# How much time do you spend thinking about writing?



## nhope (Dec 30, 2011)

There are some days when it seems I can't think of anything other than my current story and other days I can't get it to stay in my head and still other days when I wonder why I do this to begin with.

This makes me crazy.

My best thoughts come to me when I am at or in places where there is no possible way of recording these brilliant flashes of insight, such as in the car when I forgot my tape recorder or in the shower where it is virtually impossible to jot things down using body wash. And sometimes even if I do have that recorder the thought in my head doesn't replay as well when trying to get it on tape. Someone ought to invent a mind recorder.

I wonder if I should just start my breakdown now or wait until 2012...

***
completely unrelated but I must confess that I love that I am tagged an "Ink Blot". I wish I had thought of that for a screen name. I'm sure it's temporary but it makes me smile just the same.


----------



## ibeelaw (Dec 30, 2011)

I think about writing as much as I think about eating and in the same fashion.  Writing, for me and most people who enjoy writing, is just as nourishing.  I have to admit, though: I am not a seasoned writer.  I write for therapeutic purposes in the form of a journal and I write as a hobby and there isn't anything formal about it.  I am so in love with writing and how it makes me feel, I think about it all of the time.  Writing is always on my mind.  I can turn anything into an essay with creative writing and I am always wondering how.  I'm always looking for a lesson that can be taught creatively and writing is the best method to convey the simple connections I make every moment.


----------



## Bloggsworth (Dec 30, 2011)

Cat Waxing~ Behavior the author undertakes to avoid working on the Work in Progress. E.g. "I've mowed the lawn, washed the windows, weeded the garden, scrubbed the toilets, cleaned the bugs out of the lights, and worked out all my menus for the next three months. Guess it's time to ... wait! How long has it been since I've waxed the cat?"


----------



## Jeko (Dec 30, 2011)

I have the same problem, in an even wilder variety of circumstances. The way I see it, if the idea is really good, you'll remember it. If you forget it, it can't have been that good. Anything really good I get I write on a post-it note, which helps me remember both good and less good ideas.


----------



## Dramatism (Dec 30, 2011)

I think about it _enough_.  If I'm nearing the end of a story, then I'll start really thinking about what I could write for my next one, and I get so excited to finish one and start the other.  I think about what I should write for the next chapter after I finish one, and sometimes when I'm in the middle of writing one as well.


----------



## WriterJohnB (Dec 30, 2011)

Bloggsworth said:


> Cat Waxing~ Behavior the author undertakes to avoid working on the Work in Progress. E.g. "I've mowed the lawn, washed the windows, weeded the garden, scrubbed the toilets, cleaned the bugs out of the lights, and worked out all my menus for the next three months. Guess it's time to ... wait! How long has it been since I've waxed the cat?"



"I've checked my e-mail, spent an hour so reading through all the forums asking "how do you feel about" questions about writing and how other writers feel, and begun a few "how do you feel about" question threads of my own. Guess it's time...wait! How long has it been since I checked my e-mail?"

If you're spending a lot of time on forums social networking, no wonder you have time to "think" about writing. I use the forums for tips on promotion, publishing etc., except for the rare times I...Hold it, I'm in a 
"how do you feel about" question thread, aren't I? Never mind! I'm going to get back to writing my latest novel. See ya!

JohnB


----------



## Dramatism (Dec 30, 2011)

WriterJohnB said:


> "I've checked my e-mail, spent an hour so reading through all the forums asking rhetorical questions about writing and how other writers feel, and begun a few rhetorical question threads of my own. Guess it's time...wait! How long has it been since I checked my e-mail?"
> 
> If you're spending a lot of time on forums social networking, no wonder you have time to "think" about writing. I use the forums for tips on promotion, publishing etc., except for the rare times I...Hold it, I'm in a rhetorical question thread, aren't I? Never mind! I'm really going to get back to writing my latest novel.
> 
> JohnB



I'm pretty sure the OP doesn't count for the times you're on the forums...


