Wednesday, October 1, 2014

ISWG: The Art of Not Writing



When I was first getting serious about my writing, it seemed like all the advice I heard was write, write, write. As long as you kept writing, everything would be okay. Fast draft. Don’t think too hard. Just get it out. You can always revise later.
If I got stuck, I would just push through. I’d write something, anything, to get to the other side, to the end.
I wrote pretty decent beginnings, but my endings were (you guessed it) were downright awful.
I produced two drafts of two different novels like that, and by the end, I realized they had so many structural issues; they were nearly unfixable.
That’s when I started doing something different. When I got stuck, really stuck, I stopped writing. I might switch to another document and start brainstorming. Sometimes I’d stop and write in my journal. But I didn’t keep going with the scene.
If I was stuck, I realized, it was my subconscious telling me something. This scene wasn’t working. I knew it on a deep level, even if I couldn’t verbalize it.
Sometimes I work on another manuscript, read for fun, eat lots of chocolate, or watch entirely too much Netflix.
Usually I feel a pang of guilt: but I’m not writing! But there is no timer, no race, no arbitrary finish line. I’ve learned from experience that rushing doesn’t create good writing.
Invariably when I step away, if I am just patient and wait, the inspiration comes. It’s a step of faith.
But my writing is better for the waiting.
If I were to give one piece of advice to my younger writer self, it would be: Don’t rush.


Category: Writing
I give permission to use this post in the Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology.
Bio: I write middle grade and young adult fiction, and my nonfiction articles have appeared in Highlights, Calliope, and Learning Through History.





The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

 
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the October 1 special anniversary posting of the IWSG will be Kristin Smith, Elsie, Suzanne Furness, and Fundy Blue!

23 comments:

  1. Great advice. Sometimes reading or watching movies can be just the thing to help us get unstuck. And it's okay to do those kind of things we enjoy.

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    1. I so agree! I'm finally getting beyond feeling bad for stepping away for a bit.

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  2. I took a similar path to this realization. Sometimes writing through is good for me, while other times it's simply a waste of my time. Adding to a journal is a great idea. Mostly, I'll turn to a movie or a series on Netflix I've been catching up on. It relaxes me, and gets my creative thoughts a new roadway.

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    1. That's so true. I hadn't thought of how movies can relax you and help you think of new ideas.

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  3. That's smart. Step away and let your brain go to work to find a better path. Forcing it only makes a mess.
    Thanks for contributing to the book!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Alex! I'm really excited to see the book when it comes out.

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  4. SECONDED. We really do need time away. It was in those breaks I realized I needed to plot, and plotting cut my writing time into shreds. (Think 30 drafts vs 8.) We should write, but we should be smart about it too.

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    1. How cool is that? I love it when I step away and I get a epiphany that changes everything.

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  5. This sounds like very well balanced advice. Taking a break can really kick-start your writing again. Thanks for sharing and contributing to the anthology, Jenni.

    Great to visit as co-host of IWSG.

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    1. Well, I hope it does. I'm struggling to get inspired right now, but I know from the past that it does work.
      Thanks for hosting, Suzanne!

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  6. Oh man, I need to tattoo that on my darn forehead: DON'T RUSH. Why is that so hard to remember??? Sigh. Yes. Thank you, thank you for the reminder!

    I have faith that it'll work for you, too. Taking a break is often the best possible idea.

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    1. Thanks, Liz! I have to keep reminding myself too. Sometimes I have to remember I'm not in a race. :)

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  7. Yes. I may say "write, write, write," but I don't always keep throwing myself off the same cliff (I mean, writing on the same story). Recently, I had to start with chapter 2 because chapter 1 was the cliff. Sometimes taking a break from a particular tough spot really helps. :)

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    1. Ooh, that's so true. I know I am guilty of killing a scene by overworking it.

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  8. Stepping away and refreshing my brain with an activity unrelated to writing usually helps me get my creative juice flowing and a good nights sleep!

    Best regards,
    Donna McDine
    Award-winning Children’s Author
    Ignite Curiosity in your child through reading!
    Write What Inspires You Blog

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  9. The trick is to stop writing for a while, but to not stop THINKING about it. Because I can take a short break... and it can stretch into months. Not good!!! But eventually even if I'm not thinking about it, I do suddenly get a breakthrough insight. I just hate that it takes me so long to get there. I have the opposite problem with rushing : )

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    1. That's my problem too sometimes. Right now, I'm going back and forth between two completely different projects and it's hard to be thinking about one when I'm working on the other.
      Good advice!

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  10. I've found that advice "don't push" works for me as well. I do something else for a while - house cleaning oddly enough stimulates my creativity, perhaps I'm high off the fumes, lol. Sometimes when I really stuck in a scene I just move on to the next one, if I still feel in the writing mood, and eventually that one scene sort of writes its conclusion in the continuing story so I know what I need to write in that tough spot.

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  11. you're right. Just write mantra isn't a one-size-fits-all thing. We've got to set it on the sideburner and let it simmer. Our brains *keep* processing the data while we step away from the stubborn project. I've had to do that many times throughout my career and predict it won't ever stop. Thanks for sharing! <3

    ♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

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  12. I think there can be a fear that if we take a break the story will fall away, but it seems the opposite can be true. Our subconscious can come up with the right answers if we take a break from writing that isn't going anywhere. And it's definitely not a race, it'll take even longer anyway if we have to delete or massively rework a lot of rushed stuff!

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  13. I totally agree, Jenni. When I get stuck, the best thing I can do is step away from that particular WIP. I might go for a long walk, or make myself a cup of tea and pick up a good book. Usually, I work on something else (like a picture book, if I'm stuck on a novel). I'm learning to trust my subconscious. Good luck to you in your writing!

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  14. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for our books and ourselves is not to write. We need breaks, and stepping back can give use new insight and energy when we pick up our work again.

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