writerly ways

[cornerofmadness]

Floundering. Sounds like a good topic today. I'm doing enough of it. It's not really writers block but it's something that keeps you from writing. Whatever it is standing in your way, how do you work your way around it.

Time crunches aside (since they happen), what else do we think causes us to flounder? Right now I have plenty of ideas but focusing is an issue. If you listen to any of the pros, they mostly say the same thing.It's the same thing I've been saying for years. If you want to write, you need to treat it like any other job. Hopefully it's a job you enjoy, or else why bother? But it's still a job.

Talking about the muse is all well and good but waiting for inspiration to strike is seen, by the majority of authors I've listened to/read about, a fatal blow to any would-be writer. I have to agree. How long would we last at any job if we waited for inspiration to do our work? Not long.

There is no doubting that some days we are more "on" than others. THere are days I can crank out high word counts, very few typos and scenes that actually hang together without much editting needed (why they're always erotica when this happens, we'll leave that to my psychiatrist). There are other days when it's like pulling teeth.

I say pull those teeth. You might end up erasing some of it later but it's still progress. Nothing defeats you more quickly than saying 'this is too hard' or 'I'm not in the mood' and go play on facebook.

So how do you focus yourselves? What gets you writing when you're stuck? Me, I try to find a pertinent picture and pull inspiration. Or I'll toss some ideas out there to friends and see what they think. I actually find chewing things over on IM can help me. Sometimes just writing out the block and sending it my friends gets me right past it without their input (then they want to hit me for wasting their time). Sometimes switching writing projects help (but that's only good if you have more than one project going). I think that last one is why I still do fanfic. I dont' have to worldbuild.It's there. I just move the characters around. It's far less thought intensive (for me) than original writing and playing with it helps free up my mind to go back and tackle my own work.

And some days I just have to unplug the internet so I WON'T play on Facebook/LJ/email. So what works for yuns?

Progress - hmmm I made another 1000 words this time out and most of that was editing.

Machiavelli moon - YES, I finally edited a chapter. Now to print and edit another.

Yearly Goal -

33324 / 175000 words. 19% done!

Riding with Strangers -

33368 / 60000 words. 56% done!

Splinters of Silver and Cold IRon -

75245 / 80000 words. 94% done!


Beneath the Torn Sky -

56030 / 80000 words. 70% done!

Comments

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Every expert I've ever heard on the topic, and my own personal experience, is that on floundering days, you write anyway, even if it's crap, even if it's "This sucks, I suck, OMG, suck, suck, suck," over and over across the page.

I don't always do that, sometimes I just procrastinate sitting down all together, but it does at least get you in words-on-page mode when you do it.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

THis is pretty much my approach too to be honest. I do treat this like a very fun job. I write. even if it's fanfic. Even if it's something i know i'll toss in the bin at the end