’)