7,000 words in and I've hit a lull. I can't seem to get any farther. I sat there the other day and stared at the screen waiting for something to come. And then I sat there and tried not to cry when nothing would. *headdesk* this is driving me crazy. The ideas are there in my head, prancing and parading around but they refuse to be put out on paper (or screen as it may be). Someone shoot me now please. Pretty Please.
I had hopes to be passed the 15,000 mark by this week, but yeah that didn't work out so well. Between the crazy training for my job and little sleep, writing has been pushed back.
I promise to do my best to make NaNo my prioterty when I'm not at work. Cut back on watching tv and reading other's fics and focus my attention on mine.
Now that I've rambled a bit:
Is anyone else having any writing troubles? Plot not coming up right? Uncooperative characters? Words that seem to hate being written?
Share so I don't feel as bad, please.
xd
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Fear not my insanity, fear the mind it protects!
9,664 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2007 - 08 15
Serena had a good idea which I'm doing. I've scrapped the Martian project for the time being, because a ballad is harder than I thought it would be. I'm doing something else. If I don't have 50,000 words at the end of the month I'll just combine all the writing I did this month into my word total, and still have all these great projects to work on for december. Thats what I plan to do. Because I've been sick for two weeks now with little chances to write. :(
50,265 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2007 - 11 33
I have a few tricks that I use to get me writing when I am having troubles.
The first is how I start each chapter. I start each chapter in a seperate word file as it is easier to look through, edit, and alter within a document of six to ten pages then a document that is a hundred pages.
When I start the new chapter file, the first thing that I write down in the story title. If nothing else then I have now typed the first few words to get me going (often the biggest step). Next, I write on following line the Chapter (1, 2, etc) followed by the date that I am starting this version of the chapter (now I have typed two lines and am getting on a roll). I then type in on the third line Chapter Outline (That is it for that line. Nothing more is required). I then go from Beginning Hook through Chapter Sub Point 1 to (usually 3 to 5) ending with Ending Hook; and list a brief few words on what I would like to happen in this chapter. All I am focused on is what will generally happen next.
Doing this gets my brain started. I now have words coming out of my fingers and a few scattered thoughts. I then start to write trying to turn the various points that I wrote in my chapter outline into points in my chapter. The points that I write to get me going may or may not be where my chapter goes as I write but it gets you thinking and typing that first bit to keep you typing.
The seond thing that I do is to never finish at the 'end' of something. Try to leave a sentance or paragraph unfinished. You are more likely to then start typing to finish that portion that you started. From there the rest of the text will follow.
A third thing to do is after writing a block of 500 to 1000 words is stretch and take a quick break but leave that portion that needs to be finished on the screeen. If the break is time controlled then you will jump back and get going faster.
A fourth thing to do is that if you are going to take a break to watch TV or a movie then keep a pad handy. Make notes on what were the high points of the story or how an action scene was done. Then write a few notes on how you might have done this same story or scene differently. You will quickly find the desire to take your scratch notes and incorporate them into actual written story material.
Ok, I hope those suggestions help.
Shoot for the Stars :D