Good day everyone!
I am just dropping a quick note to let everyone know that I have not, in any way, abandoned this blog. I have, however, been extremely neglectful and for that I do apologize. I am in kind of a writing rut and am trying really hard to pull myself out of it. I also have a bunch of art to share. Instead of sharing each one separately, I’m going to do a couple of posts with brief summaries.
I hope everyone is doing well. If anyone has any advice about how to get back inside a story, please let me know. Wendy posted an interview meme the other day that might get me motivated again. We shall see….
Skyrim: The Rise of House Sigeweald 
You’re definitely not alone in the rut. I’ve been struggling to squeeze out even the tiniest bit of inspiration for my story. But it’s good to know you’re not out of the arena!
I’m not sure where the struggle lies for you, but a major part of mine is time management. Having a baby tends to take up a lot of time! (Worth it, though!) Motivation has a part to play for me, and it can be difficult to tap into the font of inspiration when I just don’t have the energy. I also felt like there was a pressure I placed upon myself that just stressed me out. “Gotta get regular releases or people will forget about me!”
It’s easy to get burnt out on a single project at times. However, I’ve felt more motivation recently. Part of that is because I’m taking time to write in other projects as well. Kind of like a palette cleanser. I’ve found a lot of success finding inspiration to develop D&D characters as well as DMing, flushing out some personal story ideas, and trying to get a Superman story in the works.
It’s also helped me come up with ideas for my Skyrim story, but pickings are sparse. I think it just comes down to finding a way to keep the creativity ebbing and flowing in different ways so that when you’re ready to come back, you still have some inspiration to run with.
Work/life/write balance is definitely a challenge. Interestingly, I feel like I got more done when my kid was a baby and far needier. Of course, I was working from home during those years and my schedule was far more flexible.
How old is yours?
And it is true about only having a single focus. I was hoping the Dawnguard story and Morrowind diary would help in that regard–and they have, but now I feel like I need a distraction from those. A friend of mine sent me some writing prompts for some collaborative writing, so I may focus on those a bit, just to get some ideas out. And I need to get back into the habit of writing.
It’s definitely been a challenge to find that balance…
My little boy is almost 8 months old. He just started learning how to roll over! Couldn’t be more proud. ^_^
Writing habits can be fickle and difficult to maintain. Sometimes I feel like I could write for days, and sometimes I realize it’s been days since I last wrote anything.
Hopefully the prompts help out. I’ve thought about looking some up or making some for myself so I can work on something fresh and new. *shrug*
Crossing my fingers.
I certainly understand about the writing rut! I’ve seen people trot out one or more story installments a week; that’s way more than I’m capable of. Maybe, as Winterhold suggests above, the trick for me is to try some other writing projects.
I think I’m going to focus on that, just for a bit. Or Pyrelle’s suggestion of a one-off from the perspective of an NPC.
I think anyone who has ever written anything knows all about the writing rut. As for things to get you out, if I knew I would not be in a rut myself. Maybe try writing something silly, maybe do a day in the life of Lars Battle-Born.
I like that. Sometimes, some of the most gratifying and flavorful stories are ones in the same world, but have little to nothing to do with the main story.
Or, if you haven’t already, tell a story about your character(s) but from someone else’s perspective (like a quest-giver in Skyrim, or an average, everyday person). Perhaps an Alternative Universe version of the character, but set in today’s modern world.
However, sometimes, the inspiration just doesn’t come. Part of the problems with living the writer’s life.
Of course, that seems to be the entire premise of the Misadventures of Zander… 🤔🤣
living like an NPC isn’t easy lol hope you enjoy the story though =)
I should write a story about Lars for my kid. I have to assume they are about the same age.