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dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pucnm | f1pufo2 | 1,569,688,281 | 1,569,688,321 | 14 | 130 | i’m in a group chat with some writer friends and they often ask me to look over their stuff because i don’t hold back. however, i think it’s important too to point out the good stuff along with the bad. if their grammar is off consistently, i’ll highlight it once and say they need to find other places like it and fix it, and i’ll offer help on how to fix it and an explanation why. i’ll also be sure to include a comment about their description of the setting or a certain bit of cool characterization. in my experience, the only real way to hammer something in to someone is to constantly bring harsh attention to it. i had a friend who used commas very very excessively, leading to a ton of run on sentences. i helped her edit a couple of things, and now she doesn’t do it anymore because she learned. unless you’re being outright rude, it won’t be mean. just make the edits required and leave some good notes, too | Speaking as someone with a hard time receiving criticism, it's all about the delivery method. The book author WANTS to write a good story. You WANT to help them do that. So the goals are mutual. It's not about "changes they need to make"...it's about "ideas you have for their consideration". It's not "here's a glass of water you need to drink". It's "I have a glass of water. Drink from it as you desire." | 0 | 40 | 9.285714 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pvucg | f1pv176 | 1,569,688,981 | 1,569,688,594 | 46 | 26 | I would tread lightly here. Did she give you her book and ask for critiques or help? Sometimes people just want to share. If she’s just sharing, I would tell her what you liked about the story and parts that confuse you, but not go in-depth. If she specifically asked for helped editing, proofing, etc, or asked for a critique, then dive in. Writing is very personal. For me, though, I would prefer to have someone say “Why did this happen? It makes no sense. It’s not written well.” Than for them to give me a glossed-over response. | I usually start by asking what their goal was in asking me to read their work, pushing them be honest with themselves about their intentions. After some prodding, some people are forthcoming with their desire to simply have someone read their words on the page without having much interest in getting feedback. It can be a little frustrating that they never really wanted feedback...yet it avoids the ensuing resentment or breakdown that comes from giving feedback they ultimately don't want to hear. Hopefully though, this situation wouldn't be the case with them saying they want feedback, so from there, it's matter of asking what specifically do they want feedback on. To be clear, I'm talking about dealing with a more sensitive person, so your goal is to start them in the comfort zone of where they think work needs to be done (i.e. where they already think there are questions to answer about their work) to get into the stuff they may not realize isn't working for you. | 1 | 387 | 1.769231 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pv92q | f1pvucg | 1,569,688,695 | 1,569,688,981 | 16 | 46 | When you find a flaw, try to point out somewhere in the story where they did that same thing well. This highlights their weakness and gives them an example of how they can be strong in that area. Ex. The pacing is off in chapter 2, but you nailed it in chapter 4. Ex. Dialogue is amazing in this scene. Its wooden and filled with exposition in this scene. The writer can see their flaws and understand quickly how to make it a strength but doing what they've done before. It's easier to correct something when you know you've already done it well. Of course, this depends on them having done it well elsewhere. Doesn't have to be amazing. Just better than the problem portion. | I would tread lightly here. Did she give you her book and ask for critiques or help? Sometimes people just want to share. If she’s just sharing, I would tell her what you liked about the story and parts that confuse you, but not go in-depth. If she specifically asked for helped editing, proofing, etc, or asked for a critique, then dive in. Writing is very personal. For me, though, I would prefer to have someone say “Why did this happen? It makes no sense. It’s not written well.” Than for them to give me a glossed-over response. | 0 | 286 | 2.875 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pucnm | f1pvucg | 1,569,688,281 | 1,569,688,981 | 14 | 46 | i’m in a group chat with some writer friends and they often ask me to look over their stuff because i don’t hold back. however, i think it’s important too to point out the good stuff along with the bad. if their grammar is off consistently, i’ll highlight it once and say they need to find other places like it and fix it, and i’ll offer help on how to fix it and an explanation why. i’ll also be sure to include a comment about their description of the setting or a certain bit of cool characterization. in my experience, the only real way to hammer something in to someone is to constantly bring harsh attention to it. i had a friend who used commas very very excessively, leading to a ton of run on sentences. i helped her edit a couple of things, and now she doesn’t do it anymore because she learned. unless you’re being outright rude, it won’t be mean. just make the edits required and leave some good notes, too | I would tread lightly here. Did she give you her book and ask for critiques or help? Sometimes people just want to share. If she’s just sharing, I would tell her what you liked about the story and parts that confuse you, but not go in-depth. If she specifically asked for helped editing, proofing, etc, or asked for a critique, then dive in. Writing is very personal. For me, though, I would prefer to have someone say “Why did this happen? It makes no sense. It’s not written well.” Than for them to give me a glossed-over response. | 0 | 700 | 3.285714 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pucnm | f1pv176 | 1,569,688,281 | 1,569,688,594 | 14 | 26 | i’m in a group chat with some writer friends and they often ask me to look over their stuff because i don’t hold back. however, i think it’s important too to point out the good stuff along with the bad. if their grammar is off consistently, i’ll highlight it once and say they need to find other places like it and fix it, and i’ll offer help on how to fix it and an explanation why. i’ll also be sure to include a comment about their description of the setting or a certain bit of cool characterization. in my experience, the only real way to hammer something in to someone is to constantly bring harsh attention to it. i had a friend who used commas very very excessively, leading to a ton of run on sentences. i helped her edit a couple of things, and now she doesn’t do it anymore because she learned. unless you’re being outright rude, it won’t be mean. just make the edits required and leave some good notes, too | I usually start by asking what their goal was in asking me to read their work, pushing them be honest with themselves about their intentions. After some prodding, some people are forthcoming with their desire to simply have someone read their words on the page without having much interest in getting feedback. It can be a little frustrating that they never really wanted feedback...yet it avoids the ensuing resentment or breakdown that comes from giving feedback they ultimately don't want to hear. Hopefully though, this situation wouldn't be the case with them saying they want feedback, so from there, it's matter of asking what specifically do they want feedback on. To be clear, I'm talking about dealing with a more sensitive person, so your goal is to start them in the comfort zone of where they think work needs to be done (i.e. where they already think there are questions to answer about their work) to get into the stuff they may not realize isn't working for you. | 0 | 313 | 1.857143 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pv92q | f1pxfqb | 1,569,688,695 | 1,569,689,647 | 16 | 17 | When you find a flaw, try to point out somewhere in the story where they did that same thing well. This highlights their weakness and gives them an example of how they can be strong in that area. Ex. The pacing is off in chapter 2, but you nailed it in chapter 4. Ex. Dialogue is amazing in this scene. Its wooden and filled with exposition in this scene. The writer can see their flaws and understand quickly how to make it a strength but doing what they've done before. It's easier to correct something when you know you've already done it well. Of course, this depends on them having done it well elsewhere. Doesn't have to be amazing. Just better than the problem portion. | The purpose of critique isn't to tell a writer how good or bad their writing is, and it's not to identify everything they need to work on. First, what does this person want from you? Do they want critique or just encouragement? You don't HAVE to enlist yourself to be this person's writing teacher, especially if that's a role neither of you wants! Second, start by talking about what you noticed without value judgments. What happens? What are the main characters like? What genre is the book? What are the ideas or elements that have emotional weight? What my writing teacher used to say is that when we offer up work for critique, what we really want is not to be praised or blamed but to be understood. So do the best job you can of understanding the book. Third, start by talking about what you liked about the book - even if it's not yet fully developed. If you read closely and sincerely, there is no book so bad that it doesn't have moments or ideas or things it's *trying* to do that are worth noticing or praising. This isn't (just) because you're trying to cushion the blow or soften your criticism; it's because developing writers are at risk of throwing away or leaving underdeveloped the best, most interesting things in their writing, because they don't know what those parts are. Or because they know what they're trying to do but they also know they're failing at doing that thing, so... is it just easier to