I'm really close to finishing my current novel, so I'd love to finally get that done. But if I can't do that I'll settle for writing ANYTHING just to get that sense of accomplishment.
Do you know what the current novel's ending/finish will be? I'm asking that for two reasons: 1) If you don't know for sure what's going to be happening between where you left off and the ending, perhaps it needs more thought and envisioning. 2) If you do know what's going to be happening, and you're just struggling to bring it to life, perhaps you should just leave it for now. Depression can make you sluggish and uninspired, which is perfectly normal. You might be making yourself feel worse, trying to do something that your body and brain just aren't set up for at the moment. Instead, maybe confine your writing to new ideas. If you get an idea for something to write, scribble it down in a notebook or something. And leave it there till you feel inspired to write it. And if you get a different idea, scribble that one down as well. But if you don't get ANY ideas, that's okay too. It's just a difficult time you're going through. Maybe spend your writing time reading instead? Something that gives you pleasure to read? You'll be subconsciously learning about writing as you read other people's output. Maybe do a few critiques here on the forum. Anything to keep you connected to the world of writing. Whatever you do, I would not recommend beating yourself up because you're struggling to write at the moment, and can't seem to pull it off. I don't suffer from clinical depression myself, but I must admit the current state of world affairs plus worry about Covid-19 and its after-effects on life in general has depressed me a lot. One of the things I've completely lost is my own creative drive. I just can't be bothered doing any of my creative hobbies right now. I've been speaking to a few other friends who have been experiencing the same lack of creativity as well. We're even not very inspired to cook meals to any high standard. It literally took me two days to work up the energy to go out and pick up a piece of trash that a fox had dragged into our garden. I kept looking out at it and thinking ...better go pick that up. Then I just drifted away and let it lie. For two days. That is very unlike me. Usually I see a problem and want to get it solved NOW. But that's just not what's happening in my head at the moment. I'm content to wait till my mood recovers, rather than keep trying to do something because I 'should,' but my heart just isn't in it. Maybe wait till your medication has been altered and kicks in, and you feel inspired to write again? This is a difficult time. You're certainly not alone in feeling uninspired.
Thanks. I know how I want the book to end, it's just refusing to come out right. Without any flair behind it, it feels like I'm just writing a list of everything that's happening. I've been giving myself a break for the past month or so, and I think that's why I'm so desperate to start writing again. Theres only so long video games, Netflix, and reading can keep me occupied. I need to CREATE something, or else I feel like I'm just wasting my life with pointless hobbies.
Okay, here's an idea I normally wouldn't recommend. But in your case it might help. Have you got a friend you trust who would be willing to read your unfinished novel thus far—and give you feedback? Let you know what they think of the characters, the plotline, what they think might happen next, what they HOPE will happen next, what they don't want to happen next, etc? Their response to what you've already created might get your writing processes going again. I know that I was always really inspired to get things sorted when I had fresh beta-reader feedback to deal with. It might not work for you, but it's an idea.
I wish. I almost always plan my overarching stories as multi-part series. It's a gift and a curse. I always have more material to write, and therefore don't get "writer's depression", but it's also much harder to get someone invested in the story. Sure, each one has it's own self-contained themes, but the overall plot is never fully wrapped up.
I feel like I'm going crazy. I have to remind myself that no editor is my therapist or wants to be. I'm breaking down and everything is really hard. I feel like I can always write. It's life that I struggle with a lot more. Writing is my break from madness. But right now I don't really feel like doing much of anything. I guess I should force myself to write. It's the only real thing I have any control over. Also, has anyone here had luck in finding a therapist during covid? No one seems to want to add patients they haven't met already and the doctors near me are doing everything over zoom. I feel like I need some help right now, but I'm not sure how to figure out if I have any options and what they are. My phone calls to places aren't going well. I think I'll turn this whole mess I'm in into a story. Unfortunately, the stories I write don't tend to have happy endings. But life has always been an inspiration for my fiction and other writing. For now, I'm all about the fiction. I'm going to live in a new short story for the next few days. Do you guys see writing as therapeutic or is it more of an escape? Can it be both? What helps you the most when writing while struggling with mental health issues? I don't know what's wrong with me. All I know is that everything is really hard and I'm pretty sad.
