On creating in isolation

[wylde_writer]

Am probably not going to make a delivery deadline I committed to this month. I am having terrible problems getting on with book revisions. Either writing crap, or can't write at all. Why

Comments

[maitha]

In reading this, I am struck by the singular absence of one thing.

Love.

I'm not sensing it in anything you say here. Not in reference to the support you get online; not in reference to the work you do.

I vaguely recall an article about writing that you posted long ages ago, something about sharing the love.

It would be my guess that that is what's missing in some form here.

[wylde_writer]

I'm pretty sure that's part of the problem.
Don't have a solution for it right now, though, not as along as my living circumstances and geographic location remain what they are. And changing all that is dependent on what I can do with my writing and some other projects.
Which all kinda leaves me right back where I started: attempting to create in isolation. On all kinds of levels.
:(

[merlynn_valen]

I had a feeling you were having problems. I can't say how exactly, but I knew something was wrong.

Per our usual synchronicity, I'm finally well enough to check LJ and FB again as well. How can we help?

[wylde_writer]

thanks for the offer, but I'm not sure there's anything anyone can do. Well, except for maybe sending some especially pointed good Mojo my way. That would be much appreciated right about now. :)

[merlynn_valen]

I disagree. Here is one way I can help you. There is a psychological issue known as "extinction burst" that takes place while a person is trying to extinguish an addictive behavior or something as simple as a bad habit. Extinction bursts occur because the brain has an action-reward cycle. When you try to extinguish a bad habit, the brain starves for the reward and parts of it begin to react badly. In severe alcoholism, for example, a "dry drunk" can occur as the brain tries to produce chemicals that will provide the same high at the alcohol did. In most cases, it involves a binge of the habit, which has the effect of super reinforcing the behavior. The only way to extinguish a habit is provide healthy rewards to yourself for the new behavior. In fact, to ingrain the new habit requires much more rewards that the original behavior ever provided. Over time, you can pare it down to something reasonable, but always keep in mind that there can still be an extinction burst to contend with

[wylde_writer]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see what I can do with that.