Ask the Author: Doug Moe
Answered Questions (5)
Doug Moe
"Loosen up, lighten up"
"Don't get it right, get it written."
"It's not all about me."
"Breathe"
"Stay in the moment"
"Don't get it right, get it written."
"It's not all about me."
"Breathe"
"Stay in the moment"
Doug Moe
I don't think he'd want the job cleaning up this mess.
Doug Moe
AI asks authors to send in two-sentence horror story. Answers are compiled into new best-selling horror novel, putting authors out of business.
Doug Moe
First: I burn a giant black candle to summon The Muse and, of course I scatter the innards in the required manner. If my chanting has been loud enough, a bird will land and provide my next assignment.
If the bird does not arrive, I try to not worry about it. The most important part is to just get started and write badly. So if I can get my mind set right, I just concentrate on "getting started" and sometimes it turns out okay. It's helpful to have a lot of time - I usually need a bunch of lead up time and then I tire quickly.
Inspiration usually comes when you've started. Or it comes later. Anyway, don't wait for it.
If the bird does not arrive, I try to not worry about it. The most important part is to just get started and write badly. So if I can get my mind set right, I just concentrate on "getting started" and sometimes it turns out okay. It's helpful to have a lot of time - I usually need a bunch of lead up time and then I tire quickly.
Inspiration usually comes when you've started. Or it comes later. Anyway, don't wait for it.
Doug Moe
I don't know if I've ever had writer's block in the way that it's normally described. I have definitely had periods of not knowing what to write, hating what I've written and a probably under-remarked upon problem: "Extreme Noodling." "Extreme Noodling" is what I would call the endless brainstorming, noodling, planning, thinking about, worrying over and then never actually writing problem. I have definitely had that problem.
I love self-help books and tricks. Some tricks work for awhile and then stop working. But here's a few that I like:
1. Ramp up time/crappy writing/journaling/venting: I do a variation on Morning Pages from the Artist's Way using the wonderful site http://www.750words.com. I use it to just vent and write and really as a ritual to just start writing. I don't judge it too much, I just try to get it done quickly. I complain, I make to do lists, I just type blah blah blah. I make with the clickety-clack of the keyboard and it helps.
2. "Don't get it right, get it written" was a piece of advice I got from some screenwriting book a long time ago. I like that. It's a catchy version of well-known advice. (If you know what book it's from, let me know)
3. "Seat of the pants to seat of the chair" is the other catchy phrase from that same book. Sit down and write.
4. I can get distracted by almost anything. If I have to look up something on the internet, who knows where I might end up. So I know that if I have to really be writing, I have to turn off the internet. I use a program called Freedom that kills the internet connection for a set period of time. You have to re-boot to get it back, and that's enough of a pain for me to not do it.
I love self-help books and tricks. Some tricks work for awhile and then stop working. But here's a few that I like:
1. Ramp up time/crappy writing/journaling/venting: I do a variation on Morning Pages from the Artist's Way using the wonderful site http://www.750words.com. I use it to just vent and write and really as a ritual to just start writing. I don't judge it too much, I just try to get it done quickly. I complain, I make to do lists, I just type blah blah blah. I make with the clickety-clack of the keyboard and it helps.
2. "Don't get it right, get it written" was a piece of advice I got from some screenwriting book a long time ago. I like that. It's a catchy version of well-known advice. (If you know what book it's from, let me know)
3. "Seat of the pants to seat of the chair" is the other catchy phrase from that same book. Sit down and write.
4. I can get distracted by almost anything. If I have to look up something on the internet, who knows where I might end up. So I know that if I have to really be writing, I have to turn off the internet. I use a program called Freedom that kills the internet connection for a set period of time. You have to re-boot to get it back, and that's enough of a pain for me to not do it.
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