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Hi, I'm currently writing a serial for my university club's magazine, but I just don't have the motivation to keep on writing it--the world building feels weak, I'm constantly questioning the feasibility of the plot, and I'm not sure if I have three dimensional characters. All of this despite the fact that I had planned it out, made character ref sheets, and tried my hardest to world build (my first attempt at world building, btw.). I can't quit writing it, either. Do you have any suggestions?
Go back to the reason you wanted to write this story. Remember why you were excited about it in the first place. Try to recapture that.
Sometimes, doing a lot of plotting, character ref sheets etc can actually stifle a story. Do your characters feel 2D because you don’t know enough about them, or because you’re not letting them spread their wings beyond the reference sheets you’ve written for them?
Here’s some possible ways to reignite the story and characters:
Ask for help. Bring another writer in to help you out. Work through the plot with them, look at the characters together. A new perspective may be what this story needs.
Try writing away from your plot. You can either throw something unexpected into the story, or you can write things that will never make it into the novel, such as diary entries, letters, etc to try and flesh out those characters.
Look at how character links to plot. What are the character’s motivations for following the plot? Are they strong enough?
Write a dinner party with your characters. Let them lead the way. Which ones are bold and brash? Which hide in the corner? Which work the room? What do they reveal? And to who? Or let them have deep and meaningful conversations with each other. What do they talk about? Let them get drunk. Bring in a stranger. Let them live a little.
As for worldbuilding, remember that everything is connected. A battle 100 years ago will still affect today. What is the social hierarchy, and how is it kept in place? What is the religious/spiritual belief structure? If there’s magic, is it real or imagined? How do people travel? What are their jobs? What’s the education system? When does a child become an adult?
Don’t think of plot, character, and worldbuilding as three separate things. They can only exist together, interlinked. A character won’t follow the plot if it means breaking the law, and that’s not the kind of person they are. The plot must fit into the world, and the motivations/limitations of the characters. The world must feed the plot and the characters. The characters must feel part of the world and motivated towards the plot.
I’m really hoping that’s useful to you, and not a load of rambling! Best of luck.
Hi, I'm currently writing a serial for my university club's magazine, but I just don't have the motivation to keep on writing it--the world building feels weak, I'm constantly questioning the feasibility of the plot, and I'm not sure if I have three dimensional characters. All of this despite the fact that I had planned it out, made character ref sheets, and tried my hardest to world build (my first attempt at world building, btw.). I can't quit writing it, either. Do you have any suggestions?
Go back to the reason you wanted to write this story. Remember why you were excited about it in the first place. Try to recapture that.
Sometimes, doing a lot of plotting, character ref sheets etc can actually stifle a story. Do your characters feel 2D because you don’t know enough about them, or because you’re not letting them spread their wings beyond the reference sheets you’ve written for them?
Here’s some possible ways to reignite the story and characters:
Ask for help. Bring another writer in to help you out. Work through the plot with them, look at the characters together. A new perspective may be what this story needs.
Try writing away from your plot. You can either throw something unexpected into the story, or you can write things that will never make it into the novel, such as diary entries, letters, etc to try and flesh out those characters.
Look at how character links to plot. What are the character’s motivations for following the plot? Are they strong enough?
Write a dinner party with your characters. Let them lead the way. Which ones are bold and brash? Which hide in the corner? Which work the room? What do they reveal? And to who? Or let them have deep and meaningful conversations with each other. What do they talk about? Let them get drunk. Bring in a stranger. Let them live a little.
As for worldbuilding, remember that everything is connected. A battle 100 years ago will still affect today. What is the social hierarchy, and how is it kept in place? What is the religious/spiritual belief structure? If there’s magic, is it real or imagined? How do people travel? What are their jobs? What’s the education system? When does a child become an adult?
Don’t think of plot, character, and worldbuilding as three separate things. They can only exist together, interlinked. A character won’t follow the plot if it means breaking the law, and that’s not the kind of person they are. The plot must fit into the world, and the motivations/limitations of the characters. The world must feed the plot and the characters. The characters must feel part of the world and motivated towards the plot.
I’m really hoping that’s useful to you, and not a load of rambling! Best of luck.
