How can writing be free and fun for me?

[Bababooey]

So... I already make and commission art of my characters, and I love visual art, but part of it feels... Empty. Unfortunately I don't like to write further than a bio and I don't like to roleplay, which sucks. I feel like I'm neglecting important pieces to make my characters whole, but when I try writing or roleplaying, it's not fun and feels like a chore.

I daydream a lot, but my daydreams are always some fan fiction self-insert. They're cringy, hands down. So, I'm wary of writing and showing my stuff because it'll be stupid.

So I guess I don't care about being professional but just worried about being some sort of lolcow.

I'd like to share my inner world and build up my characters, but I don't wanna come off as obviously autistic. I guess that's my self-ableism talking, which is sadly a common thing for many autistic people. :/

So my main questions are: How can writing be fun? How can I stop being so critical and worried about looking dumb?

 

[Rayd]

i feel like we're complete opposites. i have no problem going on and on about my characters, and don't mind looking a bit stupid when i get a little ambitious, but i'm overcome with anxiety whenever i even think about getting art because i fear my ideas being clouded in translation while explaining them to an artist, and the finished pieces ending up not at all how i envisioned.

i always look at people's commissioned art with these unique or creative concepts and how they always seem so organized and ideal, and i get stressed out because i have no idea where to even begin when it comes to getting pieces that come out somewhat how i envision, so i almost never commission anything, and when i do get art for myself, it's usually a YCH. commissioning always seemed like this magical process that i've never been able to understand and i feel like it gives me waaaayyy more anxiety than it should any normal person. like it can actually ruin my day if im not careful, lol.

but anyways, i'd say try your best to embrace all the ideas you think are silly. the most exciting and creative fantasy stories are often the most over-the-top and "stupid" on paper. i actually think it would work against you to try and be traditional in fear of what people think, whether that'd be in terms of your ideas, or your style of writing. that's how uninspired and unfulfilled writing is made. look at your imaginary critiques and take solace in the fact that you're brave and ambitious enough to step out of your comfort zone to express yourself and your ideas. those who see that ambition and creativity will appreciate your work for what it is. the opinion of those who are close-minded and think every creative idea is stupid is negligible.

as for enjoyability, if you feel that writing is a chore, you can always start by writing 1 or 2 sentences at a time before taking periodic breaks. once you feel more and more inspired, increase that number. at some point you may feel inspired enough to write far more than you were planning to at any given time. i can't say for sure that this will help you enjoy writing more, but it's definitely important not to force continuous writing. you don't always have to write so much in one sitting, so whenever you feel fatigued, just take a break. besides, breaks in general are very important, even for people that enjoy writing, since fatigue can lead to eventual disinterest in their projects and/or writer's block.

 

[TyraWadman]

Self inserting is way more common that people like to make it seem. Most authors include at least one character that reflects themselves and are typically one of the more memorable/'awesome-esque' characters, if not featuring events in their life that are just drawn out and exaggerated for dramatic effect.

I used to feel like this, but then I just embraced it. Fuck it. If people wanna call me a mary sue or say it's cringe, that's fine by me. There are beginners out there generating more views and earning more cash than I'll ever make, but this isn't about making them happy, it's about creating a world and making me happy. If anyone can find their own happiness or ideas within the world I've created, that's just a plus.

How I do my writing? I open a document and title it "Planning". Everything I jot down is bullet points. Some more detailed than the others. And then as I come up with more ideas, I expand upon them, rearrange them, and start turning them into paragraphs. Then I spend the next bajillion years of my life polishing them as I please.

Your first project/idea will never be perfect. It can take a few tries and even some feedback to help make it pop more. Just gotta get over that fear, or at least be willing to show a few close friends for some feedback!

 

[Punji]

I really feel where you're coming from. I create a whole lot of stories just for myself that I'd never share, because they're absolutely shameless self-inserts and are very stupid outside of my own mind while I try to trick myself into thinking about something else.

But the other stories I do write down or type up I do for fun. In my opinion, the most fun thing about it is adding and describing the details, and in having the completed work itself. Sometimes the act of just typing can be a bit of a chore, but if you're able to focus on the story and the ideas instead of the words it's a lot better.

 

[Bababooey]

Self inserting is way more common that people like to make it seem. Most authors include at least one character that reflects themselves and are typically one of the more memorable/'awesome-esque' characters, if not featuring events in their life that are just drawn out and exaggerated for dramatic effect.

I used to feel like this, but then I just embraced it. Fuck it. If people wanna call me a mary sue or say it's cringe, that's fine by me. There are beginners out there generating more views and earning more cash than I'll ever make, but this isn't about making them happy, it's about creating a world and making me happy. If anyone can find their own happiness or ideas within the world I've created, that's just a plus.

