(no subject)

[redbird]

Well, I did the laundry.

Other than that, I've played nethack, and otherwise not worked on my novel. I was sneezing this morning, and now my hip hurts when I walk--but none of this means I can't work at this computer. I just don't know where to take the story. Maybe I should just open the file and stare at it until drops of blood form I start typing something just to relieve the monotony. Then I can look at that, go "but that's wrong!" and maybe know what it should be instead.

You know, that might actually work. Tomorrow morning.

Comments

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I find there are times for writing and times for not-writing, and then there are times when I could do either. The hard part is distinguishing the third times from the second. It's better for me to think "OK, I will do X now and write later" than to beat myself up for not writing when I can't, but then I have to watch out for getting lazy and procrastinating endlessly. Usenet is a good tool for me for this, if I can compose good usenet posts, I'll probably be able to write, if I am spluttering along incoherently, then probably not. Usenet (rasfc especially) also gets my brain in a better place for writing than playing games does.

Rasfc also teaches the "nine and sixty ways" mantra -- there are people whose best way of working is staring at it until blood forms. It's worth trying lots of things and seeing what works. But if you don't know what happens, maybe you need a little while playing games and thinking about it.

Tetris-type zen games work better than most things, for me, they give my brain enough to do to let some of it wander off and noodle with characters. Nethack (which is like Moria, yes?) would probably have too much narrative.

Oh, and it's hard to stop people interrupting you because you're working when they can plainly see you're playing tetris.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

I think I do times specifically for not-writing much less than you, but part of my process is getting into the right frame of mind during the day by knowing I will be writing of an evening. And one of the advantages of having numerous semi-done non-primary projects is that I can cat-vacuum from one thing by working on another. Sometimes, too, I will puase in the middle of something and realise that I have to do the staring until blood forms now.

I don't do the Tetris thing, but it is mildly annoying that the truly kjey parts of my day job, the large-scale and complex systems design stuff, is indistinguishable from the outside form staring into space muttering under one's breath and occasionally taking entirely cryptic notes.

And thank you for setting the back of my head signing "How do you solve a problem like Moria.. "

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

No, it's "and they call the wind Moria." ;-)

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

"Moria, I just met a girl called Moria..."

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that's aMoria..."

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

The annoying thing about laundry is that you know you're just going to have to was the same clothes again.

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

A similar reason keeps me from making my bed every morning.