Shut up and write!

[AwkwardlySet]

Let me begin by saying that this isn't meant to be a complaint or criticism thread. These days, I believe I should lead with that, considering my, err, reputation here.

I've been meaning to start a discussion about this, but I always drop it for some reason. Anyway, over the time I've been here, I noticed a pretty common pattern of thought and behavior. Many, probably even most people here, believe that their time is best spent writing.
I've found the advice to post/argue/discuss here less, and write more, practically omnipresent. So many authors here always express their delight when they can spend time writing. For them, the time spent best is the time spent writing.

Does everyone really think so?
I mean, I understand the feeling well; I've felt it so many times while writing, but I've also always felt that when the story is finished, it deserves to be discussed and pondered upon. I believe even the author should take some time and reflect, take a breather, and let their writing energy replenish. I believe in quality over quantity, and I also believe that churning out new stories with a frantic pace isn't a good strategy in any sense.

But I understand that other people think differently. I've seen that many AHers write almost obsessively, juggling several WIPs and constantly pushing for more and more writing. Only the writer's block or a simple lack of time due to work or family seem to be able to stop them from typing.

What do you think? I understand that much of this depends on the individual, but is there also some common wisdom that works for every author when it comes to the writing pace for new stories? Is there some good balance of writing vs reflection that's good for most, if not all, authors?

 

[NuclearFairy]

If I don't write, my brain doesn't shut up, I can't sleep, can't speak of anything but the thoughts running rampant through my head, every moment of every day is spent spinning this or that idea round and round and round. o.o

On the other hand, if I try to just write, sit down for an hour and focus on nothing but writing, then the words won't flow, it won't come out it just bunches up and gives me a headache.

So I can either flick back and forth between writing and pacing, or writing and surfing the internet and my house is crowded, so pacing is rarely a good idea.

Sometimes I really wish I could write just one story at a time, and when done put it down and walk away for a week. But that path leads to madness and insomnia.

 

[dirk2024]

If I don't write, my brain doesn't shut up, I can't sleep, can't speak of anything but the thoughts running rampant through my head, every moment of every day is spent spinning this or that idea round and round and round. o.o

On the other hand, if I try to just write, sit down for an hour and focus on nothing but writing, then the words won't flow, it won't come out it just bunches up and gives me a headache.

So I can either flick back and forth between writing and pacing, or writing and surfing the internet and my house is crowded, so pacing is rarely a good idea.

Sometimes I really wish I could write just one story at a time, and when done put it down and walk away for a week. But that path leads to madness and insomnia.

This. Writing is therapy for some. I don't think about life's bullshit when I am working on a story. And perhaps some of it may be (undiagnosed) ADHD, unable to maintain focus on any one idea for a long period of time.

 

[CalBishForNow]

I have a couple hobbies and interests in addition to writing, and of course responsibilities and personal relationships I value. Time spent on them instead of writing isn't wasted.

I would agree, though, that time here often feels wasted, and in online forums like this. Sure, sometimes there's valuable advice and insights being exchanged, and I have had some valued personal relationships mostly or even entirely online. I don't have any like that here right now, but in theory I could. But time and energy spent in forums like this on things like that is a small fraction of the time spent on nitpicking, arguing without being sure what it's about, and trying to show off how smart I am. If I have time in which I could write but wind up spending on things like that, I often feel a bit bad about it in hindsight.

It also seems weird or hard to answer about this kind of writing in general. Whatever you might think about erotica, it's harder to share with other people in real life than other kinds of writing. This will only ever been a personal guilty pleasure. What if I decide I want more of writing that isn't?

 

[THBGato]

I definitely spend way too much time on this board, and some of that time could/should be spent writing.

In fact, I probably spend too much time on literotica full stop.

 

[Z_TheWriter]

There are as many reasons and methods as there are writers. I doubt there's much beyond the most general and shallow that can be near universal.

As for myself, I spend a fair bit of time here. My illness gives me a lot of time where I can do something like make forum posts, but not something as involved as actual writing. For much the same reason, I don't really have much control over my writing pace or frequency. I know I'm not the only one with similar woes here.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

I really can;t wriote muc any more. My concentraion and hand eye cordination are all but shot. I've med at least 10 ypos in this posts so far and have had to stop and concentrate on how to spel even the siomple words here.

