Rather have writer's block than this...

Aj Johnson · Jan 22, 2013

Alright, so I know I want to write and write the best I can to hopefully someday make it a career. But lately I just can't get out of this rut I've been in. During highschool and shortly after I graduated I was cranking out short stories from imagination like none other. Then I started working on my first novel which I completed! (still revising) Ever since then though, and ever since I began revising I just hit a stand still. I started a new project, but later put it down to continue revising my first novel. Now I'm stuck and I don't know what to do. I get through 20 pages or so then I start missing the actual writing process of telling a story. But when ever I get a chance (I work full time at a stressful job and go to school), I just can't find myself to actually get up and go. My passion is there, my mindset is there, I have so many ideas floating around and I want to get it done but I just end up putting it off...Kinda like someone who tries to exercise for a month but ends up quitting a week later. I know I want to do this as a living, I can't see my self doing anything else.

I think this is all due to a simple factor: Laziness. So I want to ask, has anyone else ever been in this sort of rut before? What cures it? I know this is something more serious than writer's block and that is why I say I'd rather have writer's block than this...This feeling actually leads to a depression like state that I just lose interest in everything all together. (family, friends, video games, reading.)

TLDR; I love to write, but I'm over worked under paid. Stressed and Lazy, and never find time to write. I'd rather do other things with my down time. Help me.

shadowwalker · Jan 22, 2013

"I'd rather do other things with my down time."

You're the only one who can change that. Until you do, well...

Aj Johnson · Jan 22, 2013

shadowwalker said:
"I'd rather do other things with my down time."

You're the only one who can change that. Until you do, well...

And your signature says it all...Thanks, perhaps I needed this.

L. Y. · Jan 22, 2013

Personally, I think the editing process takes a lot of discipline. I've had a tougher time editing than writing.

In my opinion, maybe you should make time for both writing and editing. That way, you keep the creative juices flowing and get the editing done, too.

...and never find time to write.

That's what writers do. Writers find time to write.

Good luck!

Aj Johnson · Jan 22, 2013

Yes, editing does take a lot of discipline, and I'm finding that out now lol. Perhaps that would make for a good combination. Perhaps work on an entirely new project while editing my novel. Think that's what I'm going to do...Thanks alot

theelfchild · Jan 22, 2013

You just described exactly how I'm feeling, and why: editing. It's really frickin hard to keep going. I'm still struggling to find my own solution, so all I have to offer is the consolation that you are not alone.

katci13 · Jan 22, 2013

I read my story aloud when I edit. I find it entertaining. Honestly though, I love editing. Not the thought of it, but once I force myself to sit down I have a blast.

I spent years trying to make a commitment to my writing. I got a writing buddy. Just having another writer to talk to made a huge difference for me. I also stopped being lazy. ^_^ I get 3 hours before I'm scheduled to work now so I have time to write. People get busy. But if you really want to do it, you will make time, you will find time somewhere. I don't love getting up in the morning, but I love having time to write.

Aj Johnson · Jan 22, 2013

theelfchild said:
You just described exactly how I'm feeling, and why: editing. It's really frickin hard to keep going. I'm still struggling to find my own solution, so all I have to offer is the consolation that you are not alone.

Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one. For a minute I was beginning to think that I was. I absolutely love writing, and this all of a sudden laziness really had me against the ropes. Almost to the point that it had me rethinking (out of the depression) my life as a writer.

I also agree with what Katci said, that having writing buddies helps with the laziness. My main reason for joining this community. I need to surround myself with more like minded people and get this writing thing from going in reverse to going full throttle

Thanks everyone for your comments. They're really making a difference in my esteem on the subject.

Keep the suggestions coming, because I'm sure somewhere down the line we may all need them.

Chris P · Jan 22, 2013

It takes discipline for me. If I only did the fun parts, I'd never get anything done.

