What’s Slowing You Down As You Write? Part II
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
In last week's post, I gave three possible issues that could slow you down as you write your book. But there are plenty of others. :) Here are four more and more ideas for tackling these problems as they pop up.
Details: character names, making a chapter ending punchy, etc. If you're not an outliner, introducing a new character name may slow you down as you try to find the perfect fit. But you may not know the perfect fit yet because you haven't developed the character until later in the book. Instead of stopping your momentum, just type in a symbol that will be easy for you to find later on (# or *) and you can replace it later with a character name.
Being ultra-aware of chapter endings, chapter length, and other book formatting issues can also slow you down. Consider writing straight through the book. It's what I do and I've found it helps to keep me moving forward with the story and actually improves chapter length uniformity.
Details you're not sure of. If you're writing a series (or even if you're not), there may be little details that try to trip you up as you go. Is it currently Monday or Tuesday in the story? That sort of continuity issue may make you want to scroll back and read for a while. I've found it's better if I make a note for myself, either in a separate document called Things to Check On or in the Track Changes comment feature, to fix the problem later.
Realizing something's not working: I don't like to fix problems in first drafts. Somehow it puts me right into editing mode instead of in more of a creative mindset. Instead, I flag the part in the story where I’ve realized things are going wrong, make a note of the change(s) that I’m making going forward, and pick up with the story as if the problem had been fixed in the previous pages.
Lack of focus: Probably most of us have a problem staying focused while we write (and do other tasks). There are so many distractions these days and writers have a tendency to lose focus anyway…it's the daydreamy part of us that helps us create.
If focus is a recurring challenge for you and is cutting into your writing time, try different methods to see if you can focus better. I've turned off the wifi on my laptop, used timers to keep sessions short, written in different locations if home is too distracting (harder to do now, with the pandemic), and tried listening to ambient music through earbuds. Writer Ambre Dawn Leffler recommends building focus through tai chi and yoga. Colleen M. Story offers a range of tips in this article, which also focuses on how general writer health contributes to focus.
Do any of these strike a chord with you? How do you keep your momentum going with your story?
4 More Things That Can Slow You Down as You Write:
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