What tricks do you use to keep you writing?

[Zebra Wizard]

I know not everyone is a writing prodigy who can put out 10k a days (how the f!!!)

So I wanted to know what tricks you guys have to keep yourself writing when you get struck by what I like to call writer's anxiety. Where you want to write but the voices in your head tell you do something else.

For me, if I have trouble starting for that day/session. I will open up a blank document and carry on from there. Maybe continue from the next scene and just pretend I'm writing the story for the first time. Sure, when I connect the two pieces together its a bit fragmented but I just save that for the editing phase.

Another thing I do when I stop writing during a session. I just get up and walk around my house before I succumb to clicking on youtube videos and sit down when I figured out what I need to write next.

So what methods do you like to use to keep your momentum going?

 

[Venusian Broon]

Sustained daily nagging from family, friends and loved ones seems to work quite well for me

Generally not needed, honest! But occasionally when the energy flags, it makes me determined to get stuff done! (And make them stop...)

 

[Ihe]

I got tons of tricks to keep me from writing.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Just get into the habit of it. Open the document even if you hate it. I found after a few years writing something every day - even if it was just a challenge entry - I sort of got used to it. Of course, I can prevaricate in many ways, but I usually manage to keep the words coming, bit by bit, step by step.

(Oh, there is also a method used by academics. Can't remember the name of it. But you write for 30 minutes with no distraction, then take a 20 minute break and then do it again.)

 

[thaddeus6th]

The sentence approach.

If I'm pushed for time, or really struggling. I'll try to just write a sentence. And then write another. And even if that's it, it's something, but usually that naturally snowballs and I end up writing at least a few hundred words, and often more.

I think clarity and enthusiasm/interest matter a lot too. Whether it's clarity in a mechanical sense or in an emotive sense (ie wanting the reader to hate character X), you've got to know what you want before you try and achieve it. Similarly, if I'm bored writing something, then it's harder to write, and may show through (until the magic of redrafting, of course). But if you're enthused by what you're writing, it's easier, and less like work.

Jo, I don't do it quite like that, but I often take little breaks. Seems to work.

 

[Toby Frost]

I don't do all of these to write, or even any of them necessarily, but in order to keep writing I would:

· Find somewhere comfortable, quiet etc

· Turn every distraction off, especially the internet

· Put some music on, preferably an album that will run for 45 minutes or so

· Have a good idea of what you’re going to write before you start. “In this scene, Jane finds a ball and throws it for Spot, but is surprised when Dick catches it in his mouth” or something like that

· Have a basic word target. I tend to work in blocks of about 500 words

· Don’t re-read or edit until you’ve got quite a lot down. The aim is to have the raw material from which a better draft can be made.

 

[The Judge]

I don't have voices in my head telling me to go do other things instead of writing -- I can manage that all on my own without the voices. However, I do repeatedly succumb to general how-the-hell-do-I-write-this?-itis which brings me to a grinding halt and makes spending an hour looking at cat videos very welcome, which might be similar to your affliction.

The only thing I've found that works is going back two or more (sometimes a lot more) chapters, and working my way through them, editing and revising as I go, until I get to the point where I got stuck, in the hope the revision/new-kindled-enthusiasm momentum takes me over the gap. A bit like taking a long run up to leap a chasm.

 

[Toby Frost]

Just a small point: I don't know whether this is experience or timidity talking, but I don't tend to try to write things that I know will be very hard to depict, especially where they're things that other people will have experienced. I'm quite happy to depict a man fighting a dragon, but I wouldn't want to try to discuss a man in a contested divorce. As a result, I don't run up against too many brick walls, although I do have a lot of single people fighting monsters. When I look at some of the backstories and indignities some writers heap on their characters, I find myself thinking "How the hell are you going to make that believable?"

 

[Wruter]

I have found ignoring the word count and just deciding on a set amount of time to spend writing helps. Less anxiety about hitting a target or not.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

I know not everyone is a writing prodigy who can put out 10k a days (how the f!!!)

So I wanted to know what tricks you guys have to keep yourself writing when you get struck by what I like to call writer's anxiety. Where you want to write but the voices in your head tell you do something else.

For me, if I have trouble starting for that day/session. I will open up a blank document and carry on from there. Maybe continue from the next scene and just pretend I'm writing the story for the first time. Sure, when I connect the two pieces together its a bit fragmented but I just save that for the editing phase.

Another thing I do when I stop writing during a session. I just get up and walk around my house before I succumb to clicking on youtube videos and sit down when I figured out what I need to write next.

So what methods do you like to use to keep your momentum going?

Usually when the voices want you to do something else, or you're just not feeling it, or however it's phrased, that's a sure sign that your subconscious knows that something's wrong or not working in the fiction. And your subconscious is resisting the work because it's trying to get your attention. To point out to you that there's something wrong, and some small part of you knows there's something wrong. When I have those moments I stop and take a long, hard look at the scene I'm working on. More often than not there's something that's out of place, not working, or boring going on in the scene. So I do what I can to fix that.

