Writing requires discipline. Staring at a blank Word document just letting random scenes flit about my head is not productive. Looking at a half-written page, closing it, and running off to play Neopets is not any better. Trying to write the next chapter of a fan fiction while checking email, forums, and deviantArt every few seconds isn't the best idea, either.
At the same time, forcing myself to stare at the blinking cursor for forty minutes when The Muse is hiding behind the lamp and laughing at my foolishness isn't the greatest way to write, either. Discipline by itself can put words on a page, but a story should be more than just that. What's the point of writing for enjoyment if, well, I'm not enjoying it? Writing isn't necessarily a romantic enterprise 100% of the time, but the words should start flowing once I get started. If not, I can't guarantee the slightest bit of quality in the story, and that's not going to help me get back into the swing of things.
I'm still trying to find the balance between putting my rear to the chair to write and taking enough breaks. I need some taste of life to write about it (or some strange, alternate version of it, anyway), but I didn't exactly get loads of writing done while I was running about Japan and China in May. (Additionally, I'm too much of an introvert to want to experience too much on a daily basis.) Managing NaNoWriMo alongside a full school/social schedule really helped, I think, but it's a totally different balance to strike in the middle of summer with nothing but church and some hospital volunteering as my face-to-face social interaction.
How do you manage writing at a good pace for you? Do you have any recommendations for disciplined writing (other than my favourite, Write or Die)? How about for break time?
"Staring at a blank Word document just letting random scenes flit about my head is not productive. Looking at a half-written page, closing it, and running off to play Neopets is not any better. Trying to write the next chapter of a fan fiction while checking email, forums, and deviantArt every few seconds isn't the best idea, either."
ReplyDeleteHa ... that's pretty much how I write. DX
Since I only update every so often, what I do is designate a certain week or so to be THE week I work. I can slack off any other time but this week. In order to get me in the mood for writing Unstained, I do several things that I connect with the story - like going for a bike ride (since the fresh air and exercise get my creative juices flowing; plus, I thought up a lot of the plot while bike riding, so it's associated with the story in my mind), listening to music from the Hunger Games soundtrack, or browsing through some of the HG FanFictions that inspired me to write. That's normally enough to get me in the mood. However, since you have a lot of stories going, you obviously can't just do this once every few months, nor can you devote an entire week to nothing but writing. Although, your chapters are usually shorter than mine (I aim for 5,000 - 7,000 words for Unstained), so I doubt it takes you as long as I do to write one.
Seems to be a common syndrome.
DeleteWow. I... can't even designate an hour to not slack off when it comes to writing. Attempted 20-minute bursts, hooray!
That's cool! I'm not sure what gets me into the mood to write, especially when it's not usually so focused on one story. I do most of my plotwork as I'm trying to fall asleep, so I probably shouldn't copy your method there.
I don't really know how long a chapter takes for me. Of course, there's all of the time I'm just not even trying to write, but aside from that, I don't know. Yours are worth the wait, though!
For me, I try to get a buffer so that I can allow my story to slack off when I'm too busy or uninspired, and try to do a frenzy of work when I can and want to. For me, I also found the contest show, "Face off," to be great for drawing to. Do you have any shows that cause inspiration?
ReplyDeleteMim
(Sorry for the late reply—somehow this got tagged as spam.)
DeleteDo you usually have a chapter buffer or so?
Hmm, I haven't heard of "Face Off," but I don't watch much television. I'm not good at watching television and writing at the same time, but for drawing... I don't really think I watch anything in particular. Usually my parents have the news on, which is a lot more depressing than inspiring.
My writing schedule is like this:
ReplyDeleteTwo pages per day in journal with fountain pen(yes, this is who you think it is), plus 500 words of typing up stories in past journals. This way I can write new material while straining errors and electronically formatting old work so it doesn't stagnate. I am not allowed to eat or go on the internet until I finish one of those two tasks, and I am not allowed to sleep until I finish the other. This way I get something done everyday (even if that day ends at 4am the next day!) Usually I get the inertia to write more than two pages or 500 words, so this isn't a problem. If you make it impossible for yourself to procrastinate or not write, the sooner it gets done.
Is this successful? I haven't missed a day in over two years. Very proud of that.
I like the switching-between concept. Since I don't do that much paper-writing, I do go between typing stories and editing past chapters, but it sounds like you work with a bigger gap than me.
DeleteUnfortunately, I'm a bit tethered to the Internet for writing fan fictions and WriteOrDie, but not eating? Hmm. I hadn't thought of that. Not sleeping wouldn't work so well for me (you know how I am), but it seems like a common writerly thing.
Nice!