getting used to writing

There's some chance I may be posting too much soon to get used to writing again. The thing is--looking at my dates, I do wonder if there's some correlation between when I stopped posting regularly in my journals and the iffiness of my mental health the last two years.

Neither tumblr nor twitter are really set up for the formalized textual equivalent of talking to yourself, and while fic-writing helps, its not the same thing as organizing your thoughts via journaling. Also, journaling was a fantastic way to remember things. I actually have posts I wrote up in word and saved that I never got around to posting; I may need to look at those, too.

What is everyone else doing?

(OH God I just realized I have a tag system that's actually useful for me now and searchable. BLESS.

Comments

[wolfshark]

I had actually given up tumblr for nanowrimo so I miss all the drama. It did wonders for my mental health I swear.

[harpers_child]

I am a big proponent of the three things make a post school of posting. They don't have to be related things or saying anything of length. Just need three things I want to say. Takes away some of the pressure.

[tozka]

That's a great way to do it! I'm going to remember that for when I don't want to write another "I went to work and it was boring and then I came home and watched Netflix" post. If anything, my three things could be fic recs.

[seperis]

Yes, this. I can't remember what mine was to make me post, but it helped set the habit and once I had that part, I was surprised how often I had something I wanted to post.

Tumblr killed that, so I'm starting from scratch.

[limit_the_sky]

this is such a good rule of thumb - i always get such anxiety posting something that isn't ~deep~ or ~thoughtful~ and i forget that my journal is primarily for myself

[princessofgeeks]

I never used Tumblr and I am so happy to see people dusting off their DW journals. Hi!

[goss]

*waves hiii*

journaling was a fantastic way to remember things

Yes to the remembering things and organising your thoughts. Plus, I also found that sharing my intentions here kind of pushes me to fulfilling those tasks. And it's kind of great to look back and follow all the little progressive steps, both forward and back, that ultimately lead to where you are now. :)

[seperis]

Yes. There's so much history in my DW/LJ and things I was going to do/wanted to do. I really need to consider getting back into that.

[out_there]

Neither tumblr nor twitter are really set up for the formalized textual equivalent of talking to yourself

Actually, yes, that. DW is fantastic for those "thinking out loud" kind of posts, and sometimes wonderful to come back weeks later and see how you've changed how you think about something as well.

[domarzione]

I have never been the journaling type, although it has been suggested to me as a mental health aid. (I don't think I could do it in public despite the support it would bring; I am pathologically private.) But I hypocritically support it for other people.

Having been on tumblr for a while... I miss fannish community, interacting with people beyond reblogging something they reblogged. I haven't had that since the SGA days, which was a helluva long time ago as I am moving 13-year-old fics over to AO3. I miss having a people, ya know? But I never found them for the MCU on DW/LJ.

But I'm going back to school where I will apparently need to learn how to blog again, so I should maybe practice here.

[seperis]

Wait you're going back to school? That's fantastic!

Yeah, I miss people, too.

You're still my gold standard on good, strong plotlines. Whenever I get stuck or discouraged, I re-read either the marvel series or Qui Habitat. It's been so influential in how I approach worldbuilding and structure.

[domarzione]

I'm going back to get a second masters so that I can learn what I've spent my entire working career already doing. (I've been told that the biggest challenge will be staying awake.) But it's online and I *am* going to have to learn how to be a student in this century. Which apparently involves blog posts.

Thank you for the kind words as always, although I fear I might no longer earn the praise the longer the WIP goes without me finishing it. (It's over 100k words, I'm losing my mind and possibly the plot.) I would love it to be as complicated as QH, but I want it to end at the end, not where I painted myself into a corner.

[cathexys]

What is everyone else doing?

Waiting for you to post :)

[seperis]

Hey, I posted a short-ish how-to for DW (Honestly, I think I did it to refresh my own memory). IF you get a chance, could you tell me if I missed anything or could word it better?

[jamethiel]

Yeah: I've noticed that Tumblr Does Not Fill the hole that social media sites such as DW and Discord have for me. And you're right: since I stopped posting regularly to dreamwidth I REMEMBER far less. I know that time has gone by, and yet?

And god bless tags.

[seperis]

Verily, God it so does not.

[slvrbld47]

Blinks dazedly. Thank You. I don't know what else to say. :D I have to say I have missed not only your writing but seeing your use name here, and when I left live journal. Your entries have always struck a chord with me. I post writing when I can because trying too talk about some of my own issues is difficult. I have admired your courage and verve, but I am struck, and a little bewildered because I don't communicate much. So your help is a surprise, and a pleasure, and a little glow that will warm me for a long time. :D <3 <3 <3

[seperis]

*g* Anytime. I hope to see you around.

[(Anonymous)]

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a correlation. I used to write constantly. When my mental health broke down, that just stopped.

[seperis]

Pretty much this, yes.

