Check In Day 23

[fleetsparrow]

Despite the post office mail delivery notification saying that my mail was delivered "today, December 24!", it is, in fact, only the 23rd.

AND THANK GOODNESS.  <s>wildly unprepared for the day, fr</s>

But let's ignore the rapidly oncoming movement of time and think about words!

Poll #32425

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5

View Respondents

Are ya writin', son*?

View Answers

I surely am!
2 (40.0%)

I surely am not!
2 (40.0%)

Don't call me Shirley...
1 (20.0%)

Other, to be commented upon...
1 (20.0%)

*or other offspring-related gender term.

Discussion time:  Some people say you should let folks know what you're writing, because accountability helps!  Some people say you shouldn't tell anyone what you're working on until it's done, or else your brain will decide it's already actually done.  No matter how many times I try to put myself into the former category, I am, in fact, a "keep it secret, keep it safe" kind of writer.  A lot of times, even saying, "I'm going to write today" is like opening a revenge movie with a 10 minute scene of the protagonist's Idyllic Life Before.  And yet, I still do it.

So, long lead-in aside, how does it go for you?  Are you able to have accountability buddies?  Or you also a *drops this and runs* writer?  Or maybe something in the middle?  Do you wish you were a different type?  Does it depend on the kind of writing you're doing?

Comments

[fleetsparrow]

Let's all pretend I totally posted my own comment to yesterday's discussion, yes? Thank you.

I did pretty much say all I had in mind in the main post, but I have noticed that, especially in the last 1-2 years, even the faintest hint of a due date seems to be enough of a stressor to send my entire body into Painville for at least an hour. This is not, as you can imagine, entirely conducive to either accountability OR actual writing.

[lilly_c]

I pretty much keep quiet about what I'm working on until it's ready to post. One of my friends often looks things over for me before I post.

These days I'm pretty much in between where I can just post and hope for the best and other times I need to have things looked over first.

[fleetsparrow]

Yeah, I think I used to be better about being motivated by/with accountability when I had someone I shared a lot more of my writing with in person or in real time. Sometimes I wonder if it's more I'm out of practice, because boy, if I finish something I plan to post, the waiting period between "finished" and "posted" is excruciating for me, even if I meant to have it looked over before posting.

[linaewen]

I finished a big writing project yesterday, thankful to have it off my plate! Now I can concentrate on my poor neglected LotR fic that has been straggling along for years! I want to finish it in 2025.

I usually don't say much about what I am working on until I post it, especially when it is something I am just poking at instead of actively writing! But it helps to be accountable now and then!

[omens]

Congrats on the finish! I love your icon btw!!

[fleetsparrow]

Hooray for Big Project completion!!!

Oof, yeah, the gulf between "actively working on" and "noodling around" is a wide and dangerous one. And sometimes the projets switch sides! You know, for """fun""" or something.

[omens]

I sat down to write today, and then ended up working on my year end fannish post instead, lol. I'm not ruling it out for tonight, though!!

I'm more of a keep it secret keep it safe writer for sure. Broadest strokes! Except!! I tell my spouse about everything I'm working on, he gets the full garbage can full of feelings, and often will complicate wips for me >:( but idk why he is an exception. Maybe because I don't let him read my wips, so I believe that he believes I am doing all of these ideas Great Justice. No stress! Only enthusiasm! Actually kinda funny with my current wip (which I call "the wip with the premise i dare not speak aloud"), even he didn't get to know for a couple weeks until i was like, in agony XD

[fleetsparrow]

I can dig that. I think a lot of the time WIPs really need the "No stress! Only enthusiasm!" energy, especially in the earlier stages when "What happens next?" gets answered with, "Good question!"

Fingers crossed for successful later writing!