Consistency Issue

[CinnaSloth]

Okay.. Normally, I read about people not being able to stay constant, or consistent in their writing schedules, either because of timing, stress, work, business, and business (not work, but over all being busy), etc etc etc..

My issue is, once I do get into the flow of writing, I just don't want to stop. Skip eating, skip bathroom breaks, just forgetting I had to go in the first place, putting off chores, or errands I know I SHOULD be doing, but say tomorrow me will take care of it, or just plain-jane-ignoring life. I'd rather feel like I'm accomplishing something within the story, than, in reality, probably staying healthy, constructive, or the like.

I physically have to tear myself away from my laptop to tell myself.. go to the bathroom. EAT something. Let someone???? know you're alive.
I'm sure if I had pets or kids they'd be on fire and starving in the corner like I was playing the Sims. "Eh, they'll be fine. Back to writing my 28th consecutive Romance novel. This next one will be a Best Seller for sure!"

Am I the only one who has this problem?
How do I tell myself it's okay to relax, and not feel guilty about doing so?

 

[WhimsicalLantern]

Not just you. Writing for me tends to be very hot and cold.

When I'm cold, getting 500 words in a day is an absolute chore and I'm not happy with any of them, frequently going back and deleting most of them when I have better ideas.

When I'm hot, I can drop 10,000 words in a day like it's nothing and before I know it, it's 3am and I realize I should have been in bed hours ago. I'll sleep the bare minimum and wake up only to do it all over, trying to maximize how much I write before I run out of steam.

 

[DireBadger]

Naww, that's actually really common. When I get too focused, I might turn out 30,000 words in two days and then go unconscious.

If you can handle it (work, pay rent), it's best to lean INTO your productivity cycles, in my experience. Otherwise you risk LOSING your most productive and creative workflow.

Just... don't let yourself be dominated by guilt. as long as you are ENJOYING your 'writing fugues', lean into them, especially if you are planning on making profit from your writing... you are WORKING, and while Amazon payouts are delayed, they are still working to pay grocery money.

Of course, you might have to get into the habit of 'making up' with your family after a fugue, but no one ever said being a writer would be easy.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Just... don't let yourself be dominated by guilt. as long as you are ENJOYING your 'writing fugues', lean into them

That would be the problem though. already having had posted, and updated, and wrote the next chapter, but also don't want to flood the front page of updated stories. -but ALSO feeling too guilty of feeling like I haven't done enough to be deserving of playing games, or relaxing, or laying down for a nap. I feel.. stuck?? I guess in a repetitive loop of, maybe a bit more work, and I'll suddenly feel like I can chillout- rinse repeat without the break time. ultimately somewhere in the future burning myself out or having a stroke from not taking time to unwind? idk. my slow time is writing here in the forums. is that normal for down time?

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

Your definetly not the only one... sometimes I can only get 2500 words out a day or even less... other times ill put 10-20k words down in 18 hrs or so.

If I get on a roll like that, I want to keep going while the creative juices are working, cause I know if I stop, ill be stuck in a rutt again lol

 

[FleecedSheep]

A little more information may help. Locking in and doing a large number of chapters right away isn't too uncommon. I've had moments where I can write out an entire arc over the course of the day.

From what I'm hearing, the issue may be the rate of release, or publishing said chapters. Consider that whenever you do a large number of chapters, pacing out the releases for people. It may help with readership, as well as boost consistency. Inbetween bouts of binge writing, you can also take the time to look over the story, do editing and whatever else you need or want to do in the meantime. Which could improve the overall quality of your story as well. That and well, taking time to rest and take care of yourself. That way you always feel like you're making headway and not just spinning your wheels in the mud.

There are professions where people can work an obscene number of hours for short periods of time, followed by long periods of inactivity. Some people do better with that kind of schedule compared to others, so your situation overall isn't that unique. For more extreme cases, consider people working on oil rigs. Months on end of hard back breaking labor, broken up by months of intensive rest. Trucking can be similar, with how some people treat it. I knew a few truckers that would work months on end, essentially living in their truck before taking long periods of rest, and surviving off their earnings for the rest of the year before getting back to the grind, so to speak.

Though, I am going off a bit of an assumption here. Ultimately, if you're constantly feeling guilty, the best solution is to space out chapter releases after a binge and use that time to do less intensive work, like editing or re-reading it for consistency. The act of binge writing isn't an issue, as long as you're properly resting between bouts, and doing something productive but not as intensive may help.

Hopefully this helps, if not, well, I hope I'm not overstepping.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Used to do this all the time but haven't so much any more. Supposedly, this ability to hyperfocus is a side effect of ADHD.

 

[OniKaniki]

Sound like ADHD problem...

 

[CinnaSloth]

A little more information may help. Locking in and doing a large number of chapters right away isn't too uncommon. I've had moments where I can write out an entire arc over the course of the day.

From what I'm hearing, the issue may be the rate of release, or publishing said chapters. Consider that whenever you do a large number of chapters, pacing out the releases for people. It may help with readership, as well as boost consistency. Inbetween bouts of binge writing, you can also take the time to look over the story, do editing and whatever else you need or want to do in the meantime. Which could improve the overall quality of your story as well. That and well, taking time to rest and take care of yourself. That way you always feel like you're making headway and not just spinning your wheels in the mud.

