First draft of my co-novel - DONE! I should also add that my co-author finished her end of things ages ago, and I have been the one holding up the entire project. So when I say "done," I am referring to the whole she-bang. Thankfully, I saw some juicy edits that I can now dive into, full tilt. The fun never ends!
In the meantime, here are some tips I cobbled together during the process of getting myself back in writing shape:
- Most obvious: find a way to write often that suits you. This is why I started blogging. You can also journal, but I don't like journaling because it's like being your own main character in every single thing you write, all the time. I prefer to mix it up.
- Try your hand at Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month). In November, ignore your family obligations and instead write 50,000 words, and you can receive a bound copy of your finished product, but only if you finish.
- This is what I did to start my current novel. 50K was not enough to complete the story, but when you've hit your number, you're well on your way and you can see the end approaching.
- Morning Pages: In the morning, hand write three pages on paper.
- Okay, as part of the laptop generation, I know this sounds like torture, however, for some reason, writing by hand stimulates creativity, and will get your juices flowing when you're in a rut, even if you have to finish the other 80% on your computer.
- 750words.com. Following the same principles of Morning Pages but using typing, 750 words is approximately three handwritten pages, and this online program allows you to type out and track whether or not you have met your quota. If your writing is illegible, this is probably a better method.
- Hypnotherapy. Life is short, right? I would say use yelp or word of mouth to find an effective practitioner, because it can be an useful method for dealing with mental blocks. To put it another way, hypnotherapy is a way to adjust yourself mentally, and it can be helpful because writer's block is primarily a problem that exists in your mind. I would suggest that you know yourself well enough to tell the practitioner exactly what you want to work on, and then constantly reinforce the techniques she provides.
- Join a writing Meetup. This has really helped me and I cannot emphasize enough how effective this has been. Writing can be very isolating, and that's not always a good thing. There really is nothing like being in the company of people who, on some level, understand you and are doing the same thing, even if it's not a chatty group and people just sit and write. I think when people write together, the creative energy is stronger and you can pick up on it and let it carry you forward.
- And don't forget: 7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers
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