I'm sorry you're down. I suffer from pretty heavy depression and anxiety myself. My meds are a big help, especially now that I'm on enough to dope a village, but even I still get down, and I can well remember times when down was my default state. A great therapist once told me "Take your meds and use your coping mechanisms and all of that, but when you're feeling depressed, just do something you already know makes you happy." It really is that simple to alleviate some of what you're feeling, at least for a time, and likely for the rest of the day. If you live with depression long enough, even off and on, you learn what those things are, the things that make you happy when you're sad. Depression saps your energy and makes you feel like there's no point in even trying, but there really is. For me it was writing. Being productive with the one thing I want to do with my life works great at quelling those negative voices and feelings of hopelessness. I can't pick just any piece either. It has to be something I'm excited about. Coming up with new ideas can be a special chore when you're depressed, so work on that passion project, if you have one, even if it's just outlining or brainstorming. Is it therapeutic or an escape? I'd say yes to both. It pushes away those negative feelings in the moment and it heals you in the long run. Many writers, as you know use it to exercise demons, but I wouldn't suggest writing about trauma when you're really depressed. Drudging up the reasons you're depressed can spiral you downward quickly. In my opinion, you want to save that kind of work for when you're feeling, at the least, stable. It's healthy to deal with that stuff head on, but not when you're already seriously sad. (Side note: I also discovered that audiobooks distract just the right parts of my brain to keep me from thinking about depressing things, so I highly recommend them over books, TV and music for depression escapes.)
I don't think you should necessarily feel like you should always be writing everyday. I personally like to go on to new projects when I finish something. Maybe focusing on something else will give you ideas about your old project - you just need to give yourself time and distance to think. Think about the characters, plot, the world in which your story ended and mull over how it might be possible to write a sequel if your thoughts naturally lead you there - if they don't then maybe you shouldn't be forcing yourself to do a sequel. Just a thought. =)
I have really bad depression and I noticed recently that my writing has slowly degraded and not up to the same standard as it was before. And it is not like I haven't kept up with my creative side, I try to write at least 200 words a day if not more, but it has been feeling more like drawing blood from stone. And I have done some research and found out that prolonged depression can affect your brain severely. The hippocampus is one part of the brain that gets damaged and it is responsible for motivation, emotion, learning, and memory. But most importantly, with the hippocampus damaged due to depression many people experience loss of imagination and creativity as that part of the brain plays an integral role. So, why am I posting this you may say. Well, considered the pandemic and the world being one step away from imploding on itself. It is okay to struggle, it is okay to take a step back and breathe. You as an author have not become suddenly bad as I thought about myself. It is just your brain getting the better of you. And that is okay. We need to remember to be kinder to ourselves and that we are not defined by whether we can remember that one fancy word or make our readers weep. Sometimes, we need to allow us to just enjoy the process and relearn to love and find happiness it writing. May be a weird post, but I hope this helps some struggling writer, because until my research I was constantly crying thinking 'why, o' why am I bad now!' And it's not something I found being discussed a lot and I wanted to make sure those who are struggling with depression don't need to be amazing authors, like all the stereotypes in the media. They just need to themselves. I do find that the stereotype of the 'depressed author' can be a damaging, many people believe that if their depression goes away so will their creativity. And it can lead to some really dark conclusions and long lasting damage to the brain. So, if anyone is suffering, please don't be afraid to reach out. Australian Hotline 13 11 14 American Hotline 1-800-273-8255 UK Hotline 01708 765200
Thank you for posting what I believe to be a very important topic for the writing community. I have been diagnosed as depressed several times and I don't know about that. But I think writing is both therapeutic as a way to deal with our emotions in a healthy way but dangerous as well since once one defines oneself as a writer they can use that as an excuse to avoid improving themselves or even think that the depression is an aid for writing. I sometimes wonder if I only write because I struggle to connect with people. And if I worked on myself more and got over some of my personal struggles, perhaps my writing would be better. Then again, if I did that I don't know if I would even choose to write. You get stuck like this. The fact is that writing is like anything else where if you're using it to avoid life it can be very self-destructive.
