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lost-in-fandoms · 15 hours

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Logan and Max have another talk, or 'does kissing count as free therapy?' Part 2 of whatever this was. I couldn't fall asleep last night because of how hard I kept thinking about these two. I blame @girlsdads for giving me the brainrot in the first place.

cw: the tiniest bit of implied sexual content

It's another bad race. Fucking 16th, only ahead of the two Saubers, and of the Haas and Alpine that had crashed each other out. There was no reason why his pit stop had to be 4.3 seconds, when Alex's had been 2.7, no reason why he had been fucked over by not one but two undercuts because of shitty strategy, no reason why Alex's side of the garage had to be celebrating 8th place while his was sullen and quiet.

Logan fears he's going to throw up when he steps in and James claps him on the shoulder, saying sorry, next time, as if Logan doesn't know his contract is on the line. Fucking. Next time?!

Logan feels like he's trying to swim with his hands tied behind his back, desperately trying to make it to shore. Nobody cares he's drowning.

He can barely look up during the debrief, feels like he's choking the whole time on the words nobody is saying. As soon as he's free, he escapes, fumbling for his phone as usual. Only this time, he doesn't call his mom.

Are you free?

Max has his motorhome this weekend, and Logan doesn't wait for an answer before heading over. If he doesn't answer, he'll just take a walk.

Yes come over

He's knocking on Max's door before he can rethink it, before all these feelings catch up on him and he decides he's going to break down alone instead. When Max opens his door, Logan immediately regrets it. He's wearing a black t-shirt, hair styled, looking ready to go out. Of course he's heading out, he has a win to celebrate. Unlike Logan. Who should have just gone home.

He opens his mouth, ready to apologize and turn around, when Max's hand closes on his shoulder, his mouth downturned with what would be worry, if it wasn't absurd for Max Verstappen to be worried about him.

"Come in," Max says, doesn't leave space for arguments when he pulls Logan inside, closing the door behind him.

For a long moment they just look at each other, as Logan's waves lap at his neck. He doesn't know why he's here anymore.

"Are you okay?" Max's hand is still on his shoulder. Logan feels like he'll keel over if he takes it back.

"I might be out of a seat."

It's not an answer to Max's question, it's not even what Logan meant to say, it's not something he should be telling to the competition, but really. Logan is barely Max's competition at all, and who wouldn't know that after this season's disaster? Nobody is counting on him to race next year.

He waits for Max to say something, even if it's just empty platitudes, but the other just squeezes his shoulder and nods, and suddenly it's much harder to hold back his tears.

"I just..." he breathes in, willing his voice to not crack, "I don't know what I am doing wrong."

It comes out more desperate than he meant it to, but he's just so tired and upset, and nobody is seeing him drown. Why is nobody paying attention?

"You have a shit car, get bad strategy calls, and have a teammate with years more of experience. You are not the one doing it wrong."

Max says it so matter of fact, as if he's the one driving the shit car, the one with the better teammate, the one having to fight through the back of the field with no success, and suddenly Logan is angry. He shrugs Max's hand away, fists clenching. What does Max know about being the second driver in a bad team? How dares he say he knows Logan's hunger?

"Fuck off," he spits, wrapping his arms around himself to hide the way his hands are trembling. He shouldn't have come.

"You have potential, you are not doing it wrong," Max says again, stubborn and bull-headed as always, jaw set and eyes clear. Logan's anger spikes again. Max Verstappen, the prodigy child, talking to him about wasted potential? This must be a joke. He scoffs, ready to turn around and leave, but Max grabs him again, gets a hold on his elbow and keeps him where he is.

"Why are you angry?" he asks. And yeah, this must be a joke, for sure. Why is Logan angry? Why is he angry?!

"You don't get to..." he starts, but Max interrupts him, squeezing his elbow.

"No. Why are you angry?"

"The team..."

Max takes a step closer, narrowing his eyes.

"Not the team, I do not care about the team. Why are you angry?"

As if there was a right answer to the question that Logan isn't getting! It's his own anger! And Max doesn't care about the team? Of course he doesn't, it's not his team fucking up! Why can't Logan be angry about the team?!

"Alex gets..."

"No. Why are you angry?" Max interrupts again, steadfast in a way that grates on Logan's nerves.

