You forgot to mention that getting blasted by too many gamma rays can turn you into The Hulk.
Seriously, I don't know about brain waves, but I do know I have to be in a good state of mind to write. If I am in a bad mood, forget it. I can't write at all. I could never write as therapy. But I can play guitar to improve my mood.
I do come up with my best ideas when walking or showering.
I have tried to force myself to write when I wasn't in the mood or inspired. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't.
Starting writing is always the hardest part to get past for me, for some reason. I am not sure why. I need more of those "start writing" brain waves.
Gamma WAVES, Mark. These just make you super smart. 🤓
But your point about getting started is really what I'm talking about. I can drop right into writing something for my newsletter, it seems, but starting work on my novel takes more effort. I think I really have to be in that proper state of mind, which is where the brain waves may come into play. Anyway it's just a theory but I'm going to try to pay more attention and see if it helps.
Perhaps it's the size of the project that makes it more difficult to get motivated. A novel is certainly a bigger project than a newsletter. I have a story idea note full of story ideas that I haven't written because I know they will be long stories and I don't want to begin another long project.
This is interesting. I find writing to be the source both beta waves and alpha waves. Sometimes I write to release tension and other times I get tense wanting to write. I’m general, I have a good relationship with writing. My issue is finding time to commit. I have a lot of other commitments outside writing where I can jot a few things down, then need to get back to my work. It feels like writing is getting squeezed in between things so the time spent writing is often frantic.
The trouble comes in when I’m interested in writing on a topic outside my comfort zone. Major impostor syndrome. Truly, people do have the authority to speak on issues, I just don’t want to be loud and wrong. I try to do my research. Those are the moments I stall and procrastinate. I put off working on something when it gets really tough. But just like anything else I do, work is work. I need to make peace with the fact that I’m “working” all the time.
Well, I think you can definitely write with the whole beta waves thing going on. If I had to take a guess, that's probably a good state to be in to write an article—or a newsletter! But to get the creative juices going full blast so you can visualize a new scene and imaginary people having a conversation and doing stuff? I think maybe that's when alpha waves really come into play.
As for writing outside your comfort zone—that's totally normal. I have written on a lot of things in the past so I don't tend to feel that way too often, but if someone asks me to talk about something where I'm way out of my league, I get frustrated because you don't know what you don't know.
This is sooo helpful! I usually sit down with the NYT Crossword to get myself into the zone. I used to wonder if that was just more procrastination on my part - but now...maybe not!
Well, that was awful! I wasn't able to post my reply and I kept refreshing and trying again. And then it posted every attempt. 😬 Sorry about that, Rohini!
You forgot to mention that getting blasted by too many gamma rays can turn you into The Hulk.
Seriously, I don't know about brain waves, but I do know I have to be in a good state of mind to write. If I am in a bad mood, forget it. I can't write at all. I could never write as therapy. But I can play guitar to improve my mood.
I do come up with my best ideas when walking or showering.
I have tried to force myself to write when I wasn't in the mood or inspired. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't.
Starting writing is always the hardest part to get past for me, for some reason. I am not sure why. I need more of those "start writing" brain waves.
Gamma WAVES, Mark. These just make you super smart. 🤓
But your point about getting started is really what I'm talking about. I can drop right into writing something for my newsletter, it seems, but starting work on my novel takes more effort. I think I really have to be in that proper state of mind, which is where the brain waves may come into play. Anyway it's just a theory but I'm going to try to pay more attention and see if it helps.
Perhaps it's the size of the project that makes it more difficult to get motivated. A novel is certainly a bigger project than a newsletter. I have a story idea note full of story ideas that I haven't written because I know they will be long stories and I don't want to begin another long project.
This is interesting. I find writing to be the source both beta waves and alpha waves. Sometimes I write to release tension and other times I get tense wanting to write. I’m general, I have a good relationship with writing. My issue is finding time to commit. I have a lot of other commitments outside writing where I can jot a few things down, then need to get back to my work. It feels like writing is getting squeezed in between things so the time spent writing is often frantic.
The trouble comes in when I’m interested in writing on a topic outside my comfort zone. Major impostor syndrome. Truly, people do have the authority to speak on issues, I just don’t want to be loud and wrong. I try to do my research. Those are the moments I stall and procrastinate. I put off working on something when it gets really tough. But just like anything else I do, work is work. I need to make peace with the fact that I’m “working” all the time.
Well, I think you can definitely write with the whole beta waves thing going on. If I had to take a guess, that's probably a good state to be in to write an article—or a newsletter! But to get the creative juices going full blast so you can visualize a new scene and imaginary people having a conversation and doing stuff? I think maybe that's when alpha waves really come into play.
As for writing outside your comfort zone—that's totally normal. I have written on a lot of things in the past so I don't tend to feel that way too often, but if someone asks me to talk about something where I'm way out of my league, I get frustrated because you don't know what you don't know.
I tend to procrastinate when the stakes are higher, I think. Like writing a recent article for a magazine, or when writing my ode to Alan Turing (https://www.namecheap.com/blog/decoding-an-enigma-alan-turing/) that I had spent ages researching.
And I get the "working all the time" concept. I go from paid work to unpaid work to more unpaid work and then suddenly it's 3am. :)
This is sooo helpful! I usually sit down with the NYT Crossword to get myself into the zone. I used to wonder if that was just more procrastination on my part - but now...maybe not!
Yay! I was hoping it might help other people figure out why they do what they do when they're trying to write!
Well, that was awful! I wasn't able to post my reply and I kept refreshing and trying again. And then it posted every attempt. 😬 Sorry about that, Rohini!
Not to worry, Jackie! I didn’t get any of your attempts! Just got this last ‘that was awful’ one! 🤣
Awesome. I worried it had spammed your email.