1. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Why don't you want to write?

    Discussion in 'General Writing' started by deadrats, Apr 8, 2022.

    I think every writer knows the feeling of not wanting to write. Of course, it's not there all the time or we really wouldn't be writers. But it is real to procrastinate and postpone the writing and/or editing process. I had a good schedule going for awhile, but that's gone and that's not where I want to be as a writer in this moment.

    However, I do want to be producing more. I'm writing every day or every few days or maybe not for a week, but during that week I'm mentally tackling an issue in what I am writing. It's not like I'm doing nothing, but I'm all over the place and sporadic and lost.

    And then sometimes it's just not want I want to do. I don't understand that, really, since I see being a writer as part of my identity. Are there times when you just don't want to write and you don't know why? Shouldn't writers want to write? Is there something wrong with me for sometimes, and often lately, just not feeling like it all that much?
     
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  2. RMBROWN

    RMBROWN Senior Member

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    I am a storyteller, not a writer. If I were to just talk for the sake of talking, what would be the point. I have never understood why some feel the need to write when they have no real idea of what they want to write. I get a burning desire to tell a story, it has a beginning, a middle and an end, it is meant to either convey a message or get a smile out of you. When I succeed I have made you laugh and share and interesting point you can identify with.

    You have a great name, dead rats, it conjures up a lot of images and feeling, it is hard to read your screen name and not be reminded of my youth, shooting rats at the dump on a Sunday...what a blast. While some guys went fishing or played ball or hung out with family on a Sunday. I went to the dump with my trusty .22 and killed rats. Crawling over the piles of junk, looking for that little bit of movement, I prowled the dump in stealth mode. The little flicker of gray hair scurrying through the trash, would heighten my pulse. A well placed shot, checking out my kill. The feeling of satisfaction from killing a rat. While others may be horrified at the thought of rats, even more so at the thought of a dead rat. For me it brings back warm memories of sunny afternoons and my happy days as a kid; growing up in the country and the simple joy of hunting and killing rats.

    While I had no desire to just write that, I did feel like I wanted to tell a simple story inspired by your screen name. When I have no story to tell, I have nothing to write. I come on this site on Sundays or when I am bored. I love it when I see something that I can identify with and add some thought to it. Many times I read all of the new posts, noting interests me or stirs and feelings. I don't write, who would care if I commented just for the sake of commenting.
     
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  3. Aceldama

    Aceldama free servant Contributor

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    I wrote about 500 words for my novel yesterday. Most in a long time. Was just work though. The joy I had in most things I really enjoyed has been sapped.

    I think it may be for me, getting away from people and situations that depress me.

    There's was a long period of depression I went through before my current dilemma. But I think that was more or less from being complacent in apathy. When I started looking at the wiki for poetry and reading some of my old writings I got that spark back for a min.

    So from my perspective it can be either needing to get inspired or to get away from hurtful thoughts and situations long enough to be able to think and care.
     
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  4. Set2Stun

    Set2Stun Rejection Collector Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Contest Winner 2022

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    I almost never want to write. I'd rather read other people's books. Watch the shows/movies, and play the games written by other people. Those activities are fun. Writing is not. To me, anyway.
    What's most enjoyable is what happens after you've finished writing. You can look back at an accomplishment. At least we gave it a go, and let's see what happens with it.
    I think not wanting to write is normal. Inspiration can happen out of the blue, but for me at least, it's really rare.
     
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  5. AntPoems

    AntPoems Contributor Contributor

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    Well, you said it yourself - writing is part of your identity, not the whole of it. And that's a good thing! We all have many facets; why should one always have to be the one that shines? If there are other things you'd rather be doing, then do them! I know there are plenty of times I've sat down to write and ended up noodling around on my guitar instead. Both are productive uses of my time.

    And then of course, there's all the horridness you've been going through lately. Life can and will get in the way of writing sometimes, and when it does, it doesn't make you any less of a writer to step away for a bit while you deal with it. I've barely written anything in the past few months because I've been dealing with some heavy emotional stuff and a sudden change in my living situation. It happens. Now that my life is more stable, I'm ramping my writing time back up. When you're ready, you should be able to do the same.

    Granted, writing for a living is rather different. If you have to write to eat, then you need to find a way to write even when you don't feel motivated. I can't offer any advice on that, since I earn my meat through non-creative work that just requires me to show up and focus. But I definitely wish you luck in finding the strength you need. I'm rooting for you, Ratty, as are many others here. :)
     
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  6. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    Pretty much this. Writing is not fun for me.

    Looking back at the accomplishment is wonderful. But nothing about the process of getting there is really fun. It's a lot of mental constipation, second guessing, rewriting, and constant frustration at the product not evoking the emotions I want it to evoke, or just simply not being as good as what's in my head, and never knowing why. When I hope to find inspiration in what others have written, like George RR Martin's work on Elden Ring, or the masterpiece that is the Monogatari light novel series, I'm sorry to say I'm more envious or discouraged than I am inspired.

    What is fun about any of that?

