Ahhh, Monkey Mind.

[PrevertOne]

It's frustrating being unable to concentrate on a single story. Going from one story to another, scribbling for awhile, then getting taken by another idea. Right now I'm working on one that maybe, MAYBE, I might finish. At least I have an idea how to end it. And I'm on a streak with it, ideas are coming, kind of jumbled and disorganized but that can be fixed when I do the final draft. Still, my focus means that long-standing stories I've kept in limbo for months, even years, get put further down the queue. It's frustrating to me, and I guess to some of my readers. I suspect a few have given up on me. And I don't know if I'm even going to finish this one, in spite of my current streak. I haven't been able to finish anything, sigh. Goddamn Monkey Mind. How does everybody out there keep focus?

 

[redzinger]

Oh, yes. That sounds familiar.

Though instead of writing, I've been creating/fiddling with pretty graphics instead. If you really want to waste time, that's how to do it. You can spend hours simply moving images around.

 

[rjordan]

I haven't been able to finish anything, sigh. Goddamn Monkey Mind. How does everybody out there keep focus?

Easy. I remember I'm not getting paid and doing it for fun. When it's not fun, I go do something that is. End of problem.

I have hundreds and hundreds of short scenes. I write them when I see or hear something interesting. Maybe 40 or 50 unfinished stories some of which I barely remember writing and assuming I must have, I have no idea why.

rj

 

[TxRad]

Uh.... how about 300 unfinished stories total.

At my age, I'm going to need an apprentice to finish them all.

 

[Handley_Page]

I have hundreds and hundreds of short scenes. I write them when I see or hear something interesting. Maybe 40 or 50 unfinished stories some of which I barely remember writing and assuming I must have, I have no idea why.
rj

In my case a dozen or so.

 

[49greg]

I'm in the same boat, got a dozen or so working, and dozens and dozens of story ideas in my ideas file.

Right now I'm really frustrated at my monkey mind. I've got a story going for the Summer Loving contest and for the first time in a long time I've got one I might finish in time.

So the last couple of days I've been thinking of this other story I have, I couldn't get it out of my head and I came up with some good dialog and even a good ending. BUT I CAN'T FIND THE DAMN FILE!!!

I spent most of Sunday afternoon looking for the damn file after working on it in my head for most of Saturday evening. I finally broke down and started a new file and wrote what I could remember yesterday. But by then I found I had lost some of the good stuff I had come up with.

Arrrgghhhhh!

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Oh, yes. That sounds familiar.

Though instead of writing, I've been creating/fiddling with pretty graphics instead. If you really want to waste time, that's how to do it. You can spend hours simply moving images around.

Yeah, me too. Instead of writing, I'm creating stuff that I might use, but maybe not. Sketchup is a great time waster. If you want to waste time but create some really cool things...download Sketchup, it's free in the google store/play.

The spaceships on my last three ebook covers were created there.

I also have a couple of dozen started and not finished yet. It gives me something to do in my twilight years.

 

[redzinger]

Yeah, me too. Instead of writing, I'm creating stuff that I might use, but maybe not. Sketchup is a great time waster. If you want to waste time but create some really cool things...download Sketchup, it's free in the google store/play.

The spaceships on my last three ebook covers were created there.

I've been using GimpShop. Some of the stuff (like on my homepage here) I've created myself from scratch, including taking the pics. Some of it I've been sent by the publisher, and had to do some fiddling around with.

I've also spent hours on Vistaprint creating drafts of business cards and flyers, but not actually printed any yet. It must add up to days, when I come to think about it.