Writing in Chaos

This post was originally featured in my newsletter but I wanted to share it here too.

I know last newsletter I talked about modules and game design a bit, but this month, I am veering into a totally different topic. The month of June has been my most productive writing month this year. I've managed over 45,000 words written during June's 30 days! I'm incredible proud of that, since I've been really struggling this year. (For example, I wrote 18,000 words in May.)

Basically, everyone I know is struggling right now. Between the tension in the world, the crushing rise of AI in creative fields, and just general exhaustion, people are having a hard time. Me too. But this month, I put in some guardrails in place to help myself out and it honestly has made a difference. I wanted to share those and just some general advice for y'all. 

My word count for June! I haven’t put in the final amount for June 30 (today), but it puts me at over 45,000 for the month! Click on the picture for a link to where you can get the spreadsheet I use to track my words.

1. No Internet Before 9am or after 8pm

Why these times? Because it lets me start my day without social media/doomscrolling/news/memes taking over my day before its begun or when I should be settling in for bed. I've not been perfect at it for sure, but just making the effort of not turning to my phone first thing in the morning has been hugely helpful. 

2. Enjoying New Things

Finding new movies/books/games to focus on has been hugely helpful. Previously I had been very 'I'll watch *insert new tv show here* after I finish this project' and while that does have its place, it also means I don't get inspired by other's work as often. Allowing myself to fall into new things (like the manga series I mentioned above or the sensational K-Pop Demon Hunter) have helped to refill the creative well in my heart and made me want to work on my own projects. 

3. Improving My Attention

My attention span is awful. After years of short videos and doing 19 things at once, I have a hard time just focusing on any one thing for a period of time. But that makes creating especially challenging when I want to weave a complicated plot or clever puzzle. To help with that, I've been focusing on things that require my entire attention. For me, that's been Murdle (mostly in physical book form) and R.E.P.O. on my computer. Both require my total focus.
Murdle forces me to use logic to figure who the murderer is based on a limited number of clues. R.E.P.O. is a video game where you play as a little robot collecting items to meet the quotas a strange entity demands of you. BUT there are terrifying creatures waiting for you and a moment of inattention and its all over for your little robot. The game also has a bonus of being a great co-op game so playing with friends makes it more social (and falls into enjoying new things too)! 

4. Focusing On Things I Can Do 

It is so easy to collapse into the 'everything is on fire and I have to stare at it' mindset. I still often spend far too much time doomscrolling through the horrible things happening in the world and feeling hopeless and powerless. So what I've done is put together a list of things I can do. For me, that's call elected officials about issues I'm worried about, write letters to my local newspapers, donate to my local libraries, and volunteer with some organizations focused on literacy. When I get too overwhelmed, I turn to one of these things to help me feel less powerless. 

5. Lowering the Bar

I have very high expectations for myself. My to-do lists are usually 40-50 things a day, and I get stressed when I can't get to all of them. So I've started to put fewer things on my list where I can and trying to save my energy for the creative work I want to complete. That might look like dinner being a microwaved meal instead of something from scratch on days when I'm having a hard time with just existing. It also means trying to not beat myself up for making those choices. This is honestly the one I've struggled with the most, but it has made the biggest difference. 

It isn't a perfect system and I definitely still have bad days where I flop on the couch and stare into the void to let it consume me. But, I've had more days where I can at least get up and do some things, so I'll take that as a win. 

What kind of things have worked for you? 

Brain Overload

Lately, I have had a lot of things going on and occasionally, that’s made me feel a bit like my brain is going to just melt out of my ears. When I’m trying to keep track of multiple projects, deadlines, general life stuff, and the terrible decision of what to eat for dinner every single night, it’s super easy to get overwhelmed.

When I get overwhelmed, I mostly just shut down and can no longer decide on what to even work on. The pile of options is too big to even consider and so I make no choice and work on nothing.

It’s not exactly a brilliant strategy.

It’s the paradox of choice. The idea that when there are too many options, deciding becomes much harder and leads to disappointment.

So how do I handle this overwhelm?

Anyone who has read my blog posts before knows that I am all about lists. I’ve built into my life a once-a-week brain dump where I take 30 minutes to an hour and write out every single little thing that is on my mind as a task. Then I assign those tasks a category and a date it’s due. Here’s what it looks like:

Currently, I use a program called Ticktick and I love it. I’ve been using it for several years now, but in the past, I’ve also done bullet journaling.

The main thing has been finding a method that clicks with how I think. I think in lists and tasks. For others, this might not be helpful, so experiment around to find what’s best for you.

For me, taking that time to set out my tasks means that I’m only making that decision once, not every single day with every single task, every time a task pops up. It condenses the choosing to a specific time, which makes it all a lot less overwhelming for me.

The Importance of Support Networks

Writing is often a lonely task. Creation usually happens with just you and the keyboard (or paper or paint or however you create) and no one else there to walk that path with you. It can be isolating and difficult to explain to friends and family.

It’s because of this solitary nature of creating that building a support network is so vitally important. Having friends who understand the struggles or who can offer advice is so helpful whether you’re just starting out or an established professional.

But building this network can take time, however, there are some ways to find support no matter what level of creating you’re at.

1. Join Local Activities

Check with your local libraries or bookstores to see if there are writing groups that meet up. Search online for your city + writing and see if anything comes up. There are often small groups looking for new members and ready to welcome you in.

1. Social Media

Yes, the chaotic force of the world, social media, can be used for good for building a network of support. There are countless Facebook groups for writers, artists, and designers, others share tips, successes, and mistakes with each other. Discord also can help you find a smaller community but can be a little harder to get access to (and honestly there are only so many hours in a day for social media use!). Twitter has hundreds of hashtags of people doing similar work who can understand and answer questions.

1. Conventions

Just like last week’s post talked about conventions and building a network, they are also great places to find support! If there are available workshops at the conventions that you’re attending, then get to know the other people there. Share email addresses, social media, websites, or whatever you like! These are your people, so say hello!