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Tuesday 17 March 2009

Lazyitis



Writing my book is something I really enjoy. The only problem is due to my depression sometimes I just can't be bothered. I have to confess I haven't written anything for Megan's thirty for a couple of weeks. I really want to crack on and get the book finished but I just struggle. The medication I'm on causes me to be very lethargic which means I'm constantly battling with that and my need to write. I find it so frustrating and wish sometimes I could just switch it off. But I can't really use this as an excuse. Not when so many authors that have gone before me who had allegedly had depression have done so well. A few names of authors/writers who are supposed to have had depression are Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, John Keats, Mary Shelley, and Mark Twain. Now that's quite a list of talented writers I wish I knew their secret of writing well with depression. Apparently a lot of us artistic types have depression it's not just us writers either. Artists, actors, singers, seem to have depression drawn to them. As I have said my depression encouraged me to write I wonder if this has been the case for other authors. Did depression cause them to write or did they get depression after becoming an author?

I assure you all that even though Megan's thirty does include depression it is not a depressing story. It's a tale of over coming depression against the odds.
So I should really get over this lazyitis and get back to it shouldn't I?

2 comments:

Rebecca Woodhead said...

This is going to sound so simple but have you tried not thinking about the depression? Like Rose, I've also been depressed in the past and I'm sure most people are depressed at some point or other and will understand what you're going through. I found that the easiest way to get over depression was to decide not to be depressed.

This isn't easy - and some people need to go through a period on meds to get to it. For me, I just got SO BORED of not being happy that I just decided to be happy. The problem with depression is that it alters your brain chemistry so once you've made the decision you have to keep making it over and over again until you've got all your chemistry working again. Eventually it works, your seratonin levels return to normal and you look back and say:
'Crikey - that sucked. Glad I'm over it. What now?'

Maybe get a diary and only write the good things that happen every day in it, even if it's just 'saw a really great shade of pink.' Then, when you get over your depression - which you will - you can publish it to help other writers who are going through depression. Bet it would sell well.

The important thing to remember is not to wait until you feel 'perfect' to write. Write regardless. Decide how many days you want to write a week then write something on every day - even if it's just a paragraph. Write for yourself. Don't get too worried if someone doesn't like your work. They're not the only reader in the world. Get it right for you.

Hope that helps.

:)

Rebecca

Unknown said...

Hey rebecca
Thanks i have decided to try and ignore and fight the depression it's just sometimes it's stronger than me. It's a constant battle and it's hard doing it alone.
Melissa xx