I had to learn how to mix "writing as a passion" and "writing as a job" by realizing that there were going to be times when I simply had to sit down and power through something. Just like any job, if I think I'm going to be passionate about it every minute I'm setting myself up to be disappointed.

Wilde_at_heart · Jan 23, 2013

Aj Johnson said:
A
TLDR; I love to write, but I'm over worked under paid. Stressed and Lazy, and never find time to write. I'd rather do other things with my down time. Help me.

Maybe it's not laziness but priorities.

It might not be a bad idea to set writing aside until you're done school. There's no need to do everything at once and then your energy isn't spread out into so many different areas.

Most of us have been there at one point. Do what you can, even if it's once a month for now. And learn some ways to manage stress so that you're less drained.

Then look at how you spend your free time and what could probably go - either something that tires you further out, or gets you into a zone where you don't feel like doing anything else.

Katrina S. Forest · Jan 23, 2013

Editing can either be a great time or an awful time for me. It largely depends on if I have a clear vision of what the final product is going to look like. There's times I've sat down to edit and gotten nothing done and when I thought about it, it came down to: "I know this scene isn't quite right, but I have no idea how to fix it."

This usually leads to me talking things out with my other half until I have a clear idea of what I want to do. But without knowing what I'm aiming for, editing just becomes a long, painful process of changing phrasing here and there and maybe catching a few grammatical errors, but ultimately spending a long time without improving the ms much.

Myrealana · Jan 23, 2013

I know how you feel.

With a full time job, a husband trying to finish his degree, two kids, a new niece, karate classes, I don't know how to find time to write.

And the more days I go without writing, the easier it is to blow it off.

The thing is, the more I write, the harder it gets to stop. Writing and laziness both have their own momentum. The key is to recognize when you're building momentum in a direction that doesn't help you toward your goals, and head it off.

What helps me is keeping my eyes on the goal, and setting realistic expectations.

I can't live without down time. That's a given. If I only have two hours of free time in a given day, I can't expect myself to spend that whole time writing. That way lies madness. Instead, I set myself a realistic goal, and then allow myself sufficient down time to recharge.

The key is forward momentum.

Aj Johnson · Jan 23, 2013

Alright, so I think I'm going to start small. Rather than editing today, I'm going to take a prompt and write a small flash fiction story. A page or two or how ever long I make it. I need to do something to jump start the momentum going toward the writing direction and push away from the laziness direction.

Layla Nahar · Jan 23, 2013

The first story I wrote, every time I sat down to revise it - I planted. I'd sit in front of the screen for up to three hours, feeling anxious, feeling this weird combination of energy and exhaustion (without even having written something). I had been saying to myself, "I want to edit this so another person can read it". That was what was getting me. I did one thing, and then I was able to write my revision. I redefined my goal for the edit to "I want to write a revision in which each sentence is complete and grammatically correct, and connects logically to the sentence before it and the sentence that follows." After I started telling myself that - I was able to write the revision! So, I think your problem is something other than 'laziness'. Coz it sounds like you are doing a lot of stuff, school, for example. I would say that you are facing resistance, something subconscious, and if you can tap into that and find a way around the resistance (for me it was the idea of somebody else reading. Once it was done, I showed it to another person, but thinking about that while I was trying revise was more than my subconscious could stand.)

Bertram Fox · Feb 2, 2013

Wilde_at_heart said:
Maybe it's not laziness but priorities.

It might not be a bad idea to set writing aside until you're done school. There's no need to do everything at once and then your energy isn't spread out into so many different areas.

Most of us have been there at one point. Do what you can, even if it's once a month for now. And learn some ways to manage stress so that you're less drained.

Then look at how you spend your free time and what could probably go - either something that tires you further out, or gets you into a zone where you don't feel like doing anything else.

I've been there. While I was working, I had fragments of text buzzing in my head and felt I wanted nothing more than to get them down: when I finished work, I'd veg out in front of the TV, or read some dumb social group, or I'd fire up the WP and sit staring at a half finished chapter till it was time for bed. I seriously thought my writing head was broken for good.

