I haven't written in forever

I get depressed.

I didn't write for six years, and I was depressed the whole time.

So I'll never not write ever again.

A few days off once in a while is not a problem.

How do you feel?

Don't get discouraged. That's really important. When you're ready to write again, you'll know. Everyone needs a break from writing every once in a while. Take a walk, see a movie, you'll probably come back with a whole lot of fresh new ideas.

ccarver30, do you feel like you're ready to go back to it? Maybe try it for a limited time period-turn on the computer for ten minutes and see if anything flows.

I often need a break of a few days. I write intense, emotionally wringing material and my little brain needs time away from that to do light and fluffy things!

No, no, no! You must write every day, for at least six hours, completing a minimum of 2000 words!








j/k! Take the break, let yourself refuel. Enjoy. Then get back to work. I know for me, it's so easy to let a few days stretch into several weeks...

gem1122 said:

No, no, no! You must write every day, for at least six hours, completing a minimum of 2000 words!

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And drink and smoke a lot while doing it. You will sleep when you're dead...

I go through periods when I don't get much productive work done. And I usually feel like crap during those times. It's hard to say whether the crappy feeling came first, or was a result of not writing, but I know that days I write are better than days I don't.

Guilty.

Last week, I surprised myself and got 12k words for the week.

This week, starting on Sunday, I came down with a stomach virus (I'll spare the details) and haven't written a thing. Since I haven't eaten for fear of the results, I'm weak to the point of walking up a flight of stairs wears me out. On top of that, it was a pretty important week at my office, and I absolutely had to be there. The sum of all of this is that I haven't written a thing. Not one word related to fiction writing. Something had to fall off the wagon, and it would either be my sanity and health, or my writing. I hate to say it, but it came up second fiddle this week.

I did catch up on my reading and when I mean catch up, I burned through 4 books.

I don't know if I got sick because I burned out and my body and mind told me to take a break. Or because on my son's last day at daycare, some little brat came and spread his cooties so my whole family has an illness. Either way, I couldn't concentrate enough. Right now, I'm just trying to get back into it (thus the long post).

The point, maybe, is that I think a break is fine every now and then. I will say if I don't write, and I don't feel like revisions, then reading is the next best thing. And read for pleasure, don't critique as you go. Good lord, you're just asking for it then.

I just realized I'm an idiot.

I looked over my WIP and I actually wrote 1500 words or so on Monday...None of it makes sense coming from my fever brain at the time, but hey, it's something.

So ignore whatever I say and go with how you feel. I have no clue what I'm talking about.

No wonder you feel run down, with a sinus infection.

You know I don't believe in writers' block, but I will say this - if you're ill or coming down with something, then your body's telling you to have a rest! Your brain's part of your body too, so make yourself well again then in a wee while you'll return to normal with a head bursting full of ideas!

ccarver you sound like you're burned out. It might not be writing, but I'll bet you're burned out on something.

Take a break. I just went through one of those "I'm not writing" spells too and I've started writing again, but it's longhand on paper with a pen (pen so I can't erase anything, plus it preserves better than pencil). Maybe try the paper approach rather than word processor? Or vice versa? Shake something up. Write about something completely different. Go down to the scifi/fantasy boards and create a new creature, or something.

Figure out and fix whatever it is that has you in this funk!

Depressed. And I hadn't written in a looong time. I'm not sure I even completely believed in writer's block before. Stuck? Sure. Distracted? Absolutely. But blocked?

I can't believe it, but I actually picked up my WIP today and started writing. I've picked it up many times over the past several months, but was unable to do more than read and make minor, grammatical corrections. I've got a pencil, the notebook my original story idea was in, and I'm writing. Not a lot, but it's a start.

So, ccarver you'll get back there when you can, how you can. The work will wait for you.

ccarver30 said:

It's been at least 2-3 weeks since I have written anything. I'm not sure how I feel about this. One part of me feels like a loser but the other part of me says perhaps I needed a break!

How do you feel when you haven't written for a while?

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Sometimes I'll take a break for a week, and that break will never last the full week.

However, sometimes I'll just stop writing for a while, because of circumstances etc., and all I can say there is I don't feel bad about myself or like I'm some kind of loser. Rather, I know I'm a good person and I know what I want to do with my life (namely, writing).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't feel bad about yourself because you haven't written in a couple weeks. We all go through phases in life where we end up not doing what we love, and it's just part of being human. I think the real challenge here is in accepting ourselves for what we are and what we're doing, rather than condemning ourselves for not being the perfect writer.


I hope this helps you out, and I hope you feel better soon.

My profound empathy goes out in your direction. ::cue empathy vibes:: Maybe try writing longhand if you usually use a computer, and try a computer if you usually use a pen. Or you could outline for a few days instead. Or just think about plot and dialogue while you're puttering. It all counts, dammit!

The hard truth is that if we don't write, we're never going to succeed as writers. But it's just as important to remember that we can still have important and fulfilling lives even if we never write another word as long as we live. I guess it just depends how badly we want it.

It's always hard when you feel crashed. I must admit, I found it nigh on impossible to get much meaningful writing done after a day at work, so I work nights now.

If you really don't feel like writing anything, maybe practise a query letter, based on what you're going to finish writing, just to get yourself back in the groove.

I hate days when I don't write, so I try and do something writing-related, but yes, at times you're too ill, too tired or just plain out of juice. I'd say, try not to let it go on too long, unless you're at death's door. (And then you can write about being at death's door... )

I write every day. If I'm not feeling well, it's just a few hundred words or so. I figure I'll never get published if I don't work hard at it every day.

I've written very little for about three months. Part of it is my secret identity as Mommy intruding; probably some of it could be chalked up to mild but genuine clinical blah.
But I finally finished a short story I'd started and set aside, and got it mailed off to a contest I'd figured I'd have to skip. So I'm feeling less of a fake, and more like myself again.
Tomorrow: back to the Great American Novel.

Either I don't think anything of it or I become depressed. Recently it's the latter. That being said... I do think non-writing time serves a purpose. My batteries are recharged and more story ideas come. Not writing for a while really can be a blessing in disguise, I think. (Although I do think that sometimes you just have to force yourself to get back in the game).

I get antsy when I don't write. Actually, I went through a bit of dry spell just recently. It wasn't fun, but I needed the break.

If you need a break, take one. Just make sure you get back to it. You don't feel like writing now, how's it going to be in six months?

A few years back I left my laptop running on the bed and went out for the evening with my husband. When I came back the hard drive had melted because the fans were on the bottom (stuck in the bed linens and couldn't get enough air circulation). I lost over 40k words, since I had stupidly not done a back up in awhile. I didn't write for 2 years. I felt depressed and slightly schizophrenic. When I write my characters give me a breather.

I haven't written anything in two weeks. I'm just not in the mood to do anything but yell at people.

I went from January until about two weeks ago without contributing to my stories. Ugh. Not pleasant. I was still working on them in my head, but it just wouldn't come out when I sat down.

Two weeks ago, I just couldn't sleep. After fretting until 3 AM I figured out that the reason was because I really had to write something. A half hour on the computer later, I had pumped out a page and a half worth of stuff. Just an hour ago I added to the early chapters of what will EVENTUALLY be my first book (check back in 2015). Hopefully, the slump is done (once a week, in a big spurt, is pretty typical for me).