They're too close now, and for a second Logan entertains the idea of punching three times world Champion Max Verstappen. Anger burns in his chest, and suddenly, without knowing who closed the gap, they're kissing. It's not a nice kiss, all teeth and spit, and it almost feels the same as the punch he hasn't thrown, until Max moves his hand from his elbow to his waist, the other one coming up to cup the back of his neck, turning his head slightly. Gentling him.

His anger is back in his lungs, but it's no longer anger, it's back to salt water, and Logan is drowning again. He breaks the kiss, gasping, but Max doesn't let him go.

Logan doesn't remember the last time someone held him like this, like being here matters.

"Why are you angry?" Max asks again, breath soft against Logan's bitten lips. He smells vaguely like minty toothpaste.

"Because..." he hesitates, but at this point he might as feel say fuck it, and give it all. All his fleshy insides in Max's hands, bleeding on the floor between them. "Because I could do better, but I can't do it like this."

This time Max nods. "You could do better."

And Logan knows his parents and friends have said it before, have kept saying it for years. Knows his time in Formula 2 speaks for itself. But it's different, to have Max say it like that, so surely. It's a different kind of validation, and a different kind of heartbreak, because they both know his time to prove it is running out. It's hard to breathe again.

"It is good to be angry. It makes you want to take it," Max says, maybe mistaking the way his breathing has gone funny. But Logan doesn't feel angry anymore. He's tired, and scared, and lonely. He drops his head on Max's shoulder, who moves to card his fingers in his hair, bearing his weight with ease. Logan wishes anything would come easy to him instead.

"I don't know how to be angry," Logan confesses. He doesn't want to say it, doesn't want to disappoint Max, but he disappoints better than he lies anyway. What's one more person.

"That is of course still okay," Max says, instead of some sort of rebuke Logan is expecting. For a second, he thinks about the stories of Max's childhood, of angry men and steel hands. Max's fingers are gentle in his hair.

"What do you want right now?"

It's too big of a question. Logan wants his seat to be safe, he wants to end in the points, he wants a good car, he wants to not feel so distant from everyone else, he wants to go home. He wants someone to tell him it will be alright and mean it.

He shakes his head, forehead dragging against Max's t-shirt. Disappointing again.

Max holds his hair a little tighter, uses the grip to pull Logan up, to make him open his eyes.

"What do you need?"

And it's the same, but it is different, and Logan needs...he needs...

"You can take it. What you need." Max sounds so sure of it, Logan can almost believe it. Maybe Logan doesn't know how to take, doesn't know how to fix it, but here, now, he at least knows what he needs.

"I need to be better," he says, words bleeding out from his split-open chest. "I need to be good."

They both know what Logan means, because the thing with Max is, that it's always about racing, even when it isn't, and it is also always both at the same time.

Max nods, letting go of his hair, and Logan pushes him around, back against the door. Gentle, because he needs to be, but firm, because he wants this.

He eases himself to his knees, and feels Max's hand cup his cheek. His raspy voice isn't disappointed, or pitying, or even sad when he speaks, only fond. A little proud.

"Good boy."

#this was written incoherently at 4:30 am on my phone in bed and then fixed up today idk if the ending makes sense #i hope it is still okay once again the logan/max fog took over me i take no responsibility for this #also i am more or less unable to write smut unless the stars are aligned or some shit im just a little ace baby so thats what you get sorry #if its bad just tell me and i will delete it and die in shame <3 #logan/max #i really think we should find them a ship tag if somebody has ideas or knows the 'official' name let me know #my writing #maybe i will post a screenshot of the first draft of this i wrote last night because its just funny kdjfnkjds #fun fact 1: in my head maxiel has kissed during fights before so max is just doing what he knows here #fun fact 2: the ones behind logan in this race are 77 24 10 20 because why not dksnfkjds #max never smiles or shrugs in this whole thing im a SHAM #btw i have shown INCREDIBLE restraint by waiting for a reasonable hour to post instead of just posting it when i was done #it could have meant rethinking this to death and deleting it all #fuck it we ball i guess

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spiderwarden · 5 months

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The fact that Minthara hates air jail is why more people should put her in it.

