Discipline

[erise]

Mornings. I'm up early anyway, so I make breakfast, and eat it slowly while writing for an hour or two almost every morning, before the rest of the world wakes up.

 

[Despina]

No, not the BDSM kind.

I'd rather talk about spankings, but will humor the topic.

I write when I have something to say. I find that when I try to be more structured than whimsical, the content sucks. Noticably forced and not engaging enough for me to complete half the time, let alone edit. Life circumstances are typically the biggest hindrance, but as much as I hate not being able to write because of time constraints and other obligations, I know when the story finally grabs me by the throat and demands to be told, it will be. (Most likely in the dead of night, but when inspiration strikes, I never argue.)

 

[impressive]

Mornings. I'm up early anyway, so I make breakfast, and eat it slowly while writing for an hour or two almost every morning, before the rest of the world wakes up.

Mornings are good for me, too -- especially during the school year. I'm thinking 8am-noon might be my best time to write on a regular basis (and when I'd be less likely to keep popping on here to see what's shakin').

I never start at the beginning. I always write one of the climaxes first, using vague language designed without regard to character specificity.. and when I've got it down and can read through the snippet and say "I want to know more"--I'll finish it forward and backward.

If the "catch" isn't intriguing, its a labor. This method makes it easy to motivate myself to write at most any given time, because I'm working on something small and quick and catchy without regard to its role in a bigger picture.

Interesting approach, Joe. Not sure it'd work for me, but ... to each his (or her) own. (How ya been? It's been a while!)

I have absolutely no discipline when it comes to these things, whether it's painting, writing, or so forth. Being mercurial, I operate by mood, so I don't ever set quotas; when I feel like working I work until it's done or until I basically pass out, whichever comes first. When I am not in the mood for working, I can't make myself do so.

I completely understand. Hope (if you want to change) that you find some ideas here, too!

I write when I have something to say. I find that when I try to be more structured than whimsical, the content sucks. Noticably forced and not engaging enough for me to complete half the time, let alone edit.

Yeah, I can understand this. It is what I want to overcome. Until now, that's how I've written. Now, however, I want to (ha!) discipline myself to fill in the "dead spots" with palatable prose.

 

[raphy]

Alas, I don't write anymore (A fact which is sure to disappoint Colly, amongst others, I have no doubt) .. My time is taken up these days by my music. I decided that I had to focus on just one artist pursuit otherwise I'd be spreading myself too thinly. So most of my days are spent with CuBase on the PC, my guitar in one hand and my sequencer in the other.. We're getting there, slowly.

When I *did* write, however, I wrote when the muse took me. When it comes to artistic activities, I've found that forced is not a good way to go for me. If I don't *want* to write it, it won't come out particularly well. It's part of my gauge that tells me how good my writing is. If I'm engrossed enough in the story I'm writing, I'll want to write. If not, then it usually means there's something wrong with the story and I should start over, or give up and come back when I *am* inspired enough to write well..

It's the same way for my music. Not really with the actual mechanical act of recording, but certainly with the writing. Writing lyrics is hard without the muse in evidence. Less so with writing of the music - I am no composer, and in the end, the music I write is nothing more than a vehicle for the lyrics, but even so, the music needs to be appropriately inspired, otherwise the songs all sound the same.

Recording, of course, is like a purely mechanical action - It's like typing up when you've written into the computer (If you write on paper, for example) - Occasionally, you'll notice things that you'd like to change; things that don't work as well as you thought they would when it was in your head, but mostly, it's just a transfer of ideas to a different, more accesible medium. (Since I can't play the music that's in my head to other people without some form of telepathy )

 

[wishfulthinking]

Wow, everyone works differently!

I fall into the undisiciplined lot. My goal is to write a 1 x 5k story per month. I'm only managing 1 every 2 months. My other goal is to finish the stories I've started [I write by chapter only, otherwise I would never finish, and never post it on lit] before I start a new one.

I don't plot or plan, just read the last 2 sentences of the last chapter, then keep writing. That's why none of my readers can guess where my stories are headed - because I don't know either!

I do want to get more disciplined in terms of planning stories - a very loose, fluid idea of what each chapter should achieve. In terms of diarising times to write - this will never happen for me, not point agonising over it!

 

[wishfulthinking]

Originally Posted by Equinoxe
I have absolutely no discipline when it comes to these things, whether it's painting, writing, or so forth. Being mercurial, I operate by mood, so I don't ever set quotas; when I feel like working I work until it's done or until I basically pass out, whichever comes first. When I am not in the mood for working, I can't make myself do so.

Same. No point forcing it. And it is very dependent on mood, because I notice that effects how I write - Barbie and Ken, watch out!

 

[wishfulthinking]

So attaching writing to a meal is a good, uhm, what's the word I'm looking for, trigger or signpost.

Mental conditioning, I like it!

I wish I could work in a routine, but if I did, I'd probably get shitty when it gets messed up!

That's the beauty of being an amateur, isn't it?

And that's all I'll ever be!

 

[neonlyte]

Alas, I don't write anymore (A fact which is sure to disappoint Colly, amongst others, I have no doubt) .. My time is taken up these days by my music. I decided that I had to focus on just one artist pursuit otherwise I'd be spreading myself too thinly. So most of my days are spent with CuBase on the PC, my guitar in one hand and my sequencer in the other.. We're getting there, slowly.

And me I guess I'll just have to listen to the music.

 

[~hellbaby~]

In general no; if I don't have anything in my head and try and 'make' myself write it winds up being a piece of crap. When something starts flying around I jot it down until I can write then usually don't stop until the ideas do. Usually I'm waiting for this so I'm hard to stop once I start. The only time I make myself do it is if it is something for an old story I just don't feel like finishing anymore, if I got something good, or I think is good at least, then I discipline myself.
(I saw the title and thought it was going to be about spanking, but that is no fun self administered)