abandon that part? Now. You can find one or two, MAYBE three big-picture things, the things that would make the *most* difference in improving their work. Try to talk about them in terms of your personal experience rather than ironclad Rules. "I felt like my attention was flagging in the section where they're walking through the forest talking about their own personal histories. It feels like a lot of information that we get all at once. So you might think about if all of this information has to come through in the forest section, or if some of it could come later, and it might help to think about - why are they having this conversation? What motivates Viola to tell everyone else about her abusive stepmother right here?" vs. "Don't have so much exposition. Exposition is boring." (You can also flag one or two smaller, prose style issues, if they come up a lot and make a big difference.) Don't try to tell this person everything that's bad about their book in one fell swoop. That's not how we learn. The most effective writing classes I've been in have been the ones where you wouldn't necessarily know, just by listening to the critiques, which pieces were "good" and which pieces were "bad," because the discussion made it clear that they all had parts that were strong and they all had parts that could be made stronger. That's how I've tried to approach critique since then. | 0 | 952 | 1.0625 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pv92q | f1pucnm | 1,569,688,695 | 1,569,688,281 | 16 | 14 | When you find a flaw, try to point out somewhere in the story where they did that same thing well. This highlights their weakness and gives them an example of how they can be strong in that area. Ex. The pacing is off in chapter 2, but you nailed it in chapter 4. Ex. Dialogue is amazing in this scene. Its wooden and filled with exposition in this scene. The writer can see their flaws and understand quickly how to make it a strength but doing what they've done before. It's easier to correct something when you know you've already done it well. Of course, this depends on them having done it well elsewhere. Doesn't have to be amazing. Just better than the problem portion. | i’m in a group chat with some writer friends and they often ask me to look over their stuff because i don’t hold back. however, i think it’s important too to point out the good stuff along with the bad. if their grammar is off consistently, i’ll highlight it once and say they need to find other places like it and fix it, and i’ll offer help on how to fix it and an explanation why. i’ll also be sure to include a comment about their description of the setting or a certain bit of cool characterization. in my experience, the only real way to hammer something in to someone is to constantly bring harsh attention to it. i had a friend who used commas very very excessively, leading to a ton of run on sentences. i helped her edit a couple of things, and now she doesn’t do it anymore because she learned. unless you’re being outright rude, it won’t be mean. just make the edits required and leave some good notes, too | 1 | 414 | 1.142857 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pxfqb | f1pucnm | 1,569,689,647 | 1,569,688,281 | 17 | 14 | The purpose of critique isn't to tell a writer how good or bad their writing is, and it's not to identify everything they need to work on. First, what does this person want from you? Do they want critique or just encouragement? You don't HAVE to enlist yourself to be this person's writing teacher, especially if that's a role neither of you wants! Second, start by talking about what you noticed without value judgments. What happens? What are the main characters like? What genre is the book? What are the ideas or elements that have emotional weight? What my writing teacher used to say is that when we offer up work for critique, what we really want is not to be praised or blamed but to be understood. So do the best job you can of understanding the book. Third, start by talking about what you liked about the book - even if it's not yet fully developed. If you read closely and sincerely, there is no book so bad that it doesn't have moments or ideas or things it's *trying* to do that are worth noticing or praising. This isn't (just) because you're trying to cushion the blow or soften your criticism; it's because developing writers are at risk of throwing away or leaving underdeveloped the best, most interesting things in their writing, because they don't know what those parts are. Or because they know what they're trying to do but they also know they're failing at doing that thing, so... is it just easier to abandon that part? Now. You can find one or two, MAYBE three big-picture things, the things that would make the *most* difference in improving their work. Try to talk about them in terms of your personal experience rather than ironclad Rules. "I felt like my attention was flagging in the section where they're walking through the forest talking about their own personal histories. It feels like a lot of information that we get all at once. So you might think about if all of this information has to come through in the forest section, or if some of it could come later, and it might help to think about - why are they having this conversation? What motivates Viola to tell everyone else about her abusive stepmother right here?" vs. "Don't have so much exposition. Exposition is boring." (You can also flag one or two smaller, prose style issues, if they come up a lot and make a big difference.) Don't try to tell this person everything that's bad about their book in one fell swoop. That's not how we learn. The most effective writing classes I've been in have been the ones where you wouldn't necessarily know, just by listening to the critiques, which pieces were "good" and which pieces were "bad," because the discussion made it clear that they all had parts that were strong and they all had parts that could be made stronger. That's how I've tried to approach critique since then. | i’m in a group chat with some writer friends and they often ask me to look over their stuff because i don’t hold back. however, i think it’s important too to point out the good stuff along with the bad. if their grammar is off consistently, i’ll highlight it once and say they need to find other places like it and fix it, and i’ll offer help on how to fix it and an explanation why. i’ll also be sure to include a comment about their description of the setting or a certain bit of cool characterization. in my experience, the only real way to hammer something in to someone is to constantly bring harsh attention to it. i had a friend who used commas very very excessively, leading to a ton of run on sentences. i helped her edit a couple of things, and now she doesn’t do it anymore because she learned. unless you’re being outright rude, it won’t be mean. just make the edits required and leave some good notes, too | 1 | 1,366 | 1.214286 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1pz3dv | f1r0aa1 | 1,569,690,549 | 1,569,709,395 | 5 | 8 | "What I really liked was \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. An opportunity for improvement is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Do you think \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ could be made stronger by \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_?" | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | 0 | 18,846 | 1.6 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qajku | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,696,802 | 8 | 5 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | If they ever want to publish, they better get used to critique. And if they can't distinguish between meanness and honesty, they better don't give their writing away at all. Sorry, but writers need a thick skin. You're no help if you cushion her in cotton candy. | 1 | 12,593 | 1.6 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1q5flb | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,693,915 | 8 | 5 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Compliment sandwich. The classic. Open with praise. Find something kind to say--that the concept is great, the characters jump off the page--whatever you can say that's honest and will let them know they have \*something\* to work with. Middle is the bad stuff. When I have to give feedback to a REALLY novice writer, I'm super selective here--don't unload everything because for someone super novice it will overwhelm the feedback (b/c there's little positive and lots of negative). For example, with one writer I gave critique, I only focused on the first three chapters (all I could bear to read), and I covered "starting in the wrong place," as well as some of the technical craft issues, including tense switching, POV hopping, info-dumping, etc. I used phrases like "you'll want to watch your tense shifting," and "you've got a spot of info-dumping here, which isn't the most engaging for the reader." For starting in the wrong place, rather than dwell on al that was wrong w/ what they did and why, I gave specific examples of popular books that did it well, and walked them through why. I'll be honest, this writer was super butthurt and has been cold toward me since. It was... gentle feedback lol. I could be WAY meaner (and with more experienced writers, I'm way more direct). So my warning to you is you can be GENTLE and a super novice writer will lose their shit and not be able to handle your feedback. But I have no regrets. I was right, and I was SUPER NICE about it--nicer than anyone else in publishing will be. And I know it's the kind of thing where it might take a year, might take three, but that girl will eventually realize I was right, I was nice, and she'll regret being a dick to me about it. So just warning you: this person might not take it well, no matter what. Some novice writers get SO HIGH off "I wrote a book!" that all they want to hear is "it's perfect publish it now omg" and can't handle anything contrary to that. OK so after you've given some of the critique, close on nice stuff again. Circle back to the compliments from the beginning, saying things like "I really think you've got something here, but it needs some craft work" or