Then I got a break - a real, solid vacation with no work to do, nobody to cook or clean for, nobody to need attention, nothing to do but take long walks in the woods or write. And in a couple of days I was pouring it out.

Consider that you might have too much to do right now. Maybe writing will just have to wait.

Coeus · Feb 5, 2013

There's been a lot of good advice in this thread about motivation and mind-state, so I won't cover the same ground.

However, having been in exactly the place you describe many times, I discovered a free web-app called Write or Die that seems to get me past any kind of inhibition, laziness or distraction that tries to pry me from actually writing.

The app is a very basic notepad-esque word processor with a simple catch. When you stop writing for more than a few seconds, it plays a wretched noise that will make you want to do nothing but make it stop.

Before you start it you can set a time period or a specific word count, and once you hit the goal that you've set, you're free of the consequence.

No matter how unmotivated I am to write, or how hard on myself I'm being, this app gets me to pump out writing time and time again. And probably the best part is that because you're constantly writing to avoid the consequence, you can pump out ~1000 words in 30 minutes. That should especially handy for you since you're short for time!

You can check it out here: http://writeordie.com/#Web+App

Hopefully you find it useful. I sure did.

Aj Johnson · Feb 5, 2013

Coeus said:
There's been a lot of good advice in this thread about motivation and mind-state, so I won't cover the same ground.

However, having been in exactly the place you describe many times, I discovered a free web-app called Write or Die that seems to get me past any kind of inhibition, laziness or distraction that tries to pry me from actually writing.

The app is a very basic notepad-esque word processor with a simple catch. When you stop writing for more than a few seconds, it plays a wretched noise that will make you want to do nothing but make it stop.

Before you start it you can set a time period or a specific word count, and once you hit the goal that you've set, you're free of the consequence.

No matter how unmotivated I am to write, or how hard on myself I'm being, this app gets me to pump out writing time and time again. And probably the best part is that because you're constantly writing to avoid the consequence, you can pump out ~1000 words in 30 minutes. That should especially handy for you since you're short for time!

You can check it out here: http://writeordie.com/#Web+App

Hopefully you find it useful. I sure did.

Haha! I went to the website and fiddled around with it. It's actually pretty cool. I'm gonna give it a try for real soon enough after I collect enough thoughts on what I'm going to write. Should be entertaining at least.

Thanks!

Aj Johnson · Feb 6, 2013

I'm currently listening to Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle again"...because....

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!

I wrote a short story, started working on one of my WIP novels, and going start the early stages of brainstorming another novel.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions, advice and help. I really needed it!

Dominicus · Feb 11, 2013

AJ, I thought I was the only one with these feelings until I got here, I feel very impowered now.. Thank you!!

BlackMirror · Jul 25, 2013

Yeah, it's not that I can't thing of things, its just sometimes I really don't want to sit down with my laptop, and think of creative things to say. So yeah, laziness. I know I'll be revising and changing things, and it really discourages me.

SweetNightmare · Aug 12, 2013

Surround yourself with a supporting group of friends. That's what I did. I'm like you; I want to be a writer, as a career, not just as a hobby. I know it'll be hard. But one of my friends is a teacher, and he told me there's nothing he hates more than seeing people with dreams and talent throw it all away because it's too hard, or the job market is saturated, or *insert excuse here*. All my friends are doing something to further a future career; one's working through college, one's going to Europe on a scholarship, one's got a gig doing concept art. There's no reason I can't do the same with writing, and surrounding myself with these people makes me realize I have to go out and get it, and not settle with anything less than what I want. Yes, it's hard. Sometimes when you get home from retail-food-service-hell you don't want to sit down and write. Sometimes you feel like a party pooper because while everyone does fun things, you're sitting in a corner and writing. Set a daily goal for yourself, wordcount wise. You're not allowed to do anything else until you hit it. Even if it's vague, like "I will write one paragraph every day". When it's done, find real life friends to look over it with you to help with revision. While they most likely aren't as writing minded as you, they CAN tell you things like "There's a plot hole in chapter 3", "You never told us who X is", things that you might miss because you're too close to the source. It may not seem like it helps, but making revision a group project makes it less lonely and more fun, because all of the sudden everyone's excited to see it finished and in REAL print.

