I have so many started and unfinished stories and books and different things I've started. Sadly only one of my short stories were actually finished, and it wasn't good. How do I stick with a story? How do I finish it? I have tried writing for a set amount of time a day and just writing when having inspiration but I don't know what to do. Oh and also I suck at grammar and keeping sentences flowing.
hey there! i used to struggle with finishing my stories as well. i would always abandon my stories for new ideas and only write when the inspiration struck. a few years ago i decided my new year's resolution would be to write every day (it didn't even have to be on the same story, i told myself) but somehow writing every day, even just a sentence, helped me stick to one particular story. it went weird places at times and filled seven notebooks but i eventually finished it.
i think if you just keep writing, just keep adding one sentence or even a word, you might be able to finish something. sometimes i wrote one sentence, and the next day i would write five pages. i had no idea where the story was going when i first started. i had a few scenes and i started to write just to get to those scenes and then things just happened. the story fell into place when i pushed myself to write every day.
it's different for everyone though. i never thought when i started writing on jan 1 2016 that i would stick with that story. i just had some scenes and wanted to write them down and when i did, i became invested in the story and i had to finish it. and eleven months later i did, and now i'm on the third book in the series. you don't necessarily have to set aside a specific amount of time to write every day, but i would recommend adding at least one sentence every day. that's a start. sometimes the inspiration isn't there to write for an hour.
also find a time that works for you. i like to write late in the evening (i was writing from 11pm - 2am last night), but sometimes during my commute in the afternoons. also if it helps, write longhand. i wrote my first two novels in notebooks instead of on the computer because the blank screen intimidated me more than a blank piece of paper. i found it easier to get the words flowing when i was writing slower than i could type.
that was much longer than i expected it to be. you just have to find what works for you. maybe you like listening to music while you write (i've been writing to movie scores instead of disney songs so i don't get distracted), or maybe you like writing early in the morning before your day really begins. find a routine that works and stick to it, but add something to your story every day. before you know it, you'll have a 140k word book.
Thank you so much!!! This really helps to know I'm not the only one that struggles with stuff like this!