BEING STUCK as a writer is no fun. I will not be beaten though. There are many ways to overcome writer's block, but I've heard it doesn't exist! And here's why.....
All you have to do is keep writing!
Anything.
What I did recently was start a different writing project. I thought I could do a Young Adult novel quickly, if I do 2,000 words a day. This is what happened. I started well. I managed approx 2,000- 2,500 a day ....That lasted only a few days, before I ran out of steam. I have about 11,000 words of that done.
But I have already had 2 other projects on the go:
1. Deep in the Cocoa, to be edited ....again
2. A new version of God in the Cocoa, a prequel to the above.
So that I don't have to decide each day what to work on, I decided to work on one project for a full week. So every project would come round again every 3 weeks. OK!
That was working out fine.
I got bored again :(
I thought I might start something entirely new ...a Romantic Novel :))
That lasted for 2 weeks, and I have 15,000 words on that.
Now I have a total of 4 projects on the go properly. That is apart from all the ideas that I write down every day.
This week however, I have returned to one of my original projects, God of the Cocoa. I have planned, and replotted this version. It is totally new, and I am very excited. I am now working more-or-less to a planned plot. More or less!
I do find though that it is so easy for me to go off course...But it isn't my fault. It is the characters that take me wandering, I get friendly, and go along with them. Are they right, I wonder? Let's find out. And before long, I've added a few friends, because Latchmin, aged 11, was lonely.
But I have to ask myself the question, before I've wasted too much time writing their story. Shall I keep this, or delete it? Inevitably, I keep it, somewhere, because I might need it....sometime.
All you have to do is keep writing!
Anything.
What I did recently was start a different writing project. I thought I could do a Young Adult novel quickly, if I do 2,000 words a day. This is what happened. I started well. I managed approx 2,000- 2,500 a day ....That lasted only a few days, before I ran out of steam. I have about 11,000 words of that done.
But I have already had 2 other projects on the go:
1. Deep in the Cocoa, to be edited ....again
2. A new version of God in the Cocoa, a prequel to the above.
So that I don't have to decide each day what to work on, I decided to work on one project for a full week. So every project would come round again every 3 weeks. OK!
That was working out fine.
I got bored again :(
I thought I might start something entirely new ...a Romantic Novel :))
That lasted for 2 weeks, and I have 15,000 words on that.
Now I have a total of 4 projects on the go properly. That is apart from all the ideas that I write down every day.
This week however, I have returned to one of my original projects, God of the Cocoa. I have planned, and replotted this version. It is totally new, and I am very excited. I am now working more-or-less to a planned plot. More or less!
I do find though that it is so easy for me to go off course...But it isn't my fault. It is the characters that take me wandering, I get friendly, and go along with them. Are they right, I wonder? Let's find out. And before long, I've added a few friends, because Latchmin, aged 11, was lonely.
But I have to ask myself the question, before I've wasted too much time writing their story. Shall I keep this, or delete it? Inevitably, I keep it, somewhere, because I might need it....sometime.
Marilyn - well done on the sheer number of words you've written recently!
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to stick at one long project and tend to run out of steam (and ideas) part way through.
If only I could learn to plan...
Sorry Sally, I haven't paid much attention to my blog for a while....and I feel guilty. But it's not for want of being on the internet...so much social networking to do.
ReplyDeleteYes, but if only I could plan and stick to it! I have worked on my main project for the last couple of months non stop, but not deviated wildly from the plan! So a completely new plot has grown! Characters are doing their own thing...can't keep them in order.