By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I was sitting with the other parents watching my daughter’s horseback riding lesson when one of the moms there asked me if I was always inspired when I write each day.
I always hesitate when I answer this question. It sounds awful to say that I’m rarely inspired when I write. For me, it’s more of a discipline. Aside from those wonderful, feverish moments when I’m scrabbling around in my pocketbook for paper and a pencil because a fabulous idea hit me…I’m just sitting down and focusing on creating a story, inspiration free.
Although I give inspiration short shrift, I do believe in momentum. I don’t know if there’s a psychology to momentum or not, but I do know that if I’m on a roll, I should probably keep writing. And if I am hearing my tardy Muse, I should keep cranking out pages until she wanders off again. I’ve watched enough football with my husband to realize that if our team is ahead and something destroys that precious momentum, it’s almost as if a different team has possession of the ball.
Things I do to maintain momentum:
I don’t put in chapter breaks until I’ve finished a first draft.
I don’t edit until I’ve finished the first draft.
I write in very short segments of time so that I won’t get distracted until the timer goes off.
If I run into something I need to research, I mark it and research it later and keep writing.
If I’m stumbling through description (which I do 99.9% of the time), I layer it into the second draft.
If I’m staring into space trying to conjure a setting, I add it in later.
If I can’t remember the character’s eye color, I mark on the manuscript with Track Changes to check it later, pick an eye color and keep writing.
If I’m feeling stuck because I know the huge scene I’m about to write will make or break the book, I’ll skip the scene and pick up with the story action right after that scene would have ended. I use the highlight feature on Word to show there is missing text.
If I’m not in the right frame of mind to write a particular scene (I’m feeling on top of the world and I’m writing a funeral scene, I’m feeling blah and I’m supposed to be writing a wedding), then I’ll skip it and keep going. I’ll, again, use Word’s highlighter or Track Changes to indicate missing text.
To pick up the next day with more momentum than starting with nothing, I’ve used Hemingway’s trick of stopping a writing session in the middle of a sentence.
These won’t work for everyone, but some might be worth a go if you feel yourself getting stuck. How do you keep up momentum as you write your books?
Image: MorgueFile: Hotblack
Good tips, thanks.
When does a first draft end? I don’t always know. I usually turn track changes on when I just don’t know where else to go (I’ll usually have the ending by then, but the middle parts are missing pieces).
I use a lot of place holder text like this – EYES, TOWN, NAME – just because I can scan and pick it out easily when scrolling through.
Sometimes when you can’t get going that helps. I’ve gone into my manuscript and just changed that placeholder text, then gotten a few hundred words when I keep reading and add things here and there. That’s a nice feeling.
Greg—That’s a good question. Mine are more straight-forward now. I’ll consider it a second draft when I’ve finished the entire story (if I skipped a middle or anything else, that means, to me, I’m still on the first draft. If I’m writing new material and not in the editing phase).
I like your place holder text–shows up nicely! I’ve also used *** to indicate missing text and then I’ll do a Word find to look for it.
Thanks so much for the tips! I’ll keep them in mind for those days when I’m just staring at the computer screen.
Hope they help, Angela!
I don’t put in chapter breaks until after it’s polished and edited. (I’m sure my publisher loves that.)
I tend to just plow through, inspired or not.
Alex–You treat it like a discipline, too, I think.
I’ve even sent stuff to my editor without chapter breaks in it…oops. Well, but it was before my deadline and they wanted to see early copy for cover design. That’s what my early copy looks like. :)
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the tips – I’m tackling my first full-length novel and have found that I also need to keep going to get the story down and add detail later (otherwise I lose the flow). But about chapters; are you saying you write all 70-80k-odd words as one ‘chapter’ and put the breaks in later? I tried that but am finding it easier to break it into ‘chunks’ (which may translate to chapters later) kind of like scenes. Thanks, Kerry
Kerry–Yes, I write it as one unbroken text–except for scene breaks, which I indicate by spacing down on the page a bit.
I conceptualize by scenes instead of chapters, so my outline looks like this:
Myrtle interviews Lyla and discovers that the veterinarian had a grudge against the victim because she was the reason for her husband’s accidental death years ago.
Myrtle visits Miles and they discuss what they’ve learned about the four suspects.