There are professions where people can work an obscene number of hours for short periods of time, followed by long periods of inactivity. Some people do better with that kind of schedule compared to others, so your situation overall isn't that unique. For more extreme cases, consider people working on oil rigs. Months on end of hard back breaking labor, broken up by months of intensive rest. Trucking can be similar, with how some people treat it. I knew a few truckers that would work months on end, essentially living in their truck before taking long periods of rest, and surviving off their earnings for the rest of the year before getting back to the grind, so to speak.

Though, I am going off a bit of an assumption here. Ultimately, if you're constantly feeling guilty, the best solution is to space out chapter releases after a binge and use that time to do less intensive work, like editing or re-reading it for consistency. The act of binge writing isn't an issue, as long as you're properly resting between bouts, and doing something productive but not as intensive may help.

Hopefully this helps, if not, well, I hope I'm not overstepping.

No, you're alright. You're fine. xD you're trying to help which is always greatly appreciated.

My issue is, I don't like to rest. I have insomnia, and a need to feel like I'm working. I don't like breaks, but I also know my body isn't built to keep working. I hate sleeping, or sitting around because I feel like i should be doing something. like I'm wasting time. and I think I need a way to actually relax without it feeling like I'm relaxing. I don't know if that makes sense...

Used to do this all the time but haven't so much any more. Supposedly, this ability to hyperfocus is a side effect of ADHD.

I've always thought I might have ADHD, or autism, or dyslexia, lol some kind of random issue. I was just never tested, or diagnosed, but it also feels like its becoming more and more apparent the older I get. My brain is my worst enemy.

Sound like ADHD problem...

dang.. How much time do I have left, doc? is it terminal?
I feel like I do. along with half a dozen other things.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

No, you're alright. You're fine. xD you're trying to help which is always greatly appreciated.

My issue is, I don't like to rest. I have insomnia, and a need to feel like I'm working. I don't like breaks, but I also know my body isn't built to keep working. I hate sleeping, or sitting around because I feel like i should be doing something. like I'm wasting time. and I think I need a way to actually relax without it feeling like I'm relaxing. I don't know if that makes sense...

I've always thought I might have ADHD, or autism, or dyslexia, lol some kind of random issue. I was just never tested, or diagnosed, but it also feels like its becoming more and more apparent the older I get. My brain is my worst enemy.


dang.. How much time do I have left, doc? is it terminal?
I feel like I do. along with half a dozen other things.

ADHD is manageable - for some, with discipline, for most with drugs. and only fatal if you're concentrating on that cute little squirrel and don't see Truck-Kun barreling down the road...

 

[CinnaSloth]

ADHD is manageable - for some, with discipline, for most with drugs. and only fatal if you're concentrating on that cute little squirrel and don't see Truck-Kun barreling down the road...

SomeBODY once told me-
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed~

 

[ElijahRyne]

Okay.. Normally, I read about people not being able to stay constant, or consistent in their writing schedules, either because of timing, stress, work, business, and business (not work, but over all being busy), etc etc etc..

My issue is, once I do get into the flow of writing, I just don't want to stop. Skip eating, skip bathroom breaks, just forgetting I had to go in the first place, putting off chores, or errands I know I SHOULD be doing, but say tomorrow me will take care of it, or just plain-jane-ignoring life. I'd rather feel like I'm accomplishing something within the story, than, in reality, probably staying healthy, constructive, or the like.

I physically have to tear myself away from my laptop to tell myself.. go to the bathroom. EAT something. Let someone???? know you're alive.
I'm sure if I had pets or kids they'd be on fire and starving in the corner like I was playing the Sims. "Eh, they'll be fine. Back to writing my 28th consecutive Romance novel. This next one will be a Best Seller for sure!"

Am I the only one who has this problem?
How do I tell myself it's okay to relax, and not feel guilty about doing so?

I do often get hyper focused on things, but never on purpose, however it is hard for me to ignore bodily functions outside of hunger when doing so.

As for consistency, I don’t think I have consistently done something at generally the same time every day for more than a week straight. Don’t know what it is, but habits seem to be extremely difficult to form, and fairly easy to break for me. One week I might consistently write for ~1hr at noon, the next week when I try to write at that time it is impossible for a write more than a few words and keep it making sense. One week I might fall asleep at 7pm, the next at 3 am. One week I am on these forms every hour from when I wake to when I sleep, the next I might not even check once. This pattern is even more stark in reality, because it is not often broken into weeks but days. For example, for 3 days in a row I have 3 meals each day, the next 4 days I only have one each day.

 

[OniKaniki]

ADHD is kinda like you do 1 thing, but get distracted and do another thing. But sometimes you would do this one thing for a long time without notice, and time has passed.

Man, I also love Fubuki. Really hope she has more aura farming moments in that event.

 

[CinnaSloth]

Man, I also love Fubuki. Really hope she has more aura farming moments in that event.

I don't think I have problems concen-
Fubuki? Holo FBK Fubuki? She's so cute. Friend~o!

=======================
I just got this:

Can't stop!​

You've posted 100 messages. I hope this took you more than a day!

....I think I have ADHD...

 

[OniKaniki]

Friend~! Let's steal our friend's wife and kill everyone at their Marriage Ceremony!

 

[CinnaSloth]

Friend~! Let's steal our friend's wife and kill everyone at their Marriage Ceremony!

HoloGTA was one of the best Holo storylines ever told. Pure Cinema.

 

[L1aei]

Am I the only one who has this problem?

No.

But do be careful about that. Unless you are fucked up in the head, your body will naturally protect itself by gradually resisting this trend; it can lead to cognitive exhaustion. That's sometimes worse than burnout because you feel mentally and physically sick of reading or writing, but still motivated to do more, which your body has now identified as harm.