Thursday, January 9, 2014

Getting into the Swing of Things

It's the time of year, New Year, when everything is possible. Then I get a week or so into itand I start falling behind on my to do list.

So this year, I'm not making one. I don't need the stress. Life is twisting me up enough as it it but I'm not willing to give up my plans to write. Yet summoning the energy to even put one word down on the page is a struggle.

Or maybe Candy Crush is just too addicting.

Then again, I have to wait for all those lives to replenish so I should be writing. I should be, but I find excuses and things to do. Cursed by the blinking cursor on the empty page, I decided to seek advice from other writer friends on how they coped with the inertia (It's not writer's block, I have the story; I just don't want to write. Period).

Alas, I'd already tried most of their ideas and still no increase in word count.

So then I used brute force. I wrestled myself into a chair and forced myself to stay until I'd written 3 pages. 2 hours later, I got up.

To say that I was looking forward to the next day when I would get to do so all over again is a bald face lie.

But then a funny thing happened. When I opened the file, I returned to the beginning and read and revised those pages then started writing anew. I pounded out 8 pages in two and a half hours. 8! So now, I make sure I always begin the next chapter/scene before quitting for the day. That way I can build on something I've already done and am not stalked by that blinking cursor and blank page.

Of course, I'm still open to tips so pass 'em along if you've got 'em and happy writing.

2 comments:

Mary Tate Engels said...

I think you've hit on one of the biggest problems in writing - & finishing- a book, Linda. We all reach the wall & look for a ladder that boosts us over. You've given an excellent point - in fact, Hemingway listed it in his advice to writers. He also used to stand and write at a podium. But Mark Twain wrote in bed.
Whatever works for you!
Happy writing, & finishing.

Tina Swayzee McCright said...

That is a great idea!