----------



## starseed (Dec 30, 2011)

All day, every day. Even while I'm sleeping, pretty much.


----------



## nhope (Dec 30, 2011)

Dramatism said:


> I'm pretty sure the OP doesn't count for the times you're on the forums...



Nope, I don't. Nor do I count forum time "wasted" because it offers me other writers to talk to and different points of view and some laughs.


----------



## Kyle R (Dec 30, 2011)

I think about writing often. I text myself on my cell phone anything interesting that pops into my daily life.. sights, ideas.. funny things I hear people say in conversations.

If I can't remember it or record it somehow, I just let it slide. Ideas are great but the real value is in how they are applied.


----------



## Dreyga2000 (Dec 30, 2011)

You sir (OP) remind me of myself. Personally whenever I'm sitting down at my computer or with a paper and pencil I can never quite seem to focus on my ideas, but whenever I'm driving, on a hike, at work, or something in the like I can't seem to think about anything else. Most days it's to the point of obsession (or so i tell myself).


----------



## mritt400 (Dec 30, 2011)

I find that I spend more time thinking about writing far more than I spend actually writing - regrettably.  I have all sorts of ideas but for some reason when I find the time to actually write *poof* they're gone. I try to take notes if I have a chance but they never seem to convey what I was originally getting at somehow. Or, I'll start something and scrap it.  Then, start something else and scrap it. Maddening. I suppose it's not so much a matter of motivation as it is a matter of persistence. I hope to jar something loose at some point.


----------



## Tiamat (Dec 31, 2011)

Truthfully I don't spend much time thinking about writing at all.  Only when I sit down to write, usually.  Although sometimes, when I've written something I'm not satisfied with or gotten stuck on a certain part, I'll think about it while I'm doing mindless tasks such as cleaning hamster cages, testing fish tanks, giving a bearded dragon a suppository--you know, the usual.  

But really, if I'm pleased with what I'm working on, I don't think about it until it's time to do some more work.


----------



## ShatteredUniverse (Dec 31, 2011)

About the physical act of writing? -- I tend to avoid thoughts of unpleasant subjects when I can. 

About my fictional mileu and trying out scenes and deciding where I'm going to take my characters when I gather up the courage to open up yWriter and tackle that blank screen? -- Almost all the time, even when I'm at work. Especially when I'm listening to music.


----------



## egpenny (Dec 31, 2011)

All the time for me, I wake up to dialogue in my head.  Go to sleep thinking about what's going on in the story I'm working on.
If I'm not writing, I'm thinking about writing, about plots and action, characters and everything else. 
Everything I see or hear is judged by the standard thought...can I use this in a story? 
My kids are almost afraid to talk to me anymore.  LOL


----------



## Blue Road Blogger (Jan 1, 2012)

Bloggsworth said:


> Cat Waxing~ Behavior the author undertakes to avoid working on the Work in Progress. E.g. "I've mowed the lawn, washed the windows, weeded the garden, scrubbed the toilets, cleaned the bugs out of the lights, and worked out all my menus for the next three months. Guess it's time to ... wait! How long has it been since I've waxed the cat?"




Sometimes I would look to walk the neighbor's hamsters.  I got rid of the cat and hopefully excuses.  If I can just get the hamsters to go away.


----------



## Notquitexena (Jan 2, 2012)

nhope said:


> There are some days when it seems I can't think of anything other than my current story and other days I can't get it to stay in my head and still other days when I wonder why I do this to begin with.
> 
> This makes me crazy.
> 
> My best thoughts come to me when I am at or in places where there is no possible way of recording these brilliant flashes of insight, such as in the car when I forgot my tape recorder or in the shower where it is virtually impossible to jot things down using body wash. And sometimes even if I do have that recorder the thought in my head doesn't replay as well when trying to get it on tape. Someone ought to invent a mind recorder.



