How to Power Write out of Depression

Sitting alone in front of a computer, tapping at keyboard for months or years, writing query letters, receiving rejections from agents and publishers, requesting reviews from bloggers and readers, not selling enough copies… Ufff! Being a writer is like sleeping on a bed of nails.

If you’re a writer, there’s an outside chance that you’re vulnerable to the D-thing: Depression, the thing we hate to talk about. And this thing often comes with it’s cousins like bipolar, anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, and personality disorders, some of which are genetic to our misfortune.

But it’s not as bad as it sounds. You can deal with this D-thing if you remember these tips:

Know your plot – Know your basics. Depression is a medical illness: a chemical imbalance in your brain. It needs treatment. So keep in touch with your psychiatrist and keep taking your meds.

Know your heroes – Anybody who loves you, understands you, or respects you and doesn’t judge you is your hero. Your heroes could be anyone. They could be your friends, lover, relatives, parents, students, teachers, colleagues, or even strangers. Your psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist could be your biggest hero.

Know your villains – Did you watch that movie again that strips naked your bad childhood or your history with your ex? Did you not get enough friend requests on facebook, or emails, or comments on your blog today? Did you not make enough sales today? Yes? No wonder you’re feeling crap this evening. Any thing or person that makes you feel crap could be a trigger. Know your triggers. For example, romantic fiction is a trigger for me, so I avoid it. Your trigger could be even bunnies. If social media is a trigger for you, avoid it with discipline. And if you can’t avoid triggers, talk to your heroes.

Ah! The gray characters – I hate caffeine and I love caffeine. I hate it because it’s addictive, but I love it because it gets me started. If you are lying dead on your bed and you can’t get up, ask somebody in your family to make a cup of coffee for you. It tea works for you, it’s even better. Orange juice works for you? Get it arranged. But do get that kick start and get up from bed. And if you don’t have a family, it’s hopeless. Kidding. If there’s nobody around, promise yourself that in ten minutes you will get up and make that coffee yourself. If you can’t get up in ten minutes, increase your window by another ten minutes. Keep increasing your window even if it becomes ten hours or even ten days, but get the damn drink. Also, cut short on your daily coffee intake.

In some cultures like mine, they add milk instead of water in coffee. It adds more taste, more flavor, more nutrition value, and more kick. You can also try that.

I wouldn’t advise smoking or drinking at all, but if it’s your habit or you are addicted, then have some to get started. However, get rid of that habit as soon as possible.

Sidekicks – Guess who can be your helpers when nobody is around? We, the internet people. We are on twitter, facebook, blogger, yada yada yada. We are like air. We are everywhere. Find out communities on internet and you can meet people like yourself and you can share your stories and thoughts. They would help you and you can help them. Other writers also might help you if you’re friends with them. You can try blogging. You can write every crap you want to share on your personal webpage, but be little careful.

Bring out the action – One of the toughest things to write is action, isn't it? But we all love it. Doing some action releases endorphins in your body that help against depression. It could be a rigorous workout of lifting weights in gym or something as simple as shaking your legs. Find a spot and start jumping, that helps too. But don’t workout in excess, because it will consume calories and salts and that can make you drowsy, again.

Humor – Are you sure that writing action was toughest? Try writing humor. Of course I don’t mean that write humor to shake off depression. What I’m saying is, having fun can distract you from depression. Watch funny videos, read some jokes or funny books, share laughter with friends and family.

Spice things up – If you're depressed, try having sex. It helps sometimes. Don’t lie to me that you don’t have a sex partner. Your very first sex partner would always be there with you, your own hand.

Ray of hope – If nothing works for you, try deep and slow breathing. The more you concentrate on it, the better. It’s very similar to pranayam, a yoga exercise. You can breathe lying at one place, can’t you? You just have to be slow and deep. It’s very effective. It can get you started.

Climax – Forgive yourself for all the mistakes you have committed. It’s normal to fail. It’s fine to be imperfect and be rejected. Love yourself. I love you, no matter however and whoever you are, and there are many others who would love you. I can understand the predicament you are in, but it could have been worse, a lot worse.

If you think this article would help other writers, please share it. And if you have any more tips, leave comments. And if you think this article or this blog needs some work, shout and scream.

Pledge of an Unpublished Writer

From the day we think about penning our first novel to the day we get the call, we become harshest enemy of ourselves. We cloud ourselves with doubts, self-criticisms, and distractions.

I didn't want  to wait till I get published to start a blog. I  want to record my each and every emotion, whether it be frustration, guilt, depression, anger, happiness, or anything that is pure, while I am unpublished. I want to record them so that all unpublished writers could relate to them.

I start this blog with determination and hope that one day I will get published, and I'm not alone. With me, there are voices of thousands and thousands of unpublished writers. Your voice too is with me, if you are an unpublished writer.

Let's begin this journey together with the following pledge:

Pledge of an Unpublished Writer

I, an unpublished writer, pledge that one day, I would get published.

I don't care if I sell only one copy, but I would sell it.

I will grow a Rhino's skin against my questioning spouse, my doubting family, and my mocking friends and colleagues.

I'm ready to not take showers for days writing my a** out.

I will learn all the skills necessary for writing a book before writing it.

I would weave the conflicts in my plot like rivets in an airplane.

I wouldn’t tell, but show how it smells, sounds, tastes, appears, touches, and feels.

I would edit my manuscript and kill my darlings in there to trim the beasty to size.

I will endure the pain to the point where I feel it’s all useless and beyond it.

I will write fearlessly what I want to write even when people despise it.

I will take all the critiques aimed at my query with a pinch of salt, and use them to improve my query.

I will churn out manuscripts after manuscripts for years until I write a damn good book.

I won’t take any rejection, bad review, or critique to my heart, but accept it graciously as it is part of this subjective business.

And if nothing works out, I will self publish and give away my books for free if that’s what it takes.

I pledge that I will take at least one published book written by me to my grave, (or pyre) and no person living or dead will stop me from achieving that.

And with this pledge, I launch my blog dedicated to all unpublished writers. The purpose of this blog would be to guide and help unpublished writers with anything possible and give them a platform to vent out their feelings when they feel overwhelmed. If you are an unpublished writer and you have something to share to fellow writers, message me at xander.ironheart@gmail.com and I will post your message to the world. :)

(There, you launched it. Happy now?)