Battling Writer's Block

[mysid]

I got off to a very good start on my rs_small_gifts story and then ground to a halt with my customary case of writer's block. If I'd just been writing it for myself, I may have let the story remain unloved and unfinished on my hard drive, but since I'm writing it for someone else (aclytie), I had to persevere.

The good news, I found a way around my writer's block. I simply backed up, deleted the scene that had tripped my up, and am continuing without that scene.

The bad news, once I start writing, I forget everything else. No Chirstmas presents were purchased today. No cookies were baked today. (Although I did bake Chanukkah cookies yesterday--for my daughter to give her teacher.) And worst of all, I was late picking up my kids from school. Bad Mommy! (They usually take the bus, but I'd promised to pick them up today. I didn't remember that little detail until the exact time I should have been meeting them in the school lobby.)


Quick question for you all: Now that Six Apart has sold LJ, and I will no longer be punishing the hated Six Apart by refusing to renew my paid account status, do you think I should renew? I'd get to keep my purty icons if I do. If I don't, my paid account reverts to a free one in a week.
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Comments

[greenwitch.livejournal.com]

Quick question for you all: Now that Six Apart has sold LJ, and I will no longer be punishing the hated Six Apart by refusing to renew my paid account status, do you think I should renew?

Guess it depends on whether or not you'd like to support the new company as well. It would be easy for me to say "no" considering my paid account doesn't run out until June (and even now I tell people who ask that I will "probably not" renew my account, not "won't").

Personally though, LJ is becoming too big and out of control for me, which is part of the reason I'm spending more and more time at InsaneJournal. Yes, I'm well established here with dozens of icons and all, but... eh. Every time they introduce a new feature, it seems to me like they're trying to meet the features of Facebook or Myspace, heh. My opinion and all that, but hey, $.02 is $.02 :) Plus, I don't know enough about the new company yet to feel like supporting them (whether they're foreign-owned or not.) What I've seen so far is a lot of conpsiracy theory tinhatting, but until we've had a few more weeks/months of knowing what is going to change and how... eh.

Maybe you could renew it for a short time period, rather than a full year, if you're unsure?

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

Oh no! But it was for the writing cause. Elizabeth doesn't understand that very well, but at least your kids are old enough not to grab the pen away and scribble all over your stuff. I hope. :D

Wow, I missed that SixApart news. I'd give the new company a careful trial run first. I'd like a paid account just to meet some local people (that regional search option), but I haven't gotten one yet.

[elfscribe5.livejournal.com]

Good observation, I think, about the writer's block. I've recently discovered that's often the case, you're going in a wrong direction and that sometimes just deleting what you just wrote and moving forward works. Sometimes. What I do is save the deleted scene in another file, just in case I want it again.

I completely understand that time thingie. Can't tell you how often I've looked up from the computer to go, oh no, supposed to be picking up the kid.

Re: renewing. Trying to decide that for myself also. Mine is up in a couple of weeks, so I better make up my mind.

[mysid.livejournal.com]

I keep the deleted fragments too. Occasionally, one finds its way to the light of day either in another fic or as a stand-alone. But most--alas--are still in cryogenic storage.

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

You probably heard, but LJ is being bought out by a Russian company that sounds very scary. "LiveJournal Advisory Board will be a group of informed thought leaders from the global online community, who will advise the management and board of directors of LiveJournal in the development of the LiveJournal platform;

"The LiveJournal Advisory Board will publish and update on a regular basis a clear a set of aims and values. This will address such vital community issues as privacy, security, taste and decency. It will also provide a forum to consider any relevant legal, *political or religious concerns.*" [My emphasis.]

The general thinking is we're going to be subject to some hefty censorship. Wired and Forbes aren't too happy about this in their recent articles.

[mysid.livejournal.com]

Do you really think they'll be any worse than Six Apart? "Hi. Someone complained about a sexually explicit drawing/story you posted, so we're deleting your account without warning. Have a nice day."

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

The political and religious mention were what was scaring people the most, I think.

[mysid.livejournal.com]

Religion and politics were behind Six Apart's asshattery*; at least the Russian company admits that it will influence them.

*Actually, religion and politics were behind the complaints that led to Six Apart caving for financial reasons.

[yuan-18.livejournal.com]

The bad news, once I start writing, I forget everything else.

The things you forgot aside, DIDN'T WRITING FEEL GOOD THOUGH??? Mwahaha >D For me, once I'm into the groove, nothing feels better.

[mysid.livejournal.com]

Of course it felt good--that's how these addiction-thingies hook you. "Gotta write. Need the smut. Need the feedback. Gotta write."