I find my mind wandering to ideas for my plot or ways to describe a character at the strangest times, like when I am in the middle of the church service, or wandering the aisles of the grocery store. If I think the idea or descriptive phrase is something I absolutely MUST remember I stop what I am doing and scribble a note to myself, then go back to it when I can get in front of my laptop. Conversely, sometimes I am sitting at my laptop and I delay the editing/writing process for the ever important checking of email and FB posts, or determining the balance of my checking account...


----------



## L M Weaver (Jan 3, 2012)

Writing is on my mind a lot lately as I was working on the same characters and book for years. Now that it's finished I am wondering, and slightly worrying, what the next project will be. I'm not the sort to sit down and plan a character they just seem to appear in my mind and nag at me to be written. Think I need inspiration.


----------



## Aderyn (Jan 3, 2012)

I do a lot of thinking about my writing.  I have realized that what I actually do is daydream my story and this allows me to kind of 'live' my story.  It's great for seeing it - the action, characters and setting. But it's pretty annoying for my family who are always complaining that I'm off in Lala land when they ask me a question and I say 'hmmmm?'

My trouble with writing is i seem to want to day dream the whole thing out before I write one word.  I think I've just got to write.  That's what we all need to do, just write!


----------



## Notquitexena (Jan 3, 2012)

L M Weaver said:


> Writing is on my mind a lot lately as I was working on the same characters and book for years. Now that it's finished I am wondering, and slightly worrying, what the next project will be. I'm not the sort to sit down and plan a character they just seem to appear in my mind and nag at me to be written. Think I need inspiration.


The main character for the novel I am currently polishing up came to me in a dream - it was the middle of the night, and a King's messenger was riding through the darkness; the night wind was giving him an earache. 

I woke from this dream and kept turning over the scene in my mind, thinking of all the opportunities a messenger would have to be present near those who wielded power, and what that messenger might learn. The novel is currently 220K words long and I am about 40% of the way through what I hope is the final edit/polish.


----------



## archer88iv (Jan 4, 2012)

As little as I can possibly get away with.


----------



## nhope (Jan 4, 2012)

egpenny said:


> My kids are almost afraid to talk to me anymore. LOL



Love this! Do they first hesitate before telling you anything, just in case?  



Notquitexena said:


> The main character for the novel I am currently polishing up came to me in a dream - it was the middle of the night, and a King's messenger was riding through the darkness; the night wind was giving him an earache.
> 
> I woke from this dream and kept turning over the scene in my mind, thinking of all the opportunities a messenger would have to be present near those who wielded power, and what that messenger might learn. The novel is currently 220K words long and I am about 40% of the way through what I hope is the final edit/polish.



Isn't it amazing that this happens?


----------



## philistine (Jan 4, 2012)

A few hours per day, perhaps. I do spend more time thinking about writing, than actually writing. 

Much like men think of sex, yet spend little time actually doing it.


----------



## Vedil (Jan 4, 2012)

I think about it alot, I usually will write something down in a notebook if I think of something interesting. Even though I write stuff down I can never bring myself to actually work on the project itself lol.


----------



## Robdemanc (Jan 4, 2012)

I think most of the time about it.  If not then I am reading.  If I have to do some practical chore then my head fills with my current work.  But I love it and wouldn't want anything else in my head.


----------



## egpenny (Mar 6, 2013)

re: kids being afraid to talk to me.
Nhope:  They talk and then look at me and say, "That's not going in one of your stories is it...Ahh Mom."  or in grandson's cases "Ahh Gma.":rofl:


----------



## Angelwing (Mar 6, 2013)

I can't seem to get it out of my head either a lot of the time. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Repetitive at times, but it's how I've gotten some good, new ideas for my story, so it's nice in that respect.


----------



## Circadian (Mar 7, 2013)

I think about my writing all the time.  It gets me excited for when I'm actually ready to write it all down.  My head has been filled with scenes and characters from a sci-fi series that's been in development for several years and my obsession over it has never waned in all that time.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that I've missed out on a lot simply because my head's always been in the clouds.


----------



## philistine (Mar 7, 2013)

The idea of my novel comes into my head several times a day, even if I haven't been writing as of late.


