Nice Surprise

In the weeks since finishing latest draft of WIP I've been in a kind of doldrums.  It's a familiar pattern, but gets no easier to deal with.  By the time I limp over the finish line I am so drained and weary it's a relief to put it to bed, but with it comes the loss of confidence.  I'm not sure why this happens, or even if it happens to others as well as me.  It feels like everything I write is stilted and crap, every idea is contrived or cliche.  I feel like a complete fraud and wonder why I'm even trying.


But then a little time passes and for some reason I take a look at something I wrote and forgot about.  Last night I opened a piece I began during the summer, a couple of thousand words of an opening chapter.  I read it expecting nothing, so it was nice to find it wasn't half bad.  It drew me in.  It stirred me to want to imagine more.  It made me think, not with arrogance but astonishment,  'I really can do this'.


And this has happened time after time.  Just when I've written myself off as useless I get a nice surprise that keeps me going.  

When to Call It Quits.

It's a funny life, making up stories and writing them down. Some stories can seem like the hottest thing since sliced ...er, chillies? Then you get half way through writing it down and find all your enthusiasm for the project has evaporated. So how do you know whether to force yourself to stick with it, or abandon the idea and start something else?

It's a tough one. Only you know how you really feel about a project. You could just be suffering from Act 2 Doldrums and need to push on through. Any activity gets boring if you've done it for long enough. It's important to analyse why you're stalled.

Do you still feel excited about the initial premise? If not, it's a pretty strong indication you may be flogging a dead horse. The first draft is only the start of a long process of editing and submissions, and if your heart isn't in it maybe you would be better off finding something you do feel compelled to write.

But the problem with shelving it is you could be reinforcing your lack of confidence in your ability to finish a project. If this is your first attempt at a novel it probably doesn't matter, but if you have a string of unfinished manuscripts cluttering up your hard drive this could be yet another confirmation of your failure. In that case you might be better off gritting your teeth and forcing yourself to get through it just for the satisfaction of writing The End.

If you do still like the premise, then maybe you are coming at the story from the wrong angle. You could try changing the MC, the POV or setting. Maybe you've taken a wrong turning somewhere in the plot and your subconscious is rebelling? You might need to take some time to think it through before continuing.

Remember though: most successful authors had a few attempts before they finally managed to write a fully finished novel, so don't beat yourself up if you decide to abandon a project. Writing should be fun, not torture.

When (and when not) to seek feedback

Saw an interesting post on a writers' forum lately. Author had posted first 76k of her novel for review on a peer review site and after getting some feedback was now completely blocked and unable to continue with the project. She was asking for advice on how to get her mojo back, now that well-meaning critters had told her the plot sucks, the characters are weak etc etc.

I read it with horror because I can't think of anything worse than showing a first draft to anyone. What can it achieve? It isn't your best work so the chances are it isn't going to impress anyone. And what's worse getting an adverse reaction will put the kibosh on your creative muse as effectively a bucket of cold water on a pair of rutting mutts.

I subscribe to the opinion that we have two sides to our character when it comes to creation. The elemental force that comes up with the initial ideas is unconscious, from our dreamy undisciplined mind. When you're banging out the first draft it's that side you're tapping into. It doesn't care about logic or form, it's just raw material. And at that stage you must let it flow, not interfering with the process. Cast a critical eye over its output and you'll send it running for cover never to return. At this point in the process you must believe totally in the world you are creating, in the characters as they appear in your imagination. Start fussing about the details and the river will dry up.

The editing or left-brain side of our nature doesn't come into play until after the first draft is done and put aside for a good few weeks to let the dust settle. This is the heartless bitch (see Edie Tor if you don't believe me) who ruthlessly savages our work. But by this point we have the whole story down so it's just a case of tweaking and reworking. Our creativity won't be stilted because it's done its job. Only after we've exercised our own stringent editor is the book ready to go out into the world to be brutalised by someone else.

