Writing Longhand

Writing inspiration hits when you least expect it. Much of the time it catches us when we are away from our computers. Even in my one-room efficiency apartment I find myself not writing because my laptop is either off or in standby. Sometimes, I simply don't want to open my journal software program. I feel awful and lazy about this.

But I know this: I do want to write. I have to do something about this, now. I've decided that it's not absolutely necessary to have a digital copy of my musings. Therefor, I have begun to use inexpensive composition notebooks. I get them at 40 cents a pop at Walmart.

I've got a comp notebook for just about everything: my official journal, writing exercises, notes on books I'm currently reading, book reviews, writing topics, dreams, my WIP, blog posts, and the one I carry around with me all the time - "Writing on Hand" notebook. I'm sure I've either got more or I'll make more in the future.  I figure, if the journal entry is really important, I can always back it up with my journal program.

As a result, I've written about five to ten times as much as I normally do. It may be overkill, but hey, it works for me. There are other benefits to writing by hand, as well. Plenty of pros and cons for each.

Disclaimer: This post was written initially in longhand and then transcribed to Blogger

What method works best for you?

Hiking Trip

I'll be gone for the next 4-6 weeks while I'm hiking the trails from Pittsburgh, PA to DC. I'll only have my cellphone, so availability and ease of use for blogging will be difficult at best. During rests I'll be reading Jean Paul Sartre's "On Being and Nothingness". That's sure to add some weight to my pack. It's a work on existentialism, ontology, and phenomenology. It will make quite the challenge. Even students majoring in philosophy require much preparation just to begin reading this book. I've done all that time will allow, and hopefully will have some insight to share at my return.

Writing Change-Up

I've come to the conclusion that I need to set my current novel WIP aside and work on some other things. I'm finding that I need to do much more research than I want to do at this point. The reason is that I need to be writing. I do write in a journal, but I need to write fiction so I can improve upon it. And if I'm blocked in my novel because of the need to do too much research (I have OCD and ADD, so I feel I have to know everything about everything) I will never get to practice writing fiction.

Therefore, I've decided to switch to short stories for a couple of months or longer. I also joined a group of writers at Write 1 Sub 1, whose aim is to write AND submit a short story or flash fiction per week. This is indeed a challenge, however, one I think I would like to subject myself to. I'm off to read a little more about it, and to begin work on my first story.

The Medication Shuffle

It's time for a medication change. My doctor and I were going to do it on my next visit because I had just began another med change (dosage only). However, that's almost two months away, and that is two months I can't be like the way I am now. I've been taking Anafranil, of the older TCA class of antidepressants. It is also prescribed for OCD and is supposedly the "gold standard" for the treatment of OCD. My personal experience with this med is that when I try to increase the dosage to help control the depression, my obsessions become more difficult to manage. However, I need the increase to control the depression, which of the two, is more threatening for clear reasons.

Even though Effexor is a bear to get off of because of the incapacitating withdrawal symptoms, it had worked very well for me for over 7 years. It is an SNRI, a newer class of antidepressants (with significantly fewer side effects).  Since being off of it, my life seems to have kept going in a continual downward spiral. I just started about 4 days ago and will be titrating the dose up to a therapeutic level and titrating down the Anafranil. The effects of antidepressants can sometimes take a couple of weeks to a couple of months to be noticed.  I'm not certain whether or not is in my mind, but I am beginning to feel slightly more calm (Effexor is also prescribed for Anxiety disorders) and thus the OCD is less severe already. I hope this is a positive indication of things to come.

It's Finally Here

This is the final day for Blogathon 2011. I'm excited that I have been able to come this far. It can be so difficult for me to get my thoughts together. However, during the blogging, it was an inevitability that I had to stay the course.

At the beginning, I had talked about ways that I had prepared for the blogathon. And, other things I or anyone could do further to make life easier and more productive. Some of these tasks, I have achieved and some I haven't.

For instance, I had planned to pre-write several posts so I wouldn't have to write a last minute post. Which I failed miserably at. In the beginning I posted toward the beginning of the day, and toward the end most of my posts were in the evening. Procrastination kept rearing its ugly head.

I realized, however, that not every word I write has to be magic. At least I'm writing everyday, which was part of the purpose of this blogathon. I will attempt to keep this blog active with 1-2 posts per week at the beginning. I wish I could post everyday, but it just can't happen. I've met some really good people in this endeavor and hope you continue to visit. 

Just Wordle It

Succeed with Short Term Goals

Trying to multitask, for one with OCD and ADD, is akin to pulling teeth. It's just damn near impossible. I've got a few writing projects I'm working on, as well as so much reading that I sometimes don't know where or when to begin. I want to read my dozen or so writing books that I've barely even looked at. I want to read my philosophy books. And I need to read science fiction that is similar to my WIP. Not only that, then there are the hi-tech/scifi books I've already read, but would really help to read again because of their similarities to my WIP.

So now, I'm trying to think in smaller loads. How about if it takes me 2 days to read a book from start to finish (at least fiction, I can do this), and at the very least spend 1 hour per day of at least thinking (preferably writing) about my novel. Even freewriting will work, as long as it has something to do with my WIP.

Just the thought of having completed one book in a day or two seems fascinating. What? A whole book read? Yes, if you can focus and not worry about all the other things (the trivial ones at least) that pop up in our lives. You'll have to be the judge of that. I think that would give me the spark to be even more goal oriented, because at that point, I know that I can do it; it is attainable. Not as futile as I once thought.

If you are anything like me and feel totally overwhelmed, then take a look at your project (whatever it may be) and imagine it as small chunks. Write them down, and mark them off when they are completed. I'm sure you will find it immensely rewarding.

Now, I'm off to create my short term goal sheets. However, do not forget about the long term goal either. You have to have a big picture, just don't focus on it all the time. Wish me Luck! And good luck to you, too.