Does this actually work?

Reborn_Cat

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Recently I saw this short by Dan Povenmire about writers block which basically was write whatever, even if it's crappy, then edit the hell out of it later, and just wanted to ask if it actually works or you just end up hating yourself due to how bad it is.
 

HappyVainGlory

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I do this all the time, though modified a bit.

Basically, I turn on a song and just write without thinking until the song's over. After that, I look over what I read and if it's good, repeat. Otherwise, I start the song up again and edit as fast as I can. Again, if good, continue writing. If bad, repeat.

The principle behind it, and pretty much all writer's block solutions, is to get yourself to not think about the quality of what you're writing and to loosen up so that you can just write.

Other metaphors I've heard is that creativity can be like a rusty pipe, and you gotta let the mucky water run first before you get a clear stream.

tl;dr - It works.
 

Paul_Tromba

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That's pretty much all my main series is. I just stick to the same set of characters and setting. Somehow it all makes sense despite being completely random. Though it's a special case. I tried doing it with another series and that was a nightmare.
 

SirDogeTheFirst

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I do something similar.

When I start writing, I only have the start, end, key characters, and events of the chapter, then I just write till it is finished.

I usually end up with something unreadable in terms of grammar, so I put my chapter through editing then I publish it.

Results, at least in my eyes, are not half bad though. I have several people who like my story, and it is mostly more than enough.
 

Keene

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I would go a step further and say this is an essential skill to develop if you want to be a good writer.

Too many people see writing as an activity than can only be undertaken when they are hit by a sudden stroke of motivation or flash of genius. These same people rarely write much at all and don't produce decent results. The same thought processes can be applied to anything:

"I was told I should go to the gym even when I don't want to because apparently 30 minutes is better than nothing. Is this true?" Yes. Yes it is.

Mark Zuckerberg famously would take software engineering applicants out to get drunk and then give them a programming test. Why? He's testing their abilities when their brains are barely functioning and unable to reason well. Likewise, writers block is an open test for you to undertake when your brain isn't feeling motivated or able to find those perfect words.

Learning to write when you feel like you cannot write is a very important skill.
 

Maldon

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I agree with Keene, it's not only a good tip on writting, but also in general.
Motivation can only take you so far, sometimes you just have to do something.

Of course, it has to be with moderation, or you risk burnout.
 

CupcakeNinja

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Recently I saw this short by Dan Povenmire about writers block which basically was write whatever, even if it's crappy, then edit the hell out of it later, and just wanted to ask if it actually works or you just end up hating yourself due to how bad it is.
Nah thats one of the best ways to break it. You cant keep writing the same shit. You get tired of it. Sometimes you wanna branch out of your preferred genre, characters, whatever. I get like that, that's why I've got a pure smut novel and a depressed boi novel. See. my friend. its all about finding the right inspiration and. no matter how it comes out in the end, following through...
 

K5Rakitan

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I call K5R posting the white on black image with the upsetting font sizing
This one?
Carlo.jpg

I do my drafts in a paper notebook. Handwriting is slower than typing, so my brain doesn't wind up spewing BS too fast. Then, I type up the good parts, editing as I type. Then, I let it sit for a month and edit again. It works . . . when I don't have a baby sucking on my nipple.
 

Ilikewaterkusa

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Recently I saw this short by Dan Povenmire about writers block which basically was write whatever, even if it's crappy, then edit the hell out of it later, and just wanted to ask if it actually works or you just end up hating yourself due to how bad it is.
Yes, it still works if you still hate yourself.
 

Zirrboy

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This one?
View attachment 11316
I do my drafts in a paper notebook. Handwriting is slower than typing, so my brain doesn't wind up spewing BS too fast. Then, I type up the good parts, editing as I type. Then, I let it sit for a month and edit again. It works . . . when I don't have a baby sucking on my nipple.
jep
 

Reborn_Cat

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I call K5R posting the white on black image with the upsetting font sizing
This one?
View attachment 11316
I do my drafts in a paper notebook. Handwriting is slower than typing, so my brain doesn't wind up spewing BS too fast. Then, I type up the good parts, editing as I type. Then, I let it sit for a month and edit again. It works . . . when I don't have a baby sucking on my nipple.
The font is really is upsetting
 

lnv

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Recently I saw this short by Dan Povenmire about writers block which basically was write whatever, even if it's crappy, then edit the hell out of it later, and just wanted to ask if it actually works or you just end up hating yourself due to how bad it is.

Yes it works, that is what I do. That is partly why editing takes 10X more time then writing, Sometimes I even skip chapters and write forward chapters that are WAY later.

By the end, some things end up being completely rewritten multiple times, but it is important to have things in written form as it is easier to formulate things.
 

Varstark

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Common thing in any sort of art. Going through a mental block? Even more crucial that you keep on steaming ahead so that it ingrains itself into your brain further. On the writing side, Stephen King writes at least ten pages a day, IIRC.
 

AliceShiki

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I'd say that this is actually the only way to overcome writer's block.

There is no magical formula to get creative... You wanna write and you can't write? Then force yourself to write. That's the only way you'll keep going.

Editing can fix the mess that came out when you're writing while out of ideas, no worries about that.
 

Agentt

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For me, this doesn't work. I rather write some practice one shots than this. Editing is quite a frustrating process
 

Ai-chan

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Recently I saw this short by Dan Povenmire about writers block which basically was write whatever, even if it's crappy, then edit the hell out of it later, and just wanted to ask if it actually works or you just end up hating yourself due to how bad it is.
It can. The problem is, some people's writer's block is very insane. Just typing one sentence puts you in an incredibly lazy state that your body decides to go to bed instead.
 
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