I'm a struggling writer for the wrong reasons.
Any professional writer will tell you—and you may laugh because it's so obvious—that one of the most important things a writer needs to do is write. He must do it. Write every day, for thirty minutes, an hour, until you hit 2,000 words, until your fingertips bleed. Whatever works. But write every single day. Set aside a time, and when the clock strikes that allotted time, sit down and let the words flow.
Seems simple, right? Well, why the hell can't I do it? Such an easy thing to do, but I struggle with it. I live in the moment. I can't see that saving one dollar a day will equal seven dollars at the end of the week, thirty dollars at the end of the month. I see one dollar. That's it. And it seems, to me, insignificant. In my mind, I think, Hell, I'll just start putting a hundred bucks in the bank each week. Big steps! Well-intentioned, but it hardly ever happens.
I'm trying to change this way of thinking because, while it's okay to live in the moment, it's essentially self-destructive in the long run. Unless you're smart about it, which I'm clearly not, at the moment.
So what does this have to do with writing? Well, it's the same thing. I can't see that writing a thousand words a day will equal a short story at the end of the week, a novella after thirty days, a novel after six months. I see a small amount of words today. That's it. And it seems, to me, insignificant. I keep telling myself that I'll find time to sit down and churn out complete stories in one sitting. That can happen, as it did yesterday, but it's a rare occurrence and not a good way to become a successful writer on any level.
I woke early yesterday, sat down at my computer around 9:30 A.M., and about three hours later I had a complete draft at 1,700 words. An hour after that a revision at 2,000 words. And I was pumped!
Before that, I hadn't written much in way of fiction in over six months. I'd jotted some things down, done a good deal of editing, tons of reading, but the closest I came to completing a story is the one I began writing last July while vacationing in Maine. And that story—a good story, I think—is still sitting in the notebook I wrote it in, waiting to be transcribed and completed. But transcribing a page or two a day doesn't seem sensible to me. I see a day when I have the time to sit down and transcribe it all at once. Big steps!
Did I mention I wrote it last July, over eight months ago? Funny, that.
The hardest thing about this transition is finding time. The days are simply far too short—or so they seem.
So how do I find the patience to make this change? Has anyone else out there had this problem? Anyone else struggling for the wrong reasons?
12 comments:
I wish I could help you with this. I'm still kind struggling with it myself. I actually set out to write a page a day last year to keep me motivated and change my habits. I only managed to complete half the challenge. Just stick with it. I'm sure you will figure out a balance.
Maybe you're focusing too much on where the words will go, e.g., short story, novella, novel, as opposed to the act of writing itself. Allow yourself to write for the sake of writing.
Dialog is a great way to train yourself to write every day. Just imagine two or three people sitting in a coffee shop discussing whatever. The words themselves aren't important; the act of writing is. If you're not keen on dialog, try writing descriptions.
If you keep at it (even if all the words eventually end up in the trash), your brain will produce more and more and the short stories, novellas, or novels will emerge.
I suggest a tube of superglue and a chair. :D Though that might only encourage you to twirl in it. Maybe I need to add a sharp pen to the mix.
Try to remember how you felt writing the short story this week and hopefully it'll inspire butt-in-chair syndrome.
Make time. That is my suggestion. Take a note book with you to lunch every day, Wake up 30 minutes early or stay up an hour later. But make the time.
It can be very hard to make it. I know. I'm a single mom with a full time job, hopefully a second job and active kids. I take a notebook wherever I go anymore. I write notes at halftime and at the stoplights.
Another thing is to consciously think about the story. So you have two characters who fell into a pit of snakes. What do they do? Go through all of the scenarios that could possibly happen. I get excited when I hit on one that "fits" the story and I cannot wait to write it. With time, this becomes habit and you won't have to focus on it so much, but you will know the "right" thread of the story.
Take it from someone who used to struggle to get past 600 words (if I couldn't finish a story in 600 words, it never got finished!): it does get better. I used to kick myself for having all these unfinished stories lying around that it created a log jam in my head. I wouldn't be able to start anything new knowing a) I had all these other stories crying for completion, and b) how would starting a new story end up any different? So, like Damien said, you have to almost not care about whether you'll finish it or not, whether it will be good enough if you do finish it, whether the market you have in mind for it will still be there when it's done...and just write. Write first, worry about all that other crap later.
On a more serious note (the boss arriving back at work interrupted my earlier comment)... Think of how you approach Shock Totem - at the beginning you have nothing and bit by bit you build the stories, articles, artwork until you have a bright, shiny product - and apply it to your writing.
Hey Ken!
Keep heart, it happens :D And it helps to just write whatever nonsense is in your head for the day. I have the same problems and a good friend of mine told me to just write whatever comes out for an hour. Don't worry about content or errors just write to unclog the proverbial pipes.
I was amazed at how the words started flowing after this and now I keep it up at least once a week to keep the words unstuck.
good luck to you!
Happy writing
Hinny
Thanks, guys.
I still write a lot, just not fiction. I can write a review in my sleep, you know. Piece of cake. Fiction is another story.
I'm going to try to set up a specific time to do this. I'm easily distracted, or at least interested in too many things, so it's easy for me to continuously put things off, not just writing fiction.
I work best when everything is meticulously organized. Otherwise shit just doesn't get done. Haha.
We'll see how it goes. I'm sure I'll write about the process some more.
Ken,
I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. If I try to organize my writing, it's like I'm building a brick wall between my brain and my fingertips on the keyboard. However, writing every day at the same time has never been my answer. I have three children and an elderly and ailing mother to care for, not to mention housework, and everything else, so nothing ever happens at the same time every day except homework and dinner time, and I'm usually helping with homework, checking answers, breaking down this or that for the kids and cooking dinner at five thirty. The kids have a schedule, but keeping them on routine takes a lot of my time: making sure chores get done, bath time goes smoothly, teeth get brushed by 8, story time and singing songs. Mommas are bus people.
But, I'm always, always, always writing in a small section of my brain. Especially at night, in the long hours when sleep won't come or in the short few minutes before I fall asleep if I'm getting a reprieve from my insomnia. I've learned to keep entire stories in my head that merely need typed. Putting them down in a notebook doesn't help--my handwriting is terrible and most times I can't muddle out what I've written. But I can see the typed words in my head. Really all I'm doing is bringing them from my imagination into reality by typing. Every writer is different and we all write differently. If organization works for you, try it that way. If you're like me, where chaos is the most comfortable place for your creations, surround yourself with that. It helps to also have the same thing around you every time you write. If I start a story with my ashtray empty, I keep it fairly empty while I write. If it's half full of butts, I keep it half full of butts. If my coffee cup is sitting beside me, it stays beside me. If it's in front, it stays in front. These familiar cues to your brain will eventually gear you to write when you have these certain things around you.
Boy, we writers really are a weird bunch, LOL!
Lots of good advice here.
Have you ever tried creating a character that you can use in several stories? I think it's easier to accomplish what you're aiming for if you find the character you really care about.
I have no recurring characters yet, though I do keep using a fictional town al a King's Castle Rock, I guess.
The reason I'm struggling with the writing isn't lack of inspiration; it's lack of organization. But I've changed that, finally, and I have a new daily schedule.
If that doesn't work, my writing professionally is going to be one hell of a failure. Haha.
I have a piece of paper taped to my wall that says YOUR RIVAL IS HARD AT WORK RIGHT NOW.
Usually does the trick!
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