whatever. Throw resources here--I think a truly novice writer has to kind of stumble around and figure it out themselves, especially since most won't know what to do with critique. I'd point them toward books, podcasts, YouTube videos... a few different types of things that would enable them to absorb writing craft information so THEY do the work, rather than you having to. I also always encourage someone in this position to read as much as humanly possible in their genre. Often they're... not. Ahem. I also will encourage them to find a beta who is on their level--but I say it more nicely than that :) | 1 | 15,480 | 1.6 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qltym | f1r0aa1 | 1,569,703,068 | 1,569,709,395 | 3 | 8 | Great writers aren't discouraged, they're motivated. However, when it comes to critiques, I don't like to just point out weaknesses. If you're gonna be mean or just put someone down, get the fuck out of Dodge; no one wants you around. Even if a script doesn't have strengths, there's something there that works, it might just need new direction. I like to critique with suggestions. Most suggestions take hold by asking questions. Why was this done? Why did you choose that? Did you ever consider such & such? I engage in multiple conversations with people with feedback for writers with their stories, & I even offer to help them brainstorm through the suggestions, to find new possibilities for their stories. It's all a manner of taking an objective look at their stories. Be encouraging, be guiding. If you ask them: why did you do this?, & the answer is "because it's cool," I would simply reply: 'No, YOU can do better.' If they wrote, they either have a passion for writing, or a drive to tell that one story, but it doesn't mean they did it well. In that case, find the passion, find the drive, find the force that compelled forth the story, & just help them. They may have the seeds for a grand tree, but if they don't use the right soil, if they don't water it, they'll think the seed is worthless. Remind them otherwise. | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | 0 | 6,327 | 2.666667 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qood3 | f1r0aa1 | 1,569,704,223 | 1,569,709,395 | 3 | 8 | If someone is clearly a beginner and making tons of big picture mistakes, focus on those. Give your friend 2 or 3 things she can work on that once done, will drastically improve the piece. For example, maybe she shifts in and out of past and present tense. Or a lot of her scenes lack conflict, or the character's goal isn't clear. Tell her those things. Don't dump 20 thousand line edits on her that will not only overwhelm her, but won't even be worth fixing until she irons out the big picture stuff. | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | 0 | 5,172 | 2.666667 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qg4j4 | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,700,068 | 8 | 2 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Yeah, my screenplay a warm understanding. It was my first screenplay that made me feel amazing. | 1 | 9,327 | 4 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qpsuq | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,704,681 | 8 | 2 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Just tell her that you like what she's got, but there's work to be done, and that as an artist of ANY form it is important to learn to take constructive criticism. Trust me, teach her to grow skin and take the punches. You'll be helping her out. | 1 | 4,714 | 4 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qrs2k | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,705,559 | 8 | 2 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Give good criticism. I mean "your writing needs a lot of work" is a useless comment to anyone who wants to improve. If it were that simple to see, they'd have seen it themselves before ever handing you the work. And detailed criticism also helps the author realize that it's based in actual logic, and also where the criticism might not stroke with their plans. For instance, I've seen people call a good book bad because they thought the main character was unlikable. He was. That was the point. At the end of the day your criticism will invariably be influenced by your own preferences. I think a lot of negative criticism is hurtful precisely because it's sparse. Sparse criticism has the air of being dismissive. Unless this is a person who's getting the very basics wrong (and they do exist), they need to be told where things are going wrong and for what reason. Is their plot hard to follow? Are their characters inconsistent? Do they shirk on describing environments and events? And if they aren't getting the very basics wrong, then that means they are also getting things right. They need to be told this as well. People seem to have the innate assumption that no commentary is good commentary, but I've seen people stray from their strengths in order to fix mistakes. Is their worldbuilding compelling? Tell them. Do they have a funny, easy to read voice? They need to know this. A lot of people seem to think giving criticism is easy, and that the person receiving it must accept it no questions asked. Neither are true. Proper, constructive criticism comes from detailed knowledge of the work itself, and the ins and outs of its particular arena. | 1 | 3,836 | 4 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qzm8o | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,709,099 | 8 | 2 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Tip of the iceberg method: find specific instances of screw ups they make and critique those moments, rather than point out that they consistently screw up the same thing over and over. Just point out one or two examples of said screw up and let them figure it out from there, that way you’ve only offered a small criticism but it carries deeper implications. Essentially, don’t tell them it needs a lot of work, but try to give them the tools to identify that it does. | 1 | 296 | 4 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qi14e | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,701,217 | 8 | 1 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | 1 | 8,178 | 8 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1ql79c | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,702,792 | 8 | 1 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | Compliment sandwich? | 1 | 6,603 | 8 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1quwx8 | f1r0aa1 | 1,569,706,957 | 1,569,709,395 | 1 | 8 | Suggest it in the font that "I like this, here are some suggestions that i think could add to the story" Make it seem like some helpful ideas or thoughts rather than criticism. | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | 0 | 2,438 | 8 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r0aa1 | f1qzrhi | 1,569,709,395 | 1,569,709,175 | 8 | 1 | I’m a teacher, so I have to be careful about critique language. I stick to the following phrases usually: I notice... I wonder... What if... They’re ideas taken from “feedforward” which is a leadership model that encourages growth and not just critique for the sake of critique. | use a sandwich method. this was good BUT but you also did this well. sometimes you gotta bullshit the second good thing, but it helps. i use this for coaching my kiddos all the time. it works wonders, especially for sensitive kids. they don't even actively notice the critique. | 1 | 220 | 8 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1q5h4r | f1pz3dv | 1,569,693,936 | 1,569,690,549 | 8 | 5 | You may need to be blunt, professional publishers, editors and buyers aren't gonna go easy on her because she's soft-hearted and she may need to get thicker skin if she wants to be a published writer | "What I really liked was \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. An opportunity for improvement is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Do you think \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ could be made stronger by \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_?" | 1 | 3,387 | 1.6 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1q5flb | f1q5h4r | 1,569,693,915 | 1,569,693,936 | 5 | 8 | Compliment sandwich. The classic. Open with praise. Find something kind to say--that the concept is great, the characters jump off the page--whatever you can say that's honest and will let them know they have \*something\* to work with. Middle is the bad stuff. When I have to give feedback to a REALLY novice writer, I'm super selective here--don't unload everything because for someone super novice it will overwhelm the feedback (b/c there's little positive and lots of negative). For example, with one writer I gave critique, I only focused on the first three chapters (all I could bear to read), and I covered "starting in the wrong place," as well as some of the technical craft issues, including tense switching, POV hopping, info-dumping, etc. I used phrases like "you'll want to watch your tense shifting," and "you've got a spot of info-dumping here, which isn't the most engaging for the reader." For starting in the wrong place, rather than dwell on al that was wrong w/ what they did and why, I gave specific examples of popular books that did it well, and walked them through why. I'll be honest, this writer was super butthurt and has been cold toward me since. It was... gentle feedback lol. I could be WAY meaner (and with more experienced writers, I'm way more direct). So my warning to you is you can be GENTLE and a super novice writer will lose their shit and not be able to handle your feedback. But I have no regrets. I was right, and I was SUPER NICE about it--nicer than anyone else in publishing will be. And I know it's the kind of thing where it might take a year, might take three, but that girl will eventually realize I was right, I was nice, and she'll regret being a dick to me about it. So just warning you: this person might not take it well, no matter what. Some novice writers get SO HIGH off "I wrote a book!" that all they want to hear is "it's perfect publish it now omg" and can't handle anything contrary to that. OK so after you've given some of the critique, close on nice stuff