[kara_mckay]

Yeah, I used to call my LiveJournal my external memory, and it was a guarantee that I wasn't doing well if I felt constrained in my writing. I'm still not sure, though, which causes which in me. Does increasing depression and anxiety strangle my writing? Does limited writing make me feel depressed and anxious?

[seperis]

I used to write everything out. Putting my thoughts in order--the structure, the readability, the organization--always helped, and writing it out makes me do it. Like, it wasn't necessarily that it helped me find solutions; sometimes, the solution was to just write it and get it out.

Teh more I write, the more I need to write. If I'm blocked--writing pretty much anything helps.

[tozka]

I'm trying to get used to writing, too. I used to do it a LOT back on LJ, and then when everyone moved to Tumblr I stopped because I didn't like not having friends-only options. (And then grad school for the last three years + working full-time sucked all my energy out.) And now we're shifting platforms again and if I want to have friends I basically HAVE TO WRITE POSTS (and comments). Also, I would like to have an actual "here's what happened" journal again, so I'm trying. Writing! It's hard.

Oh god, TAGS. I have to actually make them useful and not just shitpost them! Gah. Also: how do I get a pretty theme? How do I de-ugly my current theme? Where are the DW theme makers and icon makers and graphics designers? GAH.

[seperis]

I made this theme like years ago when I was still designing websites and am now going "I could do something new now".

Writing is hard, but I have noticed I've abruptly gotten into writing twitter threads and that's probably a sign I am officially in need of a space with a higher word count.

(I HAD TO GO READ ALL MY TAGS TO FIND OUT WHAT I DID. HOLY FUCK WAS I ORGANIZED.)

[grammarwoman]

I am doing my best not to freak out about it being December and all that means. (Band concerts, social gatherings, holiday decorating/shopping/wrapping/oh God why can't we all just hibernate?)

And somehow Pokemon Go has become one of my biggest fandoms? Life is so weird.

[seperis]

Pokemon Go rocks. It is my drug. Evn if I didn't get another sinnoh stone and am I mad about that? YES.

[grammarwoman]

Schmaybe we could swap trainer codes? :)

UGH NIANTIC WHY SUCH DICKS ABOUT SINNOH STONES.

[xenakis]

What is everyone else doing?

Reading this comment thread and realizing I’m *reading a comment thread* and being filled with a really weird feeling of nostalgia/coming home.

:D

[seperis]

God, this. I got so ridic excited for a comment notification!

[bedlamsbard]

I've missed seeing your name on my circle! In a weird, non-stalkery way I was just thinking about all the people I follow on Twitter/Tumblr but who don't post to DW anymore. (I admit I am among them.)

[seperis]

I missed knowing my circle for more than names. IT's been--alienating.

[ivorygates]

I'm glad you're back.

[genarti]

I've been on DW all this time, along with tumblr, but I'm used to my DW circle being a slow and steady-ish trickle: interesting posts, at least some every day, but I could always keep up with it on all but the very busiest days, unlike tumblr's continual firehose of short low-content stuff. But suddenly there are posts! All over my circle! All these people I hadn't even realized I hadn't seen in ages until suddenly they were there again! I assume that will die down somewhat after the first rush of HEY IS THIS THING ON, but it's still extremely exciting. :D DW will always be much more my heart's home than tumblr was, just interface-wise; I much prefer comment threads and the ability to friendslock, compared to what always felt to me like everybody standing up on boxes in the middle of town square so they could communicate by yelling at the sky.

[kass]

the formalized textual equivalent of talking to yourself

That is a great description. Yes. That's part of what I love about being here. And the part where sometimes I get to talk to all of y'all too.

[bratfarrar]

It's an interesting question--looking at my own output, I can blog regularly regardless of my mental state by giving myself a set posting schedule: music on Sundays, poems on Mondays, reviews/musings on Tuesday, screen cap spam on Wednesdays, etc. Which is actually somewhat therapeutic, I think. But I can't write if I'm stressed. And things at work have been slowly spiraling down for the last year, year and a half, and really hitting the fan for the last 6 months or so--which matches perfectly with my writing production. Not that I've ever been prolific, but I used to be able to shake out a half page or so in 20 minutes without having to strain at it. Now it's like trying pin together a shredded piece of paper when someone's left the fan on.

Sorry to hear you've been struggling too--hope that getting back into the habit of journaling proves helpful.

[wildestranger]

Hello! Glad to see you here. What languages are you studying these days? (I assume all of them. I also have this addiction.)

P.S. I recently started a weekly dose of medication for my arthritis, and the treat I am giving myself to combat the nausea that comes with it is three chapters of Down to Agincourt. It's working wonders so far.

[limit_the_sky]

i do miss the ability to just "like" a post instead of commenting mostly because i feel a lot of pressure with commenting, but i think i'll treat it like i treat kudos on AO3 and comment "kudos" when i can't kudos more than once :P