13 Writing Withdrawal Symptoms

I have gone some very long stretches without writing, but always come back to it. Why? Because I get weird when I’m not writing. Ok, I’m probably even more weird when I’m in the middle of a rough draft, but I like the weird writer me more than the weird not-writing me. Here is some of what I’ve noticed.

1. The longer I’ve gone since writing, the more I stare into space. I’ve clocked myself at 10 minutes in the same position.

2. I know it’s time to get back to it when I keep hearing dialogue in my head.

3. I get more critical and sharp tongued when I haven’t been revising.

4. My life feels pointless if I don’t have a manuscript in mind.

5. Even when I accomplish all kinds of other things, I don’t feel productive if I haven’t been writing.

6. I think in terms of story line. All the time.

7. I no longer warn anyone that everything in my life is grist for the mill. It just is.

8. I know it’s time to get back to it when I get caught up in the wording to describe something I’m looking at. It’s amazing what I’ve come up with for rocks or pencils.

9. The longer I go without writing, the longer and more elaborate my daydreams.

10. I feel like my life is pathetic if I go more than a month without writing.

11. I start to imagine ridiculous and dramatic events that might happen to me. For instance, I imagine myself capable of lifting a car with my bare hands.

12. The world at large becomes boring and meaningless.

13. I don’t feel like doing anything. People ask what I’m thinking, and I have no answer.

As to the Spring flowers list, it will have to wait until I learn how to use the camera in my smart phone. The ones I took before are just awful.

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