10/6/20
7-7:10pm: How are you? What have you been writing? How are you going to approach the rest of the semester? And yes, it’s time to start thinking that way, already.
7:10-7:30pm: Your life as Literature.. Your moments are manuscripts. What does this mean to you?
7:30-7:50pm: Do you see your life as Literary? Why or why not?
7:70-8:10pm: Ever catch yourself overthinking? What do you do to change, if anything?
8:10-8:30pm: How can we use overthinking, rather than fight it? This is entirely a writing issue….. And it can go several ways, directions, climbs, and flights.
8:30-8:40pm: Close….. What’s on tonight’s page?
ASSIGNMENT: Continue working on Sedaris essay. Type a one-page story from your day, and email it to me. Keep writing in your journal…. Record your observations and react to them! Buy Samantha Irby’s book, ‘We Are Never Meeting In Real Life’.
I like to think that I live my life like a book. In that you need to always turn the page to find out what is next. Good or bad the next page is always there to be written/read.
Do you see your life as a Literary? Yes, I do because of everything that is going on in my life. I could write it and make a book out of it. Every day is a different day and in one day a lot of things could happen.
I overthink a lot. I always found that a nice car ride to nowhere helped me clear my thoughts. Some Taylor Swift never did any harm either.
I don’t over think the way I used to. My sense of peace, is just too important for me that I try to avoid over-thinking as much as possible. I find over-thinking to make an okay situation, into an awful situation. I can’t control everything that happens, but I can control how I react, and I’d rather take a step back and let everything happen naturally.
Your life IS literary. You can write it, if you want to. And it can be read. It should be read. Everyone can learn from your life. You have not lived this long for nothing.
of course life is literary. Life is the very basis that literature mimics. The only difference between life and literature is on is written down or maybe hasn’t happened yet. Although some parts might be less interesting than others i’d say my life tells a story jsut as any other book. And if really looked into enough I think anyone’s story is worth reading. People are very interesting.
SO. TRUE.
Aside from this, and the time prompts…. what’s on your mind? Everything going on in our world from covid to more fires… what is your mind’s manuscript?
Just do what’s in my mind at that moment!
I guess I could say I see my life as literary, or like a book like said before. There’s different moments or chapters, but it’s still being written.
Where we are, is literary. You, are a story. Be more a reader of YOU.
I have been feeling lately that there is never enough time to do most of the things I want to do. Have had to make tough decisions lately but at the end of the day I have been pretty satisfied with most of them.
Yes, I am always overthinking everything. I feel like that’s is my biggest problem. I am always overthinking before writing or before doing something…
My mind is scattered and I find it hard to focus. Between the fires, covid and schools shutting down I have spent a lot of time just wanting to do nothing and yet not being able to. The one thing I believe I can say for sure is that 2021 will be better.
And if it’s not, you use its body to further your presence… Just an idea..
Like I said in the last class… I’m over this overthinking address…. what else is on your mind. From the Sedaris essay, to the next book, your journal, your life, right now, ANYTHING.
I overthink all the time! I am a person with a very active brain, sometimes before one of my thought was completed new thoughts comes out. That really makes me hard to focus on one thing.
In my mind, there are thoughts of when. will all this end, covid and fires, I need a timeline, but life doesnt work that way.
You make your own “timeline”… You’re the author of your story.
I think personally with the fires and covid and some other stressful things going on in my life i’m starting to get down. Just feel tired of it all you know? But i know this will b eover in time. Just trying to make the best opportunities for happiness i can.
A thought for your page tonight…. Writing better is not the objective. Writing STRONGER is. Schools teach you to overthink writing and reading….. trust self, support all your ideas. Never forget your voice. Sedaris taught you that over and over in his book, and Irby will as well. 🙂
Yes! I love this!
I’ve been told I worry too much. I overthink everything! It’s an area of my life in which I feel the need of improvement because half of the time it’s not worth it.
We can use over thinking as a guide, we can let it guide us to take another route when we find ourselves having those thoughts and instead of feeding into it we feed into our new route. Leading us to a much less stressful situation.
Anyone notice I have “7:70” on the timeline? Wow, I’m an idiot…
I Did LOL
Whatevz..
We can use overthinking but analyzing, breaking down and respond accordingly to whatever we are overthinking about.
I agree! Definitely find over thinking to be the reason we break things down, and analyze what is going. Similar to what one does while writing!
This is a Composition class, and we have to keep ourselves composed enough to compose essays, entries, short reactions, poems, anything…. Keep the pen moving and have your perspective molded… We’re not just “in control” we’re already free, especially when we expect our own self-educating consistencies.
How do we keep ourselves composed? Especially while over-thinking is taking place?
You stop thinking… there’s a lovely composition to lawlessness and freedom. To MADNESS……
Problem is that it is so hard to stop thinking!
