Position:Home>Books & Authors> Used to love writing..what happened?
Question: Used to love writing!.!.what happened!?
I loved writing since I was a small child !.!.!. even before I could actually write, I was making up stories!. I dreamed of being some kind of writer up until about high school, and realized that I needed to figure out a way to pay the bills, etc!. But I continued to write for myself -- poems, short stories, even just jotting ideas down!. I took a few classes in college and was encouraged by my professors and told I was uncommonly good!. Flash forward to four years out of school, and it seems like that part of me is dead!. I don't know what happened, but it makes me sad because that person had so much more passion about life that who I am now!. I am not a fool enough to think I can make a living out of it, but I would like to enjoy it for myself!.
Has anyone else had this happen!? How can you have such an intense love for something and just have it vanish!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Sounds rather more like an issue that extends beyond the loss of passion for writing, as you yourself stated you used to have so much more passion about life!. To regain passion for anything, really, I always felt you need to become more active!. More active than just thinking about the passion you once had!.
To zero in on writing - some things that may help is to go through old works!. Perhaps you have some unfinished stories - or story ideas that you never developed!. I once found an unfinished story of my own and was immediately engrossed in the writing process, after a few month hiatus!. Or read more in the genre you enjoyed writing!. Reading a book can sometime get you in the mood to write something, it may compel you to do more!.
I do not think you lost your passion - it's just on the back burner!. If life has been busy, than it's understandable why it has been put on pause!. Find a break in your schedule and try to get in the mood!. But don't force it - if it's forced than it will feel more like a duty to write rather than a pleasure!.
Good luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I remember being intense about debating until after I became 14!.
I'd argue about everything with almost anyone!. Clothing, animal abuse, sexuality, politics!. I'd blog and debate, winning almost everytime!. Now, for some reason, I don't think as much and I'm not as passionate!. Maybe it was my laziness or just puberty :PWww@QuestionHome@Com
Maybe this site called Storymash will spark your creative writing!. It's collaborative storytelling!.!.!. I enjoy it as you only publish one short chapter at a time, and you can continue great stories written by others!. Its a blast and I it could rekindle your love of writing!. Www@QuestionHome@Com
You got too interested in paying bills ect!.!.
Try writing down what happned to you every day in a small journal and re-read everything and put everything in to a story about your life!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
You'll never really lose it!. Sometimes we have phases in our life where our interests change, but I'm almost certain that your loveand gift is still there!.
I find it interesting that you did some courses, and wonder!.!. did it start to fade after that!?
I think there is often a progression in writing!.!.!.
- First we love doing it, and we have quite a gift for it!.
- Then we start learning the more complex sides of the craft, and realise that although we have talent, there is maybe a lot to learn before we take it to the next level
- We work hard at applying those new skills, and for a while we seem bogged down in the technical side of writing
- And one day, if we persevere, we discover that we are naturally writing far better work than earlier, and we re-discover our freedom to express ourselves in our own voice and style!.
Don't set big goals at the moment if you find it hard to get motivated!. Do some experimental stuff for fun!. Even if you can only make yourself stick at it for 10 minutes a day, try to do that!.
It will come back!. A love of writing never disappears!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Hmm, well the fact that you're writing about it and that it's bothering you means you still have at least *some* interest in it!. That's what really counts!. The truly sad thing would be if you lost interest altogether and decided that writing was stupid and pointless!.
It sounds to me like the thing you're lacking is inspiration, not interest!. You may disagree with me, but answer me this -- Would you write a book if you could!? If the answer is yes, then interest is not a problem!.
"But wait!", you may be saying!. "I have tons of story ideas!" Inspiration in this sense doesn't mean story ideas as such!. It means a drive to go on!. It means (for lack of a better way to put it) that you're being given more story to write down!. (Scary writer stuff, huh!? Works well if you want to frighten your friends!. "I'm still waiting for more story to be given to me!.!.!.!.") You may have a great story idea, but you just can't feel any enthusiasm for it!.
My suggestion is to either change stories (I work on several at once), or if you really don't have any ideas, begin an active search for one!. One thing that might help is to READ!. If I go too long without reading, my inspiration runs dry!. Another thing that might help is listening to music, especially watching music videos!. These display such powerful emotional themes, there's guaranteed to be a story somewhere in there just dying to be told!.
Hope this helps! When I read your question, I wanted to cry!. Writing is like breathing for me!. When I'm not doing it, I don't feel like I'm fully alive!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com