Blog Post #3 - Immediate Thoughts on Writing

I'm a couple of days in to the frantic month that is Camp Nanowrimo. Since I've set a pretty high word count for myself (aiming for 100'000 by July 31st), I've been breaking up my writing time into three hour long chunks. So far so good, though I'm not going to start polishing that winners trophy just yet.

Now that I have a rather high word count goal, twice that of my usual Nanowrimo attempts, I’ve found that quite a few challenges are rearing their ugly heads earlier in the process than they typically have in the past. I thought I’d take a moment to break them down, in the hopes that naming and shaming them can help me combat them and push through to newer (and most likely more difficult) challenges that lie ahead.

I'M NOT WRITING ENOUGH

This one is a doozy. I’m what they call a ‘planner’, not a ‘pantser’. I’ve spent the last couple of months working on my outline, drafting the action, making notes on the different characters emotions and each action/reaction within the scene. Now that Camp has commenced, all I have to do is turn these pages and pages of notes into actual story. So, when a scene that took up roughly 2000 words to describe comes out just shy of 400, I start to get a little freaked out.

Solutions: Ignore the scene length! I’ll be taking the writing advice that most writers seem to provide, and push forward regardless. Expanding on the novel is what the second draft is for, this is all about getting it out into the world, a big misshapen blob of clay, and coming back later. When I reach the end of the scene just halfway through a 1000 word sprint, I’m just swallowing down the screaming voices, ignoring the plethora of notes I’ve taken and moving on to the next scene. It can all be added in later. I hope.

I'M WRITING TOO MUCH

A couple of times, I’ve encountered the opposite of the above problem. This usually happens when I come back to writing after a few hours of doing something else. I’ll start by saying something, then repeat it several times, trying to say it just right. All I end up doing is repeating it. The urge to go back and delete the meaningless paragraph and focusing on getting it right the first time can be pretty overwhelming. 

Solutions: Kill the inner editor! Not only am I trying really, really hard not to read anything that I’ve written, I’m also refusing to delete a word of it. Not because I’m trying to cheat at my word count, but I’m trying to show myself that rough drafts are just that - rough. Somewhere in this giant messy lump of clay will be a great looking sculpture. The same way I can add things in later, I can cut a whole lot out too. Besides, somewhere in that bout of word diarrhea is the perfect sentence. I just don’t know which bit it is yet.

I'M WATCHING THE CLOCK

Or specifically, the word count. When I start to flag with a scene, I find myself focusing on watching the words climbing, rather than what those words should be. This is a bit of a trap for planners - when a scene in your head doesn’t come out the way you wanted it to, and the whole thing feels forced, it becomes a chore, rather than a joy. It’s a little bit ‘kill your darlings’, except his is more realising they might have to be nipped in the bud before they see the light of day.

Solutions: Drop it and run. If a scene isn’t doing it for me, then I’m going to be plowing through it like a bull at a gate, trying to get to the other side so I can keep going. Sometimes scenes need reworking, or changing later on. Some of them I might even cut completely, and replace with something more interesting. Instead of trying to force them to work, I’m letting them drift in an embryonic state, and focusing on what does get my inspiration flowing. There will be plenty of time to focus on that scene later*. Onward and upward.

I’ll try to share other things as I encounter them, anyone else out there Camping this month? What have been your biggest hurdles so far?

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* I have no idea what I’m going to do if the entire plot hits this particular snag. I am adamantly not thinking about this possible scenario.

Blog Post #2 - Don't Do, Learn

Last week I posted about overcoming writers guilt, which is a big part of what holds me back as a writer. This week, I want to talk about another big obstacle I face – fear of failure. Like guilt, fear of failure isn’t limited to writing. There are thousands of articles, vlogs and self help books out there to help people overcome this particular fear, which if nothing else at least provides the comfort of knowing you aren’t alone in this way of thinking.

My partner, who has the self-discipline and personal drive of Batman, is great at pushing through his fears. The other night, I sat him down and poked him with a stick until he told me the secret to his success. His answer completely baffled me. He never tries to do anything. He just tries to learn something.

What the heck did he mean by this? To put it simply: instead of writing a novel, learn how to write a novel. Every day, when you sit down to work on your book, don’t think about how you have to finish a novel. Think of it as you learning how to write a finished novel, so one day you can. Sure, you are thinking to yourself, we’ve all been a student. Why is this such ground breaking advice? The trick, according to my partner, is to never set out to do. Only ever set out to learn how.

