Just Keep Writing

The key to writing a novel is simple – Just Keep Writing It.

No matter how convoluted the order of the scenes I see, or what is skipped from one sitting to another, I just trust in my Muse and write.

This current novel, the fourth Jonathan Alvey, ‘Corrupted Souls’ started out all over. I had scenes from the beginning, the climax, and piece floating in the middle. They existed because I had seen them in my mind’s eye. I had ‘heard’ the words spoken, and understood the emotion of the moment. So I recorded them.

Now, some weeks later, those gaps are starting to fill in. I am writing a bit more in a logical chronological order. It does mean that some lines don’t work an more, once I write up to the pre-written segment but so what? Cut what doesn’t work and stitch them together properly.

Don’t be afraid to trust the story. Just go with what you get. You release the creative power and worry about rough edges in the edits.

Not everyone can write this way, I know, but it seems to me too many people are afraid to trust the story itself.

Right now, as I am also working on getting ‘Tomorrow Wendell’ ready for publication, I have to train myself to grab a hold of the time set aside for writing. I must keep at it to get the story told. (I learned how hard it is to pick up a story after months away with the last one and don’t want that to happen with this one). So, when I sit down first thing to write, I don’t worry about whether it is the next scene – all I worry about is, am I capturing this scene.

Trusting the tale to sort itself out also helps overcome writers block. Instead of staring at that blinking cursor, trying to wiggle out that next word, look for the word that does want to come out – and let it. Put a * or @ between one section and the next to help keep them separate and just . . .

Keep Writing!