kiwistardust

[kiwistardust]

“Rosemary…“

Here’s Norman moving his jaw again! Isn’t he the coolest? His cosmetic-less face reminds me a lot of the Child’s Play animatronic used in Daft Punk’s Technologic music video.

- Mod Rat

[kiwistardust]

Quick Tips for Writing While Depressed

My combo of bipolar-2 and BPD means that I go through a lot of depressive phases, and they can be a huge challenge to my work ethic and writerly productivity. I’m the type of writer who gets much worse if I don’t at least touch my manuscript or think about writing for a day (mind you, that doesn’t always mean adding words!), so here are some tips and tricks I figured out to navigate the complicated waters of writing during/around depressive episodes.

one step at a time — long-term planning tends to lead to disappointment and anger at myself if I fail, especially because I’m bad at managing self-expectations while working at a lower capacity

bite-sized goals — they don’t take many spoons, but meeting and exceeding them can restore some. Here are some small goals I go for:

a sentence per day

five minutes of writing at a time

just read the last finished scene

read the last scene and highlight the good/bad passages

read the last scene and fill in the metadata (in Scrivener—if I hadn’t done that already) or write a two-sentence synopsis of it

read a page of a book

appearance changes — just like with my personal appearance (hair dye!), changing small things can do a lot to help restore a bit of a feeling of control and break through the depressive routine:

play with different fonts until one feels right for the story

change the background or document icons

experiment with a colour/colour scheme for POV threads

freewrite the first thing that comes to mind, different from your main project, for as long as you want/can

pinterest and aesthetics — making them can be tricky because depression often means nothing is coming out right, but just finding WIP-related visuals and saving them somewhere can get some creative juices flowing and maintain that connection with the story

headphones and daydreaming — sometimes just lying down with music is all I can do, and that’s fine. I like finding songs that fit in some way with my stories, and time spent on visualising scenes while listening to music totally counts as writing time

If these sound like procrastination to you, think again: they all help keep that thread between you and your story alive, even when moods and mental states make it thin and frayed. That thread is important—it’s there for a reason—so don’t let anyone tell you to stop doing whatever’s in your power to help it hold.

The most important thing, for me, is to remember that my productivity levels fluctuate. When things get really Bad, when I can’t work as much as I’d like or am used to, it’s important to acknowledge it because really, really, it’s okay. Tiny steps are still steps—and if there’s a day when even they prove impossible, that really is a day to just spend taking a break and recharging in whatever way works (I watch How I Met Your Mother for the billionth time and sleep a whole lot).

Fellow writers struggling with working through depression, I see you. We can do this.

[kiwistardust]

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

John Anster (via wordsnstuff)

[kiwistardust]

Testing out popular (FREE) writing hacks

There are a lot of writing hacks floating around, tips that are supposed to increase your writing productivity. Well, I tested them, and here are my thoughts:

1. Use Comic Sans

Let’s be honest. When we were in primary school, we typed EVERYTHING in Comic Sans. However, as we got older and more professional, Comic Sans appeared childish and we stopped using it.

Ask anyone what the most unprofessional font is and they’ll probably answer: Comic Sans MS

However, earlier this year the idea of using Comic Sans when writing your first draft started popping up and now, a lot of writers are swearing by it.

So, did it increase my productivity?

YES

I started writing a scene in Comic Sans and I wrote about five pages in like 30 minutes. The words just flowed. I don’t know why this font increases writing productivity, but if it works, I don’t really care why.

So, I would 100% recommend trying Comic Sans for your first draft. Remember, no one’s going to see it. And it’s pretty easy to change back to something like Times New Roman once you’ve finished a scene.

2. Dictation

I’ve heard a lot of professional authors rave about how much time they save by dictating their first drafts. However, a lot of dictation software and microphones are quite expensive. So, I tried the free alternatives at my disposal.

The latest version of OneNote, which comes included in a lot of Microsoft Office packages, now has a dictation feature. I know this isn’t technically free, but it was for me, since I already have Office installed. The OneNote mobile app is free, but I don’t know it is has this feature. And I just used the built-in microphone on my laptop. Google Docs also has a dictation feature, I think, but I haven’t tried it yet.

So, does it work?

The accuracy is surprisingly good. I dictated about three paragraphs this morning and only one or two words were incorrect. Also, OneNote’s dictation doesn’t allow for speaking punctuation, which means you’ll have to add these after the fact. Additionally, few people actually write in OneNote, so you’ll have to paste the text into your document.

Overall, this could be great for someone whose hands are tired of typing or who cannot sit at a desk any longer than their job already requires. However, it doesn’t really increase productivity. This may just be me, but I take longer to think up good sentences when I have to speak them. Then, I have to go back and add punctuation marks and correct some words. And then paste it into my draft document. It’s easier to just write it from the get-go.

However, some authors say that it just takes getting used to. So, maybe if you’re more of a verbal/audio thinker and don’t have your hands available at all times, this is a good hack for you. I just don’t think I’ll be using it much. 