again. Circle back to the compliments from the beginning, saying things like "I really think you've got something here, but it needs some craft work" or whatever. Throw resources here--I think a truly novice writer has to kind of stumble around and figure it out themselves, especially since most won't know what to do with critique. I'd point them toward books, podcasts, YouTube videos... a few different types of things that would enable them to absorb writing craft information so THEY do the work, rather than you having to. I also always encourage someone in this position to read as much as humanly possible in their genre. Often they're... not. Ahem. I also will encourage them to find a beta who is on their level--but I say it more nicely than that :) | You may need to be blunt, professional publishers, editors and buyers aren't gonna go easy on her because she's soft-hearted and she may need to get thicker skin if she wants to be a published writer | 0 | 21 | 1.6 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qg4j4 | f1qltym | 1,569,700,068 | 1,569,703,068 | 2 | 3 | Yeah, my screenplay a warm understanding. It was my first screenplay that made me feel amazing. | Great writers aren't discouraged, they're motivated. However, when it comes to critiques, I don't like to just point out weaknesses. If you're gonna be mean or just put someone down, get the fuck out of Dodge; no one wants you around. Even if a script doesn't have strengths, there's something there that works, it might just need new direction. I like to critique with suggestions. Most suggestions take hold by asking questions. Why was this done? Why did you choose that? Did you ever consider such & such? I engage in multiple conversations with people with feedback for writers with their stories, & I even offer to help them brainstorm through the suggestions, to find new possibilities for their stories. It's all a manner of taking an objective look at their stories. Be encouraging, be guiding. If you ask them: why did you do this?, & the answer is "because it's cool," I would simply reply: 'No, YOU can do better.' If they wrote, they either have a passion for writing, or a drive to tell that one story, but it doesn't mean they did it well. In that case, find the passion, find the drive, find the force that compelled forth the story, & just help them. They may have the seeds for a grand tree, but if they don't use the right soil, if they don't water it, they'll think the seed is worthless. Remind them otherwise. | 0 | 3,000 | 1.5 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qi14e | f1qltym | 1,569,701,217 | 1,569,703,068 | 1 | 3 | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | Great writers aren't discouraged, they're motivated. However, when it comes to critiques, I don't like to just point out weaknesses. If you're gonna be mean or just put someone down, get the fuck out of Dodge; no one wants you around. Even if a script doesn't have strengths, there's something there that works, it might just need new direction. I like to critique with suggestions. Most suggestions take hold by asking questions. Why was this done? Why did you choose that? Did you ever consider such & such? I engage in multiple conversations with people with feedback for writers with their stories, & I even offer to help them brainstorm through the suggestions, to find new possibilities for their stories. It's all a manner of taking an objective look at their stories. Be encouraging, be guiding. If you ask them: why did you do this?, & the answer is "because it's cool," I would simply reply: 'No, YOU can do better.' If they wrote, they either have a passion for writing, or a drive to tell that one story, but it doesn't mean they did it well. In that case, find the passion, find the drive, find the force that compelled forth the story, & just help them. They may have the seeds for a grand tree, but if they don't use the right soil, if they don't water it, they'll think the seed is worthless. Remind them otherwise. | 0 | 1,851 | 3 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1ql79c | f1qltym | 1,569,702,792 | 1,569,703,068 | 1 | 3 | Compliment sandwich? | Great writers aren't discouraged, they're motivated. However, when it comes to critiques, I don't like to just point out weaknesses. If you're gonna be mean or just put someone down, get the fuck out of Dodge; no one wants you around. Even if a script doesn't have strengths, there's something there that works, it might just need new direction. I like to critique with suggestions. Most suggestions take hold by asking questions. Why was this done? Why did you choose that? Did you ever consider such & such? I engage in multiple conversations with people with feedback for writers with their stories, & I even offer to help them brainstorm through the suggestions, to find new possibilities for their stories. It's all a manner of taking an objective look at their stories. Be encouraging, be guiding. If you ask them: why did you do this?, & the answer is "because it's cool," I would simply reply: 'No, YOU can do better.' If they wrote, they either have a passion for writing, or a drive to tell that one story, but it doesn't mean they did it well. In that case, find the passion, find the drive, find the force that compelled forth the story, & just help them. They may have the seeds for a grand tree, but if they don't use the right soil, if they don't water it, they'll think the seed is worthless. Remind them otherwise. | 0 | 276 | 3 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qood3 | f1qg4j4 | 1,569,704,223 | 1,569,700,068 | 3 | 2 | If someone is clearly a beginner and making tons of big picture mistakes, focus on those. Give your friend 2 or 3 things she can work on that once done, will drastically improve the piece. For example, maybe she shifts in and out of past and present tense. Or a lot of her scenes lack conflict, or the character's goal isn't clear. Tell her those things. Don't dump 20 thousand line edits on her that will not only overwhelm her, but won't even be worth fixing until she irons out the big picture stuff. | Yeah, my screenplay a warm understanding. It was my first screenplay that made me feel amazing. | 1 | 4,155 | 1.5 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qood3 | f1qi14e | 1,569,704,223 | 1,569,701,217 | 3 | 1 | If someone is clearly a beginner and making tons of big picture mistakes, focus on those. Give your friend 2 or 3 things she can work on that once done, will drastically improve the piece. For example, maybe she shifts in and out of past and present tense. Or a lot of her scenes lack conflict, or the character's goal isn't clear. Tell her those things. Don't dump 20 thousand line edits on her that will not only overwhelm her, but won't even be worth fixing until she irons out the big picture stuff. | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | 1 | 3,006 | 3 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qood3 | f1ql79c | 1,569,704,223 | 1,569,702,792 | 3 | 1 | If someone is clearly a beginner and making tons of big picture mistakes, focus on those. Give your friend 2 or 3 things she can work on that once done, will drastically improve the piece. For example, maybe she shifts in and out of past and present tense. Or a lot of her scenes lack conflict, or the character's goal isn't clear. Tell her those things. Don't dump 20 thousand line edits on her that will not only overwhelm her, but won't even be worth fixing until she irons out the big picture stuff. | Compliment sandwich? | 1 | 1,431 | 3 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qpsuq | f1qi14e | 1,569,704,681 | 1,569,701,217 | 2 | 1 | Just tell her that you like what she's got, but there's work to be done, and that as an artist of ANY form it is important to learn to take constructive criticism. Trust me, teach her to grow skin and take the punches. You'll be helping her out. | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | 1 | 3,464 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qpsuq | f1ql79c | 1,569,704,681 | 1,569,702,792 | 2 | 1 | Just tell her that you like what she's got, but there's work to be done, and that as an artist of ANY form it is important to learn to take constructive criticism. Trust me, teach her to grow skin and take the punches. You'll be helping her out. | Compliment sandwich? | 1 | 1,889 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qi14e | f1qrs2k | 1,569,701,217 | 1,569,705,559 | 1 | 2 | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | Give good criticism. I mean "your writing needs a lot of work" is a useless comment to anyone who wants to improve. If it were that simple to see, they'd have seen it themselves before ever handing you the work. And detailed criticism also helps the author realize that it's based in actual logic, and also where the criticism might not stroke with their plans. For instance, I've seen people call a good book bad because they thought the main character was unlikable. He was. That was the point. At the end of the day your criticism will invariably be influenced by your own preferences. I think a lot of negative criticism is hurtful precisely because it's sparse. Sparse criticism has the air of being dismissive. Unless this is a person who's getting the very basics wrong (and they do exist), they need to be told where things are going wrong and for what reason. Is their plot hard to follow? Are their characters inconsistent? Do they shirk on describing environments and events? And if they aren't getting the very basics wrong, then that means they are also getting things right. They need to be told this as well. People seem to have the innate assumption that no commentary is good commentary, but I've seen people stray from their strengths in order to fix mistakes. Is their worldbuilding compelling? Tell them. Do they have a funny, easy to read voice? They need to know this. A lot of people seem to think giving criticism is easy, and that the person receiving it must accept it no questions asked. Neither are true. Proper, constructive criticism comes from detailed knowledge of the work itself, and the ins and outs of its particular arena. | 0 | 4,342 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qrs2k | f1ql79c | 1,569,705,559 | 