The Excuse Box (Do you need an excuse to not write?)

[Desi the fuzzy fluffhead]

It's a procrastination topic.

Sometimes people just don't want to write.
Like I don't really feel like writing right now, and I haven't written anything all today.

I keep saying "it's because I'm on my period". But, I'm not. I haven't been for three months. I'm extremely irregular. Is that sharing too much? I don't know, I feel like we're close WF.

But, writer's block is thrown around a lot, and for many people it is just an excuse. And I think it would be better to help these people out and get them new excuses. So, post any excuses you think are fitting.

Also :

What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
Do you write everyday, when you get free time, do you make free time for it? Were you more hard working when you first started to write, or less?

What does affect your writing?
I don't mean inspiration, I mean quality or amount. If it's cookie-baking temperatures outside I can't write for example.

Excuses :

I'm drunk.
I'm not drunk enough.
After this level.
Gossip Girl is on.
House is on.
Lie To Me is on.
I'm looking up recipes.
I'm still looking up recipes. I swear, TV Tropes has recipes.
I haven't slept in two days.
I haven't slept in three days.
I'm not awake yet.
I need to shower.
I haven't eaten yet.
I'm cooking.
I'm making replies to other RPs first
I'm cleaning the kitchen.
No, really, I'm getting up to clean the kitchen, like, right now.
The dog needs to be walked.
Facebook is sucking out my soul.
My favorite youtube star has a new video up.
I need to take more pictures of my cats.
I can't find the right music for this part
I have to learn my lines. Yes, I'm in a play. It's, um...Shakespeare. Yeah.
I have to watch this paint dry.
I'm doing research on it. TV tropes is totally a wonderful source.
Babysitting is hard work.
I'm too tired.
I'm too hungry.
I have to get over being a muggle by jumping into that boxwood.
Seriously. I'll be jumping in a second.
I'm doing character development.
I need a pair of closed-toe shoes.
I got lost.
It's gorgeous outside and I really should be swimming in my aunts pool
TV tropes
I need to refresh my email.
Something else is more interesting.
I really need to finish reading this book.
The rubber ball must be thrown in the air. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
I'm licking the smoothie off my fingers. What, do you WANT sticky smoothie on the keyboard?
Editing takes precise word placement, and PERFECT wording. It may take me up to a month to figure out a certain sentence.
Someone is on the computer.
It's summer.
I'm on a cleaning rampage.
I'm typing a reply to a thread that caught my attention on Gaia.
I'm researching how to write.
I'm studying how fanfiction authors go about writing.
The random pause in writing to inspect my fingernails is needed. No, you may not know why. You only need know that it is needed.
Omghs booty grab!
I was on vacation
I had to go to a funeral
I got a virus that erased all of my files
I'm drawing!
Look, this song won't play itself.
I got bored so I started a vegetable garden.
I'm picking tomatoes.
Someone opened the windows. It burns....
My mouse needs a new battery.
My computer needs to charge.
I'm trying to think of the perfect reaction. No, you can't help.
The lord of cheese has taken over my brain therefore everything I write comes out cheesy and tacky.
I got a bump removed from my eye...a week ago
I can't make the story make sense and I need to go be with my boyfriend soon, so I can't plan or start on another project.
I'm in my drawing phase.
Too mentally exhausted.
Too physically exhausted.
I'm checking my email.
Okay, okay, I'll get off my email now... well, let me refresh it one more time.
I'm on Gaia....
I need to find a 'real' job....
I need a break.
I want a break.
I hate this scene and cannot figure out how to make it better!
I should have planned better *goes back to planning*.
This story is terrible, why am I writing it anyway? ...A couple of weeks later... I'm not giving up!
Browsing the internet.
Browsing devianart for inspirations.
Reading manga.
Watching anime.
Waiting for Youtube to load....
Reading my next book.
I need to come up with an excuse for not writing.

[Scribbling Scribe]

Writing work ethic- I write when I have time and when I'm not ready to come home from work and fall asleep. It would be nice to get on a schedule of my fiction writing. I specify because I work as a journalist so I'm writing all day anyway and when the semester is in, writing is 95% of my day the other 5% being necessary human functions like eating and going to the bathroom. So the time spent on the kind of writing I really want to be doing varies greatly.

Affects writing- Mental state, mostly if I feel awake or alert enough. Time, if I have a time limit, I get angry and flustered and anxious and can't do it right. (this only applying to my fiction writing because as a journalist writing to deadlines is pretty much all I do) I guess with fiction I don't want to feel rushed or pressed for time like I do with work. Haha if it's cookie-baking temp outside, I'm going to be outside, I love warm weather and being out in it. Rainy days are good writing days, sunny ones are not (because then I want to go do something) and what has happened in my day.

