Is it possible to lose your imagination? I've decided it's possible to just, one day, stop being a writer. The writer part of me has actually dropped dead. I am no longer a writer. I can't write.
It's possible there's an expiration date. I wrote my first non-school book when I was 9, so that's 30 years now. That's a good run. Maybe it's like being an athlete--you get 30 years and then it's time to take your trophies and become a sports caster.
11 comments:
I don't believe it's possible to lose your imagination. I think that sometimes your creativity can go into hiding when you are or have been stressed for a long time or to a large amount. Depression can hide it. It can become stagnant from disuse (I ran into that and couldn't come up with a story idea to save my life; Deb had to start me out). I think you have reasons why your creativity isn't in evidence. Be gentle with it and with yourself and it will come back. Do some writing exercises; get a friend to give you some starting sentences to get you jump started.It's still there inside of you.
Seriously? No, I doubt you're no longer a writer.
I agree with Skye about depression. For sure.
In addition, I think there's a chance that now is not the right time for you to be writing what you've been working on; or that it's most likely that it's just not the right time now, less likely you've taken that idea as far as you can.
Either way, I suspect there's something else for you to be writing now. You've been going through a lot of changes and your brain is working on new ideas, so there's something different you're to be writing now.
That's my honest and best guess.
And, again, I'll second Skye, in effect, because some writing exercises might help you find what it is you're to write about now.
Alright, I don't actually think it can die, and I do know what's causing the problem. It's just frustrating cause it's a new experience for me. I get an idea, it lasts me until I've written it out (a few days for example) and then I dry up AGAIN. Usually one idea leads to lots others. I have to decide whether it's just too hard on my self esteem to try to write through this. If so, then I've got to stop Nano and go back to tv and books.
I doubt you've lost it. Writing is a strange beast, it can't be forced. Sure there are people who can sit down and put words on paper and reach their goals for wordcount but that isn't really creative writing.
This is just my opinion, but I think if you're looking for the creative you have to step away from the computer, get out into nature, daydream and just let the thoughts run wild, let them gel, and then it will seem like magic that some brilliant idea will pop into your head and there will be no holding you back.
Have you tried writing long-hand? It is helping me. I start writing long-hand, then when I'm typing that up I often find I can go even further in the scene.
You could buy a pretty journal...
You just need better drugs...
Thanks my darlings! It's just the stuff going on in my personal life in the last couple months. Possibly my imagination has been diverted to help the Don't Cry At Work part of the brain (hence keeping me from having a meltdown in the middle of the parking lot when I dropped my pasta lunch all over the ground coming in to work today.)
I've decided to bow out of nanoland this time. I've done it 4 other times, so... the fifth can be a healthy fail. And I did 50 000+ in the month of May with JJJ's writing group! So. There. Early nano done. ;-)
Thanks for your support! I'll let you know when the mojo is back. :-)
(Or the drugs. Apparently my dad will be helping me in that department.)
What Robena And Everybody Else Said. 'Tis frustrating, it is. Come sit by me in the extra plush chairs set out especially for those of us who are bowing out of NaNo. Sometimes that's just what we need to do.
Big hugs!
@inkgrrl - lol You too? Okay, plush chairs. I think we need hot chocolate and a fire to go with them.
Not dead, just on sabatical. I'll be back, I have no doubt.
@Simone - Yes but now with JR dead? How can I go on?
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