1,569,702,792 | 2 | 1 | Give good criticism. I mean "your writing needs a lot of work" is a useless comment to anyone who wants to improve. If it were that simple to see, they'd have seen it themselves before ever handing you the work. And detailed criticism also helps the author realize that it's based in actual logic, and also where the criticism might not stroke with their plans. For instance, I've seen people call a good book bad because they thought the main character was unlikable. He was. That was the point. At the end of the day your criticism will invariably be influenced by your own preferences. I think a lot of negative criticism is hurtful precisely because it's sparse. Sparse criticism has the air of being dismissive. Unless this is a person who's getting the very basics wrong (and they do exist), they need to be told where things are going wrong and for what reason. Is their plot hard to follow? Are their characters inconsistent? Do they shirk on describing environments and events? And if they aren't getting the very basics wrong, then that means they are also getting things right. They need to be told this as well. People seem to have the innate assumption that no commentary is good commentary, but I've seen people stray from their strengths in order to fix mistakes. Is their worldbuilding compelling? Tell them. Do they have a funny, easy to read voice? They need to know this. A lot of people seem to think giving criticism is easy, and that the person receiving it must accept it no questions asked. Neither are true. Proper, constructive criticism comes from detailed knowledge of the work itself, and the ins and outs of its particular arena. | Compliment sandwich? | 1 | 2,767 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qi14e | f1qzm8o | 1,569,701,217 | 1,569,709,099 | 1 | 2 | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | Tip of the iceberg method: find specific instances of screw ups they make and critique those moments, rather than point out that they consistently screw up the same thing over and over. Just point out one or two examples of said screw up and let them figure it out from there, that way you’ve only offered a small criticism but it carries deeper implications. Essentially, don’t tell them it needs a lot of work, but try to give them the tools to identify that it does. | 0 | 7,882 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qzm8o | f1ql79c | 1,569,709,099 | 1,569,702,792 | 2 | 1 | Tip of the iceberg method: find specific instances of screw ups they make and critique those moments, rather than point out that they consistently screw up the same thing over and over. Just point out one or two examples of said screw up and let them figure it out from there, that way you’ve only offered a small criticism but it carries deeper implications. Essentially, don’t tell them it needs a lot of work, but try to give them the tools to identify that it does. | Compliment sandwich? | 1 | 6,307 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1quwx8 | f1qzm8o | 1,569,706,957 | 1,569,709,099 | 1 | 2 | Suggest it in the font that "I like this, here are some suggestions that i think could add to the story" Make it seem like some helpful ideas or thoughts rather than criticism. | Tip of the iceberg method: find specific instances of screw ups they make and critique those moments, rather than point out that they consistently screw up the same thing over and over. Just point out one or two examples of said screw up and let them figure it out from there, that way you’ve only offered a small criticism but it carries deeper implications. Essentially, don’t tell them it needs a lot of work, but try to give them the tools to identify that it does. | 0 | 2,142 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rbzr5 | f1qi14e | 1,569,713,748 | 1,569,701,217 | 2 | 1 | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | 1 | 12,531 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1ql79c | f1rbzr5 | 1,569,702,792 | 1,569,713,748 | 1 | 2 | Compliment sandwich? | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | 0 | 10,956 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rbzr5 | f1quwx8 | 1,569,713,748 | 1,569,706,957 | 2 | 1 | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | Suggest it in the font that "I like this, here are some suggestions that i think could add to the story" Make it seem like some helpful ideas or thoughts rather than criticism. | 1 | 6,791 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rbzr5 | f1qzrhi | 1,569,713,748 | 1,569,709,175 | 2 | 1 | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | use a sandwich method. this was good BUT but you also did this well. sometimes you gotta bullshit the second good thing, but it helps. i use this for coaching my kiddos all the time. it works wonders, especially for sensitive kids. they don't even actively notice the critique. | 1 | 4,573 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rbzr5 | f1r2sgo | 1,569,713,748 | 1,569,710,383 | 2 | 1 | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | I think Mary Robinette Kowal has the best method: describe the symptoms but don’t offer cures. We’re you bored? Excited? Confused? Happy? Then its up to the writer to adjust as they see fit. | 1 | 3,365 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r65ho | f1rbzr5 | 1,569,711,711 | 1,569,713,748 | 1 | 2 | I read **a lot** of short stories for critiques and swap with a number of people. My biggest pet peeve with a critique is when people change things directly in the text, even with track changes on. Those are my words, my phrasings. So, even if an entire scene needs work, I'd recommend you use comments in the side bar. I only use direct editing for grammar and misspellings and obvious typos. My second biggest peeve is when a critique says "*You need to* do X". Use gentle language: Maybe you could...? Do you need this word...? Would it be stronger if...? I have seen new writers walk away from writing entirely because of a rough critique. Make sure you know what she wanted from you - sometimes people just want praise, sometimes they are just sharing, and sometimes they want feedback. | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | 0 | 2,037 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rbzr5 | f1rb8a8 | 1,569,713,748 | 1,569,713,455 | 2 | 1 | Use a shit sandwich.. something good, something bad something good. I.e. You have lovely hair, your writing is shit, I like your dog See.. it's nice... ;) | I'd say pick a couple of things where she is making technical / craft errors and be specific about those. If she is serious about writing for a living then she should pay an editor to deal with the overall narrative. If she's being creative for pleasure then it doesn't really matter what she writes. | 1 | 293 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qi14e | f1t6iaf | 1,569,701,217 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | Two word answer... Constructive criticism.. Instead of demeaning his work... Let him know where he can improve upon and make his work even better | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 38,307 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1ql79c | f1t6iaf | 1,569,702,792 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | Compliment sandwich? | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 36,732 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1quwx8 | f1t6iaf | 1,569,706,957 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | Suggest it in the font that "I like this, here are some suggestions that i think could add to the story" Make it seem like some helpful ideas or thoughts rather than criticism. | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 32,567 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1qzrhi | f1t6iaf | 1,569,709,175 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | use a sandwich method. this was good BUT but you also did this well. sometimes you gotta bullshit the second good thing, but it helps. i use this for coaching my kiddos all the time. it works wonders, especially for sensitive kids. they don't even actively notice the critique. | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 30,349 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1t6iaf | f1r2sgo | 1,569,739,524 | 1,569,710,383 | 2 | 1 | First: does she actually want your critique? | I think Mary Robinette Kowal has the best method: describe the symptoms but don’t offer cures. We’re you bored? Excited? Confused? Happy? Then its up to the writer to adjust as they see fit. | 1 | 29,141 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1r65ho | f1t6iaf | 1,569,711,711 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | I read **a lot** of short stories for critiques and swap with a number of people. My biggest pet peeve with a critique is when people change things directly in the text, even with track changes on. Those are my words, my phrasings. So, even if an entire scene needs work, I'd recommend you use comments in the side bar. I only use direct editing for grammar and misspellings and obvious typos. My second biggest peeve is when a critique says "*You need to* do X". Use gentle language: Maybe you could...? Do you need this word...? Would it be stronger if...? I have seen new writers walk away from writing entirely because of a rough critique. Make sure you know what she wanted from you - sometimes people just want praise, sometimes they are just sharing, and sometimes they want feedback. | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 27,813 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rb8a8 | f1t6iaf | 1,569,713,455 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | I'd say pick a couple of things where she is making technical / craft errors and be specific about those. If she is serious about writing for a living then she should pay an editor to deal with the overall narrative. If she's being creative for pleasure then it doesn't really matter what she writes. | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 26,069 | 2 | ||
