# What things do you find difficult to write?



## Tiarhlu (Jul 26, 2009)

We all have our stumbling blocks. What are yours?

I always have trouble when a character needs to get from point A to point B, such as walking from one end of the block to the other. I'll generally be good for a sentence or two, and then get stuck. In the past I've gone into useless filler to buy time, but now days I'm trying hard to avoid that since it doesn't serve the story. So often I'll get stuck with something like this:

"Bob walked outside and saw a lemonade stand at the end of the road. He felt it was amazing luck because he sure wanted some lemonade. He walked to the end of the street."

Okay, generally not that plain as that's a micro example of the usual problems. I do however start running out of things to say fast in any such scenario. In something I'm working on right now, I've got two characters riding in the car across a few scenes, and there are only so many ways you can say they were driving. I don't want to have it be constant dialogue either because that'd get tiring.

I've gotten to where I have difficulty writing affectionate scenes. I feel like over the years I've basically said the same things over and over, and it's become cliched. In the hopes of trying to make it fresh I hit a wall.

This guy last year wanted me to do a macro story, with a lot of growth. I really struggle to do this because I feel you can only say it so many ways. I also think I have trouble because I have a very difficult time writing something I can't see as possible (yes, I see the irony there.) The more extreme, the more my brain rejects it.

I find it hard to write a scene with two or more characters of the same sex. Your pronouns get very restricted because "he" or "she" begins to get confusing. So it turns into a lot of names, and that leads to clumsy sentences after a bit.


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## TakeWalker (Jul 26, 2009)

Having to write.

That part of the story that isn't very interesting, but needs to be included to get to the awesome part.

Scotty's contest, apparently, because _I keep fucking forgetting about it_. >:[


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## Bladespark (Jul 26, 2009)

The point A to point B stuff gets me as well. Also, fight scenes.  I don't KNOW enough about fighting to actually describe blow-by-blow, and yet "And then they fought and Joe won" is really not anywhere near enough when the fight is the climax of a series of events, you need to have more, but I never know what to say.

Never tried writing a macro story, I have no idea how I'd do.


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## panzergulo (Jul 27, 2009)

I find very slow, mundane things extremely difficult to write. I had one story where a bear wakes up from a winter sleep and after doing some household chores goes back to sleep. The whole story was really slow and painful to write.

One sentence written. _Okay, what's he gonna do now._ Second sentence. _Okay, what's he gonna do now._ Third sentence. _Okay, what's he..._

These stories I think are my weakest stories, but because of some weird reason, people actually like them. I can't understand why. Really, I'm happy with stories where there is some action or conflict or something. Describing everyday situations is hard for me. How much interesting text you can draw from a man preparing and eating a meal, for example?


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## tyson_fox2931 (Jul 27, 2009)

I find Yiff scenes hard. just because i'm a little immature.
I also find scenes where the main character is just talking to someone, quite hard.


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## Aurali (Jul 27, 2009)

starting. If I can start typing things down on my keyboard, it comes quick and easy for me. but the starting is the hard part. Especially for my more developed stories.


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## M. LeRenard (Jul 27, 2009)

Descriptive passages.  I never know if I'm going too far or not far enough.
Also, real emotional scenes.  I'm so cynical in real life that I'm constantly second-guessing myself when things start to get a little sad or what have you.  I have to try really hard to make sure the dialogue isn't super corny, but then I wonder if maybe now it isn't too dry, etc.

Some related advice: if you're writing a scene, and you feel like you're just dragging through it, you should probably assume that it's going to end up as boring for the reader as it is for you right now.  In which case, don't hesitate to go a different direction.  Anymore, if I'm writing something and it's taking me forever, I highlight large sections of text and hit the delete key, then try again.  And I do this until I start having fun again.


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## ElizabethAlexandraMary (Jul 27, 2009)

Simply skip the walking part altogether, and give some hints on the location.

Yes, like Renard, I tend to get stuck on descriptive sequences too. Mainly because it's so hard to get back in narration/dialogue after that. And getting the perfect balance of details while avoiding a camwhoring moment.