3. Writing sprints

This has been around for quite some time, but I only really started using it when I attempted Camp Nanowrimo during my test month. Essentially, writing sprints entail setting a timer for somewhere under an hour and then just focusing on getting as many words written as possible before the timer goes off. There are many published authors who swear by this.

So, does it increase productivity?

Yes. Firstly, it pushes you to write when you wouldn’t have in other circumstances, since it allows you to utilise even the smallest free periods. Have an hour between classes? Find a flat surface and do a writing sprint. Have to study all evening? Do a 25-minute sprint before you start. Secondly, it also helps you get more words down in that time, because you don’t have to worry about what you have to do next or whether your writing is any good. All you focus on is producing as many words as possible before that timer goes off.

So, if you’re a busy person, try using writing sprints here and there to increase your productivity.

4. Writing groups

Many authors enjoy the camaraderie and accountability that comes with writing with a lot of other people, whether it be in a physical space or an online group. There’s a set time everyone in the group will be writing and you keep one another company, checking up on one another’s progress and sharing motivation.

Does it increase productivity?

Not for me. This is largely a personal thing, but I actually get less writing done in the presence of other people. I’m more anxious. I get distracted by other people’s comments. And I constantly find myself wondering when the session will end. To me, writing is a solitary thing. I work best holed up in my room with no one around and no one leaving online comments about their own writing. Yes, I love checking in on others’ progress and sharing my own on Instagram, but only after my writing session has finished.

However, you may find that writing groups work for you. Maybe not being alone is just nicer for you, regardless of whether you get more words down or not. So, this one is definitely dependent on the individual.

5. Background noise

Some writers create signature playlists for each of their WIPs. Some write specific scenes to specific songs. Others use white noise or instrumentals. But it’s clear that writing with some form of background sound works for a lot of authors.

Let me start by saying that I cannot get any work done when listening to music with lyrics. So, I didn’t even try this. Instead, I tried fantasy instrumental playlists on YouTube, rainymood.com and ambient-mixer.com 

Does it work?

Sometimes.

If I’m writing a fight scene, listening to epic battle music will help me write it faster. I write at my best during thunderstorms, so rainymood.com definitely increases my productivity. Ambient mixer offers a huge variety of ambient sounds to listen to, ranging from scary woods to driving with the Winchesters. “Quiet library” on ambient mixer helps a lot when I have to study, but not really when I have to write. So, yes, in certain instances, background noise helps me write faster. But, mostly, I enjoy writing in silence or with natural, real-life sounds around me.

Once again, this is purely personal. Regardless, I can definitely recommend the two websites I mentioned above.

So, that’s all I have for you today. I hope that these “reviews” can help you decide which writing hacks will work for you. Remember that my asks are always open for creative writing questions, and that post submissions are always welcome!

Reblog if you found this post useful. Comment if there are any writing hacks you’d like me to try out in the future. Follow me for similar content.

[kiwistardust]

Me trying to start a new WIP: But... but what if it’s not good enough?? 😨 What if I mess up?? Hm... 🤔 Maybe I should edit this part before writing more... 😰 I mean, what if it’s not perfect???

My last 2 brain cells with common sense:

[kiwistardust]

The best writing teacher I ever had wasn’t the one who taught me grammar and spelling. He wasn’t the one who taught me outlining and paragraph structure, nor was he the one who taught me about themes, motifs, and symbolism.

He said, “Wiggle your pencil.

Put the tip of your pencil to the paper and keep the eraser end wiggling.

If you have nothing to write, write that: I have nothing to write, I have nothing to write, I have nothing to write, I have nothing to write, and eventually, by force of boredom, something else will come out.”

We would take 30 - 45 minutes every day to ‘wiggle our pencils’ in our wide-ruled notebooks, during which time, he was silent except to remind anyone who stopped to keep that pencil moving. 

I finished not one but two novel-length stories that year. It was fifth grade.

Wiggle your pencil.

[kiwistardust]

megamind is one of the greatest animated films of the 21st century, one of the funniest films of all time, one of the greatest superhero movies and satires ever made, and was a gift from god in heaven unto humanity, and all current events are just punishment for us failing to appreciate god’s gift back in 2010

[kiwistardust]

My brain wouldn’t let me sleep until I made this

[kiwistardust]

Yall I am making Megamind fanart in 2019 (Megamind is my favourite movie and I re-watched it recently with Nat and yep it’s still the best movie out there) 

[kiwistardust]

[kiwistardust]

FITTED TO WHOM

[kiwistardust]

Spooktober in VRChat

[kiwistardust]

Source

[kiwistardust]

Toyhou.se code?

My friend wants a toyhou.se code! does anyone have one to spare? I’ll give art! Here’s an example:

[kiwistardust]

[kiwistardust]

booty shorts that say "i send a pestilence and plague into your house, into your bed, into your streams, into your streets, into your drink, into your bread, upon your cattle, on your sheep, upon your oxen in your field, into your dreams, into your sleep, until you break, until you yield, I SEND THE SWARM I SEND THE HORDE, THUS SAITH THE LORD"

[kiwistardust]

The dead walk among us, our memories chaining them to who they once were. Set them free, and you set yourself free.

🕯ghostcore playlist🕯