[AgentNeeb]

Work ethic- Well, as a lazy good-for-nothing slacker, I find that I often have lots of time to write. Lately the problem was that I had a roadblock in that I couldn't figure out how to get certain characters where they need to go. Now that I've mostly figured it out, there's not much stopping me. However, what also holds me down are the usual things that teenagers care more about than their futures: video games. (I've poured almost two whole days of my life into Fallout 3 at this point.)

What affects my writing- I can't write at all when I'm stressed. If someone I know is having a hard time, it gives me a hard time, and that means I can't write. However, I find that I can pump out the paragraphs if I'm seething mad or teary-eyed. Sad, I know.
Also, the time of day affects my writing quality. On the mornings I don't sleep away, for example, I can write some really good stuff, and a lot of it. A few hours ago I wrote almost three pages (that's a lot for me). I also find that I'm happier with writing that has been done while very sleepy. When I'm tired my body tries to burn off all the energy it can, and some of that comes out as coherent thoughts.


PS: I wouldn't call it "irregular" that you haven't had it for three months. I'd call it a Godsend.

[Jackie-Lane]

Work ethic- I had just about none up to... a month ago. It made me end up writing about ten pages of my novel per year, which was awful. Now, I set myself a goal everyday. Usually, it's one page, and I won't back away from my computer until I have it. Sometimes I'll decide to write two or five pages of my novel. Days when I don't write are very rare, but it happens, when the unexpected keeps me from writing in the evening, therefor not letting me the chance to think ahead and write in the morning. When I have more free time, I'll add in a short story or look over my previous chapters and edit them a little.

What affects my writing- I need to have some kind of noise or movement around me, but nothing too distracting. Having people fight around me (even in a movie) is utterly annoying. I tend to be distracted by whatever worries me as well, but I've gotten better at setting it aside recently. One thing that helps me, though, is being away from home, especially in the countryside. I guess it's because I have less things to do or worry about when I'm over there.

[C h e r r yADE xx]

What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
I work much better under pressure. When I roleplay, I can wip up a good post in 30 mins, because I don't want to keep someone waiting. I can do this several times a day and keep in rhythm. but now I'm not roleplay and I'm writing my own book, I've lost this rhythm, because I haven't got someone else to think about. My mind isn't so active with words all of a sudden which is a bit of a pain, but I'm easily distracted...

What does affect your writing?
I'm a very self influential emotional person. by that I mean that I can make myself cry like a mourner for no reason. I did this the other day when I was thinking about something in my book and playing it in my head. It can't be healthy...

My writing is also effected by what I watch, like series shows and movies, or whether my mum is sober or not stare

[Lord Tezzy]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?

I write whenever I want, and really only then. I don't write if I don'twant toat that moment.

Quote:

What does affect your writing?

Boredom (IE: I am SOOO bored that I don't want to write, usually this is accompanied by extreme laziness,so I have no desire to do anything AND I'm bored... terrible)
Legitimate concerns (school ,socialfunctions I need to attend, screwing s**t up, etc)
Other things to do (reading, videogames, movies, tv, etc)

[Desi the fuzzy fluffhead]

@Scribe:
That's cool that you're a journalist.
The heat kills me, once it goes over 75 degrees I turn into a starfish and die.

@Nebraska:
Oh, yes, the video games. I find when my upset I can't write at all.

@Jackie:
That's great that you write so much. Silence is terrifying.


@Cherry:
I've never thought about role playing like that.
Good luck on your story.

@Tezzy:
*is still amazed that Tezzy has changed his avi*
I am familiar with that bored-ness. I usually occupy that time by guilt-tripping myself on why I'm not writing.

[Lord Tezzy]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

@Tezzy:
*is still amazed that Tezzy has changed his avi*
I am familiar with that bored-ness. I usually occupy that time by guilt-tripping myself on why I'm not writing.

Hehe. I had the same avi for so long cuz I didn't really care. My cousins (8 and 11) asked me to change it, so I was like 'whatever.' What can I say, I am a people pleasing evil overlord. *shrugs*

Also, I do not. When I am bored and lazy, I often sit down and whine about how bored I am and how I could easily fix it if only I could get out of my bored and lazy state of mind (notably depressed and empty, but really temporary, so it's never of concern to me). There's no need to guilt trip myself, I get enough writing done, and I know that I lot of the time I simply don't know what I'm going to do next (it took me a month to figure out how exactly I was going to write a scene involving a hospital).