#[ 🕷️ ] —— musings #[ karl.ach always hoists her up when she is being unfairly murderous ]#[ one time she even put her on top of the fridge ]#[ and i see so many artists also utilizing it ]#[ it's fun to see her get so miffed about it ]#[ which is why more people should do it ]#[ SO WITH THAT SAID! im signing off i tried to do memes and drafts but its late ]#[ spent my energy doing my first weeks homework ]#[ smash or pass things will resume tomorrow ]

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total-serene560 · 7 months

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Me, 5 days ago: I'm just gonna go over my outline again, I feel like I'm getting stuck.

Me, today, exhausted and covered in blood: So I restructured the entire plot and changed the timeline and half of the conflict. Also it's a trilogy now.

(Guess who is now actively working on a rework of ASE... this guy.)

#a strange education fic #The main IDEA of the story is still the same #I just... readjusted a lot of things #This is why you should double check your outline before you start blindly writing it kids #I do feel bad about having to do a rework but I sincerely believe it'll be beyond worth it #it's going to be a much better story for it #it's already so much easier for me to write than it had been #but it's gonna take a little while to be ready to post #aiming to get the full first draft done by the end of December #I hope y'all who follow me for the story will stick around to read the reworked one when I post it #but I get it if not :/#my posts #my writing ramblings

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that-was-anticlimactic · 2 years

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how about... and hear me out... we stop reducing cole ninjago’s personality to food?

#literally so sick of it like it isn't even funny anymore #and this is at the fandom more than the show right now #like first of all - cole Clearly had an eating disorder and while that probably wasn't intentional on the writers' parts...#i mean. cole Literally started binge eating after watching his friend explode. come on. he was Never like that before s4.#and like he is Clearly at least a little insecure about it but no let's make jokes about how cole eats all the time hahaha #like the amount of times i have clicked out of fics or refused to reblog art solely because all the ninja are doing their thing and then oh #look there's cole eating cake hahaha so silly not like he's a ninja or anything :D #do better #it just infuriates me Especially since it is CANON that cole stress eats (because making fun of stress eating is so funny... show / fandom)#and he's my favorite character and it sucks to see him constantly portrayed as this food obsessed ninja who has no depth aside #from the 'there's not gonna be cake?' throwaway joke from s2 that Clearly only became a reoccuring thing because the fandom flipped out and #became obsessed with it like Yes it was funny but my God y'all have taken it to an entirely different level and the show bounced off of that #not to say that no one should ever draw or write or mention cole with food but if all you draw him with is food or if he's doing something #with food every time you write for him then you should Prolly take a step back and ask yourself why you're doing that and how you're #portraying cole as a character because he CERTAINLY has more depth than 'i love cake and also junk food tehehe protecc'#this has been in my drafts for a month and i just saw something along these lines on insta so i’m angry and posting it lol #ninjago #cole brookstone #cole ninjago

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chiisana-lion · 1 year

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sometimes i think im fine and then i remember noelle’s room scene in deltarune chapter 2

#susie and noelle had a vice grip on me back then and still do i think i can recite the dialogue to this day #just oh. ohhhh Man #'did you ever wonder why susie never picked on you' 'all the time' 'MAYBE its 'cause when she first came to class. you lent her a pencil #like a stupid candy cane looking one. and she remembered your smile and uh.' do you understand? do you understand me #i miss drawing but cant draw lately so flipped through some old sketchbooks and i even drafted out a comic of the whole thing but never #got around to finishing it i should do that sometime #but GOD. god. susie and noelle. suselle the entire world

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shyspider · 1 year

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Do you have any commenters on your fics that you keep an eye out for/are your favroties?

Yeah but there are so many! They've added up over time. I'm slow to warm up to others, but if these ones were to vanish from the internet, I would definitely notice. I have favorites in tiers, and these ones are just from Ao3, alone. I won't name names, but they know who they are.

There are commenters that I'm emotionally invested in. I follow them because I like knowing how they're doing as a person than a reader. They could literally stop reading and commenting and I would still interact with them. ~ I have one commenter who's been around since my first fic, made me my first fanart, and is in art school. They're working so hard and I'm rooting for their success over in my little corner. ~ Another just seems like such a chill person that I would hit a bar with if I liked public places. They're about to have a baby, and I'm very happy for them and wishing them the best. ~ I have another OG commenter who gives me amazing feedback - like, the kind that has me taking notes. They shared with me what they do for a living and they are literally the coolest person in my book. ~ There is a writer and artist who's given me good constructive criticism. I respect them, and reblog anything they make to show my support, even though its a different fandom.

