Does 10 or so writing blurbs constitute a diagnosis of Adult ADD?
I write stream of conscious-like; sometimes, an idea or a moment just comes to me and I write it down. I have pieces of paper in my writing box (underneath my bed, which is where any writer should store their materials -- out of plain sight so they have to dig to find them and after said paper is found, the moment is long gone) but nothing more than a few paragraphs.
So I ask again -- do I have Adult ADD?
I myself think I'm a procrastinator, especially if I'm writing where I have instant Internet access. The Internet is the devil! I can lose myself in blogs, webpages and potential agents for h-o-u-r-s, hours that I could have spent plotting and planning and figuring out a way for my characters to tell me their story.
I'm reading a writing book right now in hopes of helping myself along. I read Stephen King's book on writing last summer but it didn't help me become a better writer; it only added to my fears that everything I write really sucks and I'm dreaming an impossible dream. This book, First Draft in 30 Days, seems to be more helpful, a how-to (if you will) for people like me who procrastinate or potentially have Adult ADD. Will I be writing a book in 30 days? Ha! No. But maybe I can actually finish something, damnit.
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nah... Just creative!
ReplyDeleteI got a rejection today. Sigh...but I did get my sense of humor back:)
Teri
I just finished King's On Writing and while it was a great read with some great advice, I can see where he and I differ on several things.
ReplyDeleteYou have to find a way of writing that works for you - no one can tell you that or teach it to you.
I'll do that, too. An idea will pop into my head and I'll write it down. They come to me while I'm driving, while I'm in the middle of a coversation with someone, while I'm in the shower...I don't always do anything with the ideas. The good thing is that sometimes you can combine certain ideas to form a more solid story.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I really loved King's book, almost as much for the stories from his life, though. His account of his accident was both chilling and hysterical. The one thing in his book that I believe really changed my writing for the positive was that it caused me to pay better attention to my adverb use.
ReplyDeleteYou're not ADD (well, you might be, but not in your writing...) It sounds to me like your creativity is feeling very freed up. It's great to let it run and some ideas will stick and some won't. :) D
Nah, I'm not really ADD. Just addicted to the Internet.
ReplyDeleteI do much better with my writing when I have paper and pen/pencil.