[Desi the fuzzy fluffhead]

Lord Tezzy

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

@Tezzy:
*is still amazed that Tezzy has changed his avi*
I am familiar with that bored-ness. I usually occupy that time by guilt-tripping myself on why I'm not writing.

Hehe. I had the same avi for so long cuz I didn't really care. My cousins (8 and 11) asked me to change it, so I was like 'whatever.' What can I say, I am a people pleasing evil overlord. *shrugs*

Also, I do not. When I am bored and lazy, I often sit down and whine about how bored I am and how I could easily fix it if only I could get out of my bored and lazy state of mind (notably depressed and empty, but really temporary, so it's never of concern to me). There's no need to guilt trip myself, I get enough writing done, and I know that I lot of the time I simply don't know what I'm going to do next (it took me a month to figure out how exactly I was going to write a scene involving a hospital).

Aw, all my cousins(8-16) want me to do is listen to their farts.

It has been taking me a whole week to figure out how to write a singular scene. I need to make this one character a red-herring, and it just ain't working.

Sorry to hear about the random, little spurts of depression. Even if they're little. I have a Purrzac.

[phantomkitsune]

Excuses:

I'm drunk.
I'm not drunk enough.
After this level.
Gossip Girl is on.
House is on.
Lie To Me is on.
I'm looking up recipes.
I'm still looking up recipes. I swear, TV Tropes has recipes.
I haven't slept in two days.
I haven't slept in three days.
I'm not awake yet.
I need to shower.
I haven't eaten yet.
I'm cooking.
I'm cleaning the kitchen.
No, really, I'm getting up to clean the kitchen, like, right now.
I'm almost done this chapter, and then I need to clean the kitchen.

What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
I don't really have one - I write when I feel like writing. But when I don't feel like writing, I am usually editing my own work or doing creative things for money. I don't feel bad when I go for a few days without writing, though I seldom go completely without writing. Some days it's only a few words, some days I'll sit down and start writing and look up 2000 words later.

What does affect your writing?
Emotional and mental state. The more out of it I am, the more likely I am to write copious amounts of crap.

[Lord Tezzy]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

Lord Tezzy

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

@Tezzy:
*is still amazed that Tezzy has changed his avi*
I am familiar with that bored-ness. I usually occupy that time by guilt-tripping myself on why I'm not writing.

Hehe. I had the same avi for so long cuz I didn't really care. My cousins (8 and 11) asked me to change it, so I was like 'whatever.' What can I say, I am a people pleasing evil overlord. *shrugs*

Also, I do not. When I am bored and lazy, I often sit down and whine about how bored I am and how I could easily fix it if only I could get out of my bored and lazy state of mind (notably depressed and empty, but really temporary, so it's never of concern to me). There's no need to guilt trip myself, I get enough writing done, and I know that I lot of the time I simply don't know what I'm going to do next (it took me a month to figure out how exactly I was going to write a scene involving a hospital).

Aw, all my cousins(8-16) want me to do is listen to their farts.

It has been taking me a whole week to figure out how to write a singular scene. I need to make this one character a red-herring, and it just ain't working.

Sorry to hear about the random, little spurts of depression. Even if they're little. I have a Purrzac.

I have a number of young children related to me, ranging from 2 to 11. Some are reasonably amazing children (IE: 5 year old brother (bestest friend ever!), 11 year old cousin, etc) some are not so much (8 year old sister). I think my five year old brother asked me to change to the leaf avatar the last time I changed it...

Taking forever to figure out scenes is hella annoying. I tend to want to just write the scenes, and often I know what has to happen, and just not sure how to go about it. My current one (which took a few days of thought) covers some torture (hence the thought), some kidnapped kids, and a possible violent violent death. I am not sure, though, because of that silly moral event horizon business. I know how pissed the character is (one of these people killed her lover, and the one she's dealing with has raped and murdered near 30 people (ranging from age 5 to 78 ), eluding her every step of the way. So she is seriously pissed off. And I want people to realize she is srsly not the good guy of the novel (despite being on the side of justice), without crossing some Moral event horizon. Hence: time consuming.

It's not really depression. It's similar to the description of the symptoms of depression, but it is notably not long term (an hour or two tops) and I can easily fix it with something distracting (videogames, a book, gaia, conversations). First strategy to combat the onset of a negative mood for me is to call my grandmother. Who always cheers me up almost immediately.