dai0mf | writing_train | 0.97 | How do you tell a writer that their writing needs a lot of work without being mean? A fellow writer gave me her book and it needs *a lot* of work. She is a soft person and I don't want to hurt her feelings or discourage her from writing. I have a tendency to get straight to the point and I'm worried that I say something brash or hurtful. Have any of you got advice on how to give a writer feedback without being mean or discouraging? Do you have stories about that one time someone gave you honest feedback that didn't cut too deep or discourage you? | f1rh76h | f1t6iaf | 1,569,715,630 | 1,569,739,524 | 1 | 2 | I point out their problems in a way that kind of puts it on ME. Instead of saying, "this scene was written in a confusing way and could be more clear," I'll put ME in there. I'll say "*I* found this this confusing and didn't clearly understand it. I don't know if it was me or if the way it was written." That's just an example obviously, but by putting myself into it, I'm softening it by suggesting that maybe I'm having the problem buuut they should still look again at that piece of writing and see if it can't be even more clear. It usually works out and damages no egos. When it comes to praise though, I leave me out of it. For praise it'll be "this was a great line of dialog." No need to cushion the praise. | First: does she actually want your critique? | 0 | 23,894 | 2 | ||
ycn7md | writing_train | 0.9 | Why do I get cold feet when it's actually time to start writing? Picture this: you've spent months and months, planning and planning and you've come up with some fantastic ideas, then when it's time to finally put said ideas onto paper, you freeze up, and delay it. This has been my problem for the past few years now, when it's time to start writing I don't nad I need some advice on how to counter it. | itn98ri | itn7eg4 | 1,666,648,790 | 1,666,648,015 | 2 | 1 | It's anxiety Some people even get sleepy | In a very similar position. My technique is simply write *without thinking too hard about it* and certainly without proofreading. Once it's all written down I'll fix it up, but you can't fix what isn't there lol | 1 | 775 | 2 | ||
ycn7md | writing_train | 0.9 | Why do I get cold feet when it's actually time to start writing? Picture this: you've spent months and months, planning and planning and you've come up with some fantastic ideas, then when it's time to finally put said ideas onto paper, you freeze up, and delay it. This has been my problem for the past few years now, when it's time to start writing I don't nad I need some advice on how to counter it. | itnm699 | itn7eg4 | 1,666,654,618 | 1,666,648,015 | 2 | 1 | Following advice from John Rogers, I just put DUMBEST VERSION at the top of the document. Then I write, and if I feel like the phrasing is clumsy or the plot is jumbled, well, this is my story as told poorly, of course there will be flaws. That's for future me to fix. | In a very similar position. My technique is simply write *without thinking too hard about it* and certainly without proofreading. Once it's all written down I'll fix it up, but you can't fix what isn't there lol | 1 | 6,603 | 2 | ||
ycn7md | writing_train | 0.9 | Why do I get cold feet when it's actually time to start writing? Picture this: you've spent months and months, planning and planning and you've come up with some fantastic ideas, then when it's time to finally put said ideas onto paper, you freeze up, and delay it. This has been my problem for the past few years now, when it's time to start writing I don't nad I need some advice on how to counter it. | itnjrja | itnm699 | 1,666,653,517 | 1,666,654,618 | 1 | 2 | That's doubt. To overcome it, just start writing, no matter how much it sucks. Over time, you'll train your mind to easily segway into writing. | Following advice from John Rogers, I just put DUMBEST VERSION at the top of the document. Then I write, and if I feel like the phrasing is clumsy or the plot is jumbled, well, this is my story as told poorly, of course there will be flaws. That's for future me to fix. | 0 | 1,101 | 2 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrafclr | hra7i4c | 1,641,343,863 | 1,641,340,646 | 26 | 1 | I think it might have to do with your process and the feedback you give yourself. We punish or reward ourselves for the things that we do. We keep score, in a way, and the brain has a way of determining when it's time to cut our losses and move on to do something else. If we get frustrated, feel defeated, or judge our own work harshly, what else is our brains to do than to assume that we are doing something that simply isn't worth it? Better, then, to do something else. In my own writing, I have found a pattern similar to yours. If I get stuck, my motivation quickly drains away and I disengage. I'll prepare a snack or check social media feeds. The only thing I've found that works is to consciously change my goals. Unconsciously, we have goals in the back of our heads when we write. Some people may be naturally aware of theirs, but it took me a lot of effort to get to know mine. Perhaps you want to write something truly great. And that's a tall order. Especially if you're judging your first drafts by that standard. So your brain checks whether you're on track, and you feel frustrated and upset because you're so obviously *not*. But what you can do instead is to change your goals, deliberately. "Make a first draft that's not entirely awful" is a simple one. So long as it's not terrible, you can polish it until it shines when rewriting. It's not a "shitty first draft". It's a "diamond in the rough". And changing your mindset like that can work wonders. | Same. | 1 | 3,217 | 26 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hranp3z | hra7i4c | 1,641,347,364 | 1,641,340,646 | 12 | 1 | I do this a lot during difficult/boring scenes. I was diagnosed with ADHD so it's not exactly surprising, but I'm fine with working for five minutes, taking a five minute break, repeat. If that's the way it works, then it's the way it works. At the end of the day a finished chapter is a finished chapter, regardless of how you got there. | Same. | 1 | 6,718 | 12 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb029t | hraqk1o | 1,641,352,614 | 1,641,348,566 | 8 | 3 | I had a writing teacher that told meif you start getting bored, distracted, or tired, especially good time to KEEP GOING. it means you’re actually starting to get somewhere and your brain may be rejecting where it’s headed. I’d suggest really trying to push through that and you may be on your way to a blissful flow state. You may also need to just train your brain to allow yourself to get over this hump more consistently. I bet technology and the internet adds into it too. We are all used to grabbing our phone or using the internet every 5 min. maybe some isolated writing could also help | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 4,048 | 2.666667 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb029t | hrareq9 | 1,641,352,614 | 1,641,348,925 | 8 | 4 | I had a writing teacher that told meif you start getting bored, distracted, or tired, especially good time to KEEP GOING. it means you’re actually starting to get somewhere and your brain may be rejecting where it’s headed. I’d suggest really trying to push through that and you may be on your way to a blissful flow state. You may also need to just train your brain to allow yourself to get over this hump more consistently. I bet technology and the internet adds into it too. We are all used to grabbing our phone or using the internet every 5 min. maybe some isolated writing could also help | Stop caring about what you write and just write something. Allow it to be total garbage. Then, you'll have something down on the page, and it's easier to revise. Just feels less daunting. | 1 | 3,689 | 2 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrauubj | hrb029t | 1,641,350,353 | 1,641,352,614 | 2 | 8 | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | I had a writing teacher that told meif you start getting bored, distracted, or tired, especially good time to KEEP GOING. it means you’re actually starting to get somewhere and your brain may be rejecting where it’s headed. I’d suggest really trying to push through that and you may be on your way to a blissful flow state. You may also need to just train your brain to allow yourself to get over this hump more consistently. I bet technology and the internet adds into it too. We are all used to grabbing our phone or using the internet every 5 min. maybe some isolated writing could also help | 0 | 2,261 | 4 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hra7i4c | hrb029t | 1,641,340,646 | 1,641,352,614 | 1 | 8 | Same. | I had a writing teacher that told meif you start getting bored, distracted, or tired, especially good time to KEEP GOING. it means you’re actually starting to get somewhere and your brain may be rejecting where it’s headed. I’d suggest really trying to push through that and you may be on your way to a blissful flow state. You may also need to just train your brain to allow yourself to get over this hump more consistently. I bet technology and the internet adds into it too. We are all used to grabbing our phone or using the internet every 5 min. maybe some isolated writing could also help | 0 | 11,968 | 8 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbhwkj | hraqk1o | 1,641,361,364 | 1,641,348,566 | 5 | 3 | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 12,798 | 1.666667 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrareq9 | hrbhwkj | 1,641,348,925 | 1,641,361,364 | 4 | 5 | Stop caring about what you write and just write something. Allow it to be total garbage. Then, you'll have something down on the page, and it's easier to revise. Just feels less daunting. | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | 0 | 12,439 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb47ag | hrbhwkj | 1,641,354,479 | 1,641,361,364 | 4 | 5 | I have a similar work flow - have you tried doing writing sprints? I personally set them to five minutes, record my word count in between, and sit back for a minute or two before moving on. Tend to do it in 30-45 minute chunks. Might work for you too? | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | 0 | 6,885 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbax48 | hrbhwkj | 1,641,357,673 | 1,641,361,364 | 4 | 5 | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | 