TWO VIEWS ABOUT WRITING

Which one do you relate to? This one:



Or this?



(and I'm sorry to be shallow but am I the only one who thanks that moment when Derrida falls into English about his nap is just so sexy)

Five Ways to Trick Yourself into Writing When You Don’t Want To

I have come to think of my writing self as a little self-centred, more than a little childish but luckily easy to confuse, so here are some tricks I’ve played on myself to get those words onto paper.


1. Give yourself a word count for the day and keep to it.

Depending on your own process, it may be 200 words, 500 words, 1,000 words, 2,000 words, but make a pact with yourself that this is the amount you are going to do every day.

No matter what else happens.

The secret is not in fulfilling it (after the first few days) but stopping when you’ve reached it. There will be days when you want to go on and on writing, but making yourself finish at the exact word count – even in the middle of a sentence - will send you back to the page the next day. And then the next.

2. An alternative to a set word count is to do what Hemingway is reported to have done, and deliberately finish mid-sentence.

It sounds daft, but it really does make it much easier to get into the work the next day. I’ve seen it called, Parking on the downwards slope. A phrase that sums up the perfect picture for me.

3. Have a soundtrack to a particular piece.

This is what I have done for every novel so far. It helps me get into the voice of my character, and the mood of the book.

Because it’s the same song every time, I soon stop listening to it but having it in the background, lets me sink straight into the writing.

4. Ask questions.

After you finish writing for the day, write yourself a question for the next bit of your project. Or your new project. Then when you come back to your desk, concentrate on the question you’ve set yourself. The writing will come naturally.

5. Use a mixture of carrot and stick.

Put away all the things that distract you – facebook, twitter, emails, the phone, today’s crossword – until you have written as much as you have set yourself for the day.

And then enjoy them with your full attention. Plus some chocolate, or a glass of wine, or whatever rocks your particular world.


Read also:

* FIVE WAYS TO WRITE MORE

* READ ME

* WHAT KIND OF WRITER ARE YOU?

FALLING IN LOVE WITH WORDS

Now we’re getting to know each other, let me share five of my deepest secrets with you ….

Shhhh....


Bulbous

Grace

Looming

Filch

Pettifogger


Wow. Do they make you smile without meaning to? Your stomach turn over and the butterflies to start jumping? Can you feel them in your mouth already? Aren’t you just longing to use them in your next sentence?

No. Well, probably not because they’re my words. And just as we are all different types of writers, so we have our own secret words. So what are yours? Make a list of five words you can hug to yourself next time you face the blank page. The words that are just for you. Imagine them lining up behind you, on your side with their crossed arms and snazzy sunglasses. Or maybe they’re in the bath, scenting and primping and beautifying themselves, waiting for you to finish your ten minutes writing for today.

Fall in love with words. And most of all have some fun with them. Learn that words aren’t your enemy, and that your job isn’t just to march into a certain place in the sentence before forgetting all about them. Yes, some words are useful soldiers, but the special ones? They’re just temptresses. Enjoy.

Also see:

* WHAT KIND OF WRITER ARE YOU?

* FIVE WAYS TO WRITE MORE