Then I have a those who give me raving book reports in my comments. When their names come up in my notifs, I usually stop what I'm doing to read right away because I know its going to brighten my day. ~ One is so scholarly, and just gushes over the details I never expected readers to notice. ~ Another is so feral, and their energy just literally makes me laugh. I always look forward to their rabid comment.

And there are those that are like return customers. They come in, know their order, say a few words, and are off. I know their names, and welcome them every time. Some of them have been around for a long time. Some of them are new and have said something that stuck with me, and makes me go "Ahh it's you, again <3" whenever I see their name, and I hope they keep coming back.

I have a lot of favorite commenters on Ao3, and a few more on Tumblr, and I wonder if you're one of them, Anon.

#But I also remember the unkind ones #I've had those try to promote their own fics on the first comment and never come back.#I've had those who try to flatter me and get me to write something for them.#I've had comments like “You should write it like this” or “I don't like [thing that's listed in the tags].” or “I want you to add this”#I can handle constructive crit pretty well when its from someone I've interacted with regularly and have respect for #But I've gotten con-crit from whose who just do it on the first comment and I'm like #“who the hell are you and why should I take your advice? Where is your resume?”#I've had commenters move into my DMs who only want to talk to me for ideas or to literally write a draft for them #I remember those commenters because I don't respond to anything they say on any posting and eventually they leave me alone #Shyspider answers #anon asks #I don't respond to rudeness because my time is better spent on those who appreciate me and what I do

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the-kipsabian · 1 year

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just so you know im gonna need someone i can info dump about alan wake after im done with this play through later (so probably like tomorrow)

#i remember with every new play through why i love this game so much and how it shapes me as a writer and storyteller #im only two chapters in but god. the feels are so fucking real #im sad there isnt really lets plays on youtube so i cant recommend this outside of ppl playing it cause this story needs to be experienced #its. so good. it leans so well into the physiological horror and mystery its exactly what i need rn to get my own inspiration back #..also i miss writing silence kills. im just saying. maybe one day again (its been 10 years since first draft i should really get on that)#but anyways. im going back to this for tonight just needed a snack break. carry on (i'll be back to scream later)#(and probably reblog a bunch of things oof)#night is an absolute mess on main #*psychological horror jfc phone please

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vaugarde · 2 years

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girl help im thinking of a major oc rehaul again

#okay. pains me to consider this twice with the main group now. but im thinking of downsizing the mcs to just asha and valerie #NOT because im ignoring skylar thats actually why this is difficult to see if its a betterchoice bc i love their relationship w asha #and i do love them being taken in by atlas but like. im wondering if its necessary #and if itll serve asha's character better if she's aloof and cold bc they've been so isolated #and valerie is the one to bring her down from that. but then that feels weird when skylar is there #and skylar couldve had that effect on her yknow and its weird that they dont since theyre so close #like idk how to make that work without making asha come across as more unlikable than they should be #bc then the implication is ''skylar is really enthusiastic and always trying to get asha to try new things and she doesnt #but then val does that while showing her kindness so clearly skylar doesnt mean as much to asha''#skylar does get an arc regarding their relationship with asha but it also feels too similar to quinn's arc w atlas #and i was trying to make it a parallel but it feels less like that and more like retreadingground since im telling both stories #or i want to anyways #and like. skylar wouldn't be kicked out of the story they'd still appear and be a character!#a main character in fact! theyre extremely important to the plot they're arguably the heart of it #(which is another reason im so conflicted)#they may appear later in the story and join later? but then they feel kinda similar to valerie augh #also im soooo attached to skylar and asha being adopted siblings :( thats been a thing since like my very very first draft #my first doodles of these characters were them hanging out and being siblings #maybe ill try and figure out a best of both worlds scenario where they can keep beingsiblings #but asha spends a lot of time with valerie alone at first #echoed voice

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girlyliondragon · 2 years

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More angry very very petty rambling about the earlier thing I went off about

Ya know what. I'm gonna love on Lizbert as much as possible, more than I already did.

