How do you write when you're under the weather? Or do you?

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   Eric Newlandposted 13 years ago

   How do you write when you're under the weather? Or do you?
   
   I find that my muse is skittish and sometimes downright wimpy. I have a cold right now. It's not even a particularly bad cold, but I still can't seem to get up the energy or concentration to write anything long and coherent. If I try to force writing in these situations I usually end up with a bunch of crappy words and a lot of frustration.
   
   What do you do when circumstances throw your creativity off kilter? Are there ways to loosen yourself up anyway, or is it best to put off writing for a better day? Any way I can "toughen up" my muse?

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2. 85

   John Sarkisposted 13 years ago

   Many things inspire me to write: nature, the sea, lakes, etc.  Music is great!  Both Schiller and Nietzsche spoke about the power of music and how it can motivate an individual to write.  Next time you sit down to write, make it a habit to put on headsets and type away....

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3. 60

   Juliek958posted 13 years ago

   It really depends on how sick I am.  If I can't get out of bed then I can't do much at all.  But sometimes my best stuff comes when I'm dragging.  For some reason when I'm sick, I'm more in tune with my body and my mind.  I agree with the music choice but I prefer to write to classical or jazz without lyrics.  I don't want to accidently copy anyone else's phrase or words.  My suggestion would be to sit down and write about how you feel.  Generally just getting started gets the juices flowing for me.  So if you feel pitiful, write a pity party store and take it from there.  From what I've seen of your writing, your "I'm miserable" story would have me laughing with tears in my eyes.  I've turned into quite the fan of your work!

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4. 69

   teaches12345posted 13 years ago

   I usually sip a cup of herbal tea, play some classical music and try to get focused before sitting at th keyboard. Take it small increments at a time.  Rest is more important and the faster you recoup, the faster you can get back to writing.

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5. 0

   Lynn S. Murphyposted 13 years ago

   I'm just getting over a headsplitting bug and when that's happening there's no way I can concentrate and make anything coherent. However, if I had a sudden inspiration attack there's no reason not to do a draft and save it for later. Hmm...writing under the throes of illness duress could be amusing though.

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