Let me apologize as I’m having the allergy attack from hell and can’t seem to wrap myself around the written word today.
Which leads me right into my topic…what’s a writer to do when they can’t write?
I’ve been recently asked that question by many writers and I’ll tell you exactly like I tell them: It depends what you’re writing and what the problem is.
First, if you’re ill, you just do the best you can. Since I have allergy days quite frequently in both the spring and the fall, I make sure my daily word count is exceeded so that I can make up for those days of the pounding head.
Now, if it’s because I can’t get my Muse going, that in itself is a completely different thing. There are a few simple techniques I use to try and get things flowing again. Here’s my list:
Listen to music – when nothing comes, I will sit down and listen to music as I attempt to write. Again, the type of music depends upon what I’m writing. Something classical just won’t do if I’m writing a battle scene so I make the music appropriate to what I’m doing.
Write anything – the day doesn’t always start good and I don’t always start on my story right away. Sometimes, the best I can do has nothing to do with what I’m writing. So I just write. Usually by the end of the second hour, I’m back on track for the story.
Plot a new story – I have a lot of series going and sometimes the best thing for me is to move away from the story I’m working on and start plotting the next one. For many of my stories, I am a pantser which means I just work it out in my head and sit down to write. However, when I’m working on a series I have to make sure that I don’t violate something I’ve previously done in the series. This also allows me to plan new and different things for the books.
Read – I can’t say this enough, read the genre that you write. If you’re doing urban fantasy, read urban fantasy, if you’re doing futuristic, read futuristic. You must know your market and you will never gain that knowledge unless you read the genre.
Take care of yourself – What I mean by this is get a massage, take a walk, talk to your kids, make love with your husband or significant other. It can’t all be about the writing because without you there would be no writing.
That’s’ about all I have today. Hope you get something from my ramblings.
See you all tomorrow!
Lynn
As my birthday approaches, I started thinking about just why I love writing and the best answer is it is the only thing that has kept my attention for over forty years. I started writing when I was a little girl with little poems and the moment one was published, I knew I had found something, which excited me.
When I was twelve, I started the great American novel fashioned after my all time favorite at the time, Gone With The Wind. I just knew if I could get it all together, I would have the best Civil War romance ever. Thank goodness, that book and all its iterations have remained hidden for years. Not that I haven’t thought about it, I have but I’ve also matured enough to realize it will never seen the light of day.
In all honesty, it shouldn’t. A lot of my work shouldn’t see the light of day because it never goes past the idea stage. Some actually get a little further but the moment I lose interest, I need to move on elsewhere. Again, some I actually get back to and some never. But I know these foibles about myself and accept them to a point.
You may wonder why I don’t accept them and me totally. Well, if I did more than acknowledge them, there would be a chance they would overwhelm me and I would have more than a handful of uncompleted work. Right now, that handful is okay. Anymore and I would doubt my ability to write or ever complete a project.
Another thing that I discovered in my twenties was the importance of writer meetings. I discovered this with my very first RWA national convention in Dallas and I never looked back. Matter of fact, yes I’m using a cliché, I am preparing to go to one today. Today’s meeting is all about synopsis writing and one can never learn enough about this craft.
Writers meetings can keep one actively thinking about writing. It can recharge you when the well is drying up and ideas aren’t coming as easily as they used to come. These meetings are always motivating in some was as you will always learn something new and different while there. From a new writer being published to a multi-published one finding a new niche, there will be something for you.
When I found today’s comment, I also knew I had found today’s subject:
You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury
Is this a wonderful quote? Writers must stay drunk on writing, not just so reality won’t destroy you but so you can keep focused on the task at hand. A writer must always love writing even when they don’t like it. They must forge ahead even when it seems the book or work will never be done. They must continue to fulfill their destiny every day or we won’t have all those wonderful books to read.
See you tomorrow...have a great one!
Lynn
This week hasn’t been the best for writing. First, there was the trip and that took up a lot of my time. I did manage to write in my notebook every day of the four which was wonderful. But since I’ve been back, it’s been hard for me to sit still for long periods of time due to my back and shoulder screaming they’ve had enough inactivity.
So I’ve been trying to provide that activity by walking with my husband every night, browsing at the mall and even do some light weights to keep me moving. The trouble is that here in the desert no one wants to move during the summer. It’s too darn hot.
And with the heat comes the lack of motivation or even brain power. There are days where my brain decides to take a hike because all I can think about is the heat. This year has been blessedly cool compared to others. We’ve only had a few days over one hundred degrees and even those are ones where the humidity is low. Those days haven’t burned me out. Yet.
It’s because of this physical burn out that I’ve chosen today’s quote:
The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible. ~Vladimir Nabakov
I know my pages are for the large part written in invisible ink because I’ve let summer get to me. It’s one of the reasons I’ve joined the 1000 words a day club as evident by the little banner on this blog. This is my minimum and most days I get five times that amount. But on the days where the heat is high and my shoulder is screaming, it reminds me I have to try anyway.
Today is especially hard because it’s my Mother’s birthday. She would have been seventy-one today. She died seven years ago and for some reason it is affecting me more this year. Maybe it’s because I became a grandmother but no matter what the specific reason, it has me reflecting on life. Yet, I need to write no matter what.
Some days it is hard to get into the flow of the words coming on the page. I do feel they are invisible and wish I could just make them all jump out at once. But I can’t and must type each precious one. And words are precious, just like life and those around you.
Have a great day! See you all tomorrow!
Lynn
