How do you feel about writing as you are writing?

[Ssbbw4u1974]

I usually write under 2 circumstances:

Too horny
Too much caffeine and

I also only like to write when I have a Muse.
As I'm writing, I am aroused, And I'm writing about a person I crave .

 

[Craighalbert]

For me, by the time I sit down to produce the physical (well, digital) existence of my story, most of it has already been written in my head. Granted, the particular form it takes between brain and fingers and computer is mutable, and sometimes elements change, but my general feeling is relief from releasing the pressure. Given that we're talking smut, comparing it to sex is logical... although one person, who is not overfond of my products, likened it to popping a pimple into their brain.

That's interesting, Alfred Hitchcock had the opposite reaction. He used to storyboard and plan his movies so extensively that actually directing them was boring, since he felt he was just mechanistically recreating the images he'd had in his head for months

 

[BellaBestia]

When and if I’m inspired or have an idea or have done sufficient research on a topic I’ve become interested in enough to retell it my way, I sit and write, longhand, all in one notebook in one stream of conscious session. It could last an hour or several. I don’t feel anything during, I’m in a sort of fugue/flow state where I’m trying to write down what the voices/characters in my head are saying or thinking, without edits. I stop when the story is done or reached a logical conclusion. I don’t do it often because it feels a bit foreign like a loss of control and I dislike losing control. After I have to force myself to edit to make it suitable for anyone else to read it. Sometimes I don’t bother and the writing is just for me. I may tweak it once in awhile for years, maybe publish it or never publish it. I’m not driven by the need of an audience. Hence I have very little published here, a fraction of what I’ve written. But that’s just me.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I feel a lot of self-doubt. It manifests in every sentence that I write. I'm always stuttering; coming up with a new sentence whenever I write one. My perfectionist self is very loud, even more than the background. Working outside doesn't help much.

The noise only stops when I'm body doubling, I'm using something that stops me from stuttering (like using a pen instead of a pencil, or activating Hemingway mode in Ghostwriter), and/or there is a timer running down somewhere. Coming up with a draft is a terrible experience because my brain can't shut up. Editing, however, is smooth.

 

[Craighalbert]

Yesterday I had a free evening and the words came out faster than I could organize my thoughts. I really felt like I made a lot of progress, and I was proud of the result. I couldn't wait to continue.

Today I have a free evening and I'm browsing this message board to avoid looking at the page.

 

[FrancesScott]

Aside from when I am stuck on where a story is meant to go (or more likely how to get to the ending I want with all the strings tied up - I tend to start with at least some idea of the end in mind) I find writing pleasureful. I like playing with words, trying (and undoubtedly failing) to create something new. It’s like a game most of the time. Though I can get caught up in the emotions of my characters (when things go well or badly for them) I’m mostly having a blast putting my ideas down in prose.

 

[DeMont]

This is my first time being around so many other writers, and this is the question I've always wanted a broad sample of answers to.

As you're writing, especially during the hyper-creative drafting stage, how are you feeling about what you're writing? And is your writing affected by how you're feeling?

I find myself going through extreme swings with no middle ground and no steady state. I'll go from feeling excited and motivated to feeling revulsion and disgust at the idea of sitting down to write. This is been very consistent over the last 5 years since I started writing more seriously, and I've also noticed no difference in the quality of what I produce (during the high points, it's easy to sit down and write, during the low points, I give myself permission to stop after writing one good sentence but I always keep going).

I've asked around in workshops and to other writing partners over the years, and so far no one goes though the same thing as me. I'm wondering if that's a sign that I'm maybe more temperamentally suited for digging recyclable cans out of curbside trashbags for the $0.05 deposits.

@TheRedLantern, I can honestly say that I see it as a labour of love and if I fall "out of love" during the writing stage the piece will go into my (bulging) "Drafts" folder. For me it is important to start out deeply interested in, and "WANTING" your story to come to life by your skills and diligence. Once that is firmly in place, i.e. at the draft or plotting stage, then I approach the rest as a "pleasurable pastime", not as a job, or a chore. I approach each part of the effort with the same outlook.

At the end I have, hopefully, something that conveys my love of having written to the readers. However, even if that doesn't quite happen I have still pleased me and, sometimes, that's the best we can hope for.
Deepest respects,
D.

 

[Melody_Lightdraft2]

I'm a Pantser, that is I don't plot the story out. I will take a word or story prompt, and I know how my characters will react. It's great fun to write intimate scenes with my equine characters by they Centaur, Centauride, or shape shifters. My favorite at the moment is Anthropomorphic equines.

 

[EmilyMiller]

This is my first time being around so many other writers, and this is the question I've always wanted a broad sample of answers to.

As you're writing, especially during the hyper-creative drafting stage, how are you feeling about what you're writing? And is your writing affected by how you're feeling?

