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How many words do you write per week (average)

  1. 1000+

    6 vote(s)
    31.6%
  2. 500 - 1000

    3 vote(s)
    15.8%
  3. 300 - 500

    1 vote(s)
    5.3%
  4. Varies to greatly

    7 vote(s)
    36.8%
  5. 0 - 300

    2 vote(s)
    10.5%
  1. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    Those days when you’re just not feeling it

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by G. Anderson, Oct 21, 2017.

    I've been really happy with my writing lately. It has greatly improved: the flow of it, the grammar, the clarity, the language, the characters - it can definitely improve even more but I am just happy that it's been improving and I've been in a good writing place.

    But then today I'd planned a long writing evening where I'd really get stuff done, and so far I've been able to write 300 boring words, all very irrelevant to the plot. I've rewritten these words around 3 times by now and it's still pretty clunky and well...pointless.

    I think I am going to have to call it a day (night) and accept that it's just not working today :) Anyone else having such a day?

    P.S. I see the typo 'your' instead of 'you're' in the title. Didn't you use to be able to edit title? Never mind, it's quite perfect for the topic.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2017
  2. 8Bit Bob

    8Bit Bob Here ;) Contributor

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    I was planning to do some writing today, but so far that hasn't worked out :meh: I just haven't been in the mood to write, even though I know I should.
     
  3. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    I second that! I try to really listen to my own creativity now and write when it flows naturally and take a break when it doesn't. But of course not everyone is in such a flexible position as me to do that. However, I believe that to get some distraction is good for our creativity.

    Also, can anyone else please appreciate that I wrote 'your' instead of 'you're' in the title? :D

    Also, it varies *too greatly. I think I'll go to bed now. Good night.
     
  4. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I'm aiming for a minimum of 500 words every day regardless of whether I 'feel' it or not .... I'm trying to subscribe to "writers write" , you don't get Truckers saying "oh no I've got truckers block today"
     
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  5. 8Bit Bob

    8Bit Bob Here ;) Contributor

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    It would be good, except I've spent most of my day doing absolutely nothing :(
     
  6. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    So, you've never called in sick because you just needed a day off? :)

    But I get what you mean. Though as I don't write professionally, I don't really think/feel like that
     
  7. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    I'll sometimes just plot in my head if I can't write! :)
     
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  8. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I'm not a full time writer either, but the problem is if we allow ourselves to say "I'm just not feeling it" pretty soon it becomes an excuse and we get bupkiss done and our lives become"drinking in LA"
     
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  9. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    Haha, I don't think my life is about to come drinking in LA anytime soon :D But I am always one of the lucky people to whom self-discipline and motivation comes fairly easy. But after beating myself up for years over not being perfect and never putting my own well-being over productivity, I am very adamant to not push too hard. If it then so happens that that means I never publish anything and must stay in a "dead-end" job forever, then I hope the price to pay will be loads of quality time and a healthy mind, body and soul.

    Btw, what does the term 'drinking in LA' mean? I mean, apart from if you are actually drinking in LA, of course
     
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  10. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    From the Bran Van 3000 song - His friend comes over and suggests they work on a script "for mafiosi movie with a twist" but they do "nothing, absolutely bupkiss that day leaving him to wonder "what the hell hes doing drinking in LA at 26" instead of actually writing something

     
  11. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    I would tell you to fight through the uninspired times, when the words flow like molasses.:)
    When I'm struggling I just stay with it, consider it part of the process and I don't leave the keyboard until I've come up with something satisfying. If it happens early in the evening, well great, I get to watch some tv before going off to bed. If not, then I continue into the small hours of the night with a warm beer and my disturbingly unconcerned cat for company.

    And that's you're mistake, not ours in the title.;)
     
  12. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    Ah, thank you!
     
  13. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    Oh, I put my own well-being before my writing, and I need my good night's sleep for loads of both physical and mental reasons :)

    But I am glad that you have a way that works for you!
     
