[Will_Antilles]

Hello to all,

YES I have returned after a long absence(very long). First things first I like to say this is one of my favorites even though i don't visit as much as I once did http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif. This brings me to my question can it be possible that you can lose your passion for writing after you have been doing it for so long? I have not written in such along time it seems as though that my mind has been wiped of all the creative juices. I used to pump out at least three to four short stories a week each being maybe two to three pages. Is it a lack of focus or lost passion for I have not written anything substantial in about 6 months. My girlfriend thinks its is because I write Star Wars roleplaying missions each week for our role playing group and then I have to oversee everthing that goes with that. I wish I could find my niche again I love to write but my mind is a complete blank. PLEASE HELP GUY I NEED TO FIND THAT GROOVE WE ALL HAVE.

THANKS IN ADVANCE

WILL ANTILLES(the flat sides of the blades!)

[An8el]

Grass is always greener on the other side of the galaxy, huh?
I'd listen to your girlfriend, someone who knows you well and not worry about it. Lots of people have limited creative energy and have to decide where they are going to put it selectively. You aren't going to be doing this forever, right?
The other trick is to make your Star Trek work into "your thing." That is, see how you could slightly alter your Star Trek storylines for your own ideas later. I was infamous in college for designing a project that would count for three different classes, so I could spend more time on it!
As KATS says, ideas are cool, but it's how you write them that makes you a writer. Think of what you are doing now as your writing work, and be certain that when it's over, you'll put the writing energy into something else.
When you're not writing anything, that's when to worry.

[matthewajg]

Don't be so hard on yourself! Every writer has slumps, but don't be dsicouraged...keep writing. The suggestion of using one of your gaming sessions as a template is a great idea. I used to jump start my own writing in very similar ways. The very act of writing should reawaken in you all the passion you had for the craft. Sit down with a hot beverage and your PC, one of your Star Wars scenarios, and write! Delve into the character's perceptions and thoughts...all of the details that only you as a writer can give to the situation, the texture that a gaming session does not (or at least we can't read eachothers mindfs while gaming...yet). I think you'll find yourself in a very different place afterwards.

[KATS]

Will, everyone gets burned out from time to time.

Perhaps you could try a different writing avenue? Every try your hand at mystery? or poetry? or whatever. When I got burned out, I made the mistake of switching from writing to painting for a year or two. Getting back into writing has been difficult.

Another possibility is to join a writing club or something. I’ve thought about forming a club of sorts myself. Unfortunately most of the people I meet who claim to write seem to be in love with the [i]idea]/i] of being a writer more than actually being a writer.

Creativity seems to feed off of creativity. I get most inspired when I read a good story, or read a good article about writing.

Also, ask yourself why do you “love” writing? Sometimes when I remind myself why I enjoy writing so much, it makes me more hyped up about writing.

Or you can do like the others have suggested and use the role playing as a way to hone your skill. Personally I don’t like writing fan-fiction. I know that the characters aren’t mine and I just can’t connect with them. Also, no matter how good the story ends up being, you can’t publish it. But it can be a good tool to perfect certain aspects of writing, i.e. using dialogue to help define characters, editing out information that does not add to the story, being able to make the characters imperfect and real, etc..

[Bardos]

Well, I wouldn't suggest to use RPGs as a base for writing. I know that, when I started writing, I had RPGs in mind, and it all ended up in a disaster. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif Years passed, untill I could get over the "RPG syndrome" in writing. I still do like (very much) RPGs as a game, but not as a tool for writing.

In the beggining I was so hooked up with orcs, elves, dwarves, and D&D spells, that I simply couldn't think of a story without them! I now think of it and shudder. Gods!!... Anyway, when I made the big step away from RPGs (in writing, not in general), then I really started to create my own fantasy stories. And now, everytime I start writing, I try to do something different than the other things I've written so far.

So, I would suggest to think something original, inspiring --truly yours-- and begin building on it. Just draw a random map, for starters, and think what each place of the map really is. Fantasy starts from cartography! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif Just a thought.

Now, I may not be such a good help, I know, for I, 'till now, have never seen a burn out --usually, I have more ideas than time to write them down... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/frown.gif

[Penumbra]

Talent will out, if it exists.