[Stylist] Overthinking when writing

Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter bkpollpeter at gmail.com
Tue Nov 5 13:59:23 UTC 2019


I will say that participating in a writing group helps with this a lot. At one point, I was in 3 small writing groups. We all knew each other, and 2 met once a month, and one met every other month. So, I had to have something to submit to group. Online groups are generally not all that effective, but if you find a few people in your writing class who want to start a writing group, that can be very helpful. I now meet every month with a couple of writing friends from my MFA, and obviously have to have something. It keeps me writing even if I don't feel like it or don't have an idea of a subject at the moment.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Stylist <stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vejas Vasiliauskas via Stylist
Sent: Monday, November 4, 2019 11:26 PM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Vejas Vasiliauskas <alpineimagination at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Stylist] Overthinking when writing

> 
> Hi everyone,
> I really appreciate the responses. It sounds like this is a very common problem among us.
> It's not that great living in the Kingdom of the Overthinking!
> OK, I will start something, tonight. I have an idea for a plot that's been brewing, but am still searching for the perfect names. 
That being said, one of my professors invited a horror flash fiction author to our school. He almost never uses names. We'll see how tonight goes. 
Vejas 
> 
> On 4 Nov 2019, at 18:26, Barbara HAMMEL via Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Here I thought I was the queen of overthinking. :) As far as writing stories goes today, what does it hurt to open a file and write, regardless of your view of the story? If it goes nnwhere, it can sit there till you decide to work on it again or finally delete it. Just start your story and tell that little voice to shut and while you get the idea or plot written. Some stories we write just for our own enjoyment and others we may do more with. 
> Barbara Hammel
> 
> On Nov 4, 2019, at 16:00, Jackie via Stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Vegas,
> You have nailed a problem I have had. Perhaps the phrase, "analysis 
> paralysis" is the closest.  I want to write you more on this, but it 
> will have to  wait a bit.
> I will be interested in what other members think, or "over think!"
> 
> Jacqueline Williams
> 
> Clarity is just questioning having eaten its fill.
>    Jenny Xie
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Vejas 
> Vasiliauskas via Stylist
> Sent: Monday, November 04, 2019 11:39 AM
> 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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