: Re: OCD Writing Techniques When I was a kid, I could sit down put the pencil to the paper and the words would just flow; then I was diagnosed with OCD and things started changing for me. The

@Jessie137

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It sounds like you are dealing with an 'inner editor' problem, and that you think it is being exacerbated by your OCD.

My recommendation is to begin keeping a journal, or some physical archive of paper, where you intentionally write total BS. Write the most absurd, stupid, poorly conceived collection of ideas you can muster. Consider it a victory to have a garbage-fire of your bad writing within arm's reach. Add drawings, comics, quotes of song lyrics if you like. If it comes to you, just shove it in there.

The idea is, creative writing requires a special brand of out-of-the-box thinking--one that most people don't use a whole lot, and that is devoid of the analytical commentary that we have going on anywhere else, a.k.a the "inner editor". By practicing intentionally undermining this commentary, even temporarily, you help strengthen your flow of uncensored ideas.

Also, occasionally one of your really bad ideas turns out to inspire a good idea. A sentence intended to be nonsense might actually mean something. Uncensored ideas can be very useful sometimes.

As for your OCD interfering with your writing, I think the answer to that lies in things you've probably heard before: meditation, exercise, regular sleep, deep breathing, playing an instrument, etc. These are not the cliched, one-size-fits-all solutions that some people think they are. They really are likely to help manage not just OCD, but any mental illness. OCD will not, as you likely know, ever depart from you completely, but you would not be the first to tame the beast and make something incredible in spite of it. Do not be discouraged.

Best of luck.

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