Working Through the Tough Spots

You’ve been working on a story for weeks, months, or even years.  It’s going great and though you began with a pretty clear-cut plan, you’ve been relatively happy to allow your characters and their story a bit of leeway to make some interesting plot turns.  Now you’ve hit that point in the story where you, as the writer, stumble.

Even though you know where you’re headed and the general path you intend to take, the words just aren’t coming.  You write, and write, and write, but when you review you’re nearly disgusted with what you read.  We’ve all been there.  We’ll all be there again sometime – maybe soon.

So how do you get through it?

I wish I could say that there was some simple method, an easy way to get over the hump.  The honest truth is that you just have to find something that will work for you and use it.  And you need to understand that what works one time, or for one person, may not work for another.

Generally that means that you just keep writing.  Good or bad, you need to get the words on the page; you can and will go back and edit, delete, revise, and even rewrite later.  The important thing here is just getting the words out.

Sometimes, and for some people, forcing the words out just doesn’t work.  In this case you may benefit most as a writer by going back to the beginning and (re)reading and editing the work you’ve already done.  As I said, you know exactly where you’re headed, taking the time to review where you’ve been won’t hurt.  And may in fact get those creative juices pumping again.

It could be that reviewing your own work may only make you feel more frustrated.  Then you’ve got a few other choices.  If you write a blog, work on a new post.  Tired of trying to write?  Try reading.  Whether it’s doing a critique read for a friend, picking up a new release at the bookstore or the library, or reacquainting yourself with an old favorite; reading someone else’s stories might just be that metaphorical nudge that helps to clear your mind and allows the words to start flowing anew.

The truth of the matter is that everybody is different, which is a pretty basic fact of life, so it makes sense that no two writers use exactly the same process when writing, none of us use the same methods when working through the tough spots.  So as I said at the start: find a method that works for you.  You’ll need to adjust and adapt as necessary, and always remember that just as your stories evolve from the initial idea that got the ball rolling, to the finished product you share with the world, your writing process is an ever-evolving thing as well.  You merely need to accept that things will never remain precisely the same each time through.

Sounds a lot like life, doesn’t it?

Making Time in a Busy Life

We all have busy lives and hectic schedules.  Maybe you work 40+ hours a week as a nurse, an accountant, a lawyer, or a teacher.  Or you may be a student with a full course load and a part-time job.  You could be a mom or a dad busy with bath-times, temper tantrums, school schedules, extra-curriculars, lunches, dinners, breakfasts and snacks.  You may even (most likely) be some combination of all of the above. 

Image by jjpacres via FlickrSo what does that mean for the time you’ve got to write?

Usually, if you’re human and not some mutant-type being that requires no food, rest or free-time, it means that if you truly want to write, you have to make the time to do so. 

It could mean that you’re writing during your lunch time. 

You may have to write in 15-minute stretches between classes or during study breaks.

Or maybe you have to take advantage of nap-times to sit down at the computer and write.  You could be that parent who is sitting with a notebook on your lap and scribbling ideas down as they come to you, while you’re watching the kids in gymnastics/skating/swimming lessons/etc.

The bottom line, no matter what you do or who you are, is that you’ve got to use the time that you can, take advantage of every moment that you can grasp and write.

I have three kids – 7-, 5-, and 3-years old.  The oldest is at school all day and the middle one is in doing half-days, while I (mostly) stay at home with the youngest.  They each do gymnastics, putting us at the club 3 days a week for their lessons.  The two younger ones also do skating lessons twice a week and the oldest started piano lessons this fall too.  On top of this I’m working part-time as well.  And that is just what we’ve got to do outside of the home – there are still of course all the regular chores, errands and tasks involved in caring for and taking care of a home and three kids.

So when do I write?

Honestly, whenever I can.  I keep a notebook in my purse with a pencil so that I can jot down ideas when I’m waiting for the kids at school or watching lessons.  I spend an hour or two in the morning on the computer checking e-mails, working on my blogs, ‘playing’ on Facebook and Twitter, and doing revisions and edits on my work.  And I spend an hour or so after I put the kids to bed most nights writing and working on my stories. 

Does this happen every single day? No.  Does this ‘schedule’ work every single time I use it? No.  Does it work more often than not? Absolutely.

