Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Road Trip Wednesday

     This week's Road Trip Wednesday Prompt:

How do you beat writer's block? Do you go for a jog? Read a book? Go to a movie? Come on, share your secret - we're dying to know!

     Hmmm, when I started my first for-real book back in my late teen years, well- I didn't beat writers block. I would write when I felt the urge, or had a scene in my head, and then not write when there was nothing there. Let me just say that I don't recommend this method since I got maybe 15,000 words written in about oh, um ten years. Yeah. Not cool.
     When I started writing Daze and Knights, I didn't really have this problem. But, the main reason for this is that when I would clean, or run on the treadmill, or right before bed, I'd plan future scenes. I'd play them in my head. Sometimes, they would be what I needed next, other times they'd be scenes that would happen later on. That way, even if I wasn't writing the book from start to finish, at least I was writing. A lot of times I would have to fill in the in-between bits later.
     If I'm really stuck on a spot, I'll quit for the day. I'll just be like, screw it, this isn't happening today. But then I go right back to it the next day, sometimes deleting what I did the day before, but usually with a better way, or a way to carry on the scene. Or if I really don't have a way to fix that problem, or move forward right from that spot, I'll move onto to something later. I'll come up with a way to fix the problem eventually.
     So really, the best way for me is to just be able to think, away from the computer, on what I want to happen. On how I want my characters to interact. And usually I come up with something. Basically- I daydream.
    

9 comments:

  1. Sometimes you just have to walk away and come back later. Whatever works, right? ;)

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  2. Coming through on the campaign. Nice to meet you. I've kind of learned to live with the ebb and flow of my writing. I might write for a month straight and then nothing for months after that. As to story planning. I think about what excitement can come after the current chapter that fits in nicely with the story. It mightn't sound like a sane approach, but it works for me.

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  3. How funny! I work the same way--my mind never strays far from my WIP. Even if I'm washing dishes, I'm still mentally writing. I rarely lose the trail, but when I do, I try not to panic, and purposely put it from my mind. Then it's like a challenge, the ideas kick down my mental door demanding to be heard. Hope it stays that way.

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  4. Hi,

    Fellow campaigner here, and writer's block has yet to come my way! ;)

    best
    F

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  5. That's what I do, too. Usually when I come back to it, I can think about it more clearly. If not, it usually means the manuscript is in real trouble.

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  6. I usually find stepping away from the writing helps, too.

    Fellow Campaigner stopping by!

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  7. I"m always running scenes through my head, too.

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  8. Me too! I actually love when my stories are stuck in my head nearly 24/7.

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  9. Hey fellow campaigner! I'm also a big fan of YA Highway, and now I'm a follower on your blog :) Hope to be blogging with you...

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