I'm looking for any suggestions and stragies of other part-time writers for how they reclaim their mental space after the workday bussle. The unfortnate truth is that by the time I unwind post work, I seem to have unwound a bit too far, and then its too much of a mental leap to get fired up again (especially given my current writing funk), and even if I do, the clock too often has worked against me and it's time to call it quits for the night just as I'm getting the flow.
Sigh. I know I have the time, it's just organizing myself better that appears to be the problem.
Posted by Phanto (Member # 1619) on :
GZ: I love your writing in terms of poetic quality. That one story I read of yours a while back, Evocation of Butterflies, really stuck in my mind as being beautifully written. To be honest, I only wish that such intricate words would come out of me naturally, but my personal style is *very* different ^^.
I'm not sure what your timing is exactly, but personally, I think you should set a certain time and everyday work at that time regardless of mood/energy. Eventually, it becomes routine and easy.
At first it is a hellish struggle. Worth it, though.
Oh, and disconnect the internet.
Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :
I just gave this advice to someone off the forum for a different ailment, but I think it applies:
Pick a scene from any story -- one you like or dislike, it doesn't matter. Then, rewrite that scene using your own words.
You will invariably find that you don't like the scene as originally written and yours is superior (ego intrusion of course). However, you will also suddenly gain inspiration for your own idea of how the story should go.
When I struggle, I read something else. It gets me thinking how I would write it. Then, even after a particularly lousy day (usually involved with needlessly offending people unintentionally), I'm able to get my writing space back and can carry on as normal.
This works for me when I have writer's block (except I don't agree with that term, I'm not the one who is blocked, the world is putting too much pressure on me). It's just my mind being cluttered with too much daily life stuff-- there isn't a block.
Don't know if this will work for anyone else, but... maybe. If it does, all the better.
Posted by Balthasar (Member # 5399) on :
I found that keeping a notebook really helps. I can write throughout the day, if only for five mintues here and there. If I'm tried, I write in my journal instead of work on the story that's on my front burner. Sometimes all I can do is a couple of pages of notebook writing--writing whatever I want, exactly as it comes to me. Freewriting, I think it's called. But most of the time the notebook writing awakens the spirit within me, and suddenly I have the will to get cracking on my main work in progess.