We’re all busy people and we have to take that into account.  Very few of us, especially when we’re starting out, have the time or freedom to spend 8 hours each day writing and working on the computer.  But we all wish we could.  We all work toward the dream of being able to do just that.  Until then, all we can do is write when we can, and carve out as much time as we can manage.

So find the time that works for you, be happy writing and keep up the good work.

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And don't forget that it's Wednesday so we've got the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop going on!  To link up and hop click on the button to the right, and we'll see you around!

Getting Back In To Things

Surprise! Amazing I know, but yes… I’m back again with an update.  It’s probably going to be short but it’s an update. 

I’m trying to put all my blog updates onto a schedule this fall so that I don’t end up with one blog having updates all the time, while my other blogs stand lonely and, more or less, dead. If, and I really stress that if, things go according to what I’ve worked out for myself, then you should see at least one update a week here on Inside My Mind.  Actually you should see about an update a week on my reviews blog and my other writing blog too. 

[Me? I’m keeping my fingers crossed…]

About that other writing blog I mentioned… Becoming Dawn is a new blog that I’ve started that is going to showcase the contemporary writing that I plan to do – it may be romance, mystery, suspense or just plain old fiction (which, let’s be honest, includes all of the aforementioned aspects).  Because that writing will contrast somewhat sharply with what I generally write I’ve decided to write it (and publish) using a penname.  To see more on this, or to find out what I’ve got going in that direction please feel free to visit Becoming Dawn anytime.

For the writing that I talk about here and whatever I may showcase or spotlight here on Inside My Mind, I will continue to use Lacey Ferris, or LD Ferris.  It’s just easier for me to separate that which I write as fantastical from that which I write as reality if I ‘separate’ the authors’ identity.  Even if I and everyone else know that they are actually the same person.

So what did Lacey write this week?  Hhmm… She wrote this blog.  Which granted isn’t much but I’ve had kids going back to school, extra-curricular’s to organize and schedule, and started on a cleaning sweep through the house.  Exciting, huh?  LOL – I was sort of a boring but busy woman this last week, and everything that I was doing seemed to revolve around someone else.  This next week is mine though… right?

I am diving back in to The Gifted soon though.  So, realistically I should have another one or two character profiles that I could put up soon. (Click here to see the first of the character profiles for The Gifted.)  And I’ve been thinking of trying to scour through celeb pictures online to try and find faces that come close to what I’m seeing in my mind.  I haven’t decided whether I want to do that yet though because I’m always scared that I’ll slack at describing them because I’m thinking to myself ‘it’s the girl/guy in the picture.’

I’m still working on the edits for The Chosen too.  That story is by far the most done and closest to being complete.  It still has a ways to go but with a good 60,000 words I have it at that point where it’s comfortably uncomfortably waiting for me.  I’m going to have to turn my focus back to it soon though, I think, because I actually had another dream about my characters there and what they’re telling me now is something slightly different from how we began.  I’ll manage to straighten it out though, I always do.

And Immortals is merely waiting for me.  Once I get some more out of Gifted and Chosen though it’ll be full bore ahead on this one, especially since it was only meant to be novella length in the first place.  And yes, my immortals are growing as impatient with me as my witches and shape-shifters are. 

Can’t you hear them yelling?

“Hurry up and tell the bloody story Lacey!”

I guess I better listen.

Talk to you again soon… (next week if all goes according to my plan!)  

Tootles! Lacey :-)

This Week

So I'm all set for going back to University next week.  This week my eldest started back at school, and we've already settled into something of a schedule for that.  We're still going to have to manuever things a bit to make everything work, but I'm determined to do just that - make it work!  It'll take a few weeks, maybe even a month, before I know for sure whether we're going to be able to handle it, so I'll have to keep you posted on that front.

As for my writing... Well, this week has been a bit hectic, as you can imagine, but I have actually found some time this week for doing edits.  I read through some stuff that I wrote nearly 9 months ago and I can't tell you how happy I am to read it.  I think it's good - the plot, the characters, the style - but I know it can get better and maybe it's just that I'm in a really optimistic mood this week but right now, this moment, I have no doubts that I will be able to make my writing great.  I have no doubts that some day, within the next couple of years, I will see my name on the front cover of a book.  I have no doubts that I will make it.  I really don't.

So yeah, I didn't write at all this week, not yet anyways, but I'm happy with what I did do.