tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post834935970837635399..comments2023-10-26T11:34:38.322-04:00Comments on Ask Allison: Jumping InAllison Winn Scotchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-74649564876898277012009-04-23T04:47:00.000-04:002009-04-23T04:47:00.000-04:00Neat thinking, I really like this idea. The unfini...Neat thinking, I really like this idea. The unfinished thought would circle my subconscious as I slept, the whole time chewing away at the story line. By the next opportunity to sit before the keys my quieter half would be demanding that I add his thoughts to the story.<br /><br />Like Caryn I am also a plotter and I could probably just write down notes on conflict points in the next scene(s) and my quieter half would have a banquet. <br /><br />ThanksAndy Shackclothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02232281761744739814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-48719026386124543912009-04-22T18:06:00.000-04:002009-04-22T18:06:00.000-04:00Hey there! I just found your blog via Jen Lancaste...Hey there! I just found your blog via Jen Lancaster's website and wanted to say I loved TIME OF MY LIFE--as did all of my friends!<br /><br />Anyway, my best motivational writing tip is to "baby steps." Like, just open the document. Force myself to write at least ten words. I usually find by "tricking" myself into at least writing a couple of sentences, I can write a couple of scenes. <br /><br />I fear what my writing would be if I stopped mid-scene. Like, a love scene would all of us sudden morph into stilted dialogue and bizarre behavior.Maureen Lipinskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01177788135134029360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-317105709291294022009-04-20T19:40:00.000-04:002009-04-20T19:40:00.000-04:00Allison,
I’ve heard of this approach before and ne...Allison,<br />I’ve heard of this approach before and never tried it. But reading your post today, something clicked for me. I just finished marking up the first draft of a novel, and I noticed a pattern: many scenes start out rather sluggish. My character walks into the office, gets something to drink, says hello to folks, lazily checks email, etc., etc., for way too many words before something actually <I>happens</I>. <br /><br />I realize this is a result of me waking up, going directly to the laptop, and writing something, <I>anything</I>, just to get my fingers moving. I too allow for plenty of rubbish in my first drafts and it takes away tons of pressure. But as I’m revising, I see that I have an awful lot of muck to get rid of, and a lot of it is in those first few paragraphs of a new day of writing. I write to a specific word count (or as best I can) each day, but will now try your trick of getting down the first few sentences in the next scene or chapter while I have the momentum on my side. Maybe then each morning I’ll have something a little more lively to start with instead of something so groggy. Thanks for the tip!Lisa Katzenbergerhttp://fictioncity.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-12070456011244825392009-04-18T20:28:00.000-04:002009-04-18T20:28:00.000-04:00Great trick -- I'm going to try it next week!Great trick -- I'm going to try it next week!sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-57257313173179036302009-04-16T21:22:00.000-04:002009-04-16T21:22:00.000-04:00What jump starts me? Caffeine. Seriously - witho...What jump starts me? Caffeine. Seriously - without it I just sit and the page and dread writing. I don't drink a lot of caffeine (just green tea here and there) so when I do drink it, I'm off like a shotgun!Stephaniehttp://www.wasabimon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-80136795461816464332009-04-16T20:42:00.000-04:002009-04-16T20:42:00.000-04:00I am EXACTLY like that (except I'm not a pantser)....I am EXACTLY like that (except I'm not a pantser). I love to daydream about my book and I love the breakthroughs when I figure out what will happen next - usually when I'm washing dishes or in the shower or just falling asleep. And I love re-reading what I've written - if I'm happy with what I wrote, at least! As for making myself write, though, I have a few tricks. The main one is knowing that getting started is the hardest part, and pushing myself through that. I will often set a timer and tell myself I must write until it goes off, no matter what. Or I'll tell myself that it doesn't have to be brilliant; it just has to be on the page. And, finally, I skip around a lot, which I suppose is one of the benefits of being a plotter. Then I can write whatever I do know and let my subconscious work on the rest.Caryn Caldwellhttp://www.caryncaldwell.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-28657754834456861182009-04-16T15:12:00.000-04:002009-04-16T15:12:00.000-04:00I usually go in phases. I write what I need to and...I usually go in phases. I write what I need to and then if I have it in me try sum it up. Easier said than done though I find myself lacking for my revisions for my transition novel. Ah! Oh well I'm just goint to have to jump in and get to it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-39980844355486396612009-04-16T13:18:00.000-04:002009-04-16T13:18:00.000-04:00Ernest Hemingway said he used to write a set numbe...Ernest Hemingway said he used to write a set number of words every day; and that, once he had reached that number, he stopped, even if he was in the middle of a sentence. The only limitation in the usefulness of this method is that most people tend to set their targets too high, so they never reach the sentence they are supposed