Strategies for pushing through

[Jo Zebedee]

I hate first drafts. I don't know where things are going, and what each scene is going to do yet. I'm not a planner and when I've tried to be it hasn't worked, so that's not the answer. At the moment I'm at about 20k words and floundering. I'll come here and type posts like this to avoid writing, I'm doing a great line in housework etc etc.

So far my strategies have been:

teeth gritted, head down, keep going until there's a draft out there. This has been my strategy in earlier books and has mostly resulted in some sort of product at the end. But I'm finding it harder just to shove words on a page and want to do a bit more scene building in the first draft which is, I think, partly because I'm more aware of what a scene should feel like. I'm managing to either write or review a chapter a day doing this (although some days I haven't worked on it but done other stuff instead - shorts or editing and what not.)

Taking a break with some light editing of a book that's almost finished. This has helped in that at least the time is constructive, and it reminds me that there will be a time when this one feels good, too. (The book I'm editing was atrociously hard to write and kept getting stuck for weeks at a time.)

I just wondered if anyone else has this happen to them, and if they have any strategies that work? Alternatively I accept cake.

 

[Remedy]

You're so productive springs, I have no suggestions because it sounds like you're achieving things... So I bring cake

I will say that when I hit a wall I often go for a walk, gets the blood flowing and gives time to think... But its raining here... So I'm loitering by the wall.

 

[Ursa major]

Some things that might help:

• set up conversations between random members of your cast of characters;
• write the final scene;
• write a pivotal scene beyond where you've already got in the book;
• imagine something occurring that would throw your characters and/or your plot (however vague it is) into confusion;
• imagine what might happen if one of your characters wasn't as they currently seem to be.

None of what you write -- in terms of the text -- need appear in your book, but it may give you insights into your characters and/or your plot that you might find useful later.

 

[Hex]

I write out the plot chapter by chapter (Chapter One -- X happens, Z meets Y etc) to see if it works as a structure and if there are things I can add, or I work through the story by writing it out as a sort-of-synopsis, or I focus on some area that's making me unhappy. 9 times out of 10 when I get stuck on a first draft it's because I've done something wrong and got stuck.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

You're so productive springs, I have no suggestions because it sounds like you're achieving things... So I bring cake

I will say that when I hit a wall I often go for a walk, gets the blood flowing and gives time to think... But its raining here... So I'm loitering by the wall.

I know, I know, I shouldn't complain. But my productivity has been woeful, recently. For me, anyhow. I'll go a walk, that's a good idea.

Some things that might help:

• set up conversations between random members of your cast of characters;
• write the final scene;
• write a pivotal scene beyond where you've already got in the book;
• imagine something occurring that would throw your characters and/or your plot (however vague it is) into confusion;
• imagine what might happen if one of your characters wasn't as they currently seem to be.

None of what you write -- in terms of the text -- need appear in your book, but it may give you insights into your characters and/or your plot that you might find useful later.

Good ideas, I'm hoping to plan later on so I might scribble some stuff around these.

I write out the plot chapter by chapter (Chapter One -- X happens, Z meets Y etc) to see if it works as a structure and if there are things I can add, or I work through the story by writing it out as a sort-of-synopsis, or I focus on some area that's making me unhappy. 9 times out of 10 when I get stuck on a first draft it's because I've done something wrong and got stuck.

I can't do the chapter by chapter thing (although I can plan ahead a few chapters, which is what I need to do next.) I have gone back and tried a different approach but it was horrid and prickly and wrong, so I think I'm taking it the right way. But I might do a synopsis to date and see what I think.

Thank you all. I think I also needed to vent...

 

[thaddeus6th]

Ha, if we combined powers we'd be a super-writer (or an incredibly awful one). I really like the first draft. No worrying about stuff, just imagining and writing stuff down. Rewrites are less to my taste.

However, particularly with my WIP (which has overlapped with many short stories and the two Sir Edric adventures), I do sometimes struggle and feel a bit like I'm in No Man's Land. Just focus on the small things. What the chapter's about, what the scene's about, what the paragraph is about, what the sentence is about.

