• Read this: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?288931-Guidelines-for-Participation-in-Outwitting-Writer-s-Block

    before you post.

I'd rather daydream than write. Help!

Status
Not open for further replies.

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
As the title suggests I would rather daydream about my characters then write about them. Why? Maybe it's because I get bored super easily and when daydreaming you can switch up what's happening in an instant. Or maybe it's because I'm in the editing stage of 2 of my novellas and I loathe editing with a passion. And yes I've taken months off for a break.

Another problem is that I already have six (yes six) novellas I want to write and I am constantly getting ideas for a 7th.

How do I get out of this phase?
 
Last edited:

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,320
Reaction score
25,292
Location
Snow Cave
BIC works. It's not fun, but putting your butt in the chair for a set amount of time every day, no matter what else is going on in your life, and either writing or just sitting there until your time is up helps you develop professional habits.

There are going to be plenty of days you dread writing (or editing), but you have to soldier on and do it, ignoring the SNI (shiny new ideas) once you've taken literally two minutes to jot them down for future reference. You treat it like your job, not your hobby. You sit at your work site, which you make distraction-free, and you write or not. No phone, no internet, no reading what you already wrote. Hands on keyboard, if that helps. You write or you don't write. Most days you'll write, and often you'll catch fire and go past your allotted time. But you cannot amass credit; tomorrow you owe the same hour or whatever time you've set for yourself.

Maryn, big fan of BIC
 
Last edited:

rosegold

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
123
Reaction score
10
I've had this issue before. The pomodoro technique saved me.
 

alkin

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
Maybe what you write doesn't bring you the same vivid emotions you get when daydreaming. Maybe your writing and daydreaming are strictly compartmentalized, disjointed, have you tried to write or record your voice as you daydream? or to dream as you write?
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
You guys are right. I need more BIC time.

Maybe what you write doesn't bring you the same vivid emotions you get when daydreaming.

Maybe that's it. It is true that I get more emotionally involved in my daydreams then my writing. Maybe I just need to add more emotion to my writing style.

Thanks for the help and more suggestions are always welcomed.
 

DanielSTJ

The Wandering Bard
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Messages
5,410
Reaction score
368
Age
34
Location
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
You need to write what you want to write, too. Keep that in mind. Keep the spark alive! :D

Just my amateur 0.02c!
 

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
2,373
Reaction score
521
Location
The Coffee Shop
You guys are right. I need more BIC time.



Maybe that's it. It is true that I get more emotionally involved in my daydreams then my writing. Maybe I just need to add more emotion to my writing style.

Thanks for the help and more suggestions are always welcomed.

Daydreaming and the intellectual act of writing are (per my experience) two entirely different neurological processes. Daydreaming allows you to pick up and dwell on whatever is pleasing, whereas, when writing, you have to go to work and use your reasoning skills, among other things. It's the difference between drifting (downstream) and paddling (upstream). The good news is that the more you exercise your intellectual muscles in writing, the easier it will come.

Emotion in writing, by the way, comes better when it isn't forced. It's easy for a reader to notice when a writer is trying too hard, and to become disengaged as a result. I've found that the best emotion in a scene comes when a) I've made the character and his/her world vividly real and true; and b) when I don't "wear out" the emotion by spending all my time thinking about it before I write it. In fact, if I know I want to write a scene with heavy-duty emotion involved, I try not to think about it much at all unless I'm writing. The first pass is always the freshest.
 

Layla Nahar

Seashell Seller
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
7,655
Reaction score
913
Location
Seashore
Focus on the act (of writing) and set aside/let go of expectations and the goal. Easy to say. Accomplishing it is an interesting challenge.
 

CL_Hilbert

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
244
Reaction score
21
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Website
clhilbert.wordpress.com
Write your daydreams as you have them. Stop worrying about making the wording perfect for a minute and just write it down like you would if you were casually telling your daydream to a friend.

I've found in my own writing that sketches like that can become the skeleton of something really interesting later on. It doesn't have to be beautiful in its own self yet. Just existing is enough.
 

AJakeR

Not with a bang but a whimper
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
76
Reaction score
15
Just gonna throw in my two cents.

When I was working on my first novel, I was like this. I'd daydream all day about what was going to happen next in my novel. When I sat down to write what I'd imagined, I just didn't. Suddenly I didn't wanna actually write. I put that down to writer's block.

Turned out it was laziness.

It was easier to daydream, whereas writing was actual work and it was actually hard.

Once I'd figured that out, moving forward was easy. I still feel that now sometimes, but I know I just have to push through it.

The motto is: just do it anyway. Push through it. I find that once you've started it all starts rushing back easily enough - you just have to start.


