Three Tips for Writing When The Writing is Not Going Well: Writing Tip #3-- Get loaded.
I only mean that metaphorically. What I really mean is "release some endorphins," but "get loaded" sounds better.
Okay, so let's pretend you've tried not to worry about the quality of the writing, you've squashed the troll, you've tried to force yourself to write, but nothing is working. It happens. Creativity is tricky, and sometimes the best way to stifle yourself is to try too hard. So rather than do that, don't try at all.
A few years ago, I was writing the early drafts of what eventually became The Rabbit, The Jaguar, & The Snake. I didn't have a plan. All I knew was I wanted to write something funny and cool. Every day I would write for a few hours until I reached a point where I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next. Then I'd go for a walk to purposefully NOT think about the novel. I let the rhythm of the exercise settle in, push myself a little harder, a little faster, and right when my mind was totally clear, I literally told myself "Okay, think," and invariably, I came up with a new idea. So by not trying to do anything at all, I got something done.
This isn't a revolutionary strategy. There is a connection between exercise and creativity, and there's a connection between taking time off from a creative piece of work and solving problems with that work. I know it because I regularly exercise it (pun intended).
So if you're having a hard time with something creative, if you just can't come up with the will to work on a project, or maybe you're just stuck, sometimes it really is best to step away, even if it's only for an hour or two. Yes it is important to stick to a schedule and set up a routine, but if all you're doing is staring at an empty page or a blank screen and you just can't move forward, adjusting that schedule and that routine will help. Here are a few things I've done to get past a hard day writing.
A. Do something else creative.
Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised, but just like physical exercise, you need to mix up your workouts. I'm a musician, so I get my creative outlets from a variety of places. If I just can't make anything work with my narrative fiction, I'll write, record, and mix a song instead. I also like videography, so sometimes I'll go indulge that side of my creativity. Whatever your interests are outside of writing, engage in them. You might not be making progress in your written work, but you will be flexing that creative muscle.
B. Exercise
I'm not just talking about rigorous physical exertion, although if that's how you prefer to exercise, go right ahead. And I'll skip over the obvious physical and mental health benefits (https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/...) of exercise, too. When I say "exercise," like I said, it could be something as simple as taking a walk. (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04...)
C. Take A Nap
The idea that more is better is a fallacy that continues to flourish, especially in America, despite plenty of evidence that actually proves the opposite to be true. In fact, in my experience, most of the people I've ever worked with who worked more hours than they were required were not very productive, but rather inefficient or ineffective, and they certainly were not at all creative.
So don't be your own bad boss. Take a nap. However counterproductive this might sound, napping, particularly a long nap, is a major factor in boosting human creativity (http://a3145z1.americdn.com/wp-conten...), and as such, can be one of the best ways to get things done.
Next up: Three writing tips for working with good ideas in bad stories
Are you a fan of horror or post-apocalyptic fiction?
CLICK HERE to join my email list and receive a free short story, audio book, and theme song for "Beta":
A monster terrorizes an isolated village in the mountains of Eastern Europe, draining the blood of its victims, leaving them frozen in the snow. The villagers hunt wolves, decapitate “vampires,” but the murders continue. As each new body is found, the residents grow more and more paranoid. Who will be next? Will it ever end?
Okay, so let's pretend you've tried not to worry about the quality of the writing, you've squashed the troll, you've tried to force yourself to write, but nothing is working. It happens. Creativity is tricky, and sometimes the best way to stifle yourself is to try too hard. So rather than do that, don't try at all.
A few years ago, I was writing the early drafts of what eventually became The Rabbit, The Jaguar, & The Snake. I didn't have a plan. All I knew was I wanted to write something funny and cool. Every day I would write for a few hours until I reached a point where I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next. Then I'd go for a walk to purposefully NOT think about the novel. I let the rhythm of the exercise settle in, push myself a little harder, a little faster, and right when my mind was totally clear, I literally told myself "Okay, think," and invariably, I came up with a new idea. So by not trying to do anything at all, I got something done.
This isn't a revolutionary strategy. There is a connection between exercise and creativity, and there's a connection between taking time off from a creative piece of work and solving problems with that work. I know it because I regularly exercise it (pun intended).
So if you're having a hard time with something creative, if you just can't come up with the will to work on a project, or maybe you're just stuck, sometimes it really is best to step away, even if it's only for an hour or two. Yes it is important to stick to a schedule and set up a routine, but if all you're doing is staring at an empty page or a blank screen and you just can't move forward, adjusting that schedule and that routine will help. Here are a few things I've done to get past a hard day writing.
A. Do something else creative.
Creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised, but just like physical exercise, you need to mix up your workouts. I'm a musician, so I get my creative outlets from a variety of places. If I just can't make anything work with my narrative fiction, I'll write, record, and mix a song instead. I also like videography, so sometimes I'll go indulge that side of my creativity. Whatever your interests are outside of writing, engage in them. You might not be making progress in your written work, but you will be flexing that creative muscle.
B. Exercise
I'm not just talking about rigorous physical exertion, although if that's how you prefer to exercise, go right ahead. And I'll skip over the obvious physical and mental health benefits (https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/...) of exercise, too. When I say "exercise," like I said, it could be something as simple as taking a walk. (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04...)
C. Take A Nap
The idea that more is better is a fallacy that continues to flourish, especially in America, despite plenty of evidence that actually proves the opposite to be true. In fact, in my experience, most of the people I've ever worked with who worked more hours than they were required were not very productive, but rather inefficient or ineffective, and they certainly were not at all creative.
So don't be your own bad boss. Take a nap. However counterproductive this might sound, napping, particularly a long nap, is a major factor in boosting human creativity (http://a3145z1.americdn.com/wp-conten...), and as such, can be one of the best ways to get things done.
Next up: Three writing tips for working with good ideas in bad stories
Are you a fan of horror or post-apocalyptic fiction?
CLICK HERE to join my email list and receive a free short story, audio book, and theme song for "Beta":
A monster terrorizes an isolated village in the mountains of Eastern Europe, draining the blood of its victims, leaving them frozen in the snow. The villagers hunt wolves, decapitate “vampires,” but the murders continue. As each new body is found, the residents grow more and more paranoid. Who will be next? Will it ever end?
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