Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#1
On the flip-side of the disciplines employed to stay motivated, one might encounter barriers, that actively prevent you from getting motivated.

These barriers can prevent you from writing further, and covers subjects actively demotivating you. Let's make a list and see if we can come up with some solutions. 

Feel free to debate the suggestions, suggest resolutions yourself or even dispute the current suggestions.

Additionally, feel free to add problems for us to solve.

I'll add a few to get it started.

List and suggestions on how to handle it:

  • Negative Criticism

It can be a hard blow to a fiction writer, especially a new one. A way to deal with this is to take it seriously. Do they have a point? or are they just telling you a story sucks, without giving a reason?

If they do give a reason, it's constructive criticism, and you can go back and edit or simply improve on it in any new chapters you make. But you have to carefully evaluate it. Does it make sense? Do they in fact have a point, or is it a personal taste they express?

If they simply say "your story sucks" either ask them why, see if you can spot any reason they'd think so on your own. If neither approach works, you might be forced to dismiss it as a personal preference.

But in the end, everyone gets negative criticism sooner or later if they keep at it, even the big professionals in writing... Especially the big names.

  • Other ideas springing to mind

  • Writers Block

  • "Does this course make sense"-moments

  • Getting too busy with life

  • Motivation changes

  • Pride

  • Stops learning

  • Distractions

  • Excessive Expectations

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RE: Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#3
Hmm... barriers to writing for me include some of the following:

  • Lack of motivation

  • Lack of time

  • Indecisiveness on story progression

  • "What now?" syndrome

  • IRL distractions - includes college, work, reading, games, etc.

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RE: Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#4
My biggest barrier for finishing something?  i guess that'd.... oooh pretty butterfly!...  Where was I?.. That's right I was going to tell you about.....   BOOBIES!!....   Wait!  No, that wasn't it!  I was going to talk about my story...  Dragon Heir?...  The Rise of Darkness?  Which one was it?  ...  CAT VIDEO ON YOUTUBE!!!

Sorry!  I'll BRB!!  My dog wants me to play with him for a bit!


1) Simple distractions make me quit.  Then it's hard as heck to sometimes pick things back up.




But as I was going to tell you guys about my truck!  It's super fast!  Super gas mileage!  It could be a Super Truck!  Hey, I should write a story about a super truck from Kliptron!

Once, long ago and far away, there was a place called Kliptron.  It was attacked by the alien horde, "The Yngril Collective".   Hey!  I should write a story about "The Yngril Collective!"

...

2) Excessive creativity.  I'm working diligently on this story, and then the idea for that story pops into my head, and I can't just let it go.  Now I've got two stories I'm working on.  But over time, I like the second one more than the first one, so I slow down releases with it and focus on the second...   Until another idea pops up that won't go away!!  Now I've got three -- or did it turn into eight -- that I'm trying to juggle and work on!

Egads!!  My dreams/stories are rabbit powered -- breeding out of control!

Simple distractions make me quit, and then I have issues picking things back up from time to time.

AND

Excessive creativity fragments my thoughts as I want to work/explore multiple different things all at the same time.  I've got so many dishes in the oven, there's no time for them all to cook!

RE: Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#5
Excessive expectations are my bane. I always try to write the perfect chapter and edit, reread, plan ahead. But doing this costs time and energy. Sometimes I can't reach the requirements I set for myself and become too frustrated to go on...

I always try to take it easy but the thought that people actually read what I write makes it worse.
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RE: Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#6
One that I can think of (applies to me)
1. Self-Criticism:
This actually is a thing. I have written two stories in my childhood. Both of them stopped at one point because I myself felt them quite lacking. And the one right now is also under heavy criticism from my own self. I sometimes do not like the characters, other times the plot, and even the storyline itself.

I do not know how many are affected by this and quit, but this has always been a major problem to me.
Others as others said:
IRL issues, Having to do work for the group you work for, EXAMS!!!!!!(fu***** hate exams), stress, depression, illness(which leads to de-motivation and finally quitting) etc, etc
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RE: Finish Your Fiction Barriers

#8
Massive indecision is one, when I just can't decide what I want to do with a setting or characters.

Hating how cliche something feels to me (even if others don't think it's cliche) is another.

Often, my only solution to such things is forcing myself to write it anyway. Sometimes, that helps me settle on my decision, or warms me up to an idea I didn't like before.

If I have to, I can move onto another project, and let the old idea stew. Sometimes it can take a few months or even years, but getting some distance from the negative feels and coming at it with fresh eyes can help.