to stop in the middle of... (or, if you are an English usage pedant: they never reach the sentence in the middle of which they are supposed to stop!)Philip Singtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10395386990829014579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-4733614358217309282009-04-16T11:56:00.000-04:002009-04-16T11:56:00.000-04:00For me, I have to tackle the root cause of the avo...For me, I have to tackle the root cause of the avoidance. It's always fear. The best technique I have found in dealing with that is to remind myself - before I even start - that it is only a first draft, and that first drafts are allowed to be rubbish. If that doesn't work, I negotiate. I'll say to myself, "Ok, try it for ten minutes, see how you go." Usually, if I can make it through 5, I'm so caught up in the scene the fear fades and the noisy inner critique is safely locked away in the cupboard.<br /><br />I still have to do this *every single time* however. One day, I wonder if I'll just be able to start without all of this. Who knows.<br /><br />I tried the leaving it in the middle technique and it just didn't work well for me - I couldn't do anything else, it haunted me until it was done. My characters got grumpy (I am a tiny bit mad) and nagged me until I went back to them. Oh dear, maybe I shouldn't have told you about that - but it's true!Emma Newmanhttp://www.enewman.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-75637115373709783662009-04-16T10:46:00.000-04:002009-04-16T10:46:00.000-04:00Ha! But seriously, I've read before that some peo...Ha! But seriously, I've read before that some people suggest sleeping in your gym clothes so you just wake up and motivate...sort of the same idea. :)<br /><br />(Btw, thanks for the retweet!)Allison Winn Scotchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-17766884821618701752009-04-16T10:41:00.000-04:002009-04-16T10:41:00.000-04:00What a wonderful idea! This could be applied to ot...What a wonderful idea! This could be applied to other aspects in life. Need motivation to get out of bed and get dressed? Go to bed with one pants leg on and one off. You will wake up in the morning and say "Wow, I've already started to dress myself. Lets get up and finish."<br /><br />In all honesty, this is a wonderful idea. Never thought of it this way. I will give it a try. What jumps starts me in the morning is motivation to be more for my family and myself.Jeffrey Duckworthhttp://www.jeffduckworth.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-88612591439757797412009-04-16T10:16:00.000-04:002009-04-16T10:16:00.000-04:00This is EXACTLY the kind of self-manipulative tric...This is EXACTLY the kind of self-manipulative trick I need! It can be so hard to get back that high once you've set it aside for the day.Joliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16854297753580066357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-40293123108615297272009-04-16T10:08:00.000-04:002009-04-16T10:08:00.000-04:00Tara- yup, that's the problem exactly. When I'm s...Tara- yup, that's the problem exactly. When I'm staring at that blank header or page break - eek - it's like looking starting down the barrel of a gun.<br /><br />Kristan - funny, just after I wrote this blog post, inspiration struck, even though it was late night and I never write then. So I seized the moment and cranked out 500 words. So that's definitely true: grab those moments where you can find them!<br /><br />LJ - glad to hear I'm not alone!Allison Winn Scotchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820208316115681320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-44935561222074051682009-04-16T10:04:00.000-04:002009-04-16T10:04:00.000-04:00Re: your first and second paragraphs-
No no, not w...Re: your first and second paragraphs-<br />No no, not weird at all. I feel exactly the same way!<br /><br />And your stopping mid-scene trick is precisely what my creative writing professor/mentor advised me when I was in school.<br /><br />Another thing - not so much a trick as just a nice thing to do for yourself - is to not beat yourself up. No matter how much or how little you get done, if you beat yourself up about it, you turn writing into a chore, into something that lowers your self-esteem, and that just feeds into the dread.<br /><br />Also, I like to remind myself at 2 pm or 5 pm or 7 pm or even 9 pm, there are still several usable minutes of my day left - it doesn't HAVE to be a waste!Kristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-10629629658504802882009-04-16T09:55:00.000-04:002009-04-16T09:55:00.000-04:00Even though I'm not a 'pantser' I have to do the *...Even though I'm not a 'pantser' I have to do the *same* thing to get motivated for the day's writing. And yes, I totally understand the love/hate relationship with the work. Really, it's like Sisyphus rolling that ball uphill every day. I just can't imagine not doing it, no matter how heavy.<br /><br />:)Lisa Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07530826748768737972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31033821.post-5465301559705437732009-04-16T09:32:00.000-04:002009-04-16T09:32:00.000-04:00Yours is an interesting trick. I do tend to stop a...Yours is an interesting trick. I do tend to stop at the end of a scene. Right now I'm thinking of where to open the next scene. If I would have written SOMETHING before I stopped, I might have had a launching pad. Or, if I didn't like the direction, I could have deleted. I would have had some words there instead of "Chapter X" staring me in the face right now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com