Difficulties in Writing

[Manchegan]

I can't stop myself from editing as I write and pondering almost every word. I'm a nut for the sound of language. Obviously the meaning is more important, but i can't stand to let something that sounds bad exist on my monitor. I've been told that it's best to power through a story and edit later, but I have an incredibly hard time following that advice. I'm worried that since the words never 'pour' out of me, I'll never be successful. Is anyone out there a more metodical writer that's met with success? Any advice on how to trick myself into writing faster and editing later?

Also, I need hours of quiet to get anything done. I usually reread much of what i've already written before i can get started again. Is that normal? any ideas on how to overcome these habits?

[Jeter09]

I can't stop myself from editing as I write and pondering almost every word. I'm a nut for the sound of language. Obviously the meaning is more important, but i can't stand to let something that sounds bad exist on my monitor. I've been told that it's best to power through a story and edit later, but I have an incredibly hard time following that advice. I'm worried that since the words never 'pour' out of me, I'll never be successful. Is anyone out there a more metodical writer that's met with success? Any advice on how to trick myself into writing faster and editing later?

Also, I need hours of quiet to get anything done. I usually reread much of what i've already written before i can get started again. Is that normal? any ideas on how to overcome these habits?

I used to be exactly like you, and I had the same problem. I don't think it is possible to be very successful with that kind of approach, which is one of the reason why I changed. I forced myself to change and it worked, but I don't know how to explain how to change like this other than lots of discipline and don't over think your writing too much.

Also, I started exercising daily around that time so that may have had something to do with it.


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[LMK]

I am not yet familiar with what you write and that will play a big part in how I, personally, attack a piece of work.

For example, if I am writing a white paper on "Practical Considerations for Electronic Filing of Court Papers" for a group of Judges or Attorneys I am going to be more concerned with the details and jargon from the word "go."

However, if I'm writing a position paper, a short story or even chapters for a novel, then, I think, for me it is easier to edit than to write. The thoughts are already there, so I just write them, then I go back and edit and hopefully get the voice on the page to match the one in my head.

But I, also, need a chunk of time to finish a thought in the same voice it starts in. That is not always possible and when it's not, then I need to go back and re-read and re-edit so that I get that fluid voice and don't find myself off chasing rabbits.

If you are trying to get out of that hyper-focus mode, you might try some free association writing; just write or type anything that enters in your head, or have a subject in mind and write everything you know about it and all the questions you would like to ask so that you know even more, or what ever...

Obsessing about the end product can (doesn't always, but it can) limit the range of your voice.

What do you write? Do you find your writing suffers because of this?

~L

[Manchegan]

Thanks for the replies, I was beginning to think that no one would respond. @ Jeter, the exercise idea intrigues me. Physical activity usually brightens my mood and gets my mind looser. To be honest, I've been mucho lazy lately.

@LMK I write a lot of different things, but for me, the nonfiction (newspaper articles and essays) are much easier to write without self editing. With those, I don't stress the final product, because they're more straight forward. With the creative, expressive fiction pieces, i want them to be perfect and reminiscient of quality literature. I want people to read them and feel that they're more than just a decent tale.

That said, the work probably suffers from over analysis and ends up sounding a little too poetic and bookish for prose. My main concern is that finished works are few and far between. I think I'll just have to force myself to change my habits like jeter said. Although Joyce was known to brag of writing a whole sentence in one day...

[MarkBastable]

I don't think it's possible to 'think too much' about what you're writing. Writing is mostly thinking.

I've written for money and to deadlines for twenty years, and I work in exactly the way you describe. It's a perfectly valid way to work. The only reason to change it is if it doesn't seem to be working for you - which it might not, of course. But it works for some people. For lots of people, in fact.

[LMK]

I agree with MarkBastable, and that's why I asked if you thought your work was suffering, because it may just by your writing style.

Jeeter has a good point about the exercise. I would definitely add physical exercise, if you think there is a block or a stilting problem and you think it is interfering with your creative process. I find that exercise can help channel my nervous energy and help me to relax. Please allow me to add the disclaimer that only you and your doctor know what exercises are right for you.

I also agree, Manchegan, that writing about facts is far easier, for me, too.

You know what you want the end product to be, but the funny thing I’ve found about writing is that sometimes the story doesn’t want to be told the way I initially hear it, and I will explore that. Though depending on my deadlines, I may or may not be able to.

Perhaps some imagery might help, I think we are all given different talents in this life, some are easily seen and at young ages, others require much unpacking and onion peeling.

One image of a writer is one who can hear the muse and acts as scribe. Sometimes the muse gets frustrated if the scribe interferes. This is the way I always picture Mozart, a scribe to a musical muse.

Let us know how things go.

~L

[CKclockwork]

First of all, how often do you write? You say you need a few hours of quiet to focus, and so maybe that's why you don't get to write so often and you might need to reread what you have done to recall what you've done. A way to overcome this is to have a set schedule as to when exactly you will write and then when you get into the rhythm of your work you wouldn't need to reread.

As to pouring over every word, I used to have that problem, although to a lesser degree. I'd think that you could write as if you're talking to someone, and that way it'll become more natural.

Personally, I think in order to overcome the need to edit as you write is to practice writing. Practice is the only way you can be confident about your output. You will have to get used to the rhythm of writing your work, and in that case a special schedule would help. When you have no time (especially in my case, because i'm a student), twenty to thirty minutes of writing a day is fine, as long as you don't lost the rhythm. First, maybe you write one paragraph and edit that paragraph. Then you can move on to pages and edit per page. Then you can go on and edit per chapter until you can write the entire thing without looking back.

Good luck on your work! :)

[LMK]

Yes, I agree, the more one practices, the easier it might be to write and save the editing for the end.

But it might be the style of some and that could be ok, too.

Sometimes things come up and interrupt the best schedules. Personally, if I can't write at least 2,000 words (just to give you an idea) in a sitting before I edit, it's because I'm distracted. And if I'm distracted then I'm likely to be all over the place and will need to re-read and re-write.

Relaxation might be helpful, too. Is that perhaps what you use the two hours for?

~L

[Manchegan]

Relaxation might be helpful, too. Is that perhaps what you use the two hours for?

~L

Usually yes. I use up much of my writing time just relaxing, and by the time my mind is relaxed and ready to write, I'm out of time...

I like the schedule idea. Even if it is for just a half hour a day. Still, it might be hard to maintain while working and going to school fulltime with a four year old daughter (excuses, excuses).

But let's be real. I think I sabotage myself from the get-go, because if i never have time to produce anything, I can never fail to meet my high standards.

[Homers_child]

Oh my goodness, I feel like you exactly described me! :eek:

Which, sadly, means I can't help you. I've been struggling to get my next novel started and it keeps failing because I have such high expectations of myself. It ends up that three hours pass by and I only wrote one paragraph. One day I wrote many pages but then the next day, I decided to discard the whole thing on rereading. It's so frustrating and I don't know how to just let go and freely write. I obsessively go over my sentences and make sure they sound perfect etc etc. I end up getting nowhere.

[MarkBastable]

As to pouring over every word, I used to have that problem, although to a lesser degree. I'd think that you could write as if you're talking to someone, and that way it'll become more natural.

Incidentally - and because I'm compusive about this kind of thing - there's at least one word (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pore)in this paragraph that needs a bit more poring over.

[Delta40]

I thought about free association writing exercises. This will loosen me up a bit. I'm going to do them and then write a spontaneous piece from the 'raw material' mined. I'm a bit like you and can get stuck as a result

[xtianfriborg13]

Sometimes thinking too much is not good. Sometimes it's enough to just let it be it, if you know what I mean