0 | 3,691 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbhwkj | hrbbim6 | 1,641,361,364 | 1,641,357,973 | 5 | 3 | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | I have ADHD. I can go for hours but usually have to push past the start and do this in sprints. So I work for twenty ish minutes, take a break to drink something, move, then resume. I however am also not looking at a script. Maybe you should just write? | 1 | 3,391 | 1.666667 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbhwkj | hrauubj | 1,641,361,364 | 1,641,350,353 | 5 | 2 | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | 1 | 11,011 | 2.5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbhwkj | hra7i4c | 1,641,361,364 | 1,641,340,646 | 5 | 1 | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | Same. | 1 | 20,718 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb8cvu | hrbhwkj | 1,641,356,422 | 1,641,361,364 | 1 | 5 | Similar, wrote for a little then get distracted for 40 minutes on my phone. Only times I've wrote for 1 hour straight was either time restraint, or I was writing a scene I really wanted to write. | Constant practice. You need to build up your mental writing muscles. Problem for most people (including myself) is that we spend tons of time thinking about our ideas. But thinking and writing are very different, so even if you think you have practice thinking about what you want to write, when you go to record your ideas its a very different process that wears out your mind very quickly. Getting used to letting ideas flow out in a more relaxed way has been the key for me. (i.e. not worrying if it sucks, accepting that i'll edit it later and maybe scrap it all, etc.) | 0 | 4,942 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hraqk1o | hrbuk20 | 1,641,348,566 | 1,641,369,588 | 3 | 5 | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 21,022 | 1.666667 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrareq9 | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,348,925 | 5 | 4 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | Stop caring about what you write and just write something. Allow it to be total garbage. Then, you'll have something down on the page, and it's easier to revise. Just feels less daunting. | 1 | 20,663 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb47ag | hrbuk20 | 1,641,354,479 | 1,641,369,588 | 4 | 5 | I have a similar work flow - have you tried doing writing sprints? I personally set them to five minutes, record my word count in between, and sit back for a minute or two before moving on. Tend to do it in 30-45 minute chunks. Might work for you too? | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 15,109 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbax48 | hrbuk20 | 1,641,357,673 | 1,641,369,588 | 4 | 5 | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 11,915 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrbn8i0 | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,364,549 | 5 | 4 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | The only solution, and I sincerely believe this, is to change your surroundings with regard to digital media. Social media apps have to be deleted. Games have to be deleted. Subscription streaming services have to be disabled. Your phone has to be repurposed and your computer rededicated. When I was writing, I was most productive when I decided to lock away my games and social media. I started drawing, writing, reading, and walking out of joy instead of compulsion. It’s remarkable how productive and fulfilling you are when you curate your environment. | 1 | 5,039 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrbnlp8 | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,364,785 | 5 | 4 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | Because your router is plugged in. Unplug it. And practice writing more. It's something you get better at. You don't have some innate problem with focus, you just haven't practiced enough. Focus can be taught like anything else. Set a really low bar achievable goal. Try writing for 15 minutes a day. Do this for a month. And then asses to see if you've improved. I've met so many people who want to be writers, but they don't write. It's odd. Imagine wanting to learn to play the guitar but never playing guitar and then telling people "I'm a guitarist" | 1 | 4,803 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbqg1n | hrbuk20 | 1,641,366,663 | 1,641,369,588 | 4 | 5 | Turn off TV phone laptop and all the tech for a week (better two weeks). You will feel AWFUL, but later it will let you go and you will be able to go back to normal state. It not a dependency per say, but has some similar sides. Worst is what without constant control and rearranging of whole your life you will be back just as fast. Speaking from experience -\_- | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 2,925 | 1.25 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrbbim6 | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,357,973 | 5 | 3 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | I have ADHD. I can go for hours but usually have to push past the start and do this in sprints. So I work for twenty ish minutes, take a break to drink something, move, then resume. I however am also not looking at a script. Maybe you should just write? | 1 | 11,615 | 1.666667 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrauubj | hrbuk20 | 1,641,350,353 | 1,641,369,588 | 2 | 5 | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 19,235 | 2.5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbj5oy | hrbuk20 | 1,641,362,070 | 1,641,369,588 | 2 | 5 | When this happens to me, I write with a pen and paper instead. For me, there’s a different kind of focus. | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 7,518 | 2.5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrbo64u | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,365,155 | 5 | 2 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | A few years ago, I was going through the same thing and it pissed me off. I wanted to write at least 500-1000 words a day but it just wasn't possible so I stopped writing for a year. It just demotivated me. But me being someone who loves writing started to miss it and I picked it back up recently. Previously, my goal was to write the best possible version of my writing and then go above that but now I've kept my goal to just get words on a page. I know a lot of people say that don't judge your first draft but it's not so easy. All I can say is just try to not judge your writing so much at this stage. Remember that you can refine is later. It'll take some time to get used to it but it'll definitely help. My other advice is to write whatever you want to. Before I used to write novels but now I just started up an impromptu fanfic based on the anime I was currently watching. I just think of it as practice for when I write an actual novel. That kind of helps so maybe try something like that? Write short stories maybe? Write whatever you want to, that's all. | 1 | 4,433 | 2.5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrbqniu | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,366,809 | 5 | 2 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | It’s a time management thing for me. It’s hard to carve out time to do everything when I only have a limited number of hours with a 40 hour work week. Especially when for me writing is the “new” hobby and I’ve got to make sure I give it enough attention. Just one of many reasons why we should reduce our working hours, but I won’t go into an r/antiwork rant here. | 1 | 2,779 | 2.5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hra7i4c | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,340,646 | 5 | 1 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | Same. | 1 | 28,942 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbuk20 | hrb8cvu | 1,641,369,588 | 1,641,356,422 | 5 | 1 | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | Similar, wrote for a little then get distracted for 40 minutes on my phone. Only times I've wrote for 1 hour straight was either time restraint, or I was writing a scene I really wanted to write. | 1 | 13,166 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbqt4o | hrbuk20 | 1,641,366,915 | 1,641,369,588 | 1 | 5 | This is a super long shot, but do you have narcolepsy? I do, and I do this at times. I have to write in the morning, right after I wake up. If I try to write later, I’ll be feeling narcoleptic a bit and trying to force myself to write actually triggers attacks. I subconsciously feel an attack coming on - I start trying to get away from what I’m doing to wake myself up again. Getting anxious about how I’m doing or getting excited about what I’m going to write can do the same thing to me. If that’s the case with you, try writing at a different time of day. Find your best time for writing and it’ll be easier to write without feeling like you need a break. | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 2,673 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbs1wl | hrbuk20 | 1,641,367,778 | 1,641,369,588 | 1 | 5 | Anecdotally, I have had this same problem for the last 10 years. I noticed this trend of not being able to focus on my writing (something I valued and enjoyed) and noticed similar trends of inattention in my personal behaviours, my quirks. Long story short, turns out I had undiagnosed inattentive type ADD. Now, this is not to say *you* have undiagnosed underlying mental health conditions, just that it might be something worth considering and crossing off in your quest for self-improvement. Please note, information on TikTok and Instagram is mostly anecdotal and similarities in behaviours and issues do not a diagnosis make. Please seek a qualified health professional. Hope this helps some :) | Anxiety? Subconscious fears? Stressing yourself out without even knowing it? I have a very hard time just beginning to write, and I found out it's because I put so much unnecessary stress and emotion into the process. Knowingly and not. But when I just ignored it and got to writing I wrote for hours without feeling it. Sometimes like you I need to take a break after 10 minutes because the thoughts started to