Thinky thoughts about writing

[kaberett]

Clearly I am not terrible at writing in general; clearly, in general, I enjoy writing, hence the fic and the poetry and the blog essays. I'm even pretty comfortable sitting down and bashing out an explanation of my work for lay folk.

I think my key issue is probably audience: not knowing what knowledge it is reasonable to expect, and so on. I think this is something that will get easier with (1) practice and (2) better-defined writing exercises - the kind of detail required for a transfer report is apparently huge amounts of extraneous background that you would never include in a paper, and that's some of the stuff that trips me up.

Currently I am working on trying to practice doing at least a tiny amount of technical writing for a known target audience every day. It is hard and maybe my supervisor will hate it, but then again maybe she won't and I'll have a draft paper I can rework then submit?

I also seriously need to work on the fact that I genuinely have trauma around this (partly arising from the winter of my discontent; partly from various other things where I have Done It Wrong and been hideously stressed, as cumulative thingy) (wow I really need that formal PTSD diagnosis) - I go into panic reaction when I start trying to write, I have to come at it sideways - open the file up, do something else, remind myself what else I needed, do something else, open up the necessary adjuncts, do something else, etc - and this is a problem. And. I kept shying away from writing this post because I don't believe I really have trauma; I'm putting it up half-baked as it is because it hurts to look at straight on.

This is a step.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Are hugs welcome?

[kaberett]

Yes. <3

[alexseanchai]

*hugs then*

[rootsofthestories]

Writerly blanketforts for everyone, I swear to everything. I feel like I may wind up making a comm for writing stress and just let everyone I know use it.

[vass]

I think my key issue is probably audience: not knowing what knowledge it is reasonable to expect, and so on. I think this is something that will get easier with (1) practice and (2) better-defined writing exercises

That makes a lot of sense.

I go into panic reaction when I start trying to write, I have to come at it sideways - open the file up, do something else, remind myself what else I needed, do something else, open up the necessary adjuncts, do something else, etc - and this is a problem. And. I kept shying away from writing this post because I don't believe I really have trauma; I'm putting it up half-baked as it is because it hurts to look at straight on.

I think our brainweasels are related. :(

[davidgillon]

Sounds a lot like my issues with email/admin and ways of coping.

I think the audience/background issue is definitely something that will come with time, and hopefully with appropriate, non-stressy advice from your supervisor.

Doing something daily sounds like a good idea, as long as you'r desensitizing over it, not stressing.

[highlyeccentric]

truama or not (not qualified to comment) you're certainly far from the only doctoral student to find they have crippling writers' panic.

Insert "The pen is" pun here...

[hairyears]

You write superbly: keep going.

[redsixwing]

*offers hug*

You write with excellence, and I'm sure your technical writing is just as good.

[lebannen]

I go into panic reaction when I start trying to write, I have to come at it sideways - open the file up, do something else, remind myself what else I needed, do something else, open up the necessary adjuncts, do something else, etc - and this is a problem.

It's always a relief to see something like this that reminds me that it's not just me. Thank you for sharing this with the random internet (I was following links about perfume....).

I am currently considering applying for a new job, but am mostly running straight into the wall of 'but I will have to write something NO CAN'T DO THAT people will see it. People I don't know and yet am trying to impress HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK NO'. I currently work for a charity, and it's not really a coincidence that I basically got the job by turning up and volunteering for stuff until a vacancy opened for a paid position.

My current job doesn't involve much writing, and the last guy I wrote a monthly handover for commented that he really likes my notes, they're just exactly the way I speak, without trying to be too formal or anything. Little does he know that's because it's the ONLY WAY I can make myself put the words on the page....

[kaberett]

People who blog about perfume also get writing anxiety!

Hello: it is lovely to meet you, and for what it's worth (1) I Get It and (2) hey, you totally just introduced yourself to a stranger on a vulnerable topic, go you. <3