Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Aftermath of Creativity

Chatsworth, England, in autumn
How do you feel after a writing session? Do you feel like you have all the energy of a two-year-old hyped up on Skittles? Or do you feel like you've just run a marathon and want to collapse in a heap on the couch?

I took advantage of a recent lunch break at work to get some writing done on the novel. I was very pleased with the results - I wrote 1,500 words during that time: good, solid words. I loved the scene and how it moved the story forward.

But afterwards, I felt drained. Sitting at my desk became a chore and I longed to take a nap. Not possible, of course, when you have the rest of the work day to get through.

Yet there are days when I write and after I'm finished, I feel the opposite. Perhaps not bursting with energy, exactly, but at least not in the mood for a nap.

Maybe it all depends on what I'm writing. For example, the scene I wrote was an emotional one between my two main characters. I think I feel more drained than usual because it took more mental energy to compose.

What about you? How do you feel after a writing session? Does it depend on what you wrote?

13 comments:

  1. It depends, and I think, like you, that it depends on what I write. Mind you, I haven't had a good writing session in who-knows-how-long. How do you cope with the business of life? I can barely get everything I want to do done without accounting for writing, and I am only able write in spurts here and there. Still, better than nought I suppose.

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  2. Normally I feel energized and purposeful:))

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  3. It definitely depends. If it's a revision that needs serious reworking, that can be tiring whereas writing a few blog posts, which are light and easy to get down on the page, are less challenging and so don't really have an effect. So I guess, after all that, it depends on the writing :)

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  4. It depends, on what I've been writing, how much I've managed to put down. After a long and productive session, I do feel my brain has been drained or it gets hazy but its a satisfied feeling too. Thats when I know its time to rest, take a break, rejuvenate, to that I can write again the next day. ;) I do feel like napping if I've been writing during lunchtime though. ;)

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  5. That is very interesting. I can see that the topic you are writing about could greatly impact how you feel when it is done.

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  6. Wow. I think it DOES depend on what I just wrote. I lose SO much sleep over writing.

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  7. For me, it all depends on what I've written - if it's a very emotional scene, then yes, I often feel completely drained. If it's one during which a rush of creativity strikes and it's a fast-paced scene, I often feel energized :)

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  8. Most of the time I feel a surge of excitement. I love spending time in my story:)

    Lunch breaks are a great time to write, except I go back to my desk and my characters are still talking!

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  9. After a really productive day, I do feel drained. It feels almost as if all the words have leached out of my brain, and I can't work again until the tank fills back up. About all I'm good for is sitting on the couch and watching America's Next Top Model. :)

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  10. Anonymous12:03 PM

    It totally depends on the mood of the scene for me. The more emotionally intensive, the more drained I feel. But it's a happy drain.

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  11. I think it depends on how the session went. If it was like pulling teeth, I'm mentally exhausted. If it flowed like melted butter, I'm totally energized.

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  12. I'm always happy when I've been writing, probably because I feel I've achieved something, but definitely feel more lively when I'm excited about what I've written.

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  13. Anonymous6:51 AM

    That you could write during your lunch hour is commendable! Not easy to shut down your day. I don't often feel energized, but I do feel accomplished.

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