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Topic: Procrastination vs. writer's block
| Author | Message |
| Homer | Posted – 5/19/2008 5:11:39 PM | show profile "The chronic procrastinator knows he's presenting a negative image, but he'd rather be perceived negatively for lack of effort than for lack of ability." That's a line from a piece in last Wednesday's Slate about the difference between procrastination and writer's block. Ring's true for me. I have no trouble writing magazine and newspaper stories (the deadline helps), but working on a novel or any fiction is hopeless. I think I fall into the camp of "can't be judged if you don't finish". No confidence at all. Anyone else wrestle with this? How do you overcome writer's block and procrastination?And do you know the difference? |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 5/19/2008 8:00:55 PM | show profile That doesn't ring true for me. I never have writer's block with journalism pieces. If I gather up the information, I can always think of a way to present it. Some presentations of information are better than others, but I don't really understand the concept of writer's block in journalism. Now, if the material or assignment bores me, it may take more time for me to write it, but that's not really writer's block -- that's just boredom with the work I am doing. I understand writer's block in fiction, though. I don't get blocked much, but when I do it's simply because I don't have a handle on my story or characters and don't know what to write. If I do know what I want to accomplish in a chapter, I can bang out 1500 words in a couple of hours. They words may end up needing a lot of revision, of course, but I can write them. Personally, I've never been slowed in writing fiction by fear of how it will be judged. If you write fiction, you have to accept that no matter what a certain percentage of people won't like it, because tastes differ so much. |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/20/2008 9:46:38 AM | show profile I have no trouble banging out both nonfiction and fiction (well, the draft of that novel that still isn't finished because I have to put it aside for paying work). As long as I know where the story is going, that is. I don't start writing until I know where I'm going, and then I never have writer's block. |
| bones | Posted – 5/20/2008 1:54:18 PM | show profile There's no such thing as writer's block. It's procrastination or incomplete reporting/preparation... |
| Homer | Posted – 5/20/2008 2:57:07 PM | show profile I think the fear of being judged, or outright rejection, makes me think, what's the point? Rationally I know that's stupid. Even if the novel or short story is never published, the process should be worth it. Still... Dribble, when you can't get a handle on your characters, how do you overcome that? Any rituals or anything you do to get yourself back on track? Do you ask friends, family or colleagues for feedback? Do you just put it aside and come back to it? Is there a specific time of the day when you get your best inspiration? I interviewed a fairly famous writer who said that period between sleep and wake is the most fertile. Just need to have a pen by the bed and the ability to decipher your notes in the morning. |
| PluckyPane | Posted – 5/20/2008 3:25:35 PM | show profile i had writer's block/burnout toward the end of my career in magazine writing. i hated my editor who always wanted to plug some stupid company in my piece because she was screwing one of the ad reps and her comments were always non-descript. i hated the subject of the mag, hated the company, hated the editor...so i hated writing for those people. leaving there was the best confidence booster i ever got. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 5/20/2008 3:32:00 PM | show profile I have no particular process. Sometimes I set it aside. Sometimes I read research materials looking for inspiration. Sometimes I just write anything, trying to work through it. Primarily, I think it's just about butt-in-the-chair time. I tend to often give myself daily word quotas and don't mind times when I am writing junk, knowing full well that sometimes I simply have to throw stuff away. But if I am really blocked -- which doesn't happen much -- I figure its myself telling myself I need to tbink through the story. I think it's only an issue if you find yourself getting blocked all the time. --Dribble, when you can't get a handle on your characters, how do you overcome that? Any rituals or anything you do to get yourself back on track? Do you ask friends, family or colleagues for feedback? Do you just put it aside and come back to it? Is there a specific time of the day when you get your best inspiration? I interviewed a fairly famous writer who said that period between sleep and wake is the most fertile. Just need to have a pen by the bed and the ability to decipher your notes in the morning.-- |