BrightSera · Aug 13, 2013

Layla Nahar said:
The first story I wrote, every time I sat down to revise it - I planted. I'd sit in front of the screen for up to three hours, feeling anxious, feeling this weird combination of energy and exhaustion (without even having written something). I had been saying to myself, "I want to edit this so another person can read it". That was what was getting me. I did one thing, and then I was able to write my revision. I redefined my goal for the edit to "I want to write a revision in which each sentence is complete and grammatically correct, and connects logically to the sentence before it and the sentence that follows." After I started telling myself that - I was able to write the revision!

Thank you for this! You described the anxiety of revision perfectly. I've been dealing with it for the last couple weeks and wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I am going to try to scale it back and redefine my goals.

Yeshanu · Aug 16, 2013

DO NOT do what I did. (Elfchild will back me up on this...

)

I wrote my first novel, and spent TWENTY YEARS editing it, without really writing anything new.

Accept that your first novel may, in fact, be unpublishable. I would really strongly suggest shelving it for a few months, and writing your next novel. Your next one will be better, and the one after that even better.

I'm now looking at editing novel number four. It's still daunting, but I'm in a much better position with it than I was with the first, because I'm a much better writer.

Don't mourn the loss--look upon it as a necessary apprenticeship, and keep getting "Back in the saddle."

J.S.F. · Aug 18, 2013

Great advice in this thread and I'll just add a little of my own, if I may. Simply put, don't stop. Don't make excuses, find time, get the ideas down. Even if they're crap, even if the story doesn't make sense, just write.

Editing is hard for me and I still struggle with syntax. (My older sister is a whiz at it, but she doesn't have my imagination. If I had her skills, I wouldn't be agonizing over my current novels in progress. But I digress).

Just keep at it. Accept the fact that, as Yeshanu said, it may not be great or publishable, but then again, you never know. Do the best you can and then see what happens.

Derth · Aug 24, 2013

If you want to make a living off of your writing, you have to think of it as a job sometimes. Sure it's something you love, find interesting, and hope to spend your life doing, but there are necessary parts of it that will bring you no joy - those are the most important parts, btw.

If the editing process is just absolutely killing you, purposely set it aside awhile. Work on something you do enjoy and refresh yourself that way - a little time away may be helpful, and for me it helps to refine the finished product.

You must make it happen, though. The will to finish, through all of the hard stuff too, is what separates hobbyists from pros.

Rather have writer's block than this...

Aj Johnson

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

Aj Johnson

L. Y.

Thread surfer and virtual bartender

Aj Johnson

theelfchild

Thinking up something clever

katci13

creative genie

Aj Johnson

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Wilde_at_heart

υπείκωphobe

Katrina S. Forest

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave

Aj Johnson

Layla Nahar

Seashell Seller

Bertram Fox

Coeus

Aj Johnson

Aj Johnson

Dominicus

BlackMirror

Writing. Writing. Writing.

SweetNightmare

BrightSera

Neurotic Supernova

Yeshanu

Elf Queen

J.S.F.

Red fish, blue fish...

Derth

Rather have writer's block than this...

empty-nester!

Thread surfer and virtual bartender

Thinking up something clever

creative genie

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

&#965;&#960;&#949;&#943;&#954;&#969;phobe

I aim to misbehave

Seashell Seller

Writing. Writing. Writing.

Neurotic Supernova

Elf Queen

Red fish, blue fish...

υπείκωphobe