zizban
Lore Master
Life, usually. I wont write on days when my wife and I are off together.
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What Makes You Stop Writing?
- Thread starter Philip Overby
- Start date
Son of John
Acolyte
Life getting in the way is a major factor for me, but the worst problem is that I am kind of lazy, my mind never stays in one place. For years I always flick between a "Science Fiction Mood" where I have a story I want to write about space travel; and then I could change to a "Medieval Fantasy" mood where I want to write about castles and magic...
But in the weeks prior to my arrival here I knuckled down and said "I am putting one story aside and focus on the other until I finish it" and picked the fantasy story. It's going well but Life is slowing my progress.
But in the weeks prior to my arrival here I knuckled down and said "I am putting one story aside and focus on the other until I finish it" and picked the fantasy story. It's going well but Life is slowing my progress.
There was a study released recently. (By "recently" I could mean 2-3 years. At my age, "time keeps on slippin' into the future".)
I'm going to paraphrase somewhat. It takes effort to empathize, to try to think like someone else. When you are thinking like yourself, which is probably most of the time, you're doing "zero-order thinking" (my term). When you think like a different person, say, a character in a story, that's "first-order thinking," which requires more effort. You're using more parts of your brain more often. In other words, the act of writing really is hard work, and don't let anyone tell you different. And that's just for first person.
But wait, there's more. When you are thinking like someone else, you can imagine how that person would try to think like a second person. In terms of writing, you'd be "in character" and empathizing with another character, possibly in a conversation or trying to manipulate someone. We're now talking about "second-order thinking," which takes even more effort.
If you've grasped the concept, you'll see how a writer could quickly get into third-, fourth-, fifth-, and so-on-order thinking, each harder than the last.
To get to the point, I know that writing will take a certain energy level. If I can't reach that level on a given day, I don't write.
I'm going to paraphrase somewhat. It takes effort to empathize, to try to think like someone else. When you are thinking like yourself, which is probably most of the time, you're doing "zero-order thinking" (my term). When you think like a different person, say, a character in a story, that's "first-order thinking," which requires more effort. You're using more parts of your brain more often. In other words, the act of writing really is hard work, and don't let anyone tell you different. And that's just for first person.
But wait, there's more. When you are thinking like someone else, you can imagine how that person would try to think like a second person. In terms of writing, you'd be "in character" and empathizing with another character, possibly in a conversation or trying to manipulate someone. We're now talking about "second-order thinking," which takes even more effort.
If you've grasped the concept, you'll see how a writer could quickly get into third-, fourth-, fifth-, and so-on-order thinking, each harder than the last.
To get to the point, I know that writing will take a certain energy level. If I can't reach that level on a given day, I don't write.
You know, in about 10,000 years, that nuclear battery of yours is going to run out. Then you'll stop writing.
Whimsical
Acolyte
Fear. Perfectionism. Time.
I fear my Critic when I can't write perfect prose so I convince my self I don't have time to start anyway.
I fear my Critic when I can't write perfect prose so I convince my self I don't have time to start anyway.
Lord Darkstorm
Mystagogue
Work, morons who change timelines because it fits what they want over reality...which leads to more work, long hours, and a mental tiredness that makes it hard to do much of anything. 
Currently experiencing one of the mentioned periods now...ah such is life.
Currently experiencing one of the mentioned periods now...ah such is life.
artisticrainey
Journeyman
Perfectionism makes me stop writing. So does my inability to spot anything genuinely good in my work. Sometimes it feels like I'm punishing myself by 'kidding' myself that I can write. I'll read a book in the 'How To Write' genre or a compelling fantasy/historical fiction piece and think... Ugh, I will never be able to do this. I try to keep plodding along anyway.
@artisticrainey:
Reminds me of what Arnold Bennett said about Joseph Conrad's book Chance: "this is a discouraging book for a writer because he damn well knows he can't write as well as this."
It happens. You read someone like Nabokov, and you think "Well, I should just pack it in now." But you don't have to reach those heights. If you're reading a well-done fantasy or historical fiction novel and thinking you can't do it, let me submit that with practice, you certainly can do it.
Sounds like you're already determined to keep at it, so I suspect you'll get there.
Reminds me of what Arnold Bennett said about Joseph Conrad's book Chance: "this is a discouraging book for a writer because he damn well knows he can't write as well as this."
It happens. You read someone like Nabokov, and you think "Well, I should just pack it in now." But you don't have to reach those heights. If you're reading a well-done fantasy or historical fiction novel and thinking you can't do it, let me submit that with practice, you certainly can do it.
Sounds like you're already determined to keep at it, so I suspect you'll get there.
artisticrainey
Journeyman
I hope so! I'm certainly miles better than I was even one year ago, so I guess that's encouraging.
I really am. I suppose it doesn't matter when I get there as long as I arrive in the end.
Rikilamaro
Grandmaster
Life is my scapegoat. Nursing school, kid, blah blah blah.
But under all that is a fear of failure and terror of loosing control. Someone in my life (who was important to me at the time) told me I would never make it as an author. I sometimes feel less confident in my abilities and those words come floating back into my mind. Then I attempt to kick the poo out of that thought and soldier forward. I may or may not succeed, but at least I know I'll have given it my absolute best shot.
But under all that is a fear of failure and terror of loosing control. Someone in my life (who was important to me at the time) told me I would never make it as an author. I sometimes feel less confident in my abilities and those words come floating back into my mind. Then I attempt to kick the poo out of that thought and soldier forward. I may or may not succeed, but at least I know I'll have given it my absolute best shot.