Mod insert since posts have been merged that predate the original first page This thread is only for discussing mental health as it affects writing. You are free to advise on the writing aspect of mental health, but this is not a thread (or a Forum) for counseling on DiD, PTSD, bipolar, or what have you. Mental health is a serious health issue, which requires professional intervention and advice. We would not allow forum members to hand out advice about managing your diabetes or your COPD. This is the same. The consequences of somebody unwittingly saying the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time on a mental health thread can be dire. We don't intend to provide a venue for this. Hijacking this topic into other areas will result in a thread ban. Note: This is the only mental health discussion thread now permitted on the forum. Starting other threads to avoid these restrictions is not acceptable we return you to your usually scheduled programming ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As some of you may know, I recently finished writing the best story of my entire life as of yet. Well, maybe not so recently, but about three months ago. Since then I have only mustered up one short-story and another passage of my beloved novel that I felt helped explain things better for there was a brief interval of time left out where a lot went down. Then I started getting feelings on writing a sequel for the story. I really do not want to even attempt this because the story ended on such a perfect note, (in fact my Signature is the last sentence of the story!) and I know that in doing so, I would only tarnish that. So I looked similiair cases up online. Apparently its called "Writers Depression" when an author finishes a story and has a hard time getting over it. Has anybody ever gotten this before? If so, how did you cope? I think that I may re-read my story and try doing a second draft to it. (I already tried once, but this time I'm going to stick a lot truer to the first draft.)
Is it really finished, or at first draft stage? If the latter, then you will probably still have a lot of work to do before it is ready for pitching and a sequel may not be the best idea at this stage. Three months is a good time to leave it before you start the editing process although longer is even better. In any case, you need to tackle it again when you are ready and only you will know that. the key is, we are all different. On both my novels I thought they were perfect after some editing but it was only when I went back months later that I found plenty that I wanted to tweak, odd typos which I could swear were not there before and many other things I wanted to change. I had started a sequel to one of them but my heart wasn't in it so I abandoned it and may or may not go back at a later date. I am still editing the original. During the waiting time I amused myself by doing an exercise for my writers' group, a short story, which went so well that I will be hawking that around various magazines when I think it is truly finished and ready. There have been massive gaps where I didn't do anything, but my batteries needed charging so I took time out which I believe did me good as I have returned to the projects with a renewed enthusiasm. Hope this helps.
Thanks. I'm going to try and fit in time to re-read the story, then decide how I should edit it. I don't really want to re-write the entire thing (,it was written in a spiral-bound note-book, which complicates editting), but I think that there are some scenes which may need re-written. As far as I remember, I like it perfect. Well, I guess that I'll just start from there and see where it takes me.
Yeah, absolutely. I fall so in love with my characters. 17 year old Michael in The Residency is among my favorites. He's so shy and timid, and just exploring a new world and new friends, and his first relationship. I wish I could know him lol I have such a hard time finishing anything. maybe its because of that!
Try making a clean break from the finished piece. Write something that is completely different from your finished piece. If it is SciFi then write a crime drama, anything that removes you from your original story. Break the mold as a way to move on.
Maybe I should do that. My method as of right now is to try and write a short-story every week to slowly ween(sp?) myself out of the story until I feel that I can write a full-lengther again. I came up with the idea today in gym-class.
like "jet lag" and "writer's block" it won't exist if you don't believe it does... just jump right in and start something new... in fact, it's a good idea to always have something else simmering on the back burner, while you're finishing up a major project, so you won't have to be wracking your brain to come up with something new, as you type that final word...
Sometimes, after writing for a long time (like today). I'll just step away from writing with the feeling like I never want to do it again and I just get totally frustrated. It happens occasionally and I can't stop it, but it's almost like a depression from writing. Fortunately I'm almost always writing the very next day!
I'm pretty sure every writer has thrown their pen or something across the room in frustration at one point or another. However, a writer writes and that can be both the greatest and the worst thing. Don't let the frustration make you do something you'll regret. If you're a writer, you have to write. If you can recognise the catalysts for your frustration you might be able to either avoid them or build up a resistance. Maybe anyway. Keep fighting the good fight! Or should that be 'keep writing the good write'? Nah, it was better the first way...
wat Also, yeah, just about every day. Some days I can maybe trudge through it, for a few minutes at least.