    So usually what I write is cathartic for me. I write to figure things out, and occasionally I am rewarded by somebody commenting on my blog and saying that they can relate to my experience or that I said something that resonated with them. It's ugly, but I don't care. It's not "supposed" to be anything. And I don't have to force myself to write.

    Also, similar to what RMBROWN mentioned above, doing journalism was satisfying writing. Most of the "writing" for a news story was done in the interview or investigative process anyway. It was rewarding to tell other people's stories; features were my favorite. But I don't do journalism anymore; I switched career paths.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2022
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  7. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    I don’t write because when you force yourself to do so - working on the ‘this book isn’t going to write itself’ philosophy - it ceases to be fun and becomes a chore. By all account Douglas Adams (of Hitchhikers Guide fame) needed a gun to his head to finish a novel. I also don’t write because I don’t have what it takes; skill, discipline, will power, dedication.

    It might sound harsh and I’m not here to discourage, but I think most wannabe writers are probably kidding themselves.
     
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2022
  8. NigeTheHat

    NigeTheHat Contributor Contributor

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    Because it's not the fun bit. Having written something is the fun bit.
     
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  9. Robert Musil

    Robert Musil Comparativist Contributor

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    IIRC he once said something like "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go past."
     
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  10. GeoffFromBykerGrove

    GeoffFromBykerGrove Active Member

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    Exhaustion mainly. I work in education, I have clinical depression and I rarely sleep a full night through. At weekends, I see my daughter for at least one of the days, so I can’t (and don’t want to) lose vital time with her. In the evenings, I come home from work and if my arse hits the sofa then I don’t get up. I ache and I get migraines regularly. My brain is either sluggish or so busy that it gets distracted by the slightest thing. If I tried to write before I went to work then I’d have to get up at 5am, all after a typically sleepless night.

    So I suppose it’s not so much that I don’t want to. I do, but my mind and body rarely let me. I fit it in where I can and hope that one day there will be a brief lacuna that opens up for me to get something meaningful down.

    I had covid this week. Isolation and no work. I planned my novel. See what I mean?
     
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  11. OurJud

    OurJud Contributor Contributor

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    For me it’s the idea that’s the fun bit.
     
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  12. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    Though the writing I do as work continues whether I'm in the mood for doing it or not, I generally need a substantial break between big fiction projects. During those breaks, my interest returns to visual art and I concentrate my attention on the nonverbal pleasures therein. That has been the pattern my entire writing life, and when I try to modify it by doing visual art and fiction at the same time, it impacts my ability to enjoy either.
     
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  13. Cephus

    Cephus Contributor Contributor

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    Not me. I always want to write. I write even when I'm not writing. The second I even think about a story, I've got prose running through my head and I have to run to the computer to get it down before I forget it.
     
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  14. J.T. Woody

    J.T. Woody Book Witch Contributor

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    The only times i did not want to write was during college both times around. Writing is less fun and relaxing when its forced.
    When i lose my creativity, it becomes a chore.
    Thats not to say i didnt put my all into my papers. I put in the maximum efforts.... I just didnt want to DO it and would procrastinate.

    Often times i WANT to write. Like last night.... I wanted to write so bad, but i was exhausted (physically and mentally). I'd gotten home at 10pm and wanted to eat and go to bed... And it sucked not being able to sit and write.

    But i dont think i remember a recent, non-dayjob time where i NEEDED to write but didnt want to.
     
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  15. Thundair

    Thundair Contributor Contributor

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    I live with a force inside me that makes things almost impossible to finish. That's why I take three years to finish a book. I've been struggling with the last two chapters of my WIP and keep rewriting the same paragraphs over and over. At an early age, everyone thought it was ADHD, but now I understand from Jordan Peterson that I have an 'open creative mind' with no ability to monetize it.
     
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  16. Not the Territory

    Not the Territory Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    Laziness + procrastination.

    In the youthful days I had that 'finish line' mentality, where I plan to start doing all the things I'm avoiding as soon as X is done, or Y is finished, or I got a Z. Nope. Later = excuses = never.

    An unavoidable truth is that most worthwhile artistic pursuits have quite the heavy workload— something that gets omitted from most artist archetypes.
     
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  17. Some Guy

    Some Guy Manguage Langler Supporter Contributor

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    In my youth, writing was a frustrating, physically/mentally painful exercise that I thought I had no capacity for. I dreaded writing anything, even signing my name or filling out a form, for better than 50 years. Then years of a recurring nightmare drove me to write as a last resort before madness consumed me. Once I realized the characters had feelings/substance, I attempted to sabotage the story by writing myself into outlandish/ bizarre corners. Oops, total backfire. More characters, more drama. Now I'm writing two stories! The dreams, gone. I'm cured. Yay me.
    Now I have two stories to finish. I have written very little in the umpteen months of the couf, even before that.
    Can I have the nightmares back, please?
     
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  18. Kalisto

    Kalisto Senior Member

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    I don't want to write because I suck at it. These days I just give feedback and thoughts on writing to help others.
     
  19. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    Keep practicing and you'll get better. Keep the practice a secret, if you like. I'll never tell.
     
