Generally I believe all writing counts as writing. And if the content of your morning pages is something you want to write about, all the better. I am not a good candidate for Morning Pages. I tried it for years but some combination of rumination and an inability to stop after 10 minutes (bipolar 2) meant I was just indulging my worst anxiety and most negative thoughts and fears first thing in the morning. I became frozen before I even started the day. I do better with a standard journaling practice - anytime of day when I need to vent or find an answer about why I feel what I’m feeling. Those journals have been useful in memoir writing. (I suppose my Morning Pages might be useful for fiction? A horror short story?) If you’re a word count kinda person, I think Cameron’s original intentions was that MP do not go to word count, but it’s your life - you make your own rules.

@Sayuri Ayers I’ve been occasionally pleased by my local library’s digital subscriptions to some journals and databases. Also, some colleges allow you to pay a fee for a non-student library access, which gets you access. I’ve also heard, but have never tried, that you can directly write to the author of the study/paper —- most are thrilled to share it for free as they don’t like the paywall situation much either because they don’t get that money anyway.

@Molly Dunn I can really relate to this! In 2020 I started writing a memoir project about a medical mystery I experienced from 2015-2020. Except it wasn’t really “over” in 2020; I hadn’t quite finished up treatment and I certainly hadn’t “processed” all that had happened in those years. I kept writing into 2021 and 2022 but those two years included both my kids moving to their own cities and my mother passing away. It all got jumbled up and at times the material about my illness was stale and boring for me. I have thoughts rather than advice (because I might be wrong!). I let myself write about my mom or kids or whatever when I needed to, when I was compelled to. I didn’t worry about it being “off topic.” It put some distance between the illness events and my reflecting on them, which was a good thing. By 2024, I am now sitting with either enough material for two memoirs or a memoir with a larger theme that relates to both sections of my life. Granted, the life events of 2021-2022 have obviously delayed whatever timeline for completion I had dreamt of in 2020. I do tend to get distracted and change new ideas without finishing old ones… because I get decision paralysis and it’s easier to do the fun bit of fresh creation than face down actually letting go of the writing (stopping editing and releasing my work into the wild is terrifying and while contrary to being a published writer, I still delay.)

@Taylor Nunez Welcome! You’re in the right place. (I read your other post about neurodivergent.) I have bipolar2, rapid cycling, but that diagnosis has shifted a little once uncovering some preverbal PTSD. I’ve not sought out clarification on labels (I have behaviors of so many) but everywhere I go in life, I end up in the spaces with those who are neurodivergent because we just click. I’ve got recommendations for books written by people with bipolar—a poetry collections and a memoir, both for women of color (though not Latino). When I get back to my desk, I’ll post them.

@Taylor Nunez I’m telling the truth but I’m lying by Bassey Ikpi (prose memoir) Bianca by Eugenia Leigh (poetry memoir) I will say that for me, I cannot read very many of the pieces in Bianca at one time. Particularly if I’m in a disoriented phase, not feeling grounded or safe…then I don’t read that one. I found that Ikpi’s story is more grounding… I can relate to that without feeling like my brain is spiraling. Ikpi is a poet and so it is more lyrical prose than traditional narrative and I really loved it. Hope you like them or at least find them reassuring in some way.

@Danne Jobin I am/was. Their app crashed the last time I tried it. Hopefully a good sign of more adopters.

My username is jensmiles3 - apps back up and fine. I’m happy they’ve gotten some attention. Amazon planned to let Goodreads die and it’s just a shame.