I don't get down when I'm writing a lot...I get frustrated when I have that urge where I just need to write something, yet when I sit down with a pen and paper, nothing will come out. I went through a horrible, horrible time a few years back, and ever since then, I've struggled a lot more with writing than I used to. It's irritating sometimes.
Sometimes, I just can't get a chapter right. I get so frustrated because all of the words are clumsy. They do not seem to fit together. I want to quit then. I suppose I have to be in my "zone" if I may use a cliche. There are other times when I am in my "zone" and I will come back from it. There is no more for me to write, and I must return to reality. I feel so drained and depressed then. I have been in another world and it is much better than this. This world seems so mundane and boring after immersing myself within my imagination.
No, not about writing. I might get down about other things which supresses my urge to write which is not a bad thing IMO as I can concentrate on fixing what is wrong elsewhere in my life.
i get down ON my writing. if that answers the question at all. i'm kind of.. idk. i guess i take that old adage about being your own worst critic to the extreme. to the point of giving up, sometimes. just because i couldn't live up to my own expectations. lol... sorry. i didn't mean for my second post here to sound so pathetic. i swear i'm an upbeat dude! lol
Nope. Oh sure, I'll sometimes end up stuck on a particular scene or find myself unable to finish a poem, but I don't recall ever getting more than mildly frustrated (/sad) at that particular piece, and certainly not at my ability or intent to write in general. ... Probably since my first serious writing was at least partially escapism, and struggling to find the right dialogue for character X is still better than thinking about whatever else was bothering me. Anyway, if I feel myself becoming frustrated it's simple enough to put the writing on hold and come back when my state of mind has been jiggled a bit. I'd imagine this would change if my writing ever becomes more important, financially or if was particularly popular or whatever.
The hard time for me comes when I am struggling with a scene or a long stream of dialogue and after hours of typing I still have nothing. Then I wonder why I waste my time with any of it. After all, who is ever going to read it? But then the next evening comes after a long day at the office and clacking away on the laptop seems like a good idea.
i get crabby when i'm taken away from my work sooner than i'd like to. its worse when the piece isn't sitting right, cause i don't want to leave it that way. the only time i've ever got upset over the actual writing process of a piece was when part of a needed plot ran a close grain to some personal things going on. it was really hard trying not to put my perspectives and emotional byasts onto characters that needed to react in a different manner, whilst staying in 'the zone' but i think writing is just like anything else in life. it will have its highs and lows its joys and frustrations. take the good with the bad and know it'll get better!
I've never felt like I wanted to give up writing. Do I get frustrated? Yeah. Do I sometimes give up on certain stories? Yes. Do I ever feel like giving up writing in its entirety? Never. Writing has been a defining part of my life since I was 8 years old...I could never give up something like that--just like I couldn't give up my family or my faith. ~Lynn
I agree. Writing has been my closest friend since my third grade teacher gave the class an assignment to write a poem. I could never give up on writing.
I find that with many writers, myself included, you have to be in a certain type of emotional or mental state before you can write a specific story in the way that you want it to be written. I'll give my own example as well as a question below, but i'd like to know if your emotional state has ever helped or hindered you. More than two years ago, I wrote a short prologue whilst heavily depressed in going through a poor relationship that ended around that time. To this day, I consider it to be some of my best work. I have recently wished to continue this work - one of darkness and morbidity involving the un-living. The problem with trying to write it now... It seems i'm too happy. I cannot force myself back into depression, and my style of writing whilst out of the depression is far too.. floral. I have tried for a day to write, and have mustered less than two paragraphs that I consider to be of similar quality to the original work, despite writing three or four actual pages that were not of good enough quality, and I fear the good work I have done was purely a fluke. How can I get myself into a state that would be sufficient to continue a tale of darkness started whilst I was depressed?
I listen to depressing music. But since I haven't resolved many of my emotional issues I find I write darker stories better then I write floral stories. I don't want to write floral anyway. My goal is to become a horror writer. I say channel any emotion you have as fuel for your writing. My best work, all though laced with SPAG sometimes, is when I'm tired. And it's usually the most dark I can get. Maybe try that. When you feel tired try writing.
