ََWhat things have a negative effect on writing?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Mans, Feb 15, 2014.

  1. T.Trian

    T.Trian Overly Pompous Bastard Supporter Contributor

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    @Poziga, yeah, I know there's an answer to it, I even know it, but it was the first example I could come up with that I figured most folks would get. Yeah, I was being lazy... :oops:
     
  2. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    No no, I agree with you, it's a perfect example. :D
    I just don't like it when people (note: not on this forum) are being smartasses about the Eagles, when there's an understandable and nice explanation on the internet. :)
    I'm being a bit nazi here, but f*uck it, I'm quite the Middle Earth fan, Tolkien's the reason why I began writing, even though I don't write fantasy. :p
     
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  3. T.Trian

    T.Trian Overly Pompous Bastard Supporter Contributor

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    @Poziga, I did hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should mention that there was an actual reason for it, but the "aw, fuck it" -side of me won this time. :D


    Oh yeah, another thing that's bad for writing: lack of experience.

    I know writers are supposed to build entire worlds just with their imaginations, but there are some things that are quite difficult (note: not impossible) to write credibly without any personal experience.
    Of course, doing an adequate job isn't that big of a deal, but in this day an age, there's so much competition that, let's face it, adequate doesn't cut it; it should be stellar, and, well, I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's probably more difficult to do a stellar job if you lack the experience.

    Kinda like a virgin writing an explicit sex scene or someone with no experience of fighting (or even training martial arts / combat sports) writing a detailed fight scene.
     
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  4. Smoke Z

    Smoke Z Active Member

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    In fanfiction, I find that romance-obsession is a force to contend with. I actually twisted a fic that should have been strictly platonic because someone was screaming for romance. (I kept the necrophilia barrier, so... squick.)

    But ignoring that... alcoholism and how the washing machines need to be loaded and unloaded.
     
  5. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Then substitute <target language> for English. But given that this site is an English language site (as you can find in the site rules), it should not be necessary for responding members to qualify their answers. The burden is on you to make it clear in the original post if you wish people to give language-independent replies.
     
  6. 123456789

    123456789 Contributor Contributor

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    @Poziga

    Um, sorry dude, but there is no legitimate excuse for the eagles not doing their job. If they can get there within minutes after the ring is destroyed, don't you think they could have gotten there a few minutes before the ring was destroyed, to, you know, destroy it themselves?

    The truth is, Frodo and Sam and Smeagle should have all burned together. That's how a story is supposed to end.

    However, the eagles are important for their symbolism, if we compare LoTR to WW2. Russia wins the war, and then Mr. America swoops In At the last second to take all the credit.

    For the slower members of our little community, of which I have named at least one, the national emblem of the United States is the eagle.
     
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  7. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    Last edited: May 3, 2014
  8. cazann34

    cazann34 Active Member

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    Distraction like having to go to work when I'm 'in the zone', self doubt, other people's negative view towards writing, writing forums like this one (a paradox)
     
  9. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    Another thing that negatively impacts writing is having people and animals that depend on you for food and play. It's Saturday, I have the whole day to myself and my writing. I'm just getting into it, the sentences are flowing, my head is all around the scene and... Jasper (the dog) is nudging me with his nose, to either go out and play or have food or more water. Or my cat is meowing in a really annoying fashion, because his dinner is half an hour late (and I just got started after staring at the empty screen and hanging on the forum all afternoon!) or, the husband is knocking on the door, looking pale and at the end of his tether, if I had a heart of stone I couldn't expect him to do housework and make dinner after working eight hours on a Saturday. Or someone calls on the phone, needing advice, or a chat, and before you know it, it's 10 pm. I've done f**k all, and I'm totally exhausted!
     
  10. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    Damn, to think I was quite bored today...
     
  11. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    You don't know the half of it @Poziga. I just got of the phone with my mother. Everyone 'needed' to talk to me all day. About themselves and their problems, naturally. o_O
     
  12. Poziga

    Poziga Contributor Contributor

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    Umm ok, look from the bright side, looks like you give good advices. You've also given me some in the workshop. :D
     
  13. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    Yes, it's a gift that just keeps on giving. o_O :D
     
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  14. T.Trian

    T.Trian Overly Pompous Bastard Supporter Contributor

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    @jazzabel, be happy that they seek your help instead of insisting on "helping" you. Yup, that's my burden with my family because of my chronic health issues, so of course they know what's best for me. o_O

    And yeah, family gets in the way of writing all the time, especially mine: @KaTrian's is great 'cause they leave us alone for the most part while mine always want to get together, do stuff together, they call (usually just when we're sitting down to eat), txt, and argh... It sucks to be the only hermit in the family.
     
  15. MLM

    MLM Banned for trolling

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    To my experience, nothing. Perhaps you mean super short term? Sure, drunk writing is not very productive. But my work has steadily improved over time, rather than gotten worse. It seems strange to imagine someone developing a "bad habit" in their writing that would be detrimental to their work and be unconscious of it.
     
  16. Mystovation

    Mystovation New Member

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    hmmmm I'd say a noticeable change in the story. I'd like a story to have a certain type of aura through to the end. If the story starts getting to the point where it seems like the authors had switched, or the plot has sidetracked from the original scenario that, to me, would drastically decrease the quality in the story. There are times where this has been done, and it is actually a good thing. But those are rare, few and far between.
     
  17. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Focus, confidence, and being over critical. Everything else is pretty much due to distraction. Although boozing will not help you with much more than adding a mass of nonsensical fluff. Often I wind up going back through what was written and going, in what universe does this make sense. BOOP! There goes 1k+ in ineptitude. :p

    Boop.jpg
     
  18. Megalith

    Megalith Contributor Contributor

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    Life gets in the way of my writing every day.
     
  19. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    The Lounge and (very likely) every other Community Interaction forum. If those conversations hadn't started leaking into other forums, I'd wish they were gone for good. But since they're back, at least all that stuff is contained in one place and I can avoid it with a little vigilance.

    Street work... outside my building. Earplugs help, though.

    My upstairs neighbour's dishwasher. Loud puppy. Again: earplugs.

    Thinking about an upcoming purchase or vacation. Earplugs don't help here.

    (May not apply to others) Watching TV, movies or reading outside my genre (which is tricky because it's kind of narrow). Come to think of it, reading inside my genre can be a deterrent, too because I'm easily influenced and sometimes have to work hard at not writing in the voice of the author I'm reading. So, my conclusion is: don't read, either. (sigh)
     
  20. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    And, I suspect, marijuana (for those who live in areas where it's legal). PD James probably only smokes at night, not while he's writing. (This is just a guess.)
     
  21. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    Yes, Lemex—I think—was addressing the intent of the OP's question. We aren't talking about other people's writing, but what has a negative effect on our own.
     
  22. Sack-a-Doo!

    Sack-a-Doo! Contributor Contributor

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    True, true, but all those things can be overcome. It might take a while (for me, it's been far too many years to admit to, but I'm making headway.)
     

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