Myrtle goes to Rose’s house and enters when there is no answer to her knock and she find the door is slightly ajar. Discovers Rose, dead.
Myrtle, careful not to touch anything, looks for anything that might be a clue. Then she calls the police.
So these are…I guess some call them story beats, all are scenes. I frequently keep both scenes and chapter short to keep a faster pace. Basically, this is just a to-do list for my novel of what to write. Now, when I go back through for the second draft, I’d likely see that I wanted a chapter break where Myrtle discovers Rose dead….perfect spot. Otherwise, that would just be part of that scene at Rose’s.
Research is the one I use the most here. I save the digging for later when I revise.
Traci–That’s a great plan to keep moving forward. Research can lead us down one rabbit hole after another and next thing we know…our whole day is gone.
Wow. That’s gold.
You must do a panel on craft. These statements are the buggars we learn through brutal experience that can really help – especially to young writers who only hear from old hands “this stuff is hard.” Passing on these technique tips – and calling them tips isn’t a fair label for the gems they are – would be invaluable to that seventeen to twenty-five year old writer to whom the mechanics are not yet fully formed and for whom Tuesday’s blank page can be such a debilitating thing.
Please… We have got together you on craft panels. You are one of best instructors on the “how” I’ve seen. Nobody in college would touch this stuff. “If you’re having trouble writing prose, perhaps journalism school is better for you..” Was the sort of heavy handed coaching I heard. Of course, the “E” for engineering school didn’t do much for me in lit and creative writing classes, anyway.
Great stuff. Should be shoved into the hand of every young writer who hears “writing is discipline” then wonders how to tackle that old salt!
Jack–Thanks for the kind words! I need to do a series on craft with some tips for just knocking out scenes and stories….been meaning to do that.
It frustrates me when I hear veteran writers telling younger writers that it’s hard. It’s really *not* hard. It’s really just that so frequently writers don’t have their toolbox in place for facing the tough days. I’ve gotten frantic emails before from writers who have felt stuck and not known what to do. My advice is always…skip it. Skip the part you’re on. If you know the ending? Great–skip to the ending. Do you have a handle on the following scene after the difficult one that’s tripping you up? Do that one.
Unfortunately, I never had much advice on writing in college…I only had opportunity to read beautiful writing, which was helpful, of course. And I could write a killer essay or research paper. But as far as advice on the mechanics of getting through a book…nope. But my college did ask me back to talk to the students a year ago and give tips. :)
I’m a big fan of skipping ahead and playing connect the dots later.
Diane–Another skipper! :)
I always benefit from your tips. I mostly write short stories, except for the two half written books. With the books, I write scenes and then later I’ve put them in order. The same with the short story. I write scenes pictured in my mind and then order them later.
Chasing butterflies (inattentiveness) is my nature; Self-discipline is my redeemer.
Teresa–I love that…chasing butterflies. I think so many of us writers are easily distracted. I frequently write at 8 minute increments just so I can stay focused in a short block of time. :)
Elizabeth – I think it was Agatha Christie who said (or wrote) that professional writers write even when they don’t want to write. Do that well I think you have to have some solid discipline. At the same time though, it’s important to keep some freshness in what you write. I like your ideas very much because they allow you to focus on what’s good in the story and remind yourself to come back to the other things when you can.
Margot–I also feel bad admitting that I dread writing some days! But then I love the feeling (Dorothy Parker?) of “having written.” Staying fresh is so important, isn’t it?
Great suggestions. I do the thing with the descriptions as well.
Clarissa–Description can be so tough. Really, it’s always tough for me.
Excellent advice. I agree that if a writer is stumbling through passages, scenes, or whatever, the main thing is to get words down when you have the momentum. It’s only the first draft so things will likely change during rewrite(s). I believe a writer can’t wait for inspiration; a writer writes. I also believe waiting for inspiration is simply an excuse for not writing. I do find that when I write on a daily basis — whether I feel like it or not — that momentum does take hold along the way.
Michael–You bring up a good point…even when I’m dragging myself to the laptop, at some point the momentum takes hold and I start speeding up. I rarely end a writing session with the same pace that I started it.
And another good point…no one can edit a blank page.
These are great tips, Elizabeth. I have learned over the last few years as I struggle with this first novel, to pass over a piece that just won’t come and get back to it later. I never thought of it as momentum, but I like that term. BTW, I’m reading A Body in the Backyard and thoroughly enjoying it!
