Do you sometimes overdo it and not have time to get a full night's sleep or put enough into other parts of your life? While writing something grim, do you feel sad in life as well? Do you ever feel exhausted because of writing? Personally, I would probably do a lot better in certain areas of my course if I wasn't writing, and I'd definitely get more sleep!
Writing costs me sleep sometimes, and also anxiety when I can't come up with ideas I want. But the main reason it bothers me is that it makes me feel inadequate. I've read a lot of good literature and all those writers do things (at least some things) much better than I can (yet!). I wonder if I'll ever write as well as I'd like to.
I don't sleep; I write. I also have a tendency to be hyperaware of my surroundings, of people, not so much...the encompassing environs have potential for story settings, while most people just make my brain hurt. Being an introvert I'm usually content with my own company, being a writer, I tend to get too introspective. I filter more than I should, which has lead to a buffer between me and much of the world. People see me as odd, and rightly so in some respects. I relate to the written word far better than I do to normal folk. I'm isolated because of my niche obsession, this forum being one of my few outlets for social discourse. When you live in the middle of rural northern nowhere, reading is a rare pastime and writing is just plain odd. The sentiment in my neck of the woods, why would you write when there's football on?
At work, I tend to take frequent bathroom breaks, so that I can quickly jot down an idea before I forget.
If everything had both benefits and drawbacks, then drawbacks themselves would have benefits and therefore they could be considered benefits as well. Hence everything would have only benefits. Same argument can be used to prove that everything has only drawbacks. Sorry, I just enjoy logical proofs
Hmm, only in that it has, at times been a distraction from other important things, a cause for stress, and a reason to stay up late when I shouldn't. In that sense it's a lot like Facebook. But really though, I find that in those drawbacks I've lived more. Has writing sad stuff made me sad? Yep, but I I enjoyed the sadness. In a way it became an exploration of myself. Staying up late made me tired, but I learned what limits I could take and that I often write more creatively at night than in the morning. In the moments of stress, there was a certain aliveness that just worked. And when it passed, it was over. I never really allowed writing to become a problem. Even if I was emotionally detached or removed during family events, it shaped my life one way for certain periods and that's just what it is. Nothing lasting has come of it except for greater appreciation for myself, a fostered creative spirit, and better writing skills, among other things (Sorry, I just enjoy turning negatives to positives. )
Reminds me of certain "logical arguments" that led to the mathematics of limits, which in turn became the foundations of Calculus. There are similarly fallacious arguments that the universe must be finite because the background of the universe isn't white from the light of infinitely many stars. Even if the universe were infinite, the logic is flawed.
@A.M.P. yep, exactly. so annoying! I get deeply resentful when I have to do something else (like work, or sleep) when there's something I want to be writing instead. I'm not great at multitasking to begin with, but I can't do anything else useful while writing, and virtually any form of input can jolt me out of it. Spouse has gotten used to me snarling "SHUT UP, I'M WRITING," and takes it in good graces these days--especially since I always apologize afterwards.
Woah. That's me, to a T. I'm happy as a clam when writing, but interrupt me? WAAAGGGHHH!!!! !!!! !!!! !!!! When I am in active writing mode (as opposed to editing mode) I actually hang a sign on my office door, to the effect of 'don't disturb unless the house is on fire or you are having a heart attack.' And even that creates bother, because I can often hear my husband snuffling around outside the door, apparently wondering if he's having a heart attack or if he's smelling smoke. And that snuffling is a distraction. The possibility of distraction is a distraction. Avoiding distractions is one of the reasons when I'm in full-on first draft mode, I tend to get up at 4am and start my writing day then. I do have to say I can take a fair amount of background noise, as long as it's background and I'm not expected to respond to it. It's distraction that expects a response (like a phone call, door bell, questions, anecdotes, tales of woe, etc) that will derail the train.
And rightly so. His instinct for self-preservation is at odds with his desire to communicate football scores as they happen. In fact, he's been hugely supportive of my writing, which, when I'm not actually WRITING, I thank him for. Often.
I'm not sure this answers your question or not but, after a long writing sessions, and all my writing sessions are long btw I am very tired and I sleep like a rock.
No, it actually helps my life. It makes me realize that I am too lazy and waste too much time, so I can better myself in the long run.
My family always tells me to "quit hibernating in there!" when they think I've been writing in my room for too long. Between everybody's completely different work schedules, it's hard enough to make time for them plus writing. Sometimes I feel guilty over spending so much time by myself, in my own made up worlds.
My husband and I often agree on certain days or certain times when we'll spend together. So if I'm writing something or I wanna write, I tell him and we agree that, okay, it's 12 now, so we'll go out together at 2pm or 2.30pm. Then when time comes for me to stop, sometimes I stretch it a little and say "I'm just finishing up" - so give or take half an hour. And then I pack up no matter whether I'm done. We almost always eat out because at home, we are used to doing our own thing usually by our laptops. So we go out to make sure we spend time together and are not distracted by the devices My husband's an introvert so I'm kinda lucky - he doesn't get offended or feel left out if I wanna write cus he's very happy to have his own time. But at our agreed times for each other, we must both stick to it. Like I say, we're flexible, but you know, time together is time together and full attention is expected from both sides. I also try to tell myself to always put my husband before my writing. Yes, writing is very important. And yes, he's very supportive of my writing - he's actually read my entire book (and he doesn't even normally read. The last time he read fiction he was at school lol). But my books can't love me, can't hug me, can't support me when I'm upset or ill, can't pay the bills (lol). My books didn't commit their lives to me to have and to hold. My husband did. And a living, breathing man who loves and cherishes me has to be more important than my books. Anyway, negative effects - not so much, because I try to balance things most of the time. I only stay up till 3-6am writing/reading whenever I'm at my parents' and my husband's not there. Then I go crazy as all heck with my sleep pattern. But that's not because of writing - it's just cus half the time I don't wanna sleep. (and because when I'm visiting parents, it means it's school holidays, which means no work to go to for me, which means I can go crazy. During term, I make sure I sleep if I've got school the next day. 10 jumping screaming kids and 5 lessons in a row - it's not like office work where you can afford to be sleepy and switch off) But I know someone's got a divorce because she spent too much time writing. So yeah, balance. Like I say, writing's very important, but not as important as real people.
Yes, writing takes a lot of time. Time that could be spent with family, or friends, or doing things around the house, working on a hobby, sleeping--so many other things. I will say that writing can also replace less 'valuable' time spent doing things like watching TV or playing video games or just wasting time.
(Looks down at the ground, guilt stamped across her face.) Yes...and for me that is not a good thing. The trip down from this height hurts like a...son of a gun, especially when you land on your face.