run, in the back of my head. Anyways, take it easy. Don't think about writing. Don't think about not writing. Just do it. But do it in a way that you can handle. Idk if this makes sense, shit is confusing to me too. | 0 | 1,810 | 5 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrareq9 | hraqk1o | 1,641,348,925 | 1,641,348,566 | 4 | 3 | Stop caring about what you write and just write something. Allow it to be total garbage. Then, you'll have something down on the page, and it's easier to revise. Just feels less daunting. | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 359 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hraqk1o | hrb47ag | 1,641,348,566 | 1,641,354,479 | 3 | 4 | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | I have a similar work flow - have you tried doing writing sprints? I personally set them to five minutes, record my word count in between, and sit back for a minute or two before moving on. Tend to do it in 30-45 minute chunks. Might work for you too? | 0 | 5,913 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbax48 | hraqk1o | 1,641,357,673 | 1,641,348,566 | 4 | 3 | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 9,107 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hraqk1o | hrbn8i0 | 1,641,348,566 | 1,641,364,549 | 3 | 4 | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | The only solution, and I sincerely believe this, is to change your surroundings with regard to digital media. Social media apps have to be deleted. Games have to be deleted. Subscription streaming services have to be disabled. Your phone has to be repurposed and your computer rededicated. When I was writing, I was most productive when I decided to lock away my games and social media. I started drawing, writing, reading, and walking out of joy instead of compulsion. It’s remarkable how productive and fulfilling you are when you curate your environment. | 0 | 15,983 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbnlp8 | hraqk1o | 1,641,364,785 | 1,641,348,566 | 4 | 3 | Because your router is plugged in. Unplug it. And practice writing more. It's something you get better at. You don't have some innate problem with focus, you just haven't practiced enough. Focus can be taught like anything else. Set a really low bar achievable goal. Try writing for 15 minutes a day. Do this for a month. And then asses to see if you've improved. I've met so many people who want to be writers, but they don't write. It's odd. Imagine wanting to learn to play the guitar but never playing guitar and then telling people "I'm a guitarist" | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 16,219 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbqg1n | hraqk1o | 1,641,366,663 | 1,641,348,566 | 4 | 3 | Turn off TV phone laptop and all the tech for a week (better two weeks). You will feel AWFUL, but later it will let you go and you will be able to go back to normal state. It not a dependency per say, but has some similar sides. Worst is what without constant control and rearranging of whole your life you will be back just as fast. Speaking from experience -\_- | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | 1 | 18,097 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hraqk1o | hra7i4c | 1,641,348,566 | 1,641,340,646 | 3 | 1 | You could change techniques to make yourself more mindful. For example, some of the people who participate in NaNoWriMo who are on track to do about 1500 words per day for their 50,000 word novels in November, they use tools like "Write or Die". It is essentially a word processor like you would use for any kind of writing, except that it punishes you when you stop writing. First it gives you a few dings or warnings, then it becomes much more obnoxious playing sounds, etc, ... and finally if you ignore it enough it will actually start deleting your document word by word until you end up with nothing. More to the point, however, I'd maybe focus more on what is making you want to stop writing. I mean 10 minutes is a very short period of time, ... this post I am writing now probably takes 5 minutes. Are you getting distracted or something ? Or trying to be too perfect, or what is the issue ? Maybe giving yourself permission to simply type word after word and focus on grammar, spelling, etc, during editing might help you to move along. Final thought is that 10 minutes, if you did that once per hour, 8 hours per day, would net you a 48,000 word novel in about 10 days at 60wpm. So 10 minutes wouldn't be bad if you were consistent. This response I just wrote is 200 words, ... 249 just like it would be novel length, and it took like 5 minutes to type. | Same. | 1 | 7,920 | 3 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hra7i4c | hrareq9 | 1,641,340,646 | 1,641,348,925 | 1 | 4 | Same. | Stop caring about what you write and just write something. Allow it to be total garbage. Then, you'll have something down on the page, and it's easier to revise. Just feels less daunting. | 0 | 8,279 | 4 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrauubj | hrb47ag | 1,641,350,353 | 1,641,354,479 | 2 | 4 | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | I have a similar work flow - have you tried doing writing sprints? I personally set them to five minutes, record my word count in between, and sit back for a minute or two before moving on. Tend to do it in 30-45 minute chunks. Might work for you too? | 0 | 4,126 | 2 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hra7i4c | hrb47ag | 1,641,340,646 | 1,641,354,479 | 1 | 4 | Same. | I have a similar work flow - have you tried doing writing sprints? I personally set them to five minutes, record my word count in between, and sit back for a minute or two before moving on. Tend to do it in 30-45 minute chunks. Might work for you too? | 0 | 13,833 | 4 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrauubj | hrbax48 | 1,641,350,353 | 1,641,357,673 | 2 | 4 | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | 0 | 7,320 | 2 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbax48 | hra7i4c | 1,641,357,673 | 1,641,340,646 | 4 | 1 | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | Same. | 1 | 17,027 | 4 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrb8cvu | hrbax48 | 1,641,356,422 | 1,641,357,673 | 1 | 4 | Similar, wrote for a little then get distracted for 40 minutes on my phone. Only times I've wrote for 1 hour straight was either time restraint, or I was writing a scene I really wanted to write. | Write what you’re most excited to write about. If you are excited about writing the dialogue, write that first. If you’re excited about an action scene then write that. I’ve found that for days when I don’t want to sit down for 30 minutes writing, I write the things I have in my head for about 15 minutes and then come back when I want to keep writing. | 0 | 1,251 | 4 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbn8i0 | hrbbim6 | 1,641,364,549 | 1,641,357,973 | 4 | 3 | The only solution, and I sincerely believe this, is to change your surroundings with regard to digital media. Social media apps have to be deleted. Games have to be deleted. Subscription streaming services have to be disabled. Your phone has to be repurposed and your computer rededicated. When I was writing, I was most productive when I decided to lock away my games and social media. I started drawing, writing, reading, and walking out of joy instead of compulsion. It’s remarkable how productive and fulfilling you are when you curate your environment. | I have ADHD. I can go for hours but usually have to push past the start and do this in sprints. So I work for twenty ish minutes, take a break to drink something, move, then resume. I however am also not looking at a script. Maybe you should just write? | 1 | 6,576 | 1.333333 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbn8i0 | hrauubj | 1,641,364,549 | 1,641,350,353 | 4 | 2 | The only solution, and I sincerely believe this, is to change your surroundings with regard to digital media. Social media apps have to be deleted. Games have to be deleted. Subscription streaming services have to be disabled. Your phone has to be repurposed and your computer rededicated. When I was writing, I was most productive when I decided to lock away my games and social media. I started drawing, writing, reading, and walking out of joy instead of compulsion. It’s remarkable how productive and fulfilling you are when you curate your environment. | I was doing this too, then I discovered something interesting… “Writing” and “typing” are different enough activities that I need to step away from typing to think and imagine. There are other times when I can’t type quickly enough to keep up with my imagination, but it’s understandable that the flow and pace will vary. See if it helps to set aside a few minutes to wind up your creative flow with no pressure to write, then write as long as you are able, and repeat. If you don’t beat yourself up, frequent breaks can be very productive. If you feel like you need them, you probably do, so make them a part of continued forward motion overall. | 1 | 14,196 | 2 | ||
rw7p6a | writing_train | 0.96 | Why can I never seem to write for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I need a break? The issue isn't writer's block, it's more like I can write but after only a few minutes of typing I feel like I need a break or I need to look away from the script. Does anyone else have a similar issue and how did you overcome it? | hrbn8i0 | hrbj5oy | 1,641,364,549 | 1,641,362,070 | 4 | 2 | The only solution, and I sincerely believe this, is to change your surroundings with regard to digital media. Social media apps have to be deleted. Games have to be deleted. Subscription streaming services have to be disabled. Your phone has to be repurposed and your computer rededicated. When I was writing, I was most productive when I decided to lock away my games and social media. I started drawing, writing, reading, and walking out of joy instead of compulsion. It’s remarkable how productive and fulfilling you are when you curate your environment. | When this happens to me, I write with a pen and paper instead. For me, there’s a different kind of focus. | 1 | 2,479 | 2 |
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