Amazingly I had the whole day yesterday to write. Scary. Really, scary. Because I'm very good at procrastinating (for very good reasons) my writing. And being faced with a full day of writing sometimes scares me.
I knew I had a work-for-hire project to finish. I got that out of the way first.
And then I dived into an amorphous WIP that's been on my mind lately. I'm trying to listen to the characters. Trying to figure out what they're telling me. My biggest writing challenge is plotting. Once I know where I'm going, things unfold pretty well. Getting over that plotting hump is a bear (anyone with me?)
My goal was to write 500 words. Pretty easy, right. I wanted something attainable. After I hit 500, I decided to go for a walk. Slapped on the earbuds and my sunglasses and walked around my neighborhood. And all of a sudden, the characters were screaming at me! I had to stop and type some notes on my phone (yea, my phone) cause I was worried I'd forget!
When I came home, almost 1000 words just poured out. But the narrative I wrote is in 1st person. The rest of the WIP is in third. I always write in third. So what's up with that?
How do you clear your brain? And what do you do when your brain does something unexpected?
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Don't forget the Kid Lit Social on Tuesday. If you're in the greater Boston/Eastern/Central Massachusetts area, we'll be meeting at Paparazzi in Burlington, MA at 7:30 on June 21. I'd love to see you there! Ping me @KristineAsselin or krisasselin (at) yahoo (dot) com.
10 comments:
I hate that plotting hump but I love getting over it. I'm in the middle of that too for my new wip in the fall. Lots of prewriting and character sheets this summer for me! And when I'm running I get my best plot solutions!
I love it when characters yell at me! And how could you NOT write in first person when your characters are being that intimate with you? Like you, going outside does a good job of clearing my head. I don't even have to walk--just stand in the sun and look at the trees.
Apparently I need to take up running for both my health and my brainstorming!
Sleep does it for me. um not exactly SLEEP but laying down in a quiet room. Guess I can't double that as exercise can I? :)
Kris, that's awesome! I do exactly what you did, which is take a walk. Except now the rattlesnakes are out around my property, so I'm limited to how far I'll venture from my house. Good luck on the wip!
I almost missed the Kid Lit Social notice. I'm going to look into it. Thanks!
I love when inspiration strikes! It can be anytime, anywhere.
I haven't had a day off to write in ages! I need one because the only thing standing between me and querying is another round or two of editing.
Those bursts of inspiration are the best things ever, aren't they? I say go with it! Maybe this story needs to be told in first person. Good luck with it!
Oh and I forgot to mention that I think I'll actually be able to come on Tuesday. Yay!
That's awesome that you were able to write more than you planned! I love it when the characters/plot starts screaming at me. :D
Sometimes planning to NOT think about the story is what makes me start thinking about it. ;)
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