Who says you “have to”… it’s just an idea. You’re the driver. Everything is a result of the way you turn.
I really like this idea! Going to be more welcoming towards the madness.
The only people for me are the mad ones. -Jack Kerouac
And this is why I love this class! You as a professor let us be free with still being able to put structure in our writing! I just keep on learning!Thanks!
You give me too much credit. I just offer ideas….
One of my resolutions for combatting overthinking is to not think. At all.
I do not tend to over Think, when I get over stimulated and overwhelmed I tend to shut down and do nothing. I often times have to force why way through that barrier. Normally in the past I would use friends or colleagues but that is hard to do right now.
Yeah… you do what you can do.
I do tend to overthink, majority of the time I do I feel like i’m sabotaging myself.
I have many things on my mind but I think the most important one for me at the moment is just trying to find balance in my life. I have been struggling to do this for a while now and I think that’s why I’ve been lacking sleep because I do tend to overthink even though I do try to keep my mind clear but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Right now, the madness of my two older kids teaches me…. Stop thinking so much. Why do so. Be free, creatively a sped spree..
I do overthink about things quite a lot, but I kind of just tell myself that I am and it kind of helps.
Whatever helps!
Our next author will show you, even more than Sedaris in my opinion, that every moment can be written. Can be a f/cking book.
That’s exciting!
im interested
Write something about where you are right now… not so much what you’re doing, but where you are.
As much as I try to not overthink a lot, overthinking does play a huge part in some decisions I’ve made. It does get the best of me at times because instead of thinking positively, I think negative and always ask myself “what if.”
Good!
For tonights page writing stronger is the objective.
I have written very little during the sudden week long break but how I would explain my moments as my manuscripts is how my habits that I indulge in make up my days from drinking a bottle of water as I wake up, making my coffee after brushing my teeth to finally sleeping at 3 or 4 am after I’m done with my priorities. I wouldn’t consider my life as literary because I don’t like to add or fake emotion which literary needs. I always do overthink every decision I make but showing it doesn’t help and if I can’t overthink myself to the answer then I just ignore it and do what I think on instinct.
We can use overthinking to create new ideas, usually when I overthink new ideas or opinions come to mind.
For the rest of the semester… try not to just find happiness and comedy, but FREEDOM in what you read, write….
personally i have found that overthinking is an indication that maybe its time for change or time for you to take control of your story. We always have the power to change our stories but i think sometimes we forget that, and sometimes we just need that little push. and as i said overthinking can be that thing that gives you that push.
So true. Sedaris taught us that, I found. And Irby just has a free decree about everything she does and writes..
Did Sedaris teach you anything about overthinking? Happiness? Or humor?
Yes, he made it ok to do but also made it a point to move on and live, to be happy no matter what and to laugh at those moments that weren’t so great.
Physically i am in my room, finally after a week, mentally i’m in believe it or not Christmas mood!
8:10-8:30pm: you can uses it to your advantage because if you overthink a situation, you prepare yourself for the worst, therefore the worst will never happen.
I like that, so much. Cheers.
Sedaris taught me that its ok to have a dark sense of humor, even though most people wont get it
Example? Something you used in your essay?
It was. in the last essay, where he got his colonoscopy and his father called to ask how it went and he told him he had cancer, doing this can go either way, some people might get offended since its kinda taboo to poke fun of that
I am in my kitchen after a week of not being at my house!
Expand! More details. Characters. Voices. Objects.. sounds…
Sit down at my table on my computer read everyone’s comments and its very quiet because the baby is sleeping!
I’d definitely say Sedaris taught me not to overthink. I feel like based on his stories, it’s more about being observant and curious. Some things really are just funny. And sure, some times things suck and go out of plan, but why overthink it when you can just laugh, write about it, and maybe even make someone else laugh about it too!
I think we can use overthinking as a way to think of different outcomes and try a whole bunch of different things and just see how they go. When I overthink it’s usually just wondering if something’s going to go one way or the other.
I think we just have to be very quick and efficient at gathering our thoughts ignorer to use our overthinking for something positive!
Be interested in your topic… that’s the best weapon against overthought.
I really like this. I feel like I focus too much on everyone else being interesting in my topic that I forget about being interested in it myself!
This!!! On my page tonight for sure!!
I think we can use overthinking as an example to do what we things is right!
I am in my bedroom. Hot peach tea by my side, the sound of clomping kids feet running around, with just the feint hint of the tv being on.
Was pulled away by the newborn… sorry. He’s so cute…
Newborn stage is amazing!
<3
For tonight’s page… intensify, amplify, and diversify your efforts. In everything. Not just for this class.
Most Definitely!
Excuses are great. As excuses. They contribute NOTHING to credibility nor composition. Just produce and write, and do so MADLY. And lovingly.
What’s on tonight’s page? No matter what you write if it’s short or long!