How to calm down after panicking?

[EtainSkirata]

I thought I was doing really well these past few months, as I hadn't had a "freak out" over something in a while. But then last night a thought hit me, about my novel I'm writing: "What if I copy pasted another line from somewhere that I liked and chose to use myself? And I can't remember how where that line is, which questions the integrity of the entire novel."

Even just writing that, I feel panicky. I lost sleep over this; someone on Reddit was kind enough to talk me through it and mentioned possible OCD almost right off the bat. Basically, I feel like I'm over thinking this, I don't think I actually did copy past anything. But I woke up this morning, remembered the issue, and just felt PANIC. Pain in my chest, a feeling like my body was being electrocuted. It's miserable. I'm a little scared to open up my word document again today (I have to, though, I'm doing a word count challenge and I'm very close to finishing). This unrelenting terror is just very not fun. I feel like it's been a while since this amount of panic was such a huge issue. And now I'm back to it.

 

[Brightmoon]

I’ve got PTSD. from being abused as a child. I get those panic attacks. Vigorous exercise, doing something creative, and yoga all help!

 

[Brightmoon]

Try doing something else creative. That’s not involving writing . I’ve got a whole list of other things that I do if one of my creative outlets gets more frustrating than fun or productive . I put the frustrating one aside for a few days or weeks or even months . When I come back to it it’s usually with a clear head and that tends to let the issue work itself out

 

[Ancient of Days]

Try a heavy metals cleanse...

 

[public hermit]

There are apps you can use to find plagiarism. I know that doesn't solve the larger issue of OCD, but perhaps knowing there is a way to discover an inadvertent copied line in your novel will calm this episode down?

 

[TenthAveN]

I had a similar problem a few months ago. I was finishing up a project for school, and I had to cite my sources. I’d pretty much paraphrased everything, and I was SO nervous about whether I cited my sources right.

 

[Anthony2019]

I thought I was doing really well these past few months, as I hadn't had a "freak out" over something in a while. But then last night a thought hit me, about my novel I'm writing: "What if I copy pasted another line from somewhere that I liked and chose to use myself? And I can't remember how where that line is, which questions the integrity of the entire novel."

Even just writing that, I feel panicky. I lost sleep over this; someone on Reddit was kind enough to talk me through it and mentioned possible OCD almost right off the bat. Basically, I feel like I'm over thinking this, I don't think I actually did copy past anything. But I woke up this morning, remembered the issue, and just felt PANIC. Pain in my chest, a feeling like my body was being electrocuted. It's miserable. I'm a little scared to open up my word document again today (I have to, though, I'm doing a word count challenge and I'm very close to finishing). This unrelenting terror is just very not fun. I feel like it's been a while since this amount of panic was such a huge issue. And now I'm back to it.

A few deep breaths and a nice cup of tea!

 

[Rene Loup]

Here's what I found works for me:

Reciting the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4 & Matthew 6:9-13) out loud really helps calm me down during anxiety attacks and emotional tantrums.

I also recommend calmly reciting "Shalom, Shalom, Shalom..." out loud to yourself. 'Shalom' is a Hebrew word meaning tranquility with God. It is used as a greeting in Israel and among the Jewish diaspora.

I also encourage you to pray to God and pray often. Never lose hope. Cast all of your anxieties on Him because He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

If needed, get proper medication and therapy. God uses men and women to carry out His purposes whether they acknowledge it or not. There is no shame in receiving professional help for your mental health. Anyone who says otherwise is speaking out of pride and God hates pride.

Take care and God bless!

 

[com7fy8]

"What if I copy pasted another line from somewhere that I liked and chose to use myself? And I can't remember how where that line is, which questions the integrity of the entire novel."

Well, possibly you have not on purpose stolen what someone else has done. I would think you would know if you did
How could you like something, and not know you stole it ¿?

But . . . is your novel first for God? This would be the main issue to be concerned about, wouldn't it? And enjoy this. Appreciate knowing you want to do it for God. And share what is good.

But in case you are somehow trying to write what seems good . . . in comparison with other writings . . . this could make it easier to use or accidentally write what other writers have shared.

Instead, be creative, doing what is special for you with God, not only for how it can compare.

And . . . in case you are getting help from a publishing service, I suppose they have computer programs for making sure your work is original and legal.

 

[EtainSkirata]

I had a similar problem a few months ago. I was finishing up a project for school, and I had to cite my sources. I’d pretty much paraphrased everything, and I was SO nervous about whether I cited my sources right.

I struggled so badly during college with this. I remember nitpicking my paper to death, and complaining about my anxiety to my friend (and, bless her heart, she basically just said "Just submit it." Which was a kick in the right direction for that particular essay. I scored pretty well on it, too, if I recall).

Anyway, I'm still terrified to write academic work. And along with what I posted above, I'm also plagued by thoughts of "I saw this before in a book or a fanfiction, this neat description I'm about to use." Like I'll just be sitting there, writing, and remembering distinctly something cool someone else used. I'm not copy pasting, I'm just remembering. But to me, that's wrong. And it makes me sick with worry. I'd rather never publish than be dishonest.

 

[TenthAveN]

I struggled so badly during college with this. I remember nitpicking my paper to death, and complaining about my anxiety to my friend (and, bless her heart, she basically just said "Just submit it." Which was a kick in the right direction for that particular essay. I scored pretty well on it, too, if I recall).

