The Symptoms
Wow, it’s the last day of June already, and if I’m honest, I’ve very little to show for it from a writing point of view. OK, I’ll be specific – I wrote a total of 821 words in June. As I say that, my mind pops up numerous reasons why this happened, but really they’re just excuses. I know, deep down, that I could easily have managed a few hundred words every day regardless of my busy schedule, energy levels or shortage of ideas. My mind also points to all the other activities I did under the category of writing, such as reading, listening to podcasts, jotting down plot ideas and studying structure but none of these resulted in any new words on a page.
The Reasons
I began to wonder why and after jotting down the endless excuses, I waited for the real reasons came to the fore. And waited. Eventually, they peeped out tentatively, unsure how I would treat them. It turns out I felt my storyline was weak and my characters were lifeless. The words weren’t flowing, they tripped and spluttered onto the page like reluctant school kids looking for any opportunity to avoid a class. In fairness, why would they line up in nice neat paragraphs when their creator had no faith in them. When I instructed my characters what to do next, they did so halfheartedly, then stood staring at me with expressions that said ‘are you serious’ and ‘is that the best you can come up with’.
How Writing Works
Writing is a craft, and like every other craft, it requires learning, practice and commitment. After completing my first book, Hard Choices, earlier this year, I somehow promoted myself from a beginner to intermediate and expected the struggles of last year to vanish. The truth is, regardless of experience and success, writing always requires work. It’s a dreaded word ‘work’, a word we are often reluctant to allow within a country mile of ‘art’ or ‘writing’ as if the magic and fun will instantly disappear. However, the good news is that work, effort and hard slog are the vehicles we use to journey to the fun parts, the water slides and the swing boats, the places and times when the writing flows effortlessly and takes on a life of its own. The key is to remember that ‘work’ will almost always get us back on the right track, through the swamp of uncooperative words to the enchanted forest where the sprites fill our minds with exciting stories.
Robooting
Getting back on track requires a positive mindset, some realistic goal setting, patient writing and rewards. Let me show you.
Mind Reset
- All writers have times when they stall. This is a fact. Some of the most successful authors are stalling right this very minute. It does not mean that they, or you, are failed writers.
- ‘I don’t have time’, ‘I need to be in the right mood’, ‘I have to research solar eclipses first’, ‘I’m so tired’. These are all excuses. Remember, we are writers. That is worth repeating – We Are Writers. That means we have the ability, the time and the opportunity to compose some few words regardless of our circumstances.
- ‘I’m not good enough’ also known as ‘imposter syndrome’. Wrong. Think back to what you’ve written on previous occasions and how pleased you were. That is proof that you are good enough. Still wavering? Read some of your old work, something you know is good. You are good enough.
- Remind yourself Why you are writing. For me and many of my writer friends, the words fun, enjoyable and fulfilling come to mind. Try not to see writing as difficult and the page as an adversary. Instead, you are both in a partnership, each making a unique contribution to create something exciting which will bring pleasure and entertainment to many people.
- If I’m still doubting my ability, I ask myself this – can I write 50 words of incoherent rubbish which I can immediately delete before anyone else sees it? Yes, of course I can. Let’s go one better. Can I write 100 words that might be poor but editable? Probably also a yes.
Now that we’re fired up and our fingers are tingling to get started, let’s set ourselves up for success with a goal.
Realistic Goal Setting
- Make the goal Specific. For example, I will sit down at 3 pm and write 500 words about Detective Byrne’s interrogation of Jasper Coburn.
- Is it Achievable? This is especially important if you are struggling to write, so start small and ensure you have enough time to complete the goal. Two chapters in 30 minutes is probably not achievable whereas 400 words in 45 minutes might be. Only you will know. If in doubt then it’s better to overestimate the time required.
- It must be Measurable. Otherwise, how will you know if you have achieved it. ‘I will write the backstory to my protagonist’ is hard to measure. A specific number of words in a particular timeframe is measurable – either you have written 500 words in one hour, or you haven’t.
- Commit to a Time Chunk. Even If no words come, sit and wait. Sometimes creativity needs time to start flowing. If nothing happens, I often just type isolated words or phrases I feel might be relevant to my story e.g. egomaniac, mansion, gifted in some way, grudge from school days, bank robbery as a diversion, unusual hobby, collects glass parrots.
- Write it down. Write your goal clearly and place it where you can see it while writing. Don’t be tempted to change it midway through. I think it’s much better to examine the reasons why you didn’t achieve the goal and to learn from those than it is to change track.
Now on to the fun part.
Writing
- Make it Easy to Start. Have the tools and environment setup before you begin. If your laptop battery is low, ensure to have it plugged in. If you often get thirsty, have something to drink beside you. Avoid having to leave your seat before the time is up.
- Know the Subject. It can be scary and intimidating facing a blank page, so know what you are going to write about before you sit down e.g. The villain springs a surprise attack on your hero as she arrives home, hungry and exhausted.
- Write without Editing. It’s important to keep the flow going as pauses can let the doubts and distractions take hold. You can edit later. For now, just focus on getting some new words on the page. If you struggle for those sometimes difficult ‘first words’, you can jump in mid-sentence e.g. ‘… closed the door and ran full speed after the stolen ambulance’.
- Avoid Distractions. Most things can wait 15 or 30 minutes. Writing is writing, nothing else, not checking emails, social media, noises from outside, even making tea can break the flow.
- Have Patience. If no words come, sit and wait. Commit to the time you have set. Then write the first thing that comes into your head, whether related to the story or not. Words lead to more words, and eventually, something relevant will appear. Even 50 quality words from 300 ramblings are valuable.
At this stage, there are new words on the page composed by You. Well done.
Reward
Whether we reach our goals or not, we can take pride in showing up and writing. Sit back and read what you’ve written without judgement. Remember, the goal was to write – not a bestseller, not perfect prose, just some words.
It’s important that we mentally record these successes no matter how small, as it is these experiences that will build our self-belief and draw us to the page in the future. The blank or semi-blank page is now our friend. To reinforce the success in our mind, we might give ourselves a reward, something appropriate to the achievement.
Examples:
Coffee and a cream bun
Buy that new romance novel you saw in the bookshop
Take a well-earned nap
A visit to the cinema
Sustaining Momentum
Writing is predominantly a solitary activity and us humans generally need some interaction with others to thrive. I get great encouragement and motivation from listening to podcasts, dipping into books or blogs about writing, checking out other authors on Twitter or Instagram, and most of all from regular lunch meetings with my writing buddy. These are some of my favourite motivators:
Podcasts
Joanna Penn – The Creative Penn
K. M. Weiland – Helping Writers Become Authors
Lorna Faith – Create a Story You Love
Instagram
Patricia Cornwell
Neil Gaiman
Little Free Library
Books
Writing Down The Bones – Natalie Goldberg
Writing Is My Drink – Theo Pauline Nestor
Telling Lies For Fun And Profit – Lawrence Block
Twitter
Try these hashtags : #writing #amwriting
Last Thoughts
This was supposed to be my June blog post. Instead, I’m publishing today, 4th July. I was so tempted to backdate it to 30th June, but while writing this article I realised how important it is to sometimes lower our standards and to celebrate our successes, even when they are not perfect. Goals are intentions, objectives, targets, a point of focus to keep us on track. That does not mean all or nothing. Any progress is an achievement worthy of celebration. And a sequence of progressions will eventually complete any project.
Happy writing,
Harry
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