But generally I have an outline for the whole novel before I start. I have the big, broad stroke info for every scene before I start writing. I then break scenes into ten or more steps laying out the order of events and how I want the scene to play out as I actually start writing a given scene. I've usually given the outline and the sequence of scenes a good, long look before starting any actual writing. If I'm having a tough writing day when I get to a scene, I know I've missed something or after all that thought the scene just isn't working how I'd like. So I sit down and work it out in a better way.

(And 10k a day is hard, but it's doable. Just have a solid outline in place before you start writing. If you're excited about the work, you'll kick ass on it. Simple as that. If it's boring to write, it'll be boring to read. Just rework your outline so every scene is exciting for you to write, then hopefully it'll be exciting to read. If you're pantsing or haven't done all the research you need before you try to start writing, it's going to be damned near impossible to get more than 1-2 thousand words a day.)

 

[Ogma]

There's some app out there (I forget its name) that starts to delete random files on your computer if you don't type fast enough. Never used it myself.
I have used the 5KWPH app to keep track, but, these days, I lean more toward a pomodoro counter and a spreadsheet. Keeping track really helps because you can see where you're spending your time.

While I always have some sort of outline, I like to pants the detail so I'm really happy with 1.5-2k a day. I can write about 1k an hour without getting hung up on details.

It's something I'm actively working to improve on. For example, I'm trying to break myself off the habit of revising until the first draft is finished. In my last book, I spent a lot of time polishing scenes that never made the final version. So, the first draft (Rev.O) is really just to get an overall shape of the story and identify any sticky issues that need fixing.

 

[Vaz]

Get into a good routine (It's hard to establish at first) For example I get up early on my days off 4am and write until noon, turning off everything but my music.

Take short breaks maybe every half an hour or so..

Rewards yourself (Cake is necessary)

Peace - Vaz

 

[Juliana]

I always break off at a point where I'm excited about what happens next, so there's something fun to look forward to.

 

[LittleStar]

I have a Thorough plan to start with, like FH, so I know exactly where my scene is going, so I didn't need to think about it. And everyone who mentioned being excited about the scene making it easier is right. I always find that I speed throught the action scenes (in general they are the more instantly exciting). My biggest action scene in the last few weeks went around 4k I think, took me 90 mins or so to write. So if your struggling to write a scene, amybe you need to stop and rethink it to make it more exciting, whther through action or some other.

I don't go back and edit, except to correct a few randomly chosen typos that I see (though trust me when I say there are at least six times as many on that page, but I ignore them) I don't perfect lines, first drafts aren't for that. Once the draft is done I will go back, and polish all that stuff out to make it readable for my edit process.

I do get distracted, by Internet and other stuff, but you have to discipline yourself to stay with writing. Breaks are fine, but an hour here and hour there to watch youtube cats (adorable though they are) are eating into to the time your going to be spending writing, and they all add up. You shouldn't be surprised you're not making large wordcounts if you're not actually writing.

I am currently writing 9-5 5days a week. I have an hour or so for lunch (would be smaller but my current lunchtime entertainment choice runs that long per episode), and a bunch of smaller breaks and stretches away from my laptop and seat to keep my body from quitting on me (though my knees are shot after a month ad a half of sitting, go figure.) but I force myself to go back to write the next scene... Discipline. Plus I have extra incentive that I dropped my day job hours to just covering rent and little else. At least if I get my writing done, I won't be worse off for it


But most of all don't be put off by other peoples word counts. I'm well aware that my recent wordcounts are quite freakish, but I've always been a quick writer even when not cellotaping myself to the word processor. Everyone writes at their own pace, whether that is a hundred or five thousand a day. Like time distractions, these 'small' wordcounts all add up... And they add up to a finished draft eventually.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

· Don’t re-read or edit until you’ve got quite a lot down. The aim is to have the raw material from which a better draft can be made.

My advice would be don't re-read or edit until you've finished the novel. But that's just me... (It does work, albeit not always.)

 

[Droflet]

No tricks. I just, you know, write. Face the problems, find solutions, and keep on writing. Shrugs.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I have found ignoring the word count and just deciding on a set amount of time to spend writing helps. Less anxiety about hitting a target or not.

Ah the old presenteeism vs output argument. For some, it works better just to know they've done the hour's work they hoped to, for others they judge it by hoping to meet an output amount. I think knowing which it is, individually, is a good thing.

 

[NbDawn]

When I get in a rut, I find that setting aside a specific time to write really helps. And when that specific time rolls around, I disable the internet, turn off the phone, and make sure snacks and drinks are already available so that I don't have an excuse to get up and go prepare them.

 

[J D Foster]

If I get stuck I skip to another WIP or skip part of the story an move onto an other bit.

Often if I don't feel like writing trying to force it results in awful drivel that requires binning anyway.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

I take public transit to work in the morning, so I write during this time. I get anywhere from 2-5 pages done in my notebook within the 45 minutes. When I'm stuck in a scene I move to the next situation and write that or type in what I've done by hand until I figure out what I want to happen.