What Do You Do When Your Writing Feels Forced?

[Ingrid, Just another writer.]

This question seemed to garner attention in the 'Stuck on Your Writing' category, but I wanted to introduce it to you all for a civil discussion: What do you do when your writing feels forced? And when does your writing usually feels forced out of you?

[Jessica]

For me, my writing feels forced when I know I'm not feeling the gusto of writing the story anymore, but I know I have to make myself finish it because I won't be satisfied if I don't.

If my writing feels forced, I won't completely botch the story. I wouldn't do something like that. However, I would take a break from it and leave it alone for awhile and possibly come back to it later on and see if I can strike up some inspiration again.

[Emma]

I just keep writing. Sometimes I send that one part to someone to ask them what they think, and when they tell me that it doesn't, I feel much better about it, and keep going :)

[Tim]

Like Emma I just keep writing. The problem usually confines itself to a small section and I know I can go back and beat it up when I feel more inspired. Sometimes I go back and it seems to be just fine, which is odd, but pleasing.

[Jessica]

Sometimes writers have rough patches, so if your writing for a particular scene feels forced, it doesn't mean it'll be forced forever. Coming back to it always helps. :)

[Abhishek]

I take a break. I read, I travel (with a book) and I come back to my desk again.
it keeps happening all the time.

[Roxanne]

When my writing seems forced, I stop and erase what I wrote. (Unless it's like a page or more, in which case I tear out the paper.) Then I start over while the ideas are still fresh in my mind. Sometimes I try to start the scene over from another angle, in the hopes that it'll flow smoother that way. And it usually does.

My writing is usually forced when I'm having an off day, like if I'm sick or stressed. And when it is forced, it's kind of like a way to let me know that I need to slow down and work through the problem.

[Jessica]

I agree with Roxanne about trying a scene from another angle. 9 times out of 10, that works wonders for me.

[Jen]

Usually that means something is very, very broken in my story. I go back and revise in hopes that I fix the problem.