Cole Parker Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 One big thing that does work for me is, don't ever stop writing at the end of a scene. Break off right in the middle of a paragraph. That way, when you pick up the story, it forces you to dive back in, finish the scene and then begin the next. That way, you're not having to start from a dead stop. In other words, the vehicle is already in motion. All you have to do is hop in, slowly bring it up to speed, and steer it in the right direction. Wow! I never thought of that. What a great idea. My only problem would be that blasted discipline problem. You'd need a huge amount to do it that way, to just stop when the words and juices are flowing, setting it aside to the next session. I"m like you: some days I've got it, some I don't, and I would HATE to stop when I'm going strong. But I might try that, because getting started from a dead stop is definitely one of the hard things to do. C Link to comment
The Pecman Posted June 1, 2009 Report Share Posted June 1, 2009 But I might try that, because getting started from a dead stop is definitely one of the hard things to do. Yeah, exactly. I hit on this idea in the mid-1980s, when I was a freelance magazine writer. My regular day job precluded me from the luxury of working 8 hours continuously on writing, so I'd get in a few hours here and there, but I'd knock off a day's writing by stopping right in the middle of a paragraph, sometimes right in the middle of a sentence. I always knew exactly what my train of thought was, and could come back 24 or even 48 hours later, sit down, and go "oh, yeah," and then pick right up from there. Otherwise, if you completely end the thought (or the scene), then it's like having to start pushing the boulder up hill from the bottom. Link to comment
Tanuki Racoon Posted June 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2009 Started 21 March 2009, Saturday, 201pm Step One: DRAFT WRITE OF NOVEL Chapter One: Finished 20 April, Apx 6900 words. Chapter Two: Finished 3 May, Apx 5400 words [12300 rt] Chapter Three: Finished 9 May 2009, Apx 3500 words. [15800 rt] Chapter Four: Finished 25 May 2009, Apx 4500 words. Chapter Four: Finished 30 May 2009, Apx 6400 words. [22200 rt] Chapter Five: Finished 14 June 2009, Apx 5100 words. [27300 rt] Link to comment
Tanuki Racoon Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Step One: DRAFT WRITE OF NOVEL Started 21 March 2009, Saturday, 201pm Chapter One: Finished 20 April, Apx 6900 words. Chapter Two: Finished 3 May, Apx 5400 words [12300 rt] Chapter Three: Finished 9 May 2009, Apx 3500 words. [15800 rt] Chapter Four: Finished 25 May 2009, Apx 4500 words. Chapter Four: Finished 30 May 2009, Apx 6400 words. [22200 rt] Chapter Five: Finished 14 June 2009, Apx 5100 words. Chapter Five: Finished 14 June 2009, Apx 5400 words. [27600 rt] I added a few hundred words to chapter five to make it flow better. Six will begin soon. Link to comment
Cole Parker Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Congrats! I assume at least some of those 27,000+ words are good ones, too. C Link to comment
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