Why do I walk away? Probably for the same reasons lots of people walk away from lots of things. I put the writing aside when it gets hard. It's hard when I get stuck in a scene. When I don't know how to move from this plot point to the next one. When the dialogue doesn't feel right. When I know the emotions in a scene are very important and I can't find the correct words. All those things that make writing good prose difficult. Sometimes those things even cause a writer to abandon a story.
How do I fight that urge to avoid the difficult parts? I've learned a couple techniques. When that feeling of it being too difficult comes over me, I make myself stay at my computer and write for just five more minutes. Or just one more paragraph. Sometimes that alone is enough to get me past the hard part or see a way through it. Another I've started using is called a Sprint Journal. We have a guest on IWSG later in the summer who will explain what that is. If I do end up leaving my writing chair, one of my other options for finding a way past the hard part is doing something mindless while I try to think my way through. A walk with my music. mowing the grass, weeding, cleaning, baking, those many things where my hands work and mind can mull over the problem.
"Creativity is the cessation of stupidity." Edwin H. Land
"Don't think about making art, just get it done." Andy Warhol
What makes you walk away from your writing? How do you keep going when the words are hard to get down? Did you know Borders lives on in parts of the world?
42 comments:
I can share your laments about walking away. I've also just found my brain works way better when there is a real deadline, usually not self-imposed. My best stuff comes out when I am fighting a clock down to the wire... and eventually, that task becomes easier. I just need to find a real way to get myself motivated, without having to rely on others, or the tapping foot of Expectation. ;)
I didn't know Borders was still around anywhere else in the world.
I usually just power through the tough parts. The next day I'll contemplate what I wrote and it won't be as difficult when I return.
There's another way of looking at this though. Many times I walk away from something hard to allow my brain to suss out the problems in the background while I'm doing something brainless like weeding or cleaning house.
Other times, it's the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. It gives my subconscious something to do while the body is resting.
Even though you think you're procrastinating, I'm betting your subconscious is working on the problem even when you're not at your keyboard.
I had no idea Borders was still going strong in other places!
Those are great techniques, Susan, especially the one about making yourself write one more paragraph or for another five minutes. Looking forward to hearing about the Sprint Journal.
BAM isn't a real bookstore. I know they took over a lot of the vacancies left by Borders and Waldens, but they are a poor substitute. I wasn't aware that Borders had survived elsewhere in the world though.
Wow, I haven't seen a Borders in ages. I thought they were gone completely.
I've learned that I'm good at subconsciously working on a story idea (much like Maria said above), so if I struggle with something, it's easy for me to walk away, give myself a breather, and then come back fresh. And often while I'm not working on it the answer will just snap into my head instantly. Much better than trying to force my way through it.
So far I've yet to get stuck, my walking away is usually just procrastination lol
Ideas do seem to come more easily when you are mowing grass, etc. I think ten to twelve time slot is where my writing time is going to happen. I'm more of a morning person, but I got plenty to do at that time.
I walk away when I'm exhausted or not ready to write something. I keep going by skipping the hard part and coming back to it when I'm ready. Or forcing myself to write it. haha
I think you have good strategies when you get to that point where you have difficulty writing. I like the one of staying there for 5 more minutes and writing; helps with discipline I would imagine to keep at it.
That is interesting about Borders being popular in other countries but a demise here. I wonder if people in other countries still appreciate picking up a book rather than an Ebook through Kindle, etc.
betty
Oh I walk away too, especially when I am stuck and the words just don't flow as freely. I am going to try what you suggested. 5 more minutes or 1 more paragraph. Thanks for sharing, Susan. :)
I've been "walked away" for a while now. Sometimes I think we need a break. I've just started thinking about my story again where I left it. I think maybe the pause helped me come up with some better ideas. Then again, I might've gotten there if I'd just pushed through it, too.
I walk away when I'm stuck. And frustrated with being stuck. I NEED to walk away to gain perspective. Sometimes, I'll only be away from a few hours to a few days. Other times, I might not look at something for several months. That's where I'm at right now with one project. It's been since...February.
Some of the same reasons you walk away. Other times it's because my mind is mush and it doesn't want to play. I'm working on that. I've used that ploy--you just have to write 5 more minutes and you can go. It does work and I've always gone and done something mindless and let my mind run free. It does help.
Sia McKye Over Coffee
I was very disappointed when Borders closed. The store in Salt Lake was so welcoming to local authors. What I'll do to resist the walking away is set the timer for 30 minutes. 30 minutes a day, every day and next thing you know I've got a decent rough draft to edit. Since I love the editing part, I don't need to watch the clock for that.
I don't even know if we had Borders in Canada. There must still be Borders stores in the States because Ivy at Happy Whisk talks about them.
I hate it when it gets tough to write. Sometimes it's okay because I know I can edit it later, but sometimes I can't do anything at all!
Maybe there's no Amazon in Oman so people still need their bookstores?
Sometimes I find myself doing the same thing. It's those times when the house gets really clean! Yet I force myself to sit down and once I'm over that hump, I'm motoring along again. :)
I work really well with an external deadline motivation. Working on doing better with my own.
I like that term, power through. I'm working on that.
Doing chores often helped me think through a plot point.
I love my sprint journal. I wish I'd heard of it before.
BAM is only about ten minutes from my house and I almost never go in there. It is a sad replacement.
I do both, force through it and sometimes try to clear my mind with another task.
Mine is too sometimes, Pat. That's what I'm trying to overcome.
I think better on the riding mower than when I'm trimming with the push mower. Usually I'm watching for snakes then.
I've learned to skip the hard part too. It really helps to get the word count rolling.
I was very envious when I saw my daughter's pictures but I'm sure most of the books were in Arabic.
Thanks for stopping by Shantala. The one more paragraph works pretty good for me.
Hope you get back to it soon, Robin.
That's a long walk, Jay. But it's not like you haven't been working on other projects.
Kind of amazing that we know how to play mind games with ourselves to get those words down.
Our local Borders was also great to writers as where a few others in the state where I did signings. I love the editing part too and can spend hours and hours on it.
I don't know if Borders lived n Canada or not. I think the Borders Ivy talks about is a cafe rather than a bookstore. She had me really confused the first time I heard her mention it.
I know Amazon isn't near as big overseas as they are here in the states. I read some stats on that somewhere.
LOL about the clean house. My procrastinating often shows up as baking, cookies, bread, brownies, muffins...The family knows it means I'm avoiding writing.
I've always walked away from the hard parts. I tend to clean my kitchen. I don't know, there's just something about cleaning, using right brain, instead of left, and then when I go back to the WIP the words just come. I figure I'm killing two birds-- I have a clean kitchen, and I'm not struggling to find the right words. Because if I write crap, I'll only delete it, so what's the point in writing them down in the first place.
Everything makes me walk away, it seems. Lately I'm having to write in small spates just to get anything done. Perhaps getting an agent or publisher will be me incentive to just sit and write.
I thought Borders was gone completely. How odd. And as for getting through the tough times, sometimes I power through it. Other times I take the dog for a walk.
Your post made me laugh and I cry as I, too, manage to find all kind of REALLY important things that NEED to be done instead of writing. Next time, I'm going to try your five minute technique.
I honestly do not put writing away, at any stage. My motto, ass in chair, keep going. Simple but it works for me.
same here. when the story gets sticky I get up but I've learned that if I push through it I can always clean it up later. usually by way of rewrite but at least I'm unstuck. just wish I could always remember that. LOL
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