The stereotype once romanticised seems to become that of an inescapable affliction once you get older, for me, anyways. I am diagnosed with an 'Undiagnosed Depressive Disorder' (ironic, perhaps...but it evades being handed a self-fulfilling prophecy at a young age) Writing gives me a feeling of purpose, whether I'm engaged in the process or not. Maybe less focus on editing and more on creating new works where my own standards of perfection aren't necessary during the first draft could be of some help. One thing I've learned through the loss of friends is that the world quickly moves on, so I live and endure, waiting for those moments where all of the repressed creative energy comes rushing out. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow... I haven't read the whole of this recently merged topic but I've always found a certain irony in those practicing psychiatry likely never having gone through what their patients have, only having their scholarly interpretation of things. Another annoyance to me is that many in the profession see articulacy/intelligence, hell, even self-awareness as representative of being normal and functioning.
Writing's a cathartic outlet for me. A means to express myself. It's helped me examine my thoughts over the years.
So, hi! I’m new here obviously and frankly very new to writing. In any serious capacity anyway. A little background: I struggle hard with my mental health. A main part of that struggle is Borderline Personality Disorder and Complex PTSD. Between those I have a strong tendency to fall headfirst into projects only to abandon them a week or two later when I’m bored. As I’ve gotten older (and a lot of psychological help of course) I have calmed down quite a bit. But the flighty obsession remains with various hobbies. I’ve managed to stay consistent with photography for almost 4 years now which for me is amazing to stick to anything that long. Back to writing- I looove writing. My dad was a small time newspaper columnist who would have me proofread and encourage me to write my own stuff. After he passed I stuck to just reading. But, lately I’ve been overcome with an idea for a series. So much that I’ve created several very detailed character sketches and plot lines for literally 15 books. Which sounds exciting, right? Except I know myself. I’ve got the fire and adrenaline for it right now, but what happens in a couple months and I’m burned out and have no interest in keeping up with it? Do I just give up now? I figure my options are these: 1. Do it anyway and take it as far as I can and if I give up so be it. But what if I’ve managed to publish one or two with the promise of more and then I don’t deliver because I just can’t grab that momentum again? 2. Keep my mouth shut, don’t even attempt publishing until I’ve completed all 15 in 500 years? 3. Recognize that what I want is an insanely large project to try to undertake as my first go round and maybe come up with something light and short instead to see if I can wear out the momentum until I lose interest and move on to something else. Thing is, I *want* this. I’ve definitely got a reputation in the family at getting huge ideas, diving in, then nothing coming of it. I’m sick of it. I want to be better, I want to be healthier. I want to say f*ck you to mental illness and learn to actually stick something out for once. But to do that I need to figure out how to do smaller bites, I desperately need to learn sustainable moderation. But I have zero clue how to do that. I feel like if I don’t learn now with something relatively harmless I’m never going to have the stability and consistency in my life I would need to have a real life with a family, children, a career. How has it managed to work with photography? I have no freaking clue. I keep it as strictly a fun hobby now, because everytime I try to push it a little further into a business (like five different times now ) it comes crashing down because I.just.can’t.keep.up. Any advice on learning moderation and consistency and actually following through on something?
Writing can be hard. Writing 15 books might be quiet the undertaking. I think you can combine options 2 and 3, write something short first and get the feel for it, then if you still have the flame, go for option 2. I have heard that getting a series published as a first time writer can be difficult, just to let you know. Also, if you write something short first, you will at least have completed something, which might give you a boost to complete larger things. I'm curious, what genre do you have for your series?
I have very similar struggles, it's best not to force it sometimes, I find. Other times it's the opposite though. With the platitudes of mood changes I go through, it's like a roll of the dice to be in the prime emotional state to write things worthwhile. All I can suggest is reach a point of progression where it goes against all rationale to give up. Taking a break is different, the best advice someone gave me was to not approach it like a bull, with an all or nothing mentality. It comes gradually. Considering a page or a paragraph an accomplishment has been a mindset I've tried to maintain over the last year. You just have to work in disregard of the mountain you're climbing sometimes. Being unable to escape what you strive to create can be a problem too, but it's not such a bad thing to suffer.
