Wednesday, July 2, 2014

IWSG: Memory Malfunction

 
 
Today is the monthly posting date for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where writers post their worries, concerns and insecurities about their writing endeavors. You can sign up Here or Here. Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's minions, Krista McLaughlin - Kim VanSickler -
HeatherGardner - Hart Johnson for all your hard work.
 
Since I returned to work a year ago, I've struggled a lot with finding time to write. A couple of months ago I decided to use the word count method to at least get words to screen (500/day or 2500/week). I will say that it works as far as getting the words down. It's still hard to make my weekly goal and so I use a lot of my weekend off writing in order to meet my goal. That's okay, because it works.
 
The problem I didn't foresee is that since I'm writing in such small chunks spread out over time,  I tend to forget what I've written before! And I use an outline!
 
I really, really, really miss my younger brain that use to remember every detail!
 
Now...what did I just say?
 
Anyone else have this problem?
 
What do you do about it?
 
How's your writing life?

 


24 comments:

  1. I've always had a poor memory, and since a car accident in 2004 (where I received head injuries) it's far worse. I also suffer from foggy head from Hoshimotoes disease and two medications. It's a wonder I remember to do anything. !! :) But I find notes, lists and Google Calendar Alerts helps a lot. My husband does too. And the dog never lets' me forget to feed him, even if I forget to feed myself.

    All you can do is try to adapt and find tools to help you. Check your diet too, omega is great for the nervous system.

    I write with Scrivener which is phenomenally useful for planning and organising and keeping on top of everything. I often have a few ghostwriting jobs on the go at once and all I have to do is look at the headings, the character names in the sidebar to readjust from one story to another. Evernote is also great for making notes, etc.

    Best of luck and keep up to word count. :)

    shahwharton.com

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    1. Oh Shah, that is terrible! I'm glad you've found a way to deal with it. You know, I have post-it notes all over the place with my notes on them. LOL. But they're mostly reminders of what I have to do. Once I do them, I throw the post it away. And thanks for all the tips. :)

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  2. I understand this problem all too well. I also suffer from creative loss, using my brain all day long takes it's toll on the creative side of things sometimes.

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    1. That's it exactly, Miranda. By the end of the day I'm whooped. So if I can't sneak writing in at lunch or wherever, that's more for me to do on the weekend.

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  3. I also use Scrivener for all my notes on character names, timelines, plot points, places, etc. My current WIP involves one character who has a birthmark, and for the life of me I can never remember whether its on her left arm or her right. Another character has a bad knee. Same problem. I have to check my notes every single time!

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    1. Dianne, I actually have Scrivener. I just need to sit down and learn how to use it property. I know what you mean about trying to keep what you've said straight. I'm constantly doing a search to see what I actually said. LOL!

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    1. I know, Maria! How will I keep it all straight as I get older?!

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  5. ha. I keep a Post It attached to my computer tower with the colors of my wizard's magic. Otherwise how could I possibly keep it straight?
    Author of Wilder Mage at Spirit Called
    Facebook Wilder Mage

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    1. Huntress, what in the world would we do without post-its? LOL!

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  6. Oh, man, I hear you! My memory is lousy! I tend to write in spurts... I take two months a year that I put most of my home life on hold to just write, then the rest of the time is more revising and such. I do most of my writing in sprints-- about 3 weekdays I only get in one and then weekends I try to do 2--that way it is a smaller daily time commitment, but it is regular. If you think you might like it, you are welcome to join Writing Sprints R Us on Facebook. (it's good motivation, too, having someone you know call a sprint--pulls you out of your social marketing briefly to just write for an hour (or half an hour)

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    1. I'm afraid of sprints! I did BuNoWriMo once and man, what a mess I made of it! That's for the invite, though. I'll check out the page :)

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  7. I found I have the same problem. Another reason NaNo works for me. Although I still forget the beginning.

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    1. HaHa! It's a sad fact of ageing, Alex. I"d try NaNo again with a really good outline. Last time I messed it up so bad that I was adding things where they didn't belong.

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  8. I have had this problem with my current WIP. I keep forgetting names and even forgot that I had used a store in one chapter and didn't need to introduce the whole place again later on in the book. I have totally lost it LOL.

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  9. It's good to know I'm not the only one, Julie. Sometimes I even forget what I've named a minor character and have to go back and look. LOL.

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  10. Yes!! I let it go until revision, then I make a notes/glossary with those details in them so I can keep them straight. Also handy when I write the next book.

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  11. When I was writing, I sometime had to go back to remind myself. I would start each writing time by reading back a few pages to remind myself what I'd written. Sounds like a common problem. And I can relate to not having big (or any right now) chunks of time to write.

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  12. Yes keeping up a weekly word count is a challenge. I use a trick with Nano. Like you said outline, break it up into writing assignments with an expected daily word count. It works for me. :-)


    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

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  13. If I haven't worked on a story for a while I always have to read a chapter or two over before getting back into it.

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  14. My memory is HORID! If I don't write it down or tell one of my kids to remember it for me, it's bye, bye baby :-(

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  15. I can't say I have ... maybe on the minor details in the works I've left alone for several years. But never on the main plot.

    Although, I do have moments where I think up dialogue only to lose it when I get near the computer. So maybe I've forgotten the times I've forgotten...

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  16. You have a busy life and I have trouble knowing what I ate for breakfast:) I chalk it up to menopause. Give yourself some slack and you will find an approach that will work for you. I am not a writer per se but maybe jotting down the basic pointers will jog your memory banks??

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