Besides, you've written books before. You know you can do it.

 

[Mouse]

Urgh, I'm the same. I hate first drafts. I've got no idea who anybody is or what's going on so it's difficult to write. I've not touched either of my WiPs for a while now cos I'm at the point where I think I've got no clue what's happening here. I can't plot.

So I have no help to offer, because I suck. I just tell myself that the slowly slowly catchee monkey approach is fine and that I've finished books before, so I'll get there eventually. Somehow.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I got for a hot bath, go through to my bed and do a creativity/writing meditation (I like the Lilian Eden one on YouTube). Then I put my headphones on with some nature sounds/relaxation music. Or I belong to a chatroom that does writing sprints which makes me put my head down for twenty minutes at a time.

 

[Hex]

Just -- the chapters I write out are the ones I've already written, not the ones I haven't started yet.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Mouse, you don't suck. Bad rodent Queen.

Yes, good advice, I've got to the end before. I'll keep that one. And I like the idea of 20 minutes blasts, Anya.

Ps Hex, I thought you meant that and then doubted myself...

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I love the first Draft. It's the proof reading / Edit / re-write cycle I hate!

 

[LittleStar]

I very much enjoy the first drafts, it's all so fresh and new... But, often towards the end I start flagging a little, The new car smell kinda filters out and gets well, less new. Then what drives me through is getting excited to start the next story, but I very rarely leave anything unfinished, so first drafts get done. The next story is the prize I get for finishing I guess.

Second drafts? Not so much. After writing 5-6 first drafts so far, Im on my first very serious attempt at a redraft. The others will come, they are just replenishing their excitement levels for now

 

[J Riff]

I dunno, waiting for inspiration can go on for weeks, months... but one should be at least a tad excited, inspired when writing, right?
So uhhhhhhhh . .. uh ..... uhn.

 

[Brian G Turner]

But my productivity has been woeful, recently.

Sometimes it's important just to recharge. You've certainly been very busy recently!

I assume that, if you're looking for a push, you've already re-read your first 20k, to see if an idea of what comes next pops up for you?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

There is that, Brian, and I have a busy January and February with writing. It might be a time to recharge.

Yeah, I'm on the second pass through the first 20k. I have some ideas where it's going next after
Ursa's brainstorm tonight!

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I always struggle November and December which is why I do NaNo - although it was a waste of time this time. Kids birthdays, halloween, bonfire night, Christmas etc all wipe my creativity.

 

[Phyrebrat]

Sorry - and surprised - to hear that @springs and @Mouse. I didn't figure either of you for strugglers... you both seem so in control of the process.

For me, I suppose if I've got to the point where it's stalled, I put it aside as I can't work through it till a solution (usually serendipitously) presents itself. I can mitigate that happening usually by writing the story furiously and not stopping. It's stopping that causes me problems, so when I have a busy week or weekend, it can totally mean the end of the story I'm working on. I think this is why I write so many shorts.

pH

 

[tinkerdan]

I thought it sounded like you were doing well; perhaps a bit slow to your point of view, but well. Anyone who loves the first draft[meaning the final output of the first draft]needs to send it off to better eyes to find out what's wrong with it. Knowing there are problems is a large part of the hurdle and yes; the edits might seem slow, but I wouldn't rush them or you might end up with a second rough draft. But then as far as it goes for me I have at least five edits through before I feel like I need to have new eyes bring sanity back; because by then it looks really good and I know it's not.

All part of the process.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Who doesn't struggle? A book's a massive undertaking, there's bound to be challenging moments. And I am doing well, I'm just a little frustrated it's not coming a little easier.

Anyway, I think Brian is right. It's December, I have kids and a husband who works in retail with the weird and wonderful rota that entails. It might be time to give myself a bit of slack and pop my focus elsewhere and recharge.

Mince pie, anyone.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I know it's only 9am but this morning I am ready for the sherry with the mince pie already.