( I'm not saying you're lazy - please don't think that :) )
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
I'd daydream all day about what was going to happen next in my novel.

Well, you see I don't daydream about my story. I daydream about my characters having fun or dramatic stuff not related to my story at all. It's not that I don't like my story. I really like it, but I think it might laziness. (please don't think I got that conclusion from you, AJakeR - I've been thinking about my energy levels for a while now)
 

godzillachild

Registered
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Location
A swamp
Well, you see I don't daydream about my story. I daydream about my characters having fun or dramatic stuff not related to my story at all. It's not that I don't like my story. I really like it, but I think it might laziness. (please don't think I got that conclusion from you, AJakeR - I've been thinking about my energy levels for a while now)

Yeah I am guilty of this too. I love my characters so much that I'm too busy playing with them to tell their stories. Sometimes it feels like if I sit down and write everything, then I won't be able to daydream about the characters anymore. That's probably what's preventing me from writing more often.
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
Sometimes it feels like if I sit down and write everything, then I won't be able to daydream about the characters anymore.

That's why I write what I call an "infinitive series" (I only write as a hobby) Anyways, I usually have from 10-23 charterers, in a series, whose POV I can write from - not all in the same story, though. I have seven series I plan to "infinitely" write. This way I don't have to say good-bye when the series is over and I don't get bored because I have so many characters. (right now I'm at 96 characters throughout the seven series)

I guess this may be why I don't write as much as I should because there is no ending or final goal.
 

Masel

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 11, 2018
Messages
54
Reaction score
3
Location
Missouri
I have a lot of mom time where I'm waiting for some kid related thing to happen. I've started to use this time to daydream. I try to limit this to my current story and think about the next scene or group of scenes I intend to write. What does it look like, smell like. What kind of set dressing is there. How will my main character be feeling. What kind of researchy thing do I need to look up. I don't dwell on the plot or conversation because I want them to feel fresher or at least be a little surprised when I open the laptop. I find if I practice this when I do sit down to write I'm a lot more productive. I would totally rather have 2 hours every other day to write than one hour a day.

I do try to make notes on other stories that bubble up but I only allow like 5 or 10 minutes.

That's my 2 cents from an unpublished perpetual NaNoWriMo writer.
 

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
5,425
Reaction score
1,911
Location
Denver, CO
Website
www.badfoodie.com
There's nothing that can come from outside to make you want to write, but when I find my mind wandering, I can usually focus by simply free-writing whatever's in my mind.

Sometimes it doesn't work, but at least half the time, channeling my random thoughts through my fingers onto the keyboard allows me to focus and eventually write something that is either productive or therapeutic.

It not only helps me get back to actually writing, it can help calm my chaotic thoughts. Something about the act of putting that random nonsense on the page helps me work it out internally.
 

JustinLadobruk

Registered
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
1. How old are you?

2. Have you ever been diagnosed with or do you or others suspect that you have ADHD?

3. Do you have a schedule?

If you're young, this is normal. If you have ADHD, you have a second issues to contend with. Finally, the human brain (in the vast majority of cases) thrives on scheduling of some sort.

The first one there is little you can do about. The second involves learning coping skills. The third, however, is in your control. Try setting a schedule for a few days. Daydream for X amount of time, but then sit down and write for X amount of time. Even if the writing is bad, keep writing. Set aside time for going back and rewriting.

That's my 2 cents.
 

SarahJane

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
112
Reaction score
9
Location
Ontario, Canada
1. How old are you?

2. Have you ever been diagnosed with or do you or others suspect that you have ADHD?

3. Do you have a schedule?

If you're young, this is normal. If you have ADHD, you have a second issues to contend with. Finally, the human brain (in the vast majority of cases) thrives on scheduling of some sort.

The first one there is little you can do about. The second involves learning coping skills. The third, however, is in your control. Try setting a schedule for a few days. Daydream for X amount of time, but then sit down and write for X amount of time. Even if the writing is bad, keep writing. Set aside time for going back and rewriting.

That's my 2 cents.

This is great advice!

I've struggled with similar issues for awhile now. I used to be able to write upwards of 2000 words every day, but after some mental health issues, I find I can't achieve that level of concentration anymore. Nowadays, I set a timer and whatever word count I end up with at the end has to suffice for the day. Somedays, it's less than a hundred, but progress is progress no matter how small.

I've been thinking over my life and procrastination/lack of concentration has always been a huge hinderance to the goals I set for myself. In the past, I've called myself lazy, and then once I learned to be kinder to myself chalked it up to side effects of depression/anxiety, low self-worth and a deep fear of failure. Recently, I read some articles about the links between depression and ADHD, and things seem to fit.

