Can't write.

[Anon38776]

You might ask me, "You can't write? How are you writing this, then?" That's exactly my problem.

And I enjoy writing this. But I can't bring myself to write a silly post about an Android app. I get tense, anxious, and frustrated in the first hour of writing, or less. There's a mess in my head, even though the article is extremely simple. I write up my first draft. It comes out bad. And I don't feel like fixing it, because I feel so overwhelmed. I tell myself that I'm not an expert in writing articles like this, even though I've had an Android for a well 2 years, and I mod it, root it, read up about it, and very carefully select the applications I install.

I get paid hourly for my work, and that just makes everything worse. I feel pressured to write good content on the first go around. If I fail to do so, I've wasted company time, and I'm getting paid for bad content. It's worthy to note that the amount I'm being paid feels like a lot to me ($12/h). You'd be lucky to find a job that pays even $4/h in Latvia.

So, I'm slacking off and not doing the work. My mindset is messed up. I could write this no problem. And I'm confident that this post will come out well, while the app posts won't.

 

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[Guest34764]

You feel pressured because you're focused on failing.

I bet every time you have to write you instantly think of negative thoughts.

The negative thoughts lead to fear and fear leads to being focused on failure.It's a perpetual cycle.

I believe in your situation you should absolutely eliminate all negative thoughts about writing and start with thinking how well-written and terrific It will sound once done.

I wouldn't be able to tell you how to eliminate negative thoughts like that,perhaps another forum member could help you on that.This is pretty simplified as I'm not as knowledgeable as others on this subject, but I hope this helps.

 

[ChickenHawk]

There's a saying that good writing is the product of good editing. If you've done a first draft, you're in better shape than you think.

Now that you have the first draft, give it a good, long look. You might want to rewrite the opening sentence. You might want to rearrange it a little. You might want to end it on a different note. I've worked with lots of professional writers over the years, and we all revised as we went. But that first draft was usually the hardest part.

I've been a professional writer for a looooong time, and I almost never get it perfect the first time. I think you're being too hard on yourself.

(A side note: this isn't to say you should submit poorly written stuff to your bosses. What I mean to say is that you can edit and polish it yourself so it sparkles by the time you submit it. I'm betting it's already a lot better than you're giving yourself credit for.)

Good luck!

 

[Anon38776]

You feel pressured because you're focused on failing.

I bet every time you have to write you instantly think of negative thoughts.

The negative thoughts lead to fear and fear leads to being focused on failure. It's a perpetual cycle.

I believe in your situation you should absolutely eliminate all negative thoughts about writing and start with thinking how well-written and terrific it will sound once done.

My mind might be setting unreasonable expectations for me on auto-pilot. It's telling me to get maximum value in the app post, and that blocks my creativity. While writing this, I'm thinking of getting sufficient value in my post, and it lets me bend my words much more. Ironically, this lets me deliver much more value.

There's a saying that good writing is the product of good editing. If you've done a first draft, you're in better shape than you think.

Now that you have the first draft, give it a good, long look. You might want to rewrite the opening sentence. You might want to rearrange it a little. You might want to end it on a different note. I've worked with lots of professional writers over the years, and we all revised as we went. But that first draft was usually the hardest part.

I've been a professional writer for a looooong time, and I almost never get it perfect the first time. I think you're being too hard on yourself.

I've told my client that the posts are not worth the payment. This is something that stresses me out. I could write the first draft and rewrite it in about 2 hours, and, even if it comes out as publishable, it might not generate any returns for them. And it costs $24+/post. That makes me very self-conscious.

 

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[ChickenHawk]

I've told my client that the posts are not worth the payment. This is something that stresses me out. I could write the first draft and rewrite it in about 2 hours, and, even if it comes out as publishable, it might not generate any returns for them. And it costs $24+/post. That makes me very self-conscious.

First of all, your work ethic and dedication to quality is admirable, truly. BUT...You were hired to do a job. Your clients picked the subject-matter, right? If they assigned you a topic, and you covered it, you should be compensated for your posts.

Is your client in the USA? Or Latvia? Because if they're in the USA, the average pay in Latvia isn't really a factor here. I'm only saying this to make you less stressed out. Buck up, man!

 

[Anon38776]

First of all, your work ethic and dedication to quality is admirable, truly. BUT...You were hired to do a job. Your clients picked the subject-matter, right? If they assigned you a topic, and you covered it, you should be compensated for your posts.

Is your client in the USA? Or Latvia? Because if they're in the USA, the average pay in Latvia isn't really a factor here. I'm only saying this to make you less stressed out. Buck up, man!

No, I'm supposed to plan the content for their site.

Posting my frustrations has really helped me think about the causes more. I did a rewrite of one of the posts just now, and I'm feeling satisfied with it. And it only took me 16 minutes.

They are from the US. I think their minimum wage was something like $12? That's crazy to think about. You could live like a king working 5-6 hours/day like that. You would really be considered rich by people like my parents.

Thank you for the encouraging words, ChickenHawk. They mean quite a bit when you're shooting yourself down.

 

[ChickenHawk]

Thank you for the encouraging words, ChickenHawk. They mean quite a bit when you're shooting yourself down.

You're so welcome! And I'm glad to hear you've pushed onward and have a post you're happy with. Bravo!

They are from the US. I think their minimum wage was something like $12? That's crazy to think about. You could live like a king working 5-6 hours/day like that. You would really be considered rich by people like my parents.

True! But alas, the cost-of-living here is on the high side. For curiosity, I just looked it up. I don't know how accurate this is, but it was pretty interesting.
(Source: http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livin...lt.jsp?country1=Latvia&country2=United+States)

• Consumer Prices in United States are 54.94% higher than in Latvia
• Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 87.10% higher than in Latvia
• Rent Prices in United States are 222.05% higher than in Latvia
• Restaurant Prices in United States are 65.32% higher than in Latvia
• Groceries Prices in United States are 105.82% higher than in Latvia
• Local Purchasing Power in United States is 127.98% higher than in Latvia

One thing about the USA, though, probably like most countries, the cost-of-living varies greatly depending on where you live. But I digress..

Good luck as you move forward!

 

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[TonyStark]

You feel pressured because you're focused on failing.

I bet every time you have to write you instantly think of negative thoughts.

The negative thoughts lead to fear and fear leads to being focused on failure.It's a perpetual cycle.

I believe in your situation you should absolutely eliminate all negative thoughts about writing and start with thinking how well-written and terrific It will sound once done.

I wouldn't be able to tell you how to eliminate negative thoughts like that,perhaps another forum member could help you on that.This is pretty simplified as I'm not as knowledgeable as others on this subject, but I hope this helps.

Going off of what this gentleman wrote, might I suggest trying to write about something else @Taykamant? I know that when I can't write, it's because the words are not ready to come out yet, like a bread in the oven that's not fully baked.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I try the trick of writing bad erotica, and having my character do this whole non sequitur spiel on the topic I'm supposed to be writing. It's stupid, but it works. (I also use bar time to get places on time...)