writing going downhill

[mmmgood]

Lovesbooks, I've been through the same thing. In fact, I kind of still am.  I look back at what I used to write, and wonder what is wrong that I can't manage to do it now.  Sometimes I'm very pleased with the outcome, but often it just seems so uninspiring.  I'll be watching this thread with you to see what folks suggest.

What hardt suggests isn't easy, but it's valid. 

[jfields]

Everyone goes through times when they aren't really producing the kind of work they want. I have that problem now and then, though I still have to fulfill the contracts as best I can. One thing I've learned is that the writing is usually not as bad as I think it is when I'm doing it -- when I'm in a funk, it feels like it's much worse work than it really is.

But if something feels flat -- look to the motivation of your characters -- are they doing things because the story needs them to or because those are the things that person would do?

Look to the words themselves -- are you getting the most out of your words. The source of the energy in your writing is clear nouns and verbs and sentences that deliver the goods in a direct manner. When we write around what we need to say or load the sentence with purple prose (overstating, over using modifers, leaning on cliches that seem like they'd be dramatic) the result is going to be flat.

Look to your action...is your main character mainly thinking himself out of the problem or WORKING and struggling his way out of the action.

Sometimes when we are used to relying on purple prose, stream of consciousness out of our heads, or empty word play for the oomph of our work...and then have to start working with plots, characterization, action, conflict...it can feel like it lost what it had because we were comfortable and happy with what we were doing before...we felt like we were in control of it. This is ESPECIALLY true if we haven't yet mastered the things rightfully taking the place of the props we relied on...we can feel like a colt on wobbly legs just looking for a spot to fall down. But the more we practice and learn to use the goods our fiction NEEDS, the more those legs will getcha running.

[salex]

I find that when I am stuck and not sure about a piece--or how to downsize it--I take the day to read as many as 10-20 stories from various magazines or The Best of the Children's Market with the word count I'm trying to work with. I don't read them for pleasure (okay--a little pleasure makes work a lot easier).  Instead, I look at the plot structure--how the character and problem are intoduced. I look at how dialogue is handled and then how the conclusion wraps the story up. 

It helps me take a fresh look at my story and makes following Jan's earlier advise much easier.  I call this my reading research break and I used to use it all the time when I wrote for adults 20 plus years ago--I was shocked to find it worked for me again during this course. 

I'm on assignment 8, but have already completed most of lesson 9.  Not because I'm so goal oriented that I just breeze through, but because I took the advice of the course when I prepared lesson 8.  I wrote most of each of the 3 ideas I'm submitting to my instructor, so I knew which one to concentrate on for lesson 9.  Hope it helps!!