I'll leave this ine undedited and corrected for now, so youy can see what my world loks like.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I really can;t wriote muc any more. My concentraion and hand eye cordination are all but shot. I've med at least 10 ypos in this posts so far and have had to stop and concentrate on how to spel even the siomple words here.

I'll leave this ine undedited and corrected for now, so youy can see what my world loks like.

I really can't tell whether you're joking or not.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Not. Not even a little bit.

Handwriting is even worse.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Not. Not even a little bit.

Handwriting is even worse.

Fuck. Forgive my bluntness, but what are you suffering from?

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Life.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

waiting for stuck-in-pending stories to come online gets frustrating.

yes, write, but... for lit? there are other sites, and we can write other things but erotica.

 

[Inkognito1]

The only one-size-fits-all truth to writing is this:

Don’t tie your self-worth to your word count, and don’t measure your pace against anyone else’s, because how often you write or how fast you finish something has zero correlation with your talent, skill, value, or potential as a writer.

It’s not a race. It’s not even a sport. There's no Writer Olympics to win a gold medal in.

It's just storytelling and stress, bro.

 

[sirhugs]

All 3 of my part time gigs pay me to write, so I get THAT need out of my system. Once I start a WIP I feel obliged to myself to finish it unless I develop good reason to abandon it. I almost never have more than one WIP at a time. But if I have no WIP, I worry that I will never write again and so far no one has convinced me that is ok. My goal is 5 more stories and maybe 2 poems, but sucking myself into a mever eding tale has held that up. Te est, if they happen will be shoter. My goal was originally end of 2025, so wont hit that timeline. New goal is before the February MRI, but that is awfully ambitious. If the MRI is bad news, doubt I will continue writing. Not sure if i will continue here.

 

[ronde]

I began writing as a way to get my job out of my brain for a while. I'm not an obsessive writer, though I do have several stories that stalled for some reason. It's just a way to be creative instead of sitting on the couch and watching the drivel on TV. I've written some stories in a day. Others have taken weeks. I don't stress either way. I'm having fun.

 

[Britva415]

Is there some good balance of writing vs reflection that's good for most, if not all, authors?

For all authors, there is some balance which is good, yes.

Is it the same balance, for all of them? Of course not.

I bet nobody has said it to you without recognizing something which looks to them like you could benefit from hearing it. If it is said to someone else in a situation like that, there is no reason to internalize it and act like it’s being advised for everyone everywhere ever.

 

[Off_base]

I'm not writing at the moment, a few untouched wips. Not feeling it.
I could probably use an occasional dm to remind me to shut up.

 

[nice90sguy]

I write like a motherfucker when I write, a 10k word story in a day, then long periods of nothing. I catch the "manic" phase like an ocean wave and ride it before I wipe out.
ETA: I don't write like a motherfucker, that's actually not my kink

 

[AwkwardlySet]

ETA: I don't write like a motherfucker, that's actually not my kink

You better not be! You know you're not supposed to cum until Norway gives you the green light.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

The Internet is addictive.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I expected most of the answers. The most typical and largely true answer is that we are all different and what works for one might not work for others, etc. But I also wanted to see if you think that there are some things almost every author could benefit from. Some common wisdom, as small as it may be.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Stressing about writing makes it harder to write?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Stressing about writing makes it harder to write?

Adrenaline junkies would beg to differ.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Adrenaline junkies would beg to differ.

I got nuffin then.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

When I'm posting here it means one of three things:

1. I am stuck at work
2. I am procrastinating writing/editing something
3. I need a break from other hobbies and I'm not on my desktop

If I'm at my desktop, I'm usually writing, but I freely admit there are times when I'm a bit burned out and need a break.

I mean, right now I am on #2, where I've got a start to Chapter 15 of my latest series, 26k words of a series I started a while back but haven't published or completed, and 18k words into a series that started as a random plot bunny two days ago and I haven't been able to stop writing (until tonight for some reason).

So yeah, if I ever expect any of this shit to get finished I should probably shut up and write.