From Sprint to Marathon: Endurance tip?

[Ainsley]

I have a habit of working in spurts. When I'm ready to go I'm REALLY ready to go. Problem is it's like a sugar high and when I've gotten a good chunk of creative work done... I crash. Crash hard. Chocolate covered macadamia nuts, netflix nom nom nom. I am working on my first novel and really want to be able to maintain a steadier, more consistent output. I know part of that is just practice, practice, practice but anyone have any tip or suggestions for how to keep the fire burning but not too brightly?

 

[kromanjon]

Sounds horrible but have you tried limmiting yourself? Perhaps setting a timer and not allowing yourself to write anymore after a certain amount of time. Or just make sure to always stop writing at a cliffhanger. I have the same problem so perhaps I'm not the best advicegiver though.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Two thoughts:

1. Why fight it? If you're productive, and it works for you?

2. If you want to change it, I'd try to make sure that when you reach the netflix stage you keep chucking out either a few words, or some planning.

I blast when I get going, and then I tend to have to stop and plan, catch my breath, and then I blast again. I do this with every kind of work I do, can get through a phenomenal amount quickly. What I've come to realise is that in doing this, I'm using a lot of energy so I tend not to feel guilty about the times when I do nothing (yes, there are times), and spend a morning with nothing whatsoever done. No one can keep up that output without a break.

There's no point in me trying to limit the productive stage, it just bursts out of me, so instead I try to actively encourage the chilling time.

 

[alchemist]

Rather than burn yourself out writing when you're in the mood, why not divert the energy towards some of the less draining tasks of a writer? Like editing, research, or plot/world-building. Or divert to a different writing project, like a short story.

 

[Mirannan]

Rather than burn yourself out writing when you're in the mood, why not divert the energy towards some of the less draining tasks of a writer? Like editing, research, or plot/world-building. Or divert to a different writing project, like a short story.

Speaking only for myself, I find producing ideas the least difficult part of writing; the most difficult part for me is turning the unreadable drivel thus produced into something worth reading. One problem is changing a large number of ideas into a coherent narrative.

 

[monsterchic]

I have the same problem, Ainsley. Something that works for me is setting a certain amount of pages to write (say, more than 2 but less than 10 if you're feeling great about writing that day), and once I get to the high end, go back and edit some other stuff.

Then again, I also take Springs' advice and whe I feel the urge, let it out. Depends on the day. But don't stop writing for the next day or two like I tend to--do plotting or something.

Hope this helped

 

[Glen]

Set a (perhaps modest) target each day, and meet that to make sure you get the continuity going. If you manage to beat the target by a mile, great!

Stop writing when at a point you know it will be easy to pick up the next day. That might be mid-paragraph or mid-sentence.

Make sure your map of where to go is ahead of where you are actually at, so you don't get lost or stuck.

Record your progress so you can see just how often you skip a day, how often you meet/beat the target etc.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I have a habit of working in spurts. When I'm ready to go I'm REALLY ready to go. Problem is it's like a sugar high and when I've gotten a good chunk of creative work done... I crash. Crash hard. Chocolate covered macadamia nuts, netflix nom nom nom. I am working on my first novel and really want to be able to maintain a steadier, more consistent output. I know part of that is just practice, practice, practice but anyone have any tip or suggestions for how to keep the fire burning but not too brightly?

I don't have a cure - and I sometimes go through the same thing - but if I get to a point in my WIP that I am reluctant to write, I give it a break and work on a short story. I find that when I switch my mind to other things, inspiration comes to me for my WIP and then I'm off again.

If the muse strikes you, I would be inclined to advise you to ride the wave till you do crash. Like others have said, you can edit, and revise later on in more or less any frame of mind (even though it is laborious) whereas the muse is like bottled lightning

One last comment. Chocolate covered macadamias are crucial to my writing (hint hint)

pH

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Have you tried writeordie? I find it effective when I have a deadline.

 

[Cynric]

I have a habit of working in spurts. When I'm ready to go I'm REALLY ready to go. Problem is it's like a sugar high and when I've gotten a good chunk of creative work done... I crash. Crash hard. Chocolate covered macadamia nuts, netflix nom nom nom. I am working on my first novel and really want to be able to maintain a steadier, more consistent output. I know part of that is just practice, practice, practice but anyone have any tip or suggestions for how to keep the fire burning but not too brightly?

I try to make the discipline a part of my writing identity. Like you, I have creative bursts, then a lull (which I refuse to feel guilty about if it's followed a period of intense writing), but once the lull has gone on a little too long, I remind myself that a writer writes. I think: if you want other people to take you seriously as a writer, you must write. You only get to take yourself seriously as a writer, if you write. Especially when you don't feel like writing.

Cultivate that quiet, nagging, but sympathetic voice that whispers "discipline".

It usually works, although I recently left my characters suffering in a haunted forest for over a month, while I painfully beat out a few sentences a week...

 

[Ainsley]

Rather than burn yourself out writing when you're in the mood, why not divert the energy towards some of the less draining tasks of a writer? Like editing, research, or plot/world-building. Or divert to a different writing project, like a short story.

Easier said than done! Very hard for me to switch gears like that. That said I have been trying to integrate research mode w/ writing 'bursts' - with all the smoothness of a lurching old car.

@monsterchic - Ultimately this is the process I'd like to embrace. Have a feeling it won't happen until at least rewrite or the next project.

@AnyaKimlin - That is *very* amusing, especially the 'Kamikaze' Mode; write or literally your words die. That's almost a story in and of itself.