Anyway, I'm still terrified to write academic work. And along with what I posted above, I'm also plagued by thoughts of "I saw this before in a book or a fanfiction, this neat description I'm about to use." Like I'll just be sitting there, writing, and remembering distinctly something cool someone else used. I'm not copy pasting, I'm just remembering. But to me, that's wrong. And it makes me sick with worry. I'd rather never publish than be dishonest.

Yeah, I still haven’t received a grade for that project, and it makes me kind of nervous if I’m honest. Why not try paraphrasing that thing you heard? Just use different words.

 

[Mari17]

I struggled so badly during college with this. I remember nitpicking my paper to death, and complaining about my anxiety to my friend (and, bless her heart, she basically just said "Just submit it." Which was a kick in the right direction for that particular essay. I scored pretty well on it, too, if I recall).

Anyway, I'm still terrified to write academic work. And along with what I posted above, I'm also plagued by thoughts of "I saw this before in a book or a fanfiction, this neat description I'm about to use." Like I'll just be sitting there, writing, and remembering distinctly something cool someone else used. I'm not copy pasting, I'm just remembering. But to me, that's wrong. And it makes me sick with worry. I'd rather never publish than be dishonest.

I've got this same obsession! It wasn't too terrible when I was in college, but I know it caused me to overthink my writing more than other people would.

So here's the thing that I'm realizing, more and more, about OCD: Our brains are hyper-focused on the details, where "normal" people are able to zoom out and look at the big picture. For example, in this case: Plagiarism is taking a big chunk out of someone else's work because you're too lazy to do your own. Writing one or two sentences that maybe sorta could have come from someone else's idea is probably not. Although honestly, I'm still hyper-sensitive about this kind of thing, so I might not be the best person to give an opinion on it.

Do you have an example of the kind of thing you're afraid you plagiarized?

 

[sunshineforJesus]

I try my best to distract myself and to think about other things.

 

[EtainSkirata]

I've got this same obsession! It wasn't too terrible when I was in college, but I know it caused me to overthink my writing more than other people would.

So here's the thing that I'm realizing, more and more, about OCD: Our brains are hyper-focused on the details, where "normal" people are able to zoom out and look at the big picture. For example, in this case: Plagiarism is taking a big chunk out of someone else's work because you're too lazy to do your own. Writing one or two sentences that maybe sorta could have come from someone else's idea is probably not. Although honestly, I'm still hyper-sensitive about this kind of thing, so I might not be the best person to give an opinion on it.

Do you have an example of the kind of thing you're afraid you plagiarized?

Well, mainly it's reading or hearing a line or two from a book or movie, and thinking "wow that's good" and thinking about how my characters would say it, and how I can incorporate it. In a fanfic I wrote, I used a line from an old western that I thought was funny (someone asked if the characters were there for some purpose, and the response was "I'm not here to pick blueberries.")

I caught myself doing that again today: a movie was playing, I popped into the room to watch for a bit, a line was said that stood out to me, and I started thinking about how I could use it--with the intent to use it once I got to a scene where it would fit--until i caught myself.

Good artists copy, great artists steal, as they say, but what that means is they steal ideas and make them their own. More or less (don't go writing a book where the protagonist has to destroy some heirloom jewelry in a volcano).

So, given that this has been a repeating habit, and since I have no idea now where on earth in my book I took a line from a movie or something I read... I'm thinking the best thing to do would be to scratch the first draft and just start over completely. *shrugs*

 

[Mari17]

Well, mainly it's reading or hearing a line or two from a book or movie, and thinking "wow that's good" and thinking about how my characters would say it, and how I can incorporate it. In a fanfic I wrote, I used a line from an old western that I thought was funny (someone asked if the characters were there for some purpose, and the response was "I'm not here to pick blueberries.")

I caught myself doing that again today: a movie was playing, I popped into the room to watch for a bit, a line was said that stood out to me, and I started thinking about how I could use it--with the intent to use it once I got to a scene where it would fit--until i caught myself.

Good artists copy, great artists steal, as they say, but what that means is they steal ideas and make them their own. More or less (don't go writing a book where the protagonist has to destroy some heirloom jewelry in a volcano).

So, given that this has been a repeating habit, and since I have no idea now where on earth in my book I took a line from a movie or something I read... I'm thinking the best thing to do would be to scratch the first draft and just start over completely. *shrugs*

I see. Well, I think it's good to do what you feel comfortable doing - I mean, what you feel convicted (in a non-obsessive way) to do. You want to feel satisfied with your writing, not feel uneasy that it's not actually your own. But of course, I mean doing this in a balanced way. There's a difference between being calmly convicted of something, and having an obsessive fear and going overboard about it. Hard for us OCDers to remember, though.

 

[Not Perfect]

Including one or two quotes from another work isn't dishonest; it's taking inspiration from another writer. It's very common to include little nods to other works that you like. Sometimes this is deliberate; as a way of paying homage to the writer's favorite works (here's an entire list of such references:

). Sometimes it's not deliberate; you can't help but be subtly influenced by the works you've read and borrow the techniques, narrative devices, wording, or even more explicit borrowings such as character names or plot lines. Nothing exists in a vacuum, and it's impossible to have a completely creative work. There's a reason that we can identify distinct literary movements. Authors read other authors' works, and copy their styles. Like, a lot. Most writing involves making small or incremental changes/improvements to existing tropes and styles. In my mind, quoting another work is kind of like that; an acceptable level of literary inspiration. You've probably been a little traumatized by your high school teachers threatening hellfire if you plagiarized even a single word. Don't worry, it's not like that in fiction, as far as I know.