What do you guys do on your down days to get some words in?

[Guest]

Hey guys. It's great to be around others who write. It's hard to write because I struggle with Major depression and other illnesses, what do you guys do on your down days to get some words in?

[Victoria]

Be kind to yourself! If all you can write for the day is "character a and character b go to the lake and some stuff happens." That's still better than not writing anything at all! And if you can't write even that, then give yourself a much needed break. We are not perfect. We'd love to write every single day and be on a set schedule, but it doesn't always work out that way and that's okay!

[Mark]

True, daily life does get in the way of writing. Whether that's depression or dibilitating disabilities and/or illnesses, or ptsd and mind numbing drugs in my case. How do we get around it? Honestly, not sure but somehow I do, we all do. If the writing voices have left, I just jot down notes and ideas and I'll get back to them, sometime.

[Brian]

For me, when I'm down, writing helps me feel like I'm accomplishing something. I spend much of my time writing flat on my back in bed with my laptop propped up on my knees with pillows. I try to get into the story and grammar and focus on that instead of what I missed in life.

[Jayson]

I try to always sit in front of the screen at least once a day. adding one word, re reading a single sentence is still better than nothing at all. but I try to not expect the same output every day. I recognize the issue exist and respond in kind. If i feel motivated but I simply can't make progress I might watch a movie or read a book in a similar genre as 'homework'.

Beating ourselves up gets us nowhere.

I might trip today, but I'd rather trip and have to get back up, than totally burn out trying to drag myself along the gravel because I can't stand.

Don't break the habit of writing (if you can) put down a few words, then go for a walk. call a friend. Writting is very rewarding, but it is very lonely and mundane. Change your perspective and see if that helps

[Kiamie]

I take a day off when it's necessary & sometimes, simply because I want to. It's difficult to be creative when your mind isn't at peace. Be kind to yourself. When I'm not mentally fit to write, I jot down my thoughts and ideas & I expand on them when my creative abilities are at best!

[Anne]

You probably find it hard to write because you know you are a good writer but those you have been around probably put it down and your major depression etc is your lack of hope in your life as a result of this. Don't worry if you are a good writer and you continue to write even if they block you in this lifetime the people in years to come will love you

[Patsy]

When I'm down or in a cranky mood, I put my feelings in to my character. "Polly sat down on the porch. What was the point anyway? They were all going to die, sooner or later. Why bother to grow flowers? The planet was burning up? Her business was failing. Her youngest son hadn't come home for a year? She couldn't even cry about it. Her tears had all dried up..." It may be only a few paragraphs, but then I feel better and Polly looks out across the field and sees a deer or something and the book goes on. I may keep that in the story or cut it later, but I'm off and writing.

[Terran]

I don’t write every day and don’t think you need to. Self care is important and that includes being patient with yourself.

But, If you don’t know if writing will make your day better or not and want to just get some momentum, I have a section at the top of my google doc called “everything I know” and every once in a while, I delete the entire section and write it again.

Just force yourself to write down everything you know about your world.

“City looks like stalagmites, people are cold and distant, main character is lonely throughout the story except these moments…”

After listing around 10 things, I usually know if I’m interested in spending a few hours writing more about this world.

I either hated every second of it, or really wished I could see it more.

It also sparks ideas sometimes and that excitement can really set a pace.

[Dana]

Take a break while still working on your book. Do this by compiling lists. Favorite names for characters. Do image searches for models who represent your characters' appearance. Make detailed background notes on your characters to make them more real to you. Look for music that could represent moods for certain scenes you have in mind, close your eyes and imagine where you would place this music.

Make a list of words and phrases you like, which you might insert in your writing where appropriate. Read how-to books like "Save the Cat Writes a Novel" (highly recommended). And don't forget all the inspiration available free at YouTube. Go there and search "writing advice," for example. Make sure you have a pen and paper to jot down all the valuable notes you'll find from various writing-advice sources on YouTube. There are numerous videos on what to do if you get stuck, for example. And good luck, Alita!