[Stylist] Overthinking when writing

[Jacobson, Shawn D]

I also work better with a deadline.  This is because if the work doesn't have one, it gets pushed aside by all the things, some of it trivial, that does have a deadline.

I think you almost have to come up with internal deadlines and keep yourself to it.  I can do that with varying degrees of success.

Shawn

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Stylist
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2019 2:36 PM
To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List' <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter <bkpollpeter at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Stylist] Overthinking when writing

Vejas,

I'm the same way. I work better with a deadline. I'm in my head a lot about my writing. I like to have a structure and style figured out well before I actually sit and write. But this is not always condusive to generating work consistently. In my defense, most pieces I've had published happened after I created a structure in my head and thought out images. But, I'm not a disciplined writer. I certainly don't sit and write every day, regardless of an idea or not. So, I really have no answers for you, but I do completely understand.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vejas Vasiliauskas via Stylist
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 12:39 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>
Subject: [Stylist] Overthinking when writing

Hi,
I hope you have all had a great weekend.
I feel that I often engage in two types of creative writing: prompts and assignments that need to be done for class, and also writing for fun. I want to write for fun to keep it up and not just limit myself to assignments. 
I actually have found the school assignments to be easier to do, because they must be done, have a deadline and have some kind of structural requirement. 
But when I write for myself, I find that I often overthink things. I've heard it's good to just write and see what comes out, but it doesn't always seem to be working because I tend to overthink while doing even that. For example, I might have a general plot idea, and start the first few sentences, then tell myself it's realistically not going to go anywhere, even though in some cases that probably isn't true. At other times, I might start a story with a name of a character (let's say Eliza) and as I'm writing I might think, "No, actually I think I want to use another name like Macy instead." That then makes me go back and I lose my train of thought. 
The reason I really want to keep up with writing is because I just feel it's a more productive thing to do than go online when I'm done with homework/studying, and it's a skill I just don't want to lose because when I . have a firm idea, I love it. I still read books as well, but miss when I was younger and just wrote things without overthinking. 
Has anyone experienced problems with overthinking when writing? I hope I'm making sense! 
Vejas   
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