She's my blorbo and she makes me happy I'll defend her from people who try to insist on making her a sussy bad guy. You can not like her if you want, I don't even care if you hate her, go ahead, but don't insist on things you wrongly assumed about her in the first 2 minutes of the game before the game actually even starts as a means to do that.

Yes I'm still seething. I can be very dumbly petty for a long while and it's gonna be a good while before I cool down from this. I need to get it out of my system because the whole thing still rubs me so wrong even outside of a personal feelings standpoint.

#I will say all the positive things I want about her if I so please. Bite me. I love her. I don't care if you don't like that #If you're gonna fricking misinterpret the character and refuse to see her past a first impression that was wrongly read to begin with #then I don't see why I should listen #anyways LIZBERT is a very good girl and is not bad and people are allowed to like her and be nice to her #People want to write her off as a crappy person so bad it’s actually very offensive to those that DO like her #stop trying to make her problematic #Em speaks #Wow RANT Alert #Rant in the tags oops #also saying you don't want to see ANYONE say anything positive about her is... bro #I'm gonna hope you don't run into my blog #anyways I have a more lighter dumb fangirly post on her in the drafts #might post that later

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rivilu · 26 days

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Wait. Logistically speaking. Would Elluin even know how to read.

#i've had this in the drafts contemplating for days #like. he had a frankenstein creature situation of being reborn with no memory of anything.#and even if language magically stuck with him you got the First World time thing going on #something something you're alone after coming into a new existence. You're on a field. It's day. And you exist #and you exist. and you exist. and you exist. and you exist. It's day.#is it the same? is it different?#you exist. nothing changes. you slowly lose your mind. it's still day. you exist. you exist.#thorns grow around you. under you. under your skin. do you have skin? The more you struggle the worse it gets. It's still day #anything he did know he forgot at that time so #even after being kicked off to golarion it's not like he could have like. a teacher dfjg #half of it was spent in an inq asylum which was not at all traumatizing and from which he got out in a very moral way for sure #and after that he was scraping by on the streets until areelu snatched him up #like. makes sense he's be able to Speak common- as this all takes place through an indeterminate amount of years #up to interpretation since he wasnt keeping track but the post first world era alone was probably many centuries.#but when would he have been able to pick up reading? Since he'd have to do it on his own too.#not like a fucked up little not quite but mostly fey creature could go up to any temple and expect to be trusted enough for charity #the hc is that the wound winds up disguising his fey with a mortal soul business since it overshadows it. before that though nope!#he'd have been clocked as fey by anyone that can sense it even in elf form #basically. Galfrey what have you fucking done putting this guy in charge dfjghfh #maybe he can read a LITTLE. just enough to make do at first at least #would probably try to get some help on the sly because there's a minimum of two companions that should Never Know (Nenio and Daeran)#Nenio for reasons you can probably guess Daeran less because Ellu cares about being insulted-#more so because he doesn't have anything funny to retort with. like yeah i can't. kind of sad isn't it. and now the conversation is awkward #great and now i'm thinking about how much he deserved to live again #There's some great parallels with Orion actually. They were in a very similar mental place at the climax of their respective stories #dare i say Elluin actually deserved to live more. Which is why he doesn't #oc: elluin

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theliteraryarchitect · 7 months

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Something that's been knocking around in my head for a while: I think a lot of new writers get thrown off by their assumption that writing will be anything like reading. Reading is a dreamy, passive experience--scenes, dialogue, and description flow over you as you are taken under the writer's spell. Writing, on the other hand (with the exception, sometimes, of the first draft), is the laborious, almost mechanical-like task of putting narrative elements together so that the reader can lose themselves in your story. In short, reading and writing are very different experiences, and the assumption that they will be, or even should be, the same, is cause for much angst among new and experienced writers alike. It's a frustrating thing, because a love of reading is usually what gets people interested in writing in the first place. I've been writing for several decades and I still feel confounded by this clash--it's part of why I don't read much when I'm deep into my writing, and vice versa. And when I am writing, I constantly have to remind myself: Writing is not watching a magic show. Writing is figuring out how to smuggle the rabbit into the hat.

#writeblr #writing advice #op

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burntoutdaydreamer · 7 months

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Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or speech-to-text

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of inspiration- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

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