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## AshleyAshes (Jul 27, 2009)

I've been slowly learning that I don't need to make everything in the story happen in direct order.  I mean like going through ALL the time to get something done, like an episode of 24.  It's pointless, boring and wastes time, and I'm getting much better at it.  If I had been writing 3 years ago, I'd have surely, needlessly, covered characters saying they need to go outside, going down the stairs, going out the door, then going outside to the thing they need to do.  Really, I can just cut scenes. BAM.  Magically outside.

Figuring out when to cut though requires more concious effort on my behalf but each time I write, it's certianly better.


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## Jelly (Jul 27, 2009)

Oh, anything really.
I have trouble when I sit down and try to write a folksong analysis, or when I try to write a piece of fiction that isn't a short story or some wacky print art.

This post.


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## GraemeLion (Jul 27, 2009)

I think my biggest problem comes with yiff scenes.  Nine times out of ten, I "pull the curtain" and let the scene happen off camera.  It's that tenth time when I feel that the scene offers something that I leave it in.  

It always tends to end up looking like something off of Tapestries, and I end up cutting it anyway.


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## Tiarhlu (Jul 27, 2009)

M. Le Renard said:


> Descriptive passages.  I never know if I'm going too far or not far enough.
> Also, real emotional scenes.  I'm so cynical in real life that I'm constantly second-guessing myself when things start to get a little sad or what have you.  I have to try really hard to make sure the dialogue isn't super corny, but then I wonder if maybe now it isn't too dry, etc.
> 
> Some related advice: if you're writing a scene, and you feel like you're just dragging through it, you should probably assume that it's going to end up as boring for the reader as it is for you right now.  In which case, don't hesitate to go a different direction.  Anymore, if I'm writing something and it's taking me forever, I highlight large sections of text and hit the delete key, then try again.  And I do this until I start having fun again.



Yeah that can be quite a challenge. I've noticed I've gotten closer and closer to being a minimalist over the years. I was editing some writing from 2001 the other day just for kicks, and I couldn't believe I'd go on and on and on and on and on about the scenery, when it never really mattered. Now I try to just describe things if there's a need for it. 

I've got a book here with some pretty good advice on writing emotion. Maybe I could type up the key points for everyone.


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## Xouls_klattic (Jul 27, 2009)

my biggest problems come with:
1 starting
2 dialogue
3 the meaning less "fluff".


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## SailorYue (Jul 28, 2009)

well my #1 writers block is my hyperactive muse. when she feeds me hundreds of ideas at once i cant focus. its the #1 reason why most of my fanfics on fanfiction.net are oneshot drabbles. every one of my chapter fics are incomplete/discontinued.

tho my *ahem* boyfriend ReALLY keeps pushing me to write one of my stories, i just cant get it done. one reason is im afraid of the sex scene. since i have no real experience outside of reading literotic & hentai, i cant really get things down... those terms "scare' me someewhat


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## Tiarhlu (Jul 28, 2009)

It's great that you've got a lot of ideas. Be sure to get them down. 

For the sex scene, the best thing you can do is focus on the characters.


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## ElizabethAlexandraMary (Jul 28, 2009)

Tiarhlu said:


> Yeah that can be quite a challenge. I've noticed I've gotten closer and closer to being a minimalist over the years. I was editing some writing from 2001 the other day just for kicks, and I couldn't believe I'd go on and on and on and on and on about the scenery, when it never really mattered. Now I try to just describe things if there's a need for it.
> 
> I've got a book here with some pretty good advice on writing emotion. Maybe I could type up the key points for everyone.


Yes, do like Tolstoy.


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## CathoraGal (Jul 28, 2009)

Starting. Once I get going, I can usually write relatively quickly, it's just those beginnings I have trouble with.


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## BitofaDreamer (Jul 29, 2009)

I'm always unhappy with my titles. I feel like whatever I come up with is never good enough, and is only there because the website won't accept a piece unless it has a title.

Oh well.


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## Hateful Bitch (Jul 29, 2009)

Titles, beginnings, endings, and character development. I think I'm not bad at speech, but it could be better and everything is alright.

I haven't written anything extensive though, so I can't really judge until I've written anything other than RP posts.


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## theevilgood (Jul 30, 2009)

I think I could be a little better at everything. Then again, I don't really have any grammar error messages so I have to rely on guy instinct when it comes to grammar. Luckily I can use firefox as a spell check so that I can remember how to spell something when I go braindead >.<


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