Work on the first book and take things as theh come. A publisher will give advice on how it goes if and when you submit. Undertaking 15 books at once is an unreasonable ambition. If this is a subject you're genuinely passionate about then hopefully it will sustain you for the long term. If not, you can run with other projects and return to it if you like. There's no set timeline for you to complete it.
I think I can relate to this sudden burst of inspiration you've come across... without the BPD or PTSD, but maybe my recent experiences will be helpful to read. I think there is a way that you can dive into writing everything without losing option #3 in the form of outlining. Since 2016, I've created a folder each year and filled it with drafts that never became anything. My thoughts were always "I can come back to this" but the amount of times I've actually sifted through my past work is negligible and when I did I didn't always remember what my motivations for the work were. This year I've decided that if I am to embark on a new idea, then I'm required to start an outline for it first; this way, I'll have something to remind me what I intended for the idea in the future. This has been amazing for me! I have only worked on three different projects this year. Each has an outline. The outlines are not always finished. In fact, two of them are mostly neglected and littered with notes that are mostly about what I want to happen without concrete plot points. This is fine because it still guides me. I specifically write some of my notes emotively— "kissssssss but that's it!!!"— so that when I'm reading back on them I am motivated by whatever emotions grabbed me at the time. Sticking to this outline requirement has kept me focused and excited by my writing because there's something to frame my thinking. For the first time, I've consistently been working on only one project. Anyway, all that to say that I'm suggesting you dive into your idea by writing all you can in the form of an outline. You mention you have plot lines, so write them all out together, linearly. Include comments for yourself wherever they fit, especially for the parts you feel strongly about. After all that, you'll be able to tackle option #3 by writing pieces of your potentially massive outline. If you lose interest, that's fine because you can always try to come back and hopefully you'll have an easy time doing it when you've left an outline for yourself. You cannot know if you'll make it to the end or not, but do not let that stop yourself! All we can control is making the process easier for ourselves.
My Mental health issues help me create new stories based on thoughts I get when I am struggling with my mental health that take me down rabbit holes.
From what I've learned about style in the visual art world, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's probably too early for your authentic style to be showing up, you might still be in your student years. Now years later you and your readers will be ale to look back at these early stories and see a connection with your actual style as it develops. But the thing is, you have no control over what your style is. Content yes, genre yes, but not style. That will happen automatically despite any efforts you make to move it one way or another. It chooses you, you don't choose it. In fact it's already there in fledgling form, you just might not be able to see it yet. Or maybe it's almost full-blown already, who knows? Only time will tell. But don't worry about your style, there's nothing you can do about it. It just emerges all by itself little by little, and when it does it might totally surprise you. So might your genre(s). You might end up being known for humorous lighthearted romantic comedies set on Mars or something you haven't even discovered you have a talent for yet. Just try to keep some perspective, realize that what you're doing now is your early or student work, and don't stress over it too much. I know, easy for me to say, right?
I have a confession to make. When I like something I get obsessed with it and I mainly get obsessed with fiction - books, movies, shows, world, story. The problem is that then when I think of any idea to write it's always heavy inspired by what I just like. And if not and I had something else on mind, I drop the project off because I want to do something that is similar to what I like. And hyperfixations change super quickly, month the longest, so there's not enough time for me to even think about new idea before I jump to others. And sometimes there are ideas I had in mind previously and then I get inspired by whatever I like (for example I had an idea abt fantasy world with seasons like summer, autumn etc and got reminded of this idea when I watched Avatar). And I know it's not even the idea I really want to follow! But it's similar to what I like sk I start working on it, instead of something else. Anyone in similar situation?
If you find yourself coming up with multiple ideas, do what I do and get google drive. I have something like 4-5 projects going. When I lose interest or find myself struggling with one, I switch to one of the others. I use google drive because its convenient and can be accessed from almost anywhere. Sometimes I just get this scene in my head so I write it on the drive. Maybe I use it later in a story, maybe not. But I have it ready when/if I need it. I have lots of these scene files...
