Writing is really hard

[ginny_t]

So, would you define writer's block as lack of ideas, or ideas that won't get out of brain onto page?

Can anyone recommend a Mac-friendly text editor that has a wordcount function and saves in rich text format? I have a word processor, but I'm liking a very basic text editor for writing these days. Ha! That's funny! Because I'm not writing these days. A whopping 281 words is the result of sitting at the computer all day. bah!

Comments

[otheronetruegod.livejournal.com]

I've always found writers block to be simply an inability to get into the mode of writing. Do some free writing, write everything that comes into your head, even "I can't believe I can't think of anything to write" and just go. I'm usually surprised how much that helps.

YMMV.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

YMMV? (Am I going to regret asking?)

[otheronetruegod.livejournal.com]

You Must Massage Vagina. So yes, regret away.

...

Seriously, though: Your Mileage May Vary.

[vampy-chan.livejournal.com]

I've 'kinda' experienced writer's block, though not being a writer it was more like "I'm going to feel stoopid and procrastinate rather than write another b/s essay on Shakespeare", but I have experienced artist's block. To me it's whenever you can clearly visualize/realize a creative idea in your head, but when you try to put it down on paper/canvas/yarn it just doesn't work. It's like when you have a word right on the tip of your tongue but for the life of you, it just won't come out. The idea's there, it's just shy.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I'm probably doing something more like your "b/s essay on Shakespeare" scenario.

It's kind of like seeing a photograph of yourself, or hearing a recording of your own voice. "I don't look/sound like that!" Except in this case, it's a feeling of not doing justice to the idea. buuu...

[jez-e-bel.livejournal.com]

I think I've got an old mac version of word lying around... but it's for os9 so I'm not sure how much help it'd be...

btw: saw that you sent a last email today but computer crashed... couldn't get to it...

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but I have Word for Mac. I was thinking of a smaller program, just a little text editor, nothing fancy.

Meh, don't worry about the e-mail, it was probably not important.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

...what, it has to be one or the other?

I've had both, quite distinctly. Last night, I sat down knowing exactly what I wanted to write about...and got not a single word put on paper. Stared at the paper. Did not write anything. Off and on for hours.

I've also had the moment of "I don't know where to go next with this", or (less frequently) "I need to start something and I have no idea what". But the first is, alas, more common, as writer's block goes.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

The thing is that I never thought I had writer's block. That seems so... writer-ly. So professional. I just figured it was a bigger failure on my part. Like a failure to be a writer, not a writer's failure.

[seangaffney.livejournal.com]

Having tons of ideas, and getting those ideas coherently onto a page, is what separates writers from everyone else. Ideas are easy. Ridiculously easy. Writing is staring at the screen and writing only 251 words a day and yet going back the following day and trying to do it again. :D

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

So really hard and bloody ineffecient, too? Yep, this is *much* better than being an office wench! ;-p

[seangaffney.livejournal.com]

But I bet you feel more pride about those 251 words you created than an entire day you spent as a wage slave. :D

[andora.livejournal.com]

I've had writers block for the better part of 7 years. Generally it's just cowardice in actually putting the ideas on a page, and this strong feeling of "not right" somehow.

But those 281 words are hard won, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree with you calling it cowardice. It's really hard to try to be creative. Especially as you "grow up" and start to become "responsible productive members of society". And then there's The Voice. You know the one. The one that says that your writing is crap, that your characters are flat & cardboard, that your dialogue is stunted & stilted. I'll keep on trying, and you'd better, too. Then it's not cowardice, 'cause we're doing our best. ^_^

[diaryarena.livejournal.com]

Try using TextEdit with the TextExtras plugin system.

Then you just go
ctrl-shift-|
choose "STDIN: All text" "STDOUT: To separate window" and command "wc"

That's what I DO!!!!!!!!! but I'm a nerd.
I'll send you a copy of my text-editing program I wrote, it should work okay but you have to do a manual button-press to update the word count.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

The one that 'Tini told me about, with the button that says "button"? heee

I don't need realtime wordcount, that would probably be too distracting. Thanks!

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I use SubEthaEdit for my Mac text-editing needs. I believe you can make it word count fairly easily, but I'm not at home to look at how it's done.

In the NaNo forums, a bunch of Mac people are crazy about CopyWrite for writing.