I find myself going through extreme swings with no middle ground and no steady state. I'll go from feeling excited and motivated to feeling revulsion and disgust at the idea of sitting down to write. This is been very consistent over the last 5 years since I started writing more seriously, and I've also noticed no difference in the quality of what I produce (during the high points, it's easy to sit down and write, during the low points, I give myself permission to stop after writing one good sentence but I always keep going).

I've asked around in workshops and to other writing partners over the years, and so far no one goes though the same thing as me. I'm wondering if that's a sign that I'm maybe more temperamentally suited for digging recyclable cans out of curbside trashbags for the $0.05 deposits.

I’m the queen of mood swings, but I tend to find that writing is a calming influence, rather than a cause of stress. By this I mean actually writing, not waiting to see if anyone will read, let alone like, what I have written . As for waiting for stuff to publish, which I am doing right now, well .

I find everything from penning a first draft to final editing calming. The only aspect that isn’t calming is when I lose my way, or can’t figure out how to get from A to B in a reasonable manner. I often then stop writing (or focus on another story) to let my subconscious do the work for me.

When something makes me anxious, my first thought is, write. I enjoy writing, I’ve never experienced any revulsion. I’m sorry you feel that way sometimes .

 

[iwatchus]

I was pure pantser for my first fifteen stories, it is more of a mixed bag now. I have tried to figure out whether, in full pantser mode, my mood determines how the story arc goes or if the story arc that arises drives my mood. If things went poorly for the MC, I would be depressive. If things went well, I would happy and upbeat. I caught myself feeling like I could spend whatever I wanted when my MC suddenly got rich. That could have gone very wrong. I have had flashbacks for months from a side character committing suicide; not feelings for the dead character -- he was an asshole and I did not mourn him -- but for his daughter who was a borrowed character from a series and I had empathy for her.

So writing is not all that calming for me.

 

[MrPixel]

The primary thought I have when writing is looking at the clock and shocked in the realization I've been sitting at the computer a whole bunch longer than I imagined. For starters, it's not good for me (being inactive for that long), and I suddenly sympathize with my wife in her complaints that all she sees of me is the back of my head.

 

[GrantBricksly]

The primary thought I have when writing is looking at the clock and shocked in the realization I've been sitting at the computer a whole bunch longer than I imagined. For starters, it's not good for me (being inactive for that long), and I suddenly sympathize with my wife in her complaints that all she sees of me is the back of my head.

I have a similar feeling recently...when I try to stand up an my body tries to stay in the seated position as I walk around the house for a few minutes, hunched over....Getting old sucks...

 

[SimonDoom]

This changes all the time.

Sometimes, I agree totally with the Dorothy Parker quote cited above, that I find writing difficult but like having written.

Sometimes, it's fantastic. I'm on a roll and the words are flowing and it's like skiing down a mountain with perfect snow.

Sometimes, maybe most times, it's somewhere in between. I find the hardest part for me is forcing myself to start. Once I start, it's almost always at least somewhat productive and enjoyable.

 

[GrantBricksly]

This changes all the time.

Sometimes, I agree totally with the Dorothy Parker quote cited above, that I find writing difficult but like having written.

Sometimes, it's fantastic. I'm on a roll and the words are flowing and it's like skiing down a mountain with perfect snow.

Sometimes, maybe most times, it's somewhere in between. I find the hardest part for me is forcing myself to start. Once I start, it's almost always at least somewhat productive and enjoyable.

Lately... the hardest part for me is stopping. It's like this story is trying to burst out of me, and I can't write fast enough for it to get out. But I don't always have time to write. I have other things to do. I have baking to do. I have kids to deal with. I want/need to spend time with my wife...I suppose I should eat and sleep as well...but all I really want to do is write...lol

 

[DeMont]

This is my first time being around so many other writers, and this is the question I've always wanted a broad sample of answers to.

As you're writing, especially during the hyper-creative drafting stage, how are you feeling about what you're writing? And is your writing affected by how you're feeling?

I find myself going through extreme swings with no middle ground and no steady state. I'll go from feeling excited and motivated to feeling revulsion and disgust at the idea of sitting down to write. This is been very consistent over the last 5 years since I started writing more seriously, and I've also noticed no difference in the quality of what I produce (during the high points, it's easy to sit down and write, during the low points, I give myself permission to stop after writing one good sentence but I always keep going).

I've asked around in workshops and to other writing partners over the years, and so far no one goes though the same thing as me. I'm wondering if that's a sign that I'm maybe more temperamentally suited for digging recyclable cans out of curbside trashbags for the $0.05 deposits.

My dear @TheRedLantern
Arthur C. Clarke offered the following insight;
"New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can't be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it's not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along!"

I start at stage 2 and treat writing as a job. I set myself a task, from an idea and then I sit down in front of a blank screen and type the very first sentence. Then I sit back, stare at the sentence and say to myself, "Right self, where does that lead us to."

