Check In Day 4

[fleetsparrow]

Hello, friends!  It seems cruel to say "happy" Monday, so, uh... Greetings on this Monday.

Poll #32171

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

View Respondents

How goes the writing?

View Answers

Going well!
2 (28.6%)

Going poorly.
1 (14.3%)

It's going.
3 (42.9%)

Writing?
2 (28.6%)

Something else...
1 (14.3%)

Discussion:  Stress.  Despite claims that "good" stress exists, generally when we talk about stress, we mean the bad kind.  You know, the kind that makes your stomach knot, your shoulders tense, and makes you want to crawl into the nearest dark room and sleep for a year.  When it's short-term stress, or we know there's an endpoint in sight for the stressor, it can be easier to let our writing wait until the stress has passed.

But sometimes the stress just keeps going.  Maybe it's a long-term situation, like a toxic job or home environment.  Maybe it's, to borrow a phrase, a series of unfortunate events that just keeps going.  Maybe it's a chronic illness.  Whatever the case, the stress isn't leaving and waiting to write until the stress passes is no longer an option.  Sometimes the longer the "not writing" time goes, the higher the level of stress.

So, my question to y'all:  How do you balance writing with stress, both short and long term?  Do you find that certain types of stories seem easier or harder to write during stressful times?  Do you stick to a set wordcount, or go for "any words are good words"?

Comments

[fleetsparrow]

Throwing my own answer down here, because why not?

I always feel like the higher the stress goes, the less I write. And yet, after keeping track of my writing days this year instead of wordcount, I've found that I write more or less the same number of days whether I'm super stressed or not. There are definitely weeks where nothing gets done because outside stress is too great, but there always seems to be a following week where I write a lot, almost like I'm making up for the lost time.

I don't know how much the types of stories I write varies, but that probably has more to do with the fact that I pretty much stick to slice of life, "low stakes" type of stories overall. I have noticed that writing does flow better and easier when my stress levels are lower, but nothing past that. Something new to look at!

[omens]

The something else is stardew valley :D

For me, acute stress is paralyzing. Like appointments, imminent arrival of guests, illness, etc. I won't be able to remember to string a sentence together. But chronic stress.........that can work, because avoidance is a major tactic in my toolbox, and writing is one of those things that gives you a nice ✅ in the win column when everything else is shit.

[omens]

I love being able to look back after keeping track of things like this! I've been tracking both word count and days this year, it's calming to see it when it feels like I'll never write again :D oh look, I've been here before, it all evens out eventually.

[fleetsparrow]

Aww yeah, gentle games! :D

Oof, big same on the acute stress. If I have a mid- to late-afternoon appointment there is nothing that can get me to focus on anything else, no matter how hard I try. ;__;

Avoidance writing is a great and time-honored tactic! 🖋🖋