[Desi the fuzzy fluffhead]

Lord Tezzy

I have a number of young children related to me, ranging from 2 to 11. Some are reasonably amazing children (IE: 5 year old brother (bestest friend ever!), 11 year old cousin, etc) some are not so much (8 year old sister). I think my five year old brother asked me to change to the leaf avatar the last time I changed it...

Taking forever to figure out scenes is hella annoying. I tend to want to just write the scenes, and often I know what has to happen, and just not sure how to go about it. My current one (which took a few days of thought) covers some torture (hence the thought), some kidnapped kids, and a possible violent violent death. I am not sure, though, because of that silly moral event horizon business. I know how pissed the character is (one of these people killed her lover, and the one she's dealing with has raped and murdered near 30 people (ranging from age 5 to 78 ), eluding her every step of the way. So she is seriously pissed off. And I want people to realize she is srsly not the good guy of the novel (despite being on the side of justice), without crossing some Moral event horizon. Hence: time consuming.

It's not really depression. It's similar to the description of the symptoms of depression, but it is notably not long term (an hour or two tops) and I can easily fix it with something distracting (videogames, a book, gaia, conversations). First strategy to combat the onset of a negative mood for me is to call my grandmother. Who always cheers me up almost immediately.

I have one cat that has always been able to cheer me up. That's why I named him Purrzac.
I hope you get that, because an amazing number of people don't.
All my cousins, boys and girls are really...creatively gross...ranging from 2 months to 16 years.
And there's many of them...we're kind of like a clan in size

Your story sounds like a difficult one to write.

phantomkitsune:
I love it.
What kind of creative things do you do for money?

[Lord Tezzy]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

Lord Tezzy

I have a number of young children related to me, ranging from 2 to 11. Some are reasonably amazing children (IE: 5 year old brother (bestest friend ever!), 11 year old cousin, etc) some are not so much (8 year old sister). I think my five year old brother asked me to change to the leaf avatar the last time I changed it...

Taking forever to figure out scenes is hella annoying. I tend to want to just write the scenes, and often I know what has to happen, and just not sure how to go about it. My current one (which took a few days of thought) covers some torture (hence the thought), some kidnapped kids, and a possible violent violent death. I am not sure, though, because of that silly moral event horizon business. I know how pissed the character is (one of these people killed her lover, and the one she's dealing with has raped and murdered near 30 people (ranging from age 5 to 78 ), eluding her every step of the way. So she is seriously pissed off. And I want people to realize she is srsly not the good guy of the novel (despite being on the side of justice), without crossing some Moral event horizon. Hence: time consuming.

It's not really depression. It's similar to the description of the symptoms of depression, but it is notably not long term (an hour or two tops) and I can easily fix it with something distracting (videogames, a book, gaia, conversations). First strategy to combat the onset of a negative mood for me is to call my grandmother. Who always cheers me up almost immediately.

I have one cat that has always been able to cheer me up. That's why I named him Purrzac.
I hope you get that, because an amazing number of people don't.
All my cousins, boys and girls are really...creatively gross...ranging from 2 months to 16 years.
And there's many of them...we're kind of like a clan in size

Your story sounds like a difficult one to write.

phantomkitsune:
I love it.
What kind of creative things do you do for money?

I got it. Hehe. Is that really his name? cuz if so, that's fairly awesome.

Meh, most kids have a tendency to enjoy the gross sounds that can emanate from the human body. I don't really care much, as I recognize it is the norm for certain families. That said, I make it a point to instruct my little brother to censor his bodily sounds when in public.

And it is difficult to write only because i am trying to a large number of things with it, and am thus complicating it. It's not like I go 'I can't figure out how to do this' because I'm just at the 'initial writing' stage. All the 'omg this line is epic' stuff will come when I get toward the 'edit' stage.

[Desi the fuzzy fluffhead]

Lord Tezzy

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

Lord Tezzy

I have a number of young children related to me, ranging from 2 to 11. Some are reasonably amazing children (IE: 5 year old brother (bestest friend ever!), 11 year old cousin, etc) some are not so much (8 year old sister). I think my five year old brother asked me to change to the leaf avatar the last time I changed it...

Taking forever to figure out scenes is hella annoying. I tend to want to just write the scenes, and often I know what has to happen, and just not sure how to go about it. My current one (which took a few days of thought) covers some torture (hence the thought), some kidnapped kids, and a possible violent violent death. I am not sure, though, because of that silly moral event horizon business. I know how pissed the character is (one of these people killed her lover, and the one she's dealing with has raped and murdered near 30 people (ranging from age 5 to 78 ), eluding her every step of the way. So she is seriously pissed off. And I want people to realize she is srsly not the good guy of the novel (despite being on the side of justice), without crossing some Moral event horizon. Hence: time consuming.

