So my dears, today I've woken up with a blancmange brain and elastic limbs. I know, I know, get the violins out, poor me!
Just so's you know, I'm not writing this due to self pity, more as an exploration of how you write when you've got a chronic illness that can affect your body and concentration, cos you definitely need the second one to write don't you? I also know that there are loads of peeps who struggle with this.
So how to lasso those words when your brain is like Swiss cheese and they keep on falling through?
There's no easy answer to this other than pacing yourself and having drafting and editing as two separate processes.
I have total mental blocks on blancmange days. "What is this grammar of which you speak?" you know, that kind of thing? And so, I just let my pen or keyboard witter on in whatever random way it will. I look back on it sometimes and think, "What was I on, on that day?"
It can come out as total gibberish sometimes. But that's the beauty of editing. The gibberish can be locked away in Room 101, never to darken the doors of reality again. It doesn't have to be shown to anyone and you're still flexing those writing muscles in the midst of blancmange brain! Ha! begone blancmange brain, you're not the boss of me!
Unfortunately though, some times it is. It's hard to edit with blancmange brain and I think then you've just got to rest and let things settle down again. After all, it's just your body's way of telling you to chill out and recline like a Victorian lady with the vapours so today, I'll mostly be doing that!