  20. jim onion

    jim onion New Member

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    THIS.
     
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  21. Emily H

    Emily H New Member

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    I only started writing last year and because my efforts were, in the main, autobiographical, they flowed very quickly and very easily. I would get up each morning and just write until i needed a natural break. I’m currently working on a fiction mystery and because there’s more historical research required, more initial character and plot formation, it feels like a completely different process. Still enjoyable, but different.
     
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  22. Friedrich Kugelschreiber

    Friedrich Kugelschreiber marshmallow Contributor

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    I kind of do want to write, so that's nice. It's only that I can only do so much in one sitting.
     
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  23. Kalisto

    Kalisto Senior Member

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    You don't understand, I don't write. Period. I don't want to write. I don't care to write. I like the process of writing and breaking down story elements. But as for writing myself? Never going to do that again.

    Deleted all my stories and never looked back. Not everyone is cut out to write. Some of us are better off helping others.
     
  24. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    You're right. I didn't understand. My apologies.
     
  25. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Thanks for the response. I hear you on a lot of what you're saying. I even have a warm-memories story behind my username, too. But mine is not for sharing publicly. It's interesting to think about the concept of storytelling vs. writing. When I'm writing I'm all about the storytelling vibe, but I'm a pantser so I'm making it up as I go. I enjoy the sort of ride it feels like of making a story up as I am writing it. You could say there is even a thrill to it. And mainly focusing on short stories I get to go on this ride many times. Maybe When I am writing it's for the thrill of it.

    At the same time, I've got to be a writer, too. I've worked very hard at writing and developing any skills or abilities I might have. Storytelling is more something that comes naturally whereas writing is where the real work happens and requires more of an effort. I've got a first draft done of another story from a few weeks back. I worked on nothing else or tried to, but that proved short-lived and produced nothing of importance for now. I have been thinking about my short story, the one from a few weeks back. I like it. It needs something, though, and I've been thinking about what sort of subplot might work for it to give it more layers. It's come to me mentally in bits and pieces. I haven't been writing them down. I'm sort of letting the ideas simmer. I'll write them when I have to if I feel like it.

    I also use writing to convey a message a lot of the time. I'm an essayist in addition to my short fiction. With both, I do think about what I'm saying. Probably for me, the writing is just about how to say it. I heard something once about how when works are published they become part of this ongoing literary discussion happing. I believe I have things to say and I do like giving my commentary on humanity. I mean that's sort of what I do as a writer. But I do have this sort of I'll-do-it-when-I-feel-like-it attitude right now, and that's not an interlay new feeling for me.

    Don't get me wrong, I am a writer if anyone asks me what I do, but I hear you about feeling more like a natural storyteller. I guess being a storyteller is at the foundation of it for me. Is that sort of what you're saying too? I mean I might be a little more extreme right now, feeling like I've got to force myself to write. Bay, anyway, I can still think about my story, knowing I can force myself to do it if I feel like it.

    As far as the forum, I like it when there are interesting discussions and people like you share stories, opinions or advice. But sometimes I will start a thread thinking a discussion. will come out of it, but then there are zero responses. Oh well, what can you do?

    I think both point you make here are true for me as well, needing to get away from troubles in addition to being hit with inspiration.

    I hear you. I will say sometimes I want to write. Sometimes I have a routine, and sometimes I don't. But reading is something I always like to do. I am a reader before I am a writer. I mean I guess this is what I was sort of getting at in my responses to the previous comments. I think people can have a desire to write when we have something to say or add to the ongoing conversation happening with published (as a means of sharing) stories.

    I think. not wanting to write may be normal, too. It's not always fun. I mean sometimes it can be, but I'm often of the mind I rather pick up a book to read over writing one. And then I'll write (and hopefully publish what I write) whatever I've got to say when I feel like I've got something to say through my writing. But I can read a lot in-between any response I might have to add to the literary scene.

    Thank you. I'm rooting for you, too, and everyone here. it's nice when you're talking to people who get it. Writers get writers what being a writer is about and everything that come that. :)

    Recovering journalist here as well. LOL. I had a long career as a journalist, but I made the switch to creative writing many years ago, and I can't say I've really looked back. I wouldn't really want to be a journalist again, though, it was a successful career for me, but that part of my life is over, at least in any traditional sense.

    I can't say I've ever felt envious of other writers. It's more like writers and their works are my teachers to advancing my craft. But I do find other aspects of the writing and publishing process frustrating.

    I'm not sure if aspiring or want to be writers are kidding themselves. I think it's more about putting the time and persistence into it that it takes. I've done a lot to get to the level I'm at. I know I can writer and I do publish in the places I want regularly. Of course, I'm rejected more than accepted, but that's part of it. One sort of has to check their ego at the door with this. But, still, having success doesn't mean the whole act of writing and everything that comes with that is going to get any easier. Case in point, my current writing behaviors.

    I enjoy writing a first draft over the revisions and edits in subsequent drafts. But I'm just not in the mood today, know what I mean?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 19, 2022

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