Writing When Something Is Consuming You

[polymath]

Speaking of boards - I have one wall about 8.5 ft wide and 6.5 ft wide. I had all my concept drawings, charts, timelines maps (blah blah) stickytacked to it.

Here's the thing. We painted the room and I can't use ANY adhesive on the wall. does anyone know of some kind of corkboard squares that use cleats (or staples or nails . . .)? I don't want to put up "bulletin boards" because I'm greedy and I want the WHOLE wall.

I assume it's a Sheetrock wall (drywall, gypsum board, plasterboard), no matter if it's wood paneling though. I also assume you want to keep the newly painted wall in a pristine condition. Consider a false wall made up of an inexpensive wood batten frame and paneling, say 3/4" by 1" battens ripped from 2-by-4s and 3/16" paneling covered with corkboard tiles, all conveniently available at the nearest do-it-yourself home building supply store, and contact cement. The false wall could be wedged tightly into the space and lean back slightly so it doesn't fall into the room.

[saraflower]

I throw temper tantrums and blame the world and lose sleep and agonize and glare at the dog. Time seems to be the only thing that works.

I've done a few of those ones for sure.

I have to side with Claudie here, in that I want to write more when I'm upset. It's an escape to another world almost, but unlike video games or books it's a world that I'm creating. The sense of absolute freedom helps sooth my anger/fear/sadness/whatever, and a lot of times it even helps my writing. Say I'm angry, and the next scene involves an angry character. Well, I know how to write their actions and dialogue better because I'm experiencing the same thing.

Emotion is just another thing that gets my blood pumping. Music does it too. The greater the "rush," the better my writing becomes.

That's cool. I'm like that when I'm just a basic sad, but guilt and insecurity are different for me for some reason. I need to find a way to channel the energy from certain emotions and convert it into inspiration!! :)

[dios4vida]

Speaking of boards - I have one wall about 8.5 ft wide and 6.5 ft wide. I had all my concept drawings, charts, timelines maps (blah blah) stickytacked to it.

Here's the thing. We painted the room and I can't use ANY adhesive on the wall. does anyone know of some kind of corkboard squares that use cleats (or staples or nails . . .)? I don't want to put up "bulletin boards" because I'm greedy and I want the WHOLE wall.

Aah, boards. I cannot live or work without them. I actually went to Lowe's and got a sheet of melomine for $12, cut it in half, and now I have two 4x4' dry erase boards. WAAAY cheaper than the "real" ones, even if they don't have Sierra's cool little dots on it.

Watcher, if you need to permanently screw it into the wall then you could always use mollys - they look like little hands that hold whatever you're securing to the wall. My dad's a carpenter/welder/mechanic and he always used mollys for things like mirrors and stuff. They're also super cheap at the hardware store. Or you could just get some long screws or nails and go right through the cork.

[saraflower]

I realize that this might not be much help, but there's no wasted time, even when you're not writing. Because as long as you're doing something for the book, you're doing okay. As long as it doesn't die, you're alright.

I have three marker boards in my room. I wake up to seeing at least one of them. Usually the big-ass one on the right of me, next to the window. It's got all sorts of notes on it. So as long as I see that, and I remember... Or I see one of my dolls and think about someone and remember... Or I get inspired by something and remember...

I might write a sentence in my head. On a notecard. I might read someone else's work and think, "I can do better". I might scribble a note. Or hold an imaginary conference where I describe certain scenes to get the fire burning. I might get one thing or another going inside, wanting, so wanting to write.

But if I'm not feeling it, if I'm at that depth of depression and exhaustion, I won't.

However, if the story is still living, if I'm still living, it's alright. No time has been wasted. Because it has been worked on. You can edit, you can mold, you can work on side projects and improve while the story sits and waits for you. You can read and get more points, constantly increasing your mind's power in writing.

Time is not wasted unless you sit, stare, and refuse to work on anything related to the book, and let the sadness overcome you and win completely.

At least, that's my two cents. And it comes from someone who battles happy-manic\mad-manic\depression of the crazy insomniac deep gloom I want to die kind. It takes nads to lift your finger when you get in those sad moods.

Thanks. It feels good that you understand where I am coming from. And thanks for showing me that I haven't really been wasting time. If I wrote in a half ass way because of a cluttered mind, it would hurt more than help anyway.

[Watcher55]

Consider a false wall made up of an inexpensive wood batten frame and paneling, say 3/4" by 1" battens ripped from 2-by-4s

<no girls allowed while Watcher works>

I've actually considered that as a last resort but your method is actually easier (and cheaper) than what I was thinking (plywood on a frame of 2x4's)

[polymath]

<no girls allowed while Watcher works>

I've actually considered that as a last resort but your method is actually easier (and cheaper) than what I was thinking (plywood on a frame of 2x4's)

So what we're talking about is basically a stage prop, a foreground backdrop. I'm amused that a stage prop is used to visualize a story under construction instead of constructing it to illustrate a performance's setting. Seems delightfully ironic somehow.

[Watcher55]

<no girls allowed while Watcher works>

I've actually considered that as a last resort but your method is actually easier (and cheaper) than what I was thinking (plywood on a frame of 2x4's)

So what we're talking about is basically a stage prop, a foreground backdrop. I'm amused that a stage prop is used to visualize a story under construction instead of constructing it to illustrate a performance's setting. Seems delightfully ironic somehow.

:P "All the world's a stage. . . " I actually got the idea for the wall from my brief experiences in theater (high school and actor friends).

[Cookie]

It depends for me. If I am feeling anxious or down, I might avoid my WIP like the plague. I'll do others things, mostly reading or drawing, until I can get recharged to write. Other times I need to be in a dark, weepy mood to write. Then again, I usually end up killing a character in that state.

Chocolate book forts always help too.

[Claudie]

M'haha, thanks for the boards tips, guys. I didn't mean to derail the thread!

[sierramcconnell]

For some reason I've been watching a lot of Scott Pilgrim, too. XD It makes me happy.

[Fenris]

Chocolate book forts always help too.

The Oracle speaks!

:P "All the world's a stage. . . "

I lol'd. XD

Now, an addendum to my earlier post: anxiety is a whole different animal. If I'm anxious about something, like a big event the next day, I can't write. It's when the event's next week that I run into trouble, because that's a week lost.

But as for guilt, I've learned to live with it (not emo, I promise. Just a really big mistake a few years ago), so it doesn't hinder my writing that much unless something really bad's happened, and fairly recently.