Writing Writing Concentration

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]I have an extremely short attention span. Often times when I try to start writing creative works, I can't keep concentrated long enough to get a story going. I've tried several measures to counter this.

My first method was to try and plot the story ahead of writing it. Know what the next few pages will be about before writing them. This has never worked, either because I get lost in an idea, or it no longer appeals to me and I'm not sure how to retweak it, or I might not know how to put what I'm thinking onto paper. All of my best writing I have done without thinking, but then I will eventually loose interest.

The second method was to try and switch point of views a lot or two write in a vignette style, but forcing myself to work in that format obstructs the writing process itself.

Even though I have some ideas that I really like, I can hardly ever get them written, or often I will and then look back and hate it. I very rarely make it past the first page of writing in a project or the first chapter or train of thought.

I want to know your methods on keeping concentrated with writing. Much as I enjoy participating in role-plays and writing poetry, I'd really like to create a longer work some time.[/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][quote name='2007DigitalBoy;787561][COLOR="DarkOrange"]My first method was to try and plot the story ahead of writing it. Know what the next few pages will be about before writing them. This has never worked, either because I get lost in an idea, or it no longer appeals to me and I'm not sure how to retweak it, or I might not know how to put what I'm thinking onto paper. All of my best writing I have done without thinking, but then I will eventually loose interest.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]Have you tried thinking of more than one way that the story can go? That's something I often do when working on something, I'll have several potential plot lines so when I get to the next page I have choices as to what I can do. That often helps me to stay focused in that respect.[quote name='2007DigitalBoy;787561][COLOR="DarkOrange"]The second method was to try and switch point of views a lot or two write in a vignette style, but forcing myself to work in that format obstructs the writing process itself.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I think you answered yourself with that one. Switching viewpoints, especially if it's not planned can be confusing, at least for me anyway. XP I'd try to avoid that unless you know that switching the view is part of how the story is meant to be told.[QUOTE=2007DigitalBoy;787561][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Even though I have some ideas that I really like, I can hardly ever get them written, or often I will and then look back and hate it. I very rarely make it past the first page of writing in a project or the first chapter or train of thought.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]Number one rule, at least for myself, is to ignore those feelings of hate. I always hate something when it first starts since it seems so awkward, but if I keep going with the idea to the end, then often I find that I actually do like at least part of it, at that point you can always trim out what you truly dislike or you think doesn't fit.[QUOTE=2007DigitalBoy'][COLOR="DarkOrange"']I want to know your methods on keeping concentrated with writing. Much as I enjoy participating in role-plays and writing poetry, I'd really like to create a longer work some time.[/COLOR][/quote]My best method? I try to pick a time when I'm not tired, if I'm tired, no matter how much I like a story or topic, it annoys me to no end that I can't get it to cooperate. Also, have you considered posting some of those beginning thoughts or ideas here for some feedback? Sometimes seeing what others think help me to get more focused and see flaws that were holding me back. And most of all, don't give up. ^_~[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Claire]

[FONT="Arial"]All I ever write are short stories, which usually don't take me very long to finish. That might be a good way to start building your ability to concentrate.

I have a large pool of characters, and each have their own stories. However, sometimes I'll have an idea for a story and I'll think which character would be the best narrator and whatnot. So far I've written three different short stories like this; Zero, Valentines for Vampires, and Vampire Family Values.

There was only one time in my whole life that I managed to write something much much longer than a short story. When I was in the eighth grade I started rewriting an idea that first came to me in fifth grade, which I further fleshed out into a 30 page story in the sixth grade. The eighth grade version still had a very unoriginal concept (a boy discovers he's really a royal elf and goes to his home world to find the "seven swords" in order to defeat the man who usurped his fathers throne, blah blah blah) but somehow I liked the story so much I wrote up to 105 pages before suddenly losing interest.

If you do want to write short stories, it would probably be best if you kept it simple and cute.[/FONT]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]While I would like this thread to stay open for everyone to share, I came up with an idea that might help me round up some of these plots.

For a long time I've tooled with the style of vignettes or erratic plotlines to try and keep my attention, but I've never been abe to form a story I want to do out of it. So I was listening to this CD that has the concept of sleep paralysis, and I came up with the idea of using the dreams of a writer who is based on myself to experience many of my own works that I decided not to do for various reasons. For instance, the first story is Shinigami DREAM.

If you can't guess, when I wanted to do a story on Shinigami, I thought it would be too much like the show that inspired it. Instead, I created the rp Shinigami DANCE and thought I might make an accompanying story called Shinigami DREAM. I found every way around doing it, though. Now, I can icorporate it into a larger story as well as many of my other ideas. I also had the maiin character actually trying to write the story that I consider to be the best idea I've ever had and written several chapters of more than once, never settling on a final idea.

And since it's a dream world, it's not unnatural for things to change quickly. It should be and interesting method.[/COLOR]