When you put yourself in the mindset of a student, the pressure melts away. A student is never expected to do, only to prepare for when they will actually do in the future. If you are learning how to write a novel, then you don’t feel the pressure of having to complete a novel. If you then take what you wrote, and use it to learn how to approach an agent, it’s OK if you don’t find one. You could learn how to self-publish. Learn how to promote a book. Learn how to write a series, or make a blog, or pitch a television pilot. Where normally all these things would feel completely overwhelming, simply setting out to learn all these things is much easier. The end goal isn’t to become a published author. The end goal is to learn. There’s no better way to learn than by doing.

Lots of motivational experts talk about finding your end goal, and working towards it. If your end goal shifts to ‘learning as much as I can’, then you are not only more flexible to take advantage of opportunities you may not have seen, but you are also reducing the pressure on yourself to perform. As long as you have learned from your experiences, then you have succeeded! If you keep learning, writing more books, submitting more queries, publishing more content, then you will be succeeding simply by doing.

This mind shift is subtle, and if you embrace it, you will find yourself changing your approach to everything you do with your writing. Focus on your end goal – learning something new, and you can’t fail! Who knows, you may even find yourself learning how to manage a successful writing career one day.

Blog Post #1 - Overcoming Writers Guilt

When it comes to my writing, one of the biggest obstacles I face happens well before I put pen to paper. It’s that little voice that makes an appearance every time my brain fires up. That nasty, shrill voice that chatters in my ear, listing all the reasons I can’t write today. As the list goes on and on, the flood gates open, and I find myself drowning in that way too familiar sensation – guilt.

Guilt is not unique to writers. Many of us are familiar with guilt, and have felt that squirm in the stomach at least once in their lives. Writers guilt, however, seems to be a pretty common affliction. Several of my wordsmith companions have shared with me their own struggles. With dishes to be done, garbage to put out and meetings to prep for, only a complete ass would waste time working on a novel. Right?

So here’s my attempt to impart wisdom. Things that have helped me get over my writers guilt, and thing that hopefully can help others overcome them as well. Because the world always needs more storytellers.

BE REALISTIC 

Are you able to write 24 hours a day, seven days a week? As much as we’d like to, you can’t dedicate every waking moment to your writing. Writing is a mentally exhausting process, and burnout happens to even the best of us. Therefore taking the time you need realistically won’t break the bank. Morning, evening, on your lunch break - whenever you feel your creative juices flowing, allow yourself to drop everything and focus, even if it’s just for half an hour. Those chores will still be there when you’re done, and you’ll still have plenty of time left in the day for things like cooking dinner and sleeping.

TALK TO YOUR FAMILY 

It’s important your family understands why writing is important to you. Not everyone wants to be a writer, but most people understand what it’s like to have a dream. I was surprised when I spoke to my partner, a mathematician, and he said he thinks writing a novel is a perfectly legitimate project. Don’t be afraid to also ask your family for help. Anything from watching the kids for a few hours a week, to becoming a private cheer squad can make a big difference. Make sure you compromise though – is there something they are passionate about but aren’t prioritising? Agreeing to help each other pursue your passions is a win for all involved.

FOCUS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

At the end of your writing time, note down your achievements. Try not to focus on your shortcomings, instead focus on what you have created. This time of reflection each day lets you see how far you’ve come. Writing isn’t easy, especially when you’re just starting out. Authors who can finish a manuscript in just one month have years of experience under their belts. Let yourself feel proud of what you have created. After all, every word is one step closer to a finished book!

SUPPORT OTHER WRITERS 

Would you tell another writer to stop what they were doing? To spend less time on their work? If you validate other writers, it becomes easier to validate your own work. You may even help others through doubts just like your own. Writing is a solo endeavour, and it’s easy to forget that there are thousands of others riding the same emotional roller coaster every day. Writers meet-ups, online chat rooms and writers festivals are a great place to connect with other writers.

UNDERSTAND YOUR EMOTIONS 

What is hiding underneath your guilt? Is it fear of rejection? Jealousy of others success? A first grade teacher who told you writers were a drain on society? There are a lot of negative stereotypes around the creative arts that can make us feel like we are wasting our time. Talk to other writers, to your loved ones, even to trained professionals about your struggles. Fighting your emotions day in and day out leaves little energy to be creative. Discovering the source of your guilt can help you break those chains, and free you to focus on what you love - writing.