To me, from a germ of an idea, a story grows. Sometimes it will branch out in the wrong direction so I mercilessly prune it back to the stem and nurture another branch. As the "shrub" takes on form that is when I become both emotionally and enthusiastically involved with it.

I have read of other "professional" authors who say it has to be treated like a "day job", even if you only get one useful sentence down - it's just a shame we can't all have bestsellers yes?
Respectfully,
D.

 

[TheGreatOz]

I have far more story ideas in my head than I'm ever going to end up writing.

I love actually writing once I'm in the zone. I like to toy with words and meaning. I like word choice, to mull them over in my head, this word or that, until I land on the one that has the Goldilocks factor. This one is just right.

When I'm in the zone it's the best thing ever. The day just flies by.

I sometimes dread it before I start and get into the zone though. Because the day will just fly by!

 

[DeMont]

I'm glad!

It's funny because the other day I ruined my writing capacity for the day by exercising too much. I hadn't done much physically for a while, went for a too-long bike ride, was excited to come back and write. And then my dopamine dropped hard and I was physically exhausted and my brain said, "not today, buddy."

Having to exist in a body is just an obnoxious amount of work sometimes.

@filthytrancendence
Here's a totally off the wall idea, fit a voice recorder to your helmet or bike and dictate to yourself while you're riding. I mean, kinda like, okay, you're riding, you see a particularly delicious specimen jogging just ahead, notice how the body moves in the skin tight exercise clothes, notice the physical attributes of the body, how the legs flex with the stride, how they go all the way up to "heaven", or beyond, imagine what that person is going to be doing when they have finished their morning run. Where are they going to and what's going to be waiting when they get there. Fill in the blanks with imagination and to heck with the dopamine, let th' ol' adrenalin take over.

Just a thought my friend.
Respectfully,
D

 

[OddLove]

I feel like an all powerful wizard creating an a new world.

 

[DeMont]

I feel like an all powerful wizard creating an a new world.

...and that @OddLove is EXACTLY what you are. You create the world, the surroundings, scenery, textures and colours. You populate it with YOUR people and you have them interact in the ways and manners that YOU wish. In this you are no different than the minds and hearts that bring sensations to the silver screen. Don't ever stop.
Respectfully,
D.

 

[Thanatos_X13]

I wouldn't say I go through mood swings as you've mentioned, but motivation comes and goes. Sometimes I feel energized and eager to write, and other days it feels like a chore.

Regardless of my motivation level, writing isn't a joyful experience for me. That concept is so alien to me, I am always baffled by people who say they find joy in the act of writing. I've never been motivated by joy when it comes to the creative process, and I have no idea what this "hyper-creative drafting stage" is you mention because I have never experienced it. For me, writing a first draft is a tiresome slog that I can't wait to be over. If I could vomit the first draft onto the page, I would. I much prefer the revision stage, which for me is when the real writing begins, but even then, I wouldn't say I "enjoy" it, per se. I think more than anything, I get a sense of fulfillment from writing. Writing for me is about creative expression, but it's also about honing my craft and achieving my goals. Too much of the writing process involves sitting in front of my computer in contemplation, writing and rewriting and rewriting again for me to consider any of it "fun." But when it's over, and I have a finished work, I feel that sense of fulfillment and accomplishment and a desire to begin again and try to do it better next time.

 

[MK_Whimsy]

Sometimes I can become completely absorbed in what I'm writing as I'm making a long-held idea come to life. At the same time, I might get frequently annoyed at little things, such as making the same typo over and over or writing another too-long compound sentence.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I have no idea what this "hyper-creative drafting stage" is you mention because I have never experienced it. For me, writing a first draft is a tiresome slog that I can't wait to be over. If I could vomit the first draft onto the page, I would

What I, personally, meant by that phrase is that my first drafts (which I also call my "vomit draft" for similar reasons as you) never ever ever turn out the way I expect. No matter how short a draft is, a character says something or a detail emerges that I hadn't planned and it sends the entire work spinning off in a new direction.

 

[GrantBricksly]

How do I feel about writing while I'm writing....I actually just had a moment...

You ever write a big..dramatic moment...one where the character is experiencing something that has their heart racing....and then when you get done, you realize YOUR heart is racing.....

I mean damn....I wrote this scene....and fuck...by the time I was done, it was like I had just experienced the same trauma my character just went through... I seriously need a break for a moment just to clear my head...I only hope that what I wrote came out as good as I think, and that it evokes a similar emotional reaction from the readers....

 

[dirk2024]

Mostly, I enjoy the experience. Sometimes it can become unwieldy if I begin to feel 'stuck' in a story. I have two stories like that now. When that happens, I sometimes feel dread with the thought of having to approach either of those two stories. I want to soldier through and get them done so I can clear them from my conscience.

Sometimes I get ideas when I'm not at my computer so I write it/them down in a text and send it to myself to incorporate later. That get's me excited. Not being able to wait to get the thought down. Of course, it has nothing to do with senility and being afraid of forgetting said idea.