Panic! At The Keyboard

Maybe you can try writing on a pad or use a tape recorder just to get those ideas and thoughts out of you without the pressure of having to think of it as a must.

I usually experience panic when I'm in the midst of prepping submissions and will use all kinds of things to procrastinate. Also, I freak out if I find myself in way over my head--plot too convoluted, character I can't quite figure out, scene that won't work no matter what I do. Then I tend to procrastinate by writing other things until I calm down. And that's always better. I mean, if you know you need to procrastinate, do it by writing a new thing.

Caromora, this is perfectly normal behavior. Before you write, you should come to my house and do a minimum of one hour's cleaning (grout, that sounded good, mine could use a good scrubbing). Then you'll be ready to go!

I TOTALLY feel you.

My mind is tied up in a story that I very much like the beginning of, but I can't finish it because I'm afraid I'll screw it all up. The thought of opening up my laptop to work on it scares me. I'm afraid of having too many cliches and of having a character with who doesn't change by the end of the story. I'm afraid this idea doesn't want to be a short story, even though I'm trying to force it to be.

I need to give myself permission to write crap. I'll still be proud of it because it came out of me. No wait...that's not quite what I wanted to say...



Nicole

This sounds like a case of a writer who expects herself to produce minimally adequate writing. Once I gave myself permission to write utter crap, I was able to begin much more easily. I mean, what the hell, I knew I'd be doing a rewrite anyway, so why not get it down fast and sloppy?

Although my house is probably dirtier than yours...

Maryn, suspecting much truth in that

No, it's not just you. All of us have our issues (some more than others...like Haggis, oops did that slip out)

I will write in a notebook if things are strained. Even if it's just notes on plot and not actually content. If I'm in the middle of something and I'm cleaning - that usually means there are unresolved problems in my manuscript that I'm not sure how to fix at the moment.

Happens all the time. Do something else until the condition goes away. I often find it better to collect my thoughts for a while before sitting down, have something ready in my head. There are a lot of ways to relax while letting thoughts jiggle together.

Maybe it increases the blood flow to the brain or something, but lying down and daydreaming gets me through some bad spots. Talking to myself while washing dishes is another favorite pastime.

Nope. Not just you, caromora. I've really been struggling with Unenthusiasm! At The Keyboard

Fear not my child. I agree with Maryn get it down and then go back for edits that why you'll have it finished.

As for doing something else, would you mind driving me to S.C. this weekend? It's a long ride.

Wine.

Oh yeah, this happens. You can probably short-circuit it by changing something in the routine. Write with pen and paper instead. Or brainstorm on a piece of paper, telling yourself - mwahaha - that you won't really write, you'll just jot down a few ideas. I have a chapter form I fill out that often gets the creative juices flowing again.

Do stop and check to see if there's a shape to your fear though. Sometimes I stall because I really sense I don't know what I'm talking about and that calls for a little research, or because I'm hitting a point in the plot where I haven't thought things through clearly enough and my subconscious is telling me I've still got things to work out before I can write this bit.

Hope this helps a bit.

Judg said:

Oh yeah, this happens. You can probably short-circuit it by changing something in the routine. Write with pen and paper instead. Or brainstorm on a piece of paper, telling yourself - mwahaha - that you won't really write, you'll just jot down a few ideas. I have a chapter form I fill out that often gets the creative juices flowing again.

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This is a really good suggestion. I used papar and pen last night and got over 400 words done (my personal daily goal). On paper I feel like I can write as crappy as I want to and skip around willy-nilly since I'm going to have to retype it all in again anyway. My back up plan was to start writing the rest of my story in a new document so that I wouldn't be tempted to go back and reread.

Nicole

WerenCole said:

Wine.

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Definetly the best remedy. Especially if you want to release some of the old tensions, and just flow with words.

caromora said:

(Sorry for the punny title--I couldn't resist. )

Lately, every time I sit down to write, I start feeling completely terrified for some reason. I'll do anything to avoid opening my WIP and working on it, whether it's cleaning the litter boxes, scrubbing grout, or offering to babysit my neighbor's bratty kids. I don't know when this started, but it's driving me crazy.

Whether it's the actual writing, or if it's submitting/querying, or any other part of the process, does anyone else really struggle with writing-related fears?

No? Just me?

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You bet. Procrastination is my number one avoidance technique The only thing that works for me is to set a schedule. Sure, the housework needs doing and people will always make demands on your time. You have to decide that writing is IMPORTANT. Housework and other appointments that need attention are looked after in the morning. I do the things that bug me most - like dishes or vacuuming - first, and whatever doesn't get done doesn't get done. The afternoons are for writing. I don't answer the phone. I don't do anything but sit at my desk. If that means staring at the page for half an hour, so be it. Generally, though, I go over what I wrote the day before, do some revisions and then I'm off again. In no time at all a few hours have gone by and I've accomplished something. The main thing for me was to make that schedule and stick to it. People may SAY they respect your need for time to write but generally they regard it as a little hobby you can take time for when all the really important things are done - like looking after THEIR kids.
Linnea

Treat yourself to a new lined notebook, 5x8" min, nifty pix on the cover, get a new pen, purple or aqua and write like that tyro in your teens when nothing was sacred, everything was, and the questions and views were endless, unjudged, and awesome!