Real Life vs Writing

By Corbyn · Nov 20, 2015 · ·
  1. I've had a rough Nano this year. I've had a hard time concentrating and getting any words on the page, despite having a full thriving outline. Mostly this is because I can't concentrate. I can't let my real life go enough to get into my make believe one. The...words...are...gone.

    Even writing this rant is difficult.

    The real life stresses I'm normally able to handle without difficulty are overwhelming. My work is stressful under the best of circumstances, my family is adding to the huge stress ball at my back, and even my supposed significant other is driving that little tack in deeper day by day.

    Writing is my normal outlet. Without it, I feel the cracks in my armor widening and the bad parts of my personality I try desperately to keep a lid on are oozing out. I'm not like the hulk or anything. I don't go all green with anger and rage out. I just have a generally pessimistic outlook on the world and my little section of it. Being a writer probably doesn't help that. I try not to let myself fall into the pitfalls of ooh, my writing is so terrible, but I understand that happens to all of us. If we want it to or not.

    So in conclusion, I'm finding it hard to keep my focus, push for my goals, and keep the real world at bay long enough to accomplish what I want to.

    So my question is this: In the battle between your real life, and your writing life, whose winning?

Comments

  1. Lifeline
    *smile* Good one!

    Usually, meaning before about a month, a month and a half ago, I would say that RL was winning, without question. I am not someone who defines herself over being a writer, writing came and went depending on whims. Now though..
    I feel like I live two lifes, overlapping. My MC is intruding into RL, I get ideas, do stuff which I wouldn't have before getting to know my MC. And you know what? That's also a 'ME'. :bigcool: Nevermind that this guy is the other sex, or that most people probably would not care for him. I do and I find this other life to live fascinating. :bigtongue:

    I don't know if that was what you wanted to hear, but writing for me is 'only' an outlet for living different lifes. When I can't write, I live :cheerleader:
      Corbyn likes this.
  2. Corbyn
    Sort of, but not exactly. I mostly just meant my real world is interfering with my writing world.


    It's neat how writing inspires us to try new things though.
  3. GuardianWynn
    Oh crude. That moment when I send a friendly PM and then click this. Suddenly my PM seems ill timed. :cry: SORRY! FORGIVE ME!

    To anwser your question. I... well.... my writing life wins. Easy. This is mostly because besides techically being a living being(some still refuse to consider me a Earthing and as such do call me an alien. lol) I mean beisdes stuff like breathing and eating. I don't do much. Don't have many friends.

    This writing forum site is my default homepage. lol.

    I don't write everyday, but I don't think a day goes by that I don't think about it.
      Corbyn likes this.
  4. Corbyn
    I tend to alienate myself from people as much as possible. This is mostly due to my job. Being around people, usually at their worst is very draining. Especially when you work in the animal medicine field. A dog can't tell you when an owner is being an abusive twat, and even if their is evidencw, often in my heavily rural area nothing is done about it by officials.

    The only time I can't hermit myself away from stressor or people, is with my family. My grandmother especially takes offense and makes it more difficult by gilt tripping everyone into doing the things she wants or thinks need to happen, which since retirement has gotten more frequent and drives my grandfather crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly.

    Part of my stress problem is also the time of year. I actually hate holidays. Everything after Halloween just sucks. My holiday season at work trips right into the end of year bookwork I'm required to do, then the taxes. So I'll probably keep having this issue until February when everything finally calms down.
  5. DeadMoon
    I don't know if life is getting in the way, preventing me from writing or if it's just a really good excuse I allow so that I can conveniently not write and not be held personally liable for not writing.

    I have maybe 2 hours a day that I can write and that comes at the end of the day after my soul sucking job, a active 18 month old and shoving food into my body . Once that is done I am tired and empty and only want to zone out and watch some mindless TV. Oh why why why for the love of all great authors why did I not find the beauty of writing earlier in life when I had hours and hours of free time....
      Corbyn likes this.
  6. Hwaigon
    Good question, Corbyn.
    I have to say it's difficult to pin down exactly who's the winning side at any given time, but I'd
    say my life's winning. Which isn't true all the time because over years I've developed a habit of writing a personal
    diary in English, which now amounts to some 150 pages. In that sense, when I'm writing about the experiences
    I've had, there's a certain armistice between my life and writing, as I'm reflecting on both by writing about life.

    But in all the resting instances, my life's winning. I mean I'm developing a lot of ideas while attending to the mundane,
    everyday tasks, but rarely do I get round to writing them down in the form of a story. Rather, I mull over the existing drafts and add details to them instead of get the story going.

    I don't want to sound bitchy or bossy or somethin', but from my experience of having a girl friend (which is a far cry
    from having actual family) I can tell the rule of thumb is she'll let it be perfectly obvious that she hates it when, instead of
    giving time to her, I spend time writing or online or on writing forums :D The more so it goes for a real family, I presume.
    Though, of course, there has to be an outlet in whatever form, sure. What I'm trying to say is...not to escape into writing
    -as into any other form of outlet - too much. I mean. With writing there's the danger that you start to think you understand yourself more than your family does.
      Corbyn likes this.
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