So, last time, we talked about FLYING through word count. But that doesn’t always happen, right? Sometime we hit a wall that needs to be broken through or climbed over.
DON’T PANIC.
I don’t know a single author who hasn’t been stumped at some point in time, on one or several projects…
Here are a few ideas to get you back on track:
- Outline what you have so far ( I use this a LOT), I rarely outline anything before I write.
- Maybe try a different type of outline – I have made SO many realizations while doing this. Look at each scene and think about – LEARN and PROPEL – that post is HERE.
- Go over your character sketches and maybe add to them. If I fall in love with my characters again, I regain the NEED to tell their story. I also generally get ideas for scenes I’d like to write.
- Give yourself permission to NOT WRITE EVERYDAY (yes, some would argue with me over this one).
- Go back to the things you’ve done to set the mood.
- Don’t be afraid to WRITE OUT OF ORDER. You might throw that scene away when you write up to it, but if it helps grease those brain wheels, YAY.
- Sometimes you have to write something BAD in the hopes that it leads to something GOOD.
- Sometimes you just need to remind yourself that you’ll probably hate your book a few times between the beginning of the process and the end and that the feeling is NORMAL.
- Try to think about your WIP every day, even if you’re not writing in it everyday. This is how authors finish a project.
- WRITE BY HAND. Man, has this helped me before. First off, my fingers and my keyboard can’t keep up with brain most of the time, so when I slow down, it’s super obvious. When I’m writing, everything is slower, and I’m generally more careful with my words. I edit these sections a lot less than the ones I type.
Here’s what happens to a lot of people who have a hard time finishing a project:
The thing is – the new project is shinier and prettier and more perfecter than the one you’re having a hard time finishing, yes?
Another few ideas:
- If you’re not on a deadline, AND you’re someone who knows he/she can finish a book, go for it. Write while the muse is loud. The other MS will still be there when the muse quiets.
- If you have a hard time finishing projects, STOP. But on your adulting britches and just DO IT. (IF you’re serious about writing that is).
- If you’re on a deadline. STOP. STAHP!! Make goals in your current WIP, and once you hit those goals, THEN you get to work on the shiny new toy. You want a career as an author? Deadlines are part of it.
So. Hopefully some of this is helpful. Next post we’ll talk about when you push through a project, and when to walk away…
Happy Writing!
~ Jo
Wanna head to a website FULL of awesomeness? www.postcardsfromtheyaedge.com
Hey Jo. These are great tips and I’m guilty of sometimes assaulting that squirrel. I can’t help it. I need to give it my weird crazy loving.
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