  14. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    A such day? I'm on about my eleventh such day... and I'm talking consecutively. I've not felt like writing so much I haven't even opened my WiP in that time.

    To not have that strength of mind to just tell yourself to stop being so ridiculous and start writing, is depressing beyond words. And the longer I go, the further away my story and its characters drift.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
  15. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    How are you generally ? That sounds like how I was last year before Igot my depression diagnosis and treatment ..... if this lack of 'strength of mind' to engage with things you used to do also extends to other areas of your life, Doctor , now.
     
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  16. G. Anderson

    G. Anderson Active Member

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    Oh, I go through different periods too! I have just been going through a really good period during the last months and yesterday was so bad. I mean, it wasn't even only a writer's block. I might have written the worst thing I've ever written and then rewritten it to something even worse :D

    But of course, some say the bad must out for the good to come :)
     
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  17. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    I stopped taking anti-depressants after the side effects of the last batch put me in hospital with severe dehydration.

    It's okay, six months from now I'll be itching to start on another novel attempt :rolleyes:
     
  18. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    That's not good - may be ask the doc for some different pills (I'm on 20mg Citalorpram daily and I've not had any major side effects other than yawning a lot) anyway OT drift into the mental health thread .... you take care of yourself.
     
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  19. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    Thank you, @big soft moose :)
     
  20. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    Yes, please do take good care of yourself. Your characters need you to be strong and healthy for them. Sounds like maybe they've decided to go on strike so you'll take care of you first.I'm thinking of you and sending good thoughts and positive vibes.
     
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  21. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    Ahh, thanks, @Shenanigator. Please don't take too much notice of my whinging. We all get down and miserable from time to time. I'm not missing my characters yet and experience tells me I'll probably never return to them now. I'm okay with that. When I hit these writing 'sabbaticals' I don't return to unfinished novels when the desire returns. I'm not sure why I don't, but I always end up starting on something new.
     
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  22. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I had a not feeling it day last night ... I still wrote about 500 words (249 new plus a bunch of edits) but the flow wasn't there - A lot of stuff happened to disrupt my routine and I didn't start writing til late when I was too tired really. I'll be back at it tonight
     
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  23. Lemie

    Lemie Contributor Contributor

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    About two months ago I decided to write at least 300 words every day. Not for a special story, but for the first month it was just a random scene for 300 words. I'm human so it was more like 80-1500 words a day, but I wrote. Now the past week I've been writing around 1000 words every day with my best day at 3000+. I've also started writing something more... cohesive.

    Anyway - you don't have to write every day of your life, but I think it's good to keep some consistency. If that consistency is writing 300+ words every day, 30+ minutes a day or just one evening a week, that's totally up to you. You can have sick days or events you could not plan around, even feel plain off, but you need to know that you can get back into habit as soon as possible.

    Unless you're going for pro. Then you'll need to write every single day unless you're half dead. And who's to say half dead people can't write?
     
  24. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    With Fiction, I have to play mind tricks with myself. Every time I name a word count goal, the word factory in my head shuts down and I either sit there for hours with no output, or what comes out is unusable gibberish. When I don't give myself a word production goal, the flow is better, and I end up with more usable stuff. So my daily goal is in units of time instead. ("No less than 2 hours of actual writing time!")
     
  25. Reollun

    Reollun Active Member

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    It's difficult to decide whether you're not feeling it, or you're just too lazy to write. I suspect the latter is far more common than the former. When I go to a walk, I often make a firm decision to write at least 1,000 words when I get back and sit at my computer. It all seems so good in my head until I get a hold of my keyboard and actually start writing. Then I realize I've managed a couple of clunky sentences and go prepare myself another cup of coffee.
    It takes me hours before I shake off the dust and compose something meaningful.

    What I know for sure, if you stop writing, it's going to be extremely hard to start all over again. I was happy to start writing on a regular basis again, after very long cycles of procrastination. Even if I manage 200 words per day, it's much better than nothing.
     
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