Karen–Thanks so much! That’s sweet of you to read it…hope you’ll enjoy it. I had fun with that book. :)
Skipping difficult passages really helps with writing, doesn’t it?
Elizabeth–
Like many others commenting on this post, I’m keeping it for future reference. But I will also play the devil’s advocate in one regard: I find that “toughing it out” on trying to get things right the first time means I have much less to worry about in the second draft. It’s often hard, and time-consuming, but putting off an impediment–for me–just leaves a problem I have to deal with later. I think this habit dates from the era of the typewriter, when getting it right to start with could save me a great deal of drudgery (yes, I have just dated myself in the Jurassic period). But I don’t include research. Stopping to learn something is a mistake, and I always TYPE MYSELF AN ALL-CAPS MESSAGE to fix that later. My guess is that my approach or attitude is not workable for someone who produces the amount of work you do.
Barry–I like devil’s advocates! I will agree that I always feel better when I’m able just to work through whatever is bothering me about the next scene.And you’ve got a good point–if you leave *everything* to finish in the second draft, then the *second* draft is now scary.
Your method can be workable for me, too. With deadlines, it can work either way…scaring me to death enough to just barrel through a scene regardless of whether I feel I can handle it that day (usually I’ll have to tweak that scene in the second draft), or immobilize me until the deadline gets even more looming. The only time I’ve ever gotten completely frozen by a deadline was three or four years ago and I resolved never to do that again. Ended up having to write the book in 6 week’s time. My children had many Eggo waffle suppers… :)
Oh my gosh, typewriters. I have got pages of typewritten pages from the early 90s…somewhere. :) I’m so, so glad that we’ve got word processing now. I’d get that chalky correction tape all over my hands.
This post gave me “permission” to carry on as I have been. I thought I was doing it all wrong and sometimes would get caught up in the “wrong way” of it all. You’ve wiped out my hang ups! I’m not as disciplined as you but I do find that working in short, in my case 30 minute, segments does help keep me writing. Thanks for sharing your process.
Marcia–You are doing it all right! Anything that works for you is the right way.
I’ve done 30 minute segments…but I’ll admit now to doing 8 minute segments many days. The bright, shiny internet is dangerous for me…
Your new website/blog looks terrific, Elizabeth!
I incorporate some of these too, especially not editing until the first draft is done and trying to stop in the middle of a sentence so I can pick it right up the next day.
Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines
Thanks, Laura! Stopping in the middle of a sentence is a great cheat, isn’t it? Got to love that Hemingway…
Hi Elizabeth – it’s interesting to read everyone tricks of the trade and how you cope as you follow through the novel … I guess I do this even when I’m writing a post .. but I research as I go – probably not the best way .. but I’m getting more organised and perhaps my hiccups will change …
stopping in mid sentence – well I don’t do that … but I do use “…” those rather a lot. Cheers Hilary
Hilary–You seem super-organized to me!
I’m a fellow fan of ellipses. :) Had a bunch of them edited out of my last book…
An excellent post! You always have wonderful tips that and, what’s even better, they work for me when I try them! Thanks for sharing.
Karen–You have good tips, too! Thanks for coming by.
Hi Elizabeth
Some good tips, thanks
I tried the Hemingway approach, but I found myself going back to it and forgetting what the person was saying, or what was about to happen! Or I find the scene has a particular feeling that I lose when I go back to it. I do stop in the middle of scenes, but normally in more natural pauses.
I like the idea of not using chapter breaks, so I’ll give that one a try.
For me, I keep momentum up just by doing it every day, as much as I can. It flows well for me if I don’t have a break. I haven’t yet reached the stage where I’m not excited when I sit down to write, so it never feels like a struggle :)
cheers
Mike
Michael–Ahh…you know, I can do that sometimes, too. And then I have to read part of the last scene…not a good thing! That’s when I might accidentally get hooked into editing mode.
You nailed it. It is about discipline and momentum for me, as well.
It’s that butt in the chair, five days a week until I at least hit 1,000 words (often more).
I didn’t read all of the comments, but there is one little trick I learned when I need to research something further. I put a TK next to it. (No words have Tk in them) so you can then do a search and it will take you right back to those spots where you need to flesh out, research, add in, fix, etc.