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Katie Garcia's avatar

It's all very interesting to think of the writer's brand of desperation. Spend 5 minutes scrolling through Substack notes and you will see it alive and well. On another note: is 7 am too early to have a "slow beer?" If I shut all the windows and pull down the blinds, I could trick myself in thinking it's the evening...

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Lenora Roseen's avatar

Day 8 — an extended journal entry about writing (or not writing)

Word Count: 1682

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Nephele Tempest's avatar

"My deeply adolescent drive to rebel against deadlines and assignments is so strong that it extends even to the ones I give myself. I am the target of my own oppositional defiant disorder."

This punched me right in the chest. Can't help but deeply, deeply relate. Whenever someone has helpfully suggested I give myself a deadline, I've laughed in that semi-hysterical way associated with people at the end of their rope, because, Nope. Doesn't work.

I second the journaling idea, however. Sometimes--not always, but often enough--getting the ball rolling (the ball being my brain) is key. Morning pages, journals, jotting down ideas instead of polished prose, telling myself I just need to write for five minutes.... Once I start, I can accidentally catch momentum.

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Timothy Deer's avatar

I woke up not really liking my book today, but then I ate two donuts while watching you and Chee, and I wrote my 1000 words. Onwards.

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Kriz Bell's avatar

"tallying all my wasted lives" is everything.

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Kathleen's avatar

I do love a challenge! And today I will write my best writing. So grateful for guidance and support. Write away folks!

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Kristine Galli's avatar

On the days I haven’t been able to write, or write enough to make it to the mark, I’ve allowed myself to open another document and write whatever I want or need to write. Just utter gibberish. But one night this week, my desperate journaling must have stirred something in my unconscious mind while I slept because I woke up and wrote a scene based on the themes from the night before. Proving, once again, that nothing is ever wasted.

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elelea's avatar

1,057

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