----------



## ac?d (Aug 9, 2013)

_All_ the time when I have a project I'm working on. If I have a recently finished, recently begun or otherwise incomplete work, it's pretty damn close to all I think about. I become pretty useless.


----------



## enchantedsecret24 (Aug 9, 2013)

I think of my current project pretty much all day and night. No matter what else I may be doing, it's always there nagging at me to write it! It can get frustrating at times because I can't possibly write 24/7, although honestly I wish I could. I daydream a lot when I'm not actually writing about different scenes or conversations my characters could have. Sometimes I feel like an obsessive crazy freak, but hey, it's getting my first book written so I'm just dealing with it. It drives my boyfriend crazy but he just deals with it in hopes of my book becoming a bestseller and making us rich. HA! He knows nothing about writing/publishing but it's okay, whatever makes him feel better about my obsession.


----------



## OurJud (Aug 9, 2013)

nhope said:


> Someone ought to invent a mind recorder.



They have. It's called The Brain 

30+ posts... someone must have said that already.


----------



## bookmasta (Aug 9, 2013)

Why are people digging up old threats? This is from 2011....


----------



## WechtleinUns (Aug 9, 2013)

Wait... I'm supposed to be writing???? Ack!


----------



## blazeofglory (Aug 10, 2013)

I do write because I like to think and since thinking remains within me if do not write. If I write I can be in the minds of so many persons who read my thoughts or feelings or opinions or experiences or my patterns of thinking. I think deeply and ceaselessly and unendingly and I feel what I think must be passed on to others. Talking does not suffice and while talking we cannot find a real listener and therefore I will have to turn to the idea of writing and writing can be done anytime and verbal expressions demand of a suitable environment but writing is something I can do ay any time.


----------



## Angelwing (Aug 10, 2013)

Numerous times, I've sat down to write, but end up doing a bunch of research instead-so I guess that counts as thinking about the story.


----------



## WechtleinUns (Aug 10, 2013)

On a more serious note, I have found some moderate success by applying computer programming concepts to the activity. Basically, I treat it like a piece of source code. I define the characters, objects, and environments that I am going to use, and I create a loose flow-chart of system calls, where each system call is a scene or chapter.

Then I run the 'application' by going through each system call and just crank everything out, with only loose deference to spelling and grammar. After the program terminates, (i.e. First draft), I go back and debug the output, editing for selling and grammar mistakes.

So... yeah. Hmm... you know, this actually gives me a great idea for a piece of software...


----------



## Angelwing (Aug 10, 2013)

WechtleinUns said:


> On a more serious note, I have found some moderate success by applying computer programming concepts to the activity. Basically, I treat it like a piece of source code. I define the characters, objects, and environments that I am going to use, and I create a loose flow-chart of system calls, where each system call is a scene or chapter.
> 
> Then I run the 'application' by going through each system call and just crank everything out, with only loose deference to spelling and grammar. After the program terminates, (i.e. First draft), I go back and debug the output, editing for selling and grammar mistakes.
> 
> So... yeah. Hmm... you know, this actually gives me a great idea for a piece of software...



Sounds like something my cousin would do to write a book! He's majoring in computer engineering and is very techy.


----------



## MaeyMaeyCute (Aug 10, 2013)

All day, everyday.


----------



## Robdemanc (Aug 11, 2013)

WechtleinUns said:


> On a more serious note, I have found some moderate success by applying computer programming concepts to the activity. Basically, I treat it like a piece of source code. I define the characters, objects, and environments that I am going to use, and I create a loose flow-chart of system calls, where each system call is a scene or chapter.
> 
> Then I run the 'application' by going through each system call and just crank everything out, with only loose deference to spelling and grammar. After the program terminates, (i.e. First draft), I go back and debug the output, editing for selling and grammar mistakes.
> 
> So... yeah. Hmm... you know, this actually gives me a great idea for a piece of software...



I have thought similar.  Object orientated programming concepts are a good way of thinking about your characters and what they do, who they affect, and what their properties are.


----------

