2026 Motivation Thread

[RedMage]

If you're really feeling the writing itch, maybe banging out a short story that serves as background for a character or a scene that happens off-page in your latest or next work, in which you flesh out what happened. I find, when I'm in a lull, my writing isn't quite as dynamic since I'm forcing it a bit. So, spending the words on a short story that may or may not ever see the light of day scratches the writing itch without much in the way of stakes.

In short, I use these times to serve the bigger project in other ways.

That's not a bad idea! Thanks Jonas.

I did have a new idea on Sunday. By the time I was able to jot it down a few hours later, I had mulled it over enough to see that it might work as a second storyline in another project I'm still in the ideas phase on. They're separate atm, but I've included the note that they might be combined.

I have a number of other stories, things that are more than ideas/concepts, but which need a lot more work or even an overhaul to their plots and characters before I can do anything with them. And to do that I have to figure out just what to do. Lol

So any of those, or a short story... I like that idea a lot. Most of my shorter-than-a-novel ideas are for novella length stories. An actual short story though, that's longer than a flash but short enough I can do it in a week without getting too attached. Now, what prompt??