So you can see how much damage is done by getting crits too soon. I hope the author learns from her error, assuming she ever gets back to where she was before.

Aaaaargh!

I've just noticed it is NINE DAYS since I last posted here! *Hangs head in shame*
Please do not desert me faithful followers. I have been writing, I promise you, but getting a first draft down takes a lot of concentration and it's harder than usual at present. Not sure whether it's the weather or the post-Chrimbo lassitude but lots of folk seem to be struggling with the dreaded Writer's Block at the moment. I'm not blocked, let me hasten to add, but I do recognize the symptoms. Everyone gets jaded at times, usually at emotionally low points. But never forget the first rule: Writers Write. Every day you let things slide you are reinforcing the message to yourself that you are not a writer.

So how do you know if you have Writer's Block?

Here are some signs:

The thought of writing makes you feel tired.
You suddenly get the urge to clean the roof or clear out the garage.
Every time you sit at the keyboard you find yourself online instead.
When you finally manage to squeeze out a sentence you can't leave it alone; endlessly rewriting it to death until finally deciding it's rubbish and starting again.
The longer this goes on the more desperate and pressurised you feel. You get anxious and guilty as your confidence slips away. Why are you even trying, you ask yourself. You obviously have less talent for writing than a bath plug.

It's all very well making light of it, but this can become a crippling condition. Even successful authors have been known to suffer from it, feeling their prolific muse has deserted them for good. Helpful friends may advise you to take a break and that can work, just so long as you promise to start again after a set time period. If you don't you may find the break stretching and stretching into months. And every day that goes by reinforces your belief that you're just a big fraud and not a writer at all.

I am no expert but I have had my own dry periods over the years and all I can do is pass on the tips and advice that have helped me.

At times when my muse is elusive I often turn to poetry. Getting a feeling or an idea down in a verse or two can be helpful. It's short, so not too much like hard work, and more importantly it's fun. If you love language you'll love the challenge of wordplay. It can be just the thing to kick-start your enthusiasm.

Reading is always helpful. Read something beautifully written and it will inspire you. Alternatively read something trashy to prove to yourself you are not the worst writer in the world.

Most of all, remember that a first draft is, as Hemingway put it, shit. I stopped getting blocked when I realised this one liberating fact. No one will see your first draft, it's only you telling yourself the story. Most of it will end up in the bin so let yourself go and have fun when writing it. The hard part comes later when you have to shape it into something half decent, so enjoy this stage while you can.

Here is a great article which expands on this more eloquently than I. Print it and read it often, especially when those nasty little voices start whispering you're no good. It helped me and it will help you too.

Writer's Block

Does Writer's Block really exist?

My son Mike is home from Uni and after a couple of weeks recovering from flu (swine or not it floored him) and getting his breath back he's now on the job hunt. One thing he has to do is prepare a showreel of his work to put in with his CV.

No problem, you'd think. But he suddenly feels so blocked he can't get started.

Hence the question. What is the creative block exactly and why do we find ourselves crippled by it just when we need to go full steam ahead?

Well, I think a lot of times it's fear. I've experienced the same thing - usually when I come to the end of the mandatory research period and the time comes to start writing. On my first project I'd been researching the subject for years and had imagined the shape of the book for a long time, so you'd expect it to be a cinch. Yet, it was the hardest one to start. And I think there's a connection there. If you have invested a lot of time in the preparation you are going to feel more than a bit anxious the prose won't do your effort justice. And because it was my first attempt, I literally didn't know where to start.

One thing I'm currently learning from the revision process is not to be so precious at the start of the writing because I now know in all likelihood those first few chapters I worried so much about will end up in the bin anyway. This is a very liberating discovery. Nothing is so important it should be sweated over. Get it wrong, by all means, but you must GET IT WRITTEN!

But of course job hunting brings a whole new level of anxiety to the equation, so all I can do is give motherly encouragement and wish him the best of luck!