Writing & Depression
Hello everyone,
I'm not 100% certain that this is the right place for this post, I hope it is and I'm sorry if I turn out to be wrong!
It's difficult to put down in words what is so clearly written out in my mind, a feeling a lot of you will be familiar with I'm sure, but I'll give it a go -
For over two years now I have been working on a novel, it's a fantasy, and I'm on what I'd like to think is the second draft.
However, for many months now I have been struggling with it. It isn't that I don't want to write, that I have 'writers block', or that I'm just short on time or ideas. I've thought over it and examined the situation very careful, and I don't think I'm 'excusing' it, as it were. I firmly believe that if you want to write it should be fun, if it isn't fun you shouldn't be doing it (Exception of school work!), and I do want to write.
'The key to writing is to sit down and do it', is a phrase used more or less by a lot of authors giving advise to aspiring ones. I think about my writing every day, and I feel drawn to it - I want to lose myself in this world I have created, that is still developing and changing and growing. It's exciting for me to be there, but something is stopping me. Due to complications in life, just the thought of writing is draining, it's exhausting to think about doing, as are many things (physically and emotionally). It leaves me feeling desperately sad, I wish that I could push on with my writing, to keep going with it. I find that I have spurts where I can revise a chapter or two, but then there are weeks that are barren, I won't even open the folder I keep it all in, though every day I will think about it.
I am still reading in my spare time, which due to visa reasons I have far too much of right now (Delving into some work by Mr. King, in fact, and enjoying it!). I am struggling with depression and anxiety a lot of the time. In the past I've delt with this in my own way, and overcome it to write. I would spend my lunch break at work writing, or spend days off in a pub or cafe where I could be alone and relax, but unfortunately that is no longer possible.
I guess my question to you is, put bluntly, how can I write when I feel depressed, anxious and trapped most of the time?
I'm not expecting anything close to a set answer to end it, but any suggestions, or encouragement would be warmly welcomed.
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
J 
@juiceyhammo
Hey. I understand how it can be hard to concentrate when you want to do something. ..but you just can't at the same time.
You could. .. listen to music and write your novel at the same time.
Perhaps...you could use illustrations and less words...words are not the only thing which tell a story. Perhaps if you illustrated your story it could help you feel less anxious.
Also....if you're typing. Maybe write everything down on paper and then type it up. (Perhaps it'll be easier and you could also listen to music at the same time).
Perhaps another storyline. ..something which just comes straight to your mind so you're thinking less.
Hope I've been able to help. And remember to take breaks when writing. Maybe you need a few days off from writing and try not to think about it. Then within a few days, when you're ready. You can return to it.
Good luck with your writing! Hope any of this helped
@juiceyhammo
"I find that I have spurts where I can revise a chapter or two, but then there are weeks that are barren, I won't even open the folder I keep it all in, though every day I will think about it."
You just summed up my own struggle.
This is exactly what happens and I am here to tell you that this is what happens to all writers. We need inspiration and it comes in small doses. and then there are long dry spells. Go look up George R.R Martins writing schedule. The guy is like the slowest writer on earth and is yet one of the most amazing.
Anyway, I wish you best of luck with your novel.
God bless you :-)
Thank you both for the responses, they were both helpful and appreciated.
As far as George R. R. Martin goes, I am a big fan of his and eagerly awaiting the new book! I guess you are right, it can be fairly normal! Thanks for the help
@juiceyhammo
Now, this is not the advice of one wh has managed to get enough thoughts together to write an actual book ( kudos on that btw! ) first draft or otherwise, but I had a thought and figured it might be worth sharing.
What if, when your own feelings are getting you down too much to work on your story, you change tracks and work on your characters instead? You could write bios and write about how they feel/felt/would feel about all kinds of things. It could flesh out your characters some, which could help you move your story along. But it could also maybe help you through your own problems as well, by looking at them through the eyes of your characters?
Again, not exactly the voice of experience here, but I thought it might be a thought worth sharing. Good luck with your book! :)
@juiceyhammo
Another writer here.
When depression drag me down on writing, when anxiety tells me i have other things i must do, i try to look at the facts. Writing is very time consuming so i begin to manage my own time for me to have some time to write, have some ideas on my days to be prepared when i'm on front of the blank page.
And, if even so it's hard, then i only can recommend you to clench your teeth and go ahead. As i usually say, "write three days and correct seven". You won't be free from the correction process so write as much material you can. Even if time consuming, the correction is a more light exercise.
I hope this helps you.
@juiceyhammo
I'm in the exact situation. It can become so frustrating...
The advice I can give you is two. 1) go out. The more you go out you can be motivated and even find inspiration and motivation to write. I found that the more I isolate myself the worst the situation gets; 2) force yourself to write! Doesn't need to be even good honestly. A good writer needs constant practice! Even if it's just one or two phrases. So sit down and force yourself to write. it can be a diary entry of the day, your feelings into a poem, a critic analysis of something you've been thinking, anything!
Best of luck :)
@juiceyhammo
It's a question a lot of writers have faced. There's always going to be times that you just don't want to do it. But what has helped me is this motto I came up with. "Don't think, just do". When I say that, and repeat it to myself, if I think of something, I just say, wait that's a thought, and don't think, just do. So, I stay focused on the goal, and will deal with the throughts later. I hope that helps. it works for me, most of the time, but not always, when I'm drained, that's it. I'm drained, and that's a perfectly valid reason to not do it.
@juiceyhammo
I get anxiety and drepession when I write, which make me easily distracted.
My best advice for you is turn off the internet and anything else that pulls you away for one to two hours each day and jsut simply write.
Writing was not the hardest thing for me, it's editing. I will clean before I edit. (And I hate to clean)
I wrote 8,000 in a chapter (It was a week worth of work) last in April and I lost it due to a corrupt file. Due to stress and depression, I am just one day left to finish it. So you just need to give yourself a pep talk, your favorite drink and get lost in your created world.
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@juiceyhammo
You're right. We were wrong. We didn't value you or your voice. We ignored you and made you the scapegoat. We're doing ___, ___ and ___ to improve and make sure it never happens again, and will be compensating you with ___, ___ and ___ for the lifelong damage it caused. Let us know if you need anything in the meanwhile.