Now seeing this post, I can't help but feel a sense of confirmation for what I've suspected all along. Time to get to a doctor and sort things out!
 

JustinLadobruk

Registered
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
This is great advice!

I've struggled with similar issues for awhile now. I used to be able to write upwards of 2000 words every day, but after some mental health issues, I find I can't achieve that level of concentration anymore. Nowadays, I set a timer and whatever word count I end up with at the end has to suffice for the day. Somedays, it's less than a hundred, but progress is progress no matter how small.

I've been thinking over my life and procrastination/lack of concentration has always been a huge hinderance to the goals I set for myself. In the past, I've called myself lazy, and then once I learned to be kinder to myself chalked it up to side effects of depression/anxiety, low self-worth and a deep fear of failure. Recently, I read some articles about the links between depression and ADHD, and things seem to fit.

Now seeing this post, I can't help but feel a sense of confirmation for what I've suspected all along. Time to get to a doctor and sort things out!

I was the middle child and psychologically/mentally abused. Aside from ADHD, I deal with depression and anxiety.

For depression and anxiety, I HIGHLY recommend a book called "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris.

ADHD is... interesting to deal with, if you have it. It has advantages and disadvantages, especially for someone artsy. Treatment with medication can sometimes have benefits, but long term use of the medication is turning up negative effects (especially for developing brains). That's something that you'll have to experiment with. I don't use medication, I find caffeine (no sugar) as needed works just as well as ADHD meds when combined with my own coping skills, and doesn't turn me into a zombie. I have a permanent motor tick thanks to the over-use of the medication when I was younger (not abuse, just a prescription).
 

Busha777

Registered
Joined
Aug 1, 2018
Messages
47
Reaction score
0
As the title suggests I would rather daydream about my characters then write about them. Why? Maybe it's because I get bored super easily and when daydreaming you can switch up what's happening in an instant. Or maybe it's because I'm in the editing stage of 2 of my novellas and I loathe editing with a passion. And yes I've taken months off for a break.

Another problem is that I already have six (yes six) novellas I want to write and I am constantly getting ideas for a 7th.

How do I get out of this phase?

Write your daydream. Use a notepad and jot the visual landscape in your head, even if it sounds nonsensical and trippy. Not an expert just going off vibes that's all.
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
Write your daydream. Use a notepad and jot the visual landscape in your head, even if it sounds nonsensical and trippy. Not an expert just going off vibes that's all.

That's what I've been doing. I gave up on my adventure novellas and am now writing about my characters doing normal things.
 

JustinLadobruk

Registered
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
That's what I've been doing. I gave up on my adventure novellas and am now writing about my characters doing normal things.

This goes back to the schedule. You will have to figure out a schedule that works for you. Currently, I write three chapters of a novel, then write a short story. I try to schedule time for writing as well as time for reading.

This IS work, there's no way around that. You may not simply have the maturity (not your fault, and I apologize if that sounds like a critique) or you may need to work on your discipline (or both). I don't know. That's something you have to figure out.
 

Manuel Royal

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
4,484
Reaction score
437
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
Website
donnetowntoday.blogspot.com
Daydreaming and the intellectual act of writing are (per my experience) two entirely different neurological processes. Daydreaming allows you to pick up and dwell on whatever is pleasing, whereas, when writing, you have to go to work and use your reasoning skills, among other things. It's the difference between drifting (downstream) and paddling (upstream). The good news is that the more you exercise your intellectual muscles in writing, the easier it will come.

Emotion in writing, by the way, comes better when it isn't forced. It's easy for a reader to notice when a writer is trying too hard, and to become disengaged as a result. I've found that the best emotion in a scene comes when a) I've made the character and his/her world vividly real and true; and b) when I don't "wear out" the emotion by spending all my time thinking about it before I write it. In fact, if I know I want to write a scene with heavy-duty emotion involved, I try not to think about it much at all unless I'm writing. The first pass is always the freshest.
You said (probably better) about exactly what I wanted to say. I'll just add this: All the stories I've done well with started with daydreaming, but progressed by transitioning into actual work. Starting with a pen and notebook; daydreaming, but writing down the most important elements. Then writing ways they might be connected, or ways they could develop. Pretty soon I'm seeing some kind of structure emerge, and usually some bits of dialogue. Once I shift from notebook to keyboard, it's definitely work, but -- I hope -- retaining a connection to that first daydream.
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
348
Website
mimistromauthor.com
Thank you to everyone who gave suggestions, and I have decided that I will just write what makes me happy: my daydreams. I don't want to get published, in case anyone was wondering.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.