7||0|842|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||Just getting something off my chest|Shadowhavoc||14:09:09|05/16/2002|%28Note%3A If anybody doesn%27t want me doing this%2C just tell me to shut up%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI have been working on a certain project since 1998%2C a few months after graduating high school. Now%2C I%27ve mentioned the name of it several times and I get the feeling that some people may be getting tired of hearing about it. But lately%2C it%27s been on my mind quite a lot. How the hell does one stay focused on writing something%3F I mean%2C for the past couple of years I%27ve gone through various formulas%2C plot lines%2C rough drafts%2C characters and action scenes in trying to put it into a story...and for some reason it%27s just not working for me. I mean%2C Gryphon%2C how do you stay focused on something where you%27re not switching character ideas every other day or so%3F One day I%27m thinking of using a cliche%60%2C the next I%27m pounding my head against the wall trying to think of something original. It gets pretty bad when trying to write a story is no longer fun%2C where you lose the meaning of it all. Not being sure if it%27s worth it. I%27m not gonna delude myself in thinking that%27ll be a masterpiece or anything like that%2C in fact%2C it%27s probably gonna be worse than a Dolph Lundgren movie. I just wish I could make up my mind.%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AFeel free to tell me to shut up.
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Gryphon||14:19:28|05/16/2002|%3EHow the hell does one stay focused on writing something%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AA lot of the time%2C one doesn%27t%2C at least if one is me.  I lose focus all the time%3B that%27s part of why I have so many different projects%2C in the hope that when I do%2C I%27ll at least be able to get something done on something else.  %28Unfortunately%2C sometimes the cure is the disease%2C since I occasionally find myself with ideas for more than one project%2C which divides my useful time.  This is mainly what%27s delaying %5Bi%5DValiant Rose%5B%2Fi%5D%3B I%27m making good progress on it%2C but I%27m also working on four or five other things and doing coordination and editing for Redneck on %5Bi%5DA Day of Infamy%5B%2Fi%5D.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor in Chief%2C Netadmin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A
4|2|1|||1||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Nathan||21:44:17|05/16/2002|%3E%3EHow the hell does one stay focused on writing something%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWhat is this %22Focus%22 thing you speak of%3F I presume you%27re not using the Vinge sense of the word...%0D%0A%0D%0ABlessed be.%0D%0ANathan Baxter
5|3|4|||1||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Shadowhavoc||03:59:34|05/17/2002|%3E%3E%3EHow the hell does one stay focused on writing something%3F %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWhat is this %22Focus%22 thing you speak of%3F I presume you%27re not using %0D%0A%3Ethe Vinge sense of the word... %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AVinge%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%22I%27m the Spirit of Violence%2C the God of War%2C I am the master of all...ah hell I forgot the rest of it..%22
6|4|5|||1||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Nathan||07:06:47|05/17/2002|%3EVinge%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AVernor Vinge%27s _A Deepness in the Sky_ features a disease induced mental state that%27s something like the way people get after five solid days awake with aide of fifty pots of coffee.%0D%0A%0D%0ABlessed be.%0D%0ANathan Baxter
2|1|0|||||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Ebony||18:44:13|05/16/2002| how do you stay focused on something where you%27re not %0D%0A%3Eswitching character ideas every other day or so%3F %0D%0A%0D%0ASpeaking as another writer %28who will someday get a Web site up for my stuff%29%2C I don%27t.  That is%2C when I get unfocused%2C I go work on something else.  And really%2C that%27s the way to do it%2C if you%27re doing it for fun.  Otherwise%2C it stops being fun.  The Earthdawn work can be like pulling teeth sometimes%2C because of the deadline %28speaking of which%2C I%27m past one right now%29.  But if you%27re just doing it to do it%2C then don%27t worry if you lose focus sometimes.  Just be sure to go back and look at it again.  %0D%0A%0D%0ATo regain focus%2C I%27ve found that simply relaxing helps.  Sometimes I%27ll get a yen to work on a project again simply by watching an hour of television.  Of course%2C sometimes it just turns me into Slug-Boy%2C Champion of Sloth.  But variety is the key %28at least for me%29.  Doing something different helps reset the mind.%0D%0A%0D%0AEbony the Black Dragon%0D%0Aaka Draco Draconis Ebenium%0D%0Aknown to the Nexus Writing Group as Aaron F. Johnson%2C%0D%0ASenior Editor%2C Living Room Game%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrgames.com%0D%0A
3|1|0|||1||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|Matrix Dragon||21:40:03|05/16/2002|%3EHow the hell does one stay focused on writing something%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t. That%27s what makes it so annoying at times. I%27ve got a few fics almost one%2C but I can%27t finish them because my head is filled with ideas for other fics. While this means that I have a wide variaty of fics%2C I hardly ever get them out%21 But you get used to it.%0D%0A%0D%0A---------------------------%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%0D%0ARabid Crack Weasel %23 123 %0D%0ADirector of the Okatu Intelligence Division%0D%0AApproach With Caution%0D%0A---------------------------
7|1|0|||||RE%3A Just getting something off my chest|LostFactor||10:32:17|05/20/2002|I%27m really not sure.  I%27ve been focused on one project %28%5Bcite%5DNeon Epoch Evangelion%5B%2Fcite%5D%29 for nearly two months now%2C and there%27s been only the slightest falter in that focus every so often.  Once I finish up with that %28which is probably going to be a couple of months from now%29%2C I%27m hoping that I can get the same kind of focus on another project.  So I can tell you what %5Bem%5DI%5B%2Fem%5D do%2C but I don%27t know if it has more to do with just the sort of person I am instead of the way that you can focus correctly.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhen I%27m writing%2C I generally just try to set up my stuff for at least an hour%2C then sit down%2C take a deep breath%2C and start letting my brain work its magic.  Most of what I want to put on paper %28disk%2C whatever%29 is already written in my head - the trick is just getting it out.  So the best way to get a clear picture of it is to just block off all outside influences.  I turn up some music%2C put on my headphones - occasionally I%27ll even close my eyes in the middle of typing%2C or just stare out the window and let my fingers work on their own.  %28Admittedly%2C I can%27t do that for more than a minute or two.%29  Usually%2C I%27ll keep that pace up for an hour or two%2C then go and do something else for a little bit.  If I%27m feeling particularly unfocused%2C I just let myself get to a predetermined breaking point and then do something less demanding.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs a side note%2C I find that it helps to do something brainless during %22down time.%22  Play some video games%2C and not something deep like %5Bcite%5DFinal Fantasy X%5B%2Fcite%5D or %5Bcite%5DXenogears%5B%2Fcite%5D.  My Dreamcast has proven to be almost frighteningly good for these purposes - between %5Bcite%5DWorms World Party%5B%2Fcite%5D and DreamSNES%2C there%27s more than enough twitch gaming to keep my fingers moving and my mind free.  Try taking a walk along a route you know well enough to go in your sleep%2C so you can just let yourself walk and let your mind drift freely.  It sounds counterproductive to be spending lots of time doing something else%2C but what I find is that the thoughts about everything that I want to write tend to bunch up%2C so by the time I sit down to write again I%27ve got hundereds of lines waiting to just flow from my head into the keyboard.  That%27s why I try to do something that doesn%27t require any focus - because it keeps the mind free to wander towards the project.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not flawless%2C and I find myself having good days and bad days.  But it%27s worked thus far.%0D%0A-Eliot %22Long post to return with%22 Lefebvre