It's not really depression. It's similar to the description of the symptoms of depression, but it is notably not long term (an hour or two tops) and I can easily fix it with something distracting (videogames, a book, gaia, conversations). First strategy to combat the onset of a negative mood for me is to call my grandmother. Who always cheers me up almost immediately.

I have one cat that has always been able to cheer me up. That's why I named him Purrzac.
I hope you get that, because an amazing number of people don't.
All my cousins, boys and girls are really...creatively gross...ranging from 2 months to 16 years.
And there's many of them...we're kind of like a clan in size

Your story sounds like a difficult one to write.

phantomkitsune:
I love it.
What kind of creative things do you do for money?

I got it. Hehe. Is that really his name? cuz if so, that's fairly awesome.

Meh, most kids have a tendency to enjoy the gross sounds that can emanate from the human body. I don't really care much, as I recognize it is the norm for certain families. That said, I make it a point to instruct my little brother to censor his bodily sounds when in public.

And it is difficult to write only because i am trying to a large number of things with it, and am thus complicating it. It's not like I go 'I can't figure out how to do this' because I'm just at the 'initial writing' stage. All the 'omg this line is epic' stuff will come when I get toward the 'edit' stage.

Yep, that's his name.
My mom wanted to name him "Love Bug". rolleyes

My little cousin is five and she doesn't take instructions. She just talks about poop and sings the ABC's. I think her brother taught her that on purpose. She gets this absolutely proud look on her face when she farts, just like him.

So, have you done any pre-planning for it?

[Lord Tezzy]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

Lord Tezzy

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

Lord Tezzy

I have a number of young children related to me, ranging from 2 to 11. Some are reasonably amazing children (IE: 5 year old brother (bestest friend ever!), 11 year old cousin, etc) some are not so much (8 year old sister). I think my five year old brother asked me to change to the leaf avatar the last time I changed it...

Taking forever to figure out scenes is hella annoying. I tend to want to just write the scenes, and often I know what has to happen, and just not sure how to go about it. My current one (which took a few days of thought) covers some torture (hence the thought), some kidnapped kids, and a possible violent violent death. I am not sure, though, because of that silly moral event horizon business. I know how pissed the character is (one of these people killed her lover, and the one she's dealing with has raped and murdered near 30 people (ranging from age 5 to 78 ), eluding her every step of the way. So she is seriously pissed off. And I want people to realize she is srsly not the good guy of the novel (despite being on the side of justice), without crossing some Moral event horizon. Hence: time consuming.

It's not really depression. It's similar to the description of the symptoms of depression, but it is notably not long term (an hour or two tops) and I can easily fix it with something distracting (videogames, a book, gaia, conversations). First strategy to combat the onset of a negative mood for me is to call my grandmother. Who always cheers me up almost immediately.

I have one cat that has always been able to cheer me up. That's why I named him Purrzac.
I hope you get that, because an amazing number of people don't.
All my cousins, boys and girls are really...creatively gross...ranging from 2 months to 16 years.
And there's many of them...we're kind of like a clan in size

Your story sounds like a difficult one to write.

phantomkitsune:
I love it.
What kind of creative things do you do for money?

I got it. Hehe. Is that really his name? cuz if so, that's fairly awesome.

Meh, most kids have a tendency to enjoy the gross sounds that can emanate from the human body. I don't really care much, as I recognize it is the norm for certain families. That said, I make it a point to instruct my little brother to censor his bodily sounds when in public.

And it is difficult to write only because i am trying to a large number of things with it, and am thus complicating it. It's not like I go 'I can't figure out how to do this' because I'm just at the 'initial writing' stage. All the 'omg this line is epic' stuff will come when I get toward the 'edit' stage.

Yep, that's his name.
My mom wanted to name him "Love Bug". rolleyes

My little cousin is five and she doesn't take instructions. She just talks about poop and sings the ABC's. I think her brother taught her that on purpose. She gets this absolutely proud look on her face when she farts, just like him.

So, have you done any pre-planning for it?

Awesome.

Well, not taking instructions is usually something that should be worked on...

And yes and no. I sorta did, in the sense that I know all of the major plot points. IE: the organization of the various chapters and what the sections must contain. But i don't have all of the scenes and conversation thoguht out yet. So smaller things take a while.