How often do you go autopilot while writing?

[MR_Stranger]

I often go autopilot while writing and don’t know what I'm writing myself. Later I think "Who wrote this part? I don’t remember writing it."

 

[Sylver]

Do u mean falling asleep on the keyboard?

 

[Rachel_Leia_Cole]

Almost never. I’m constantly weighing words for meaning and sentence structure for cadence. My mind is always focused on the paragraph before me. It would be easier if I could go autopilot!

 

[CinnaSloth]

im on autopilot 95% of my life. writing is the only time I actually pay attention.

 

[xizl]

When I don't have writers block I usually write like the next line was already there. but when I have it...I take forever to come up with even three paragraphs. 1000 words feels like a wall on those days

 

[Lorelliad]

Autopilot, like getting into the zone? Almost every single chapter I write.

 

[L1aei]

I often go autopilot while writing and don’t know what I'm writing myself. Later I think "Who wrote this part? I don’t remember writing it."

Thing is... for me, it's not autopilot but something different. Some days I write like I’m someone else, but not like I put on a mask. More like... this'll sound weird, but the mask wears my skin.

See, how I view going into autopilot, channeling that creativity, is that it still feels like us when we can read back whatever we wrote. Like, say, “Yeah, don't remember writing it like that, but, sure, that was me," deal. This, what I experience, is more like reading it later and feeling... like, some sort of flicker of estrangement. That "...who wrote this?" moment.

Look, years ago, it wasn't... healthy. Now? Now it's manageable. I'm gonna stick on topic of the thread and not make this any heavier.

 

[rainchip]

No autopilot, but like Steven King said, writing is a form of self-hypnosis. Definitely enter some kind of trance.

 

[L1aei]

No autopilot, but like Steven King said, writing is a form of self-hypnosis. Definitely enter some kind of trance.

He also has a drawer full of sticky notes. I still find it funny that he mocked his university professor as an UNO reverse on being mocked for what he wrote becoming popular and credited by other bigshot writers.

 

[HungrySheep]

I wish I could write on autopilot.

 

[Fang_Yuan]

I often go autopilot while writing and don’t know what I'm writing myself. Later I think "Who wrote this part? I don’t remember writing it."

You mean flow state? When the story begins to flow inside my head and I begin to daydream. But basically whenever I wrote but I require total concentration and to not be disturbed or I end up getting really irritated so I write often before sleep.

 

[Daeron]

I often go autopilot while writing and don’t know what I'm writing myself. Later I think "Who wrote this part? I don’t remember writing it."

I went straight 100% autopilot after 5 glasses of Old Tennessee.

 

[FRWriter]

Sometimes I get into the zone. When I'm in that zone, the words just flow. Sometimes I write like 2k words in an hour. I have even done 2k in 30 minutes once.
Most of the time, I need WAY longer for that amount, though, as it's not about "writing fast" but creating a good story.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I've found I'm more likely to do that when editing - just start re-reading, tweaking, and get lost in it (often instead of writing).