How I do my writing? I open a document and title it "Planning". Everything I jot down is bullet points. Some more detailed than the others. And then as I come up with more ideas, I expand upon them, rearrange them, and start turning them into paragraphs. Then I spend the next bajillion years of my life polishing them as I please.

Your first project/idea will never be perfect. It can take a few tries and even some feedback to help make it pop more. Just gotta get over that fear, or at least be willing to show a few close friends for some feedback!

You're right. I shouldn't care. Heck, I'm already used to getting judged for other things, so what's one more thing? I've already gotten nice comments about the little bit of writing I've done for my character backstories and bios, but I've been afraid to expand all of it since more content means more potential cringe, but that's dumb. I'll try to put my imagination on paper (screen lol) more often and try to find my people, so to speak.

Bullet points sound like a great idea. They'd help me stay on track and not get overwhelmed. First I'll have to daydream something up.

 

[Bababooey]

as for enjoyability, if you feel that writing is a chore, you can always start by writing 1 or 2 sentences at a time before taking periodic breaks. once you feel more and more inspired, increase that number. at some point you may feel inspired enough to write far more than you were planning to at any given time. i can't say for sure that this will help you enjoy writing more, but it's definitely important not to force continuous writing. you don't always have to write so much in one sitting, so whenever you feel fatigued, just take a break. besides, breaks in general are very important, even for people that enjoy writing, since fatigue can lead to eventual disinterest in their projects and/or writer's block.

Yeah I definitely won't push the little bit of motivation I have. o3o
I'm fragile. Lol

 

[Bababooey]

I really feel where you're coming from. I create a whole lot of stories just for myself that I'd never share, because they're absolutely shameless self-inserts and are very stupid outside of my own mind while I try to trick myself into thinking about something else.

But the other stories I do write down or type up I do for fun. In my opinion, the most fun thing about it is adding and describing the details, and in having the completed work itself. Sometimes the act of just typing can be a bit of a chore, but if you're able to focus on the story and the ideas instead of the words it's a lot better.

I hate that whenever I typed something up, the next day I'd think it was trash. o3o I definitely wanna flesh my characters out for my own peace of mind. They deserve substance.

 

[Sir Thaikard]

I just embrace my dumbness. Half the personal stuff that I write is to troll my friends and I ramp the dumbness to an 11/10 each time. And when I get a piece that really resonates with them (aka causes me to get temporarily banned or muted) I know I've hit a nerve and there's something of value in what I've created.

Then I take it, deconstruct what made it so poignant and use it in my actual personal stuff that I want to be proud of. It really forces me to be creative and unique with each piece, because the shock and awe value really diminishes if you keep reusing the same things over and over. Sometimes I'll just improvise something on the spot and run with something for as long as possible before I get asked what is wrong with me.

Your mileage will vary of course but I love tormenting my friends.

 

[Sappho_Cortez]

same here

 

[Vakash_Darkbane]

If you know your characters so well, just chuck a plot at them. Hell half the time that's what I do, Print is dead. Plots are reused constantly it's how your characters react to the situation is what makes it fun and unique.

 

[fernshiine]

If you know your characters so well, just chuck a plot at them. Hell half the time that's what I do, Print is dead. Plots are reused constantly it's how your characters react to the situation is what makes it fun and unique.

HECK YEAH!

Honestly, I don't mind "overused" or cliche plots as long as the characters are epic and amazing. There's a specific personality I look for in characters that make me drawn to them as well, so much so that side characters who have those traits often become my favorite to the point where I could care less about the main characters (granted, this mostly happens to me with anime). As long as the characters are awesome and unique any plot or situation you choose to put them in should work.

 

[Miles Marsalis]

@Chomby , I think most important thing when writing something personal to you is write what you like and know.

A lot of writers tend to write what they think people expect them to, what they think will sell, or what they think is popular. However, the writers themselves may not like what they're writing and feel like they're forced themselves to write something they aren't actually interested in finishing, which leads to them abandoning the piece.

Always write about what you are interested in and feel strongly about because that will be what you finish.

Another thing to remember is that if you are writing for yourself, you're not under a deadline. That means you can write what you feel like writing when you feel like writing it at the pace you feel like writing it. I've written stories for fun take have taken years to complete, but I spaced out the writing at a deliberately slow pace so I wasn't overwhelmed. My personal rate for writing is about 330 words per day on a personal project, which I feel is an okay floor for progress. You could set your own rate like a few sentences a day to keep yourself on track.

To organize your ideas so you have a roadmap for your stories, it help to start slowly on an outline, which lends itself nicely to a few sentences a day. You can even simultaneously work a story and an outline if you don't want the story to be too planned and formulaic.