If you've been reading my posts, you know I haven't done any serious writing in...wow...almost four months! Family stuff, the holidays, pretty much you name it, and I've been unfocused and unable to sit down and write.
Not a good place to be if you're a writer.
Well, this weekend, I decided to do something about it. I figured I would use my time, since I wasn't actually putting words on paper, to learn more about the craft of writing. Took a couple of books out of the library. Then, had to push myself a bit to start reading one, rather than start another delicious novel.
In the first chapter, I had to re-read every sentence, two or three times, in order to move from paragraph to paragraph. My brain was resisting, resisting, resisting! The weather was gorgeous (Central FL, sunny and 85 degrees), and I had no scheduled activities, a rare occasion in my household. I guess I wanted to relax mentally as well as physically.
But I stuck with it, and eventually got into it. And you know what I discovered? One cure for writer's block is to read
about writing.
Writer's block, in my experience, comes when I'm not feeling good about what I've got down already, maybe because the plot seems to be going nowhere (or at least not where I want it to), my premise is not strong enough to sustain 240-300 pages, my characters' motivations are unclear so I have no idea what they might do next (and they're waiting on me!), etc. Maybe I feel like starting anew but don't really have any new ideas or I simply need overall motivation, which takes me back to the first point. What I have so far, if anything, probably isn't very good so I'm really just procrastinating because I don't know how to fix it.
The book I read this weekend was from the
Elements of Fiction Writing series published by Writer's Digest. SCENE & STRUCTURE by Jack Bickham was eye-opening, enlightening,...dare I say, energizing?!
(Remember that I'm a newbie so this is old-hat to you, bear with me.)
I forgot my work-in-progress and focused on the material. I finally learned what the difference is between a scene and a sequel, something no one seemed to be able to explain to my understanding. I learned the classic structure of each, then ways to break the classic structure for dramatic effect. I learned how to link them in order to build a plot. I learned about common errors made by writers, especially newbies like myself. Most of all, about halfway through the book, I realized that
I now knew how to fix what ails my work-in-progress.Ya-hoooooo!!!
I took notes. LOTS of notes and I've placed this book on my purchase list. I'm finishing up the last few chapters. Next, I'll look at my wip in light of what I've learned. I plan to identify and outline all of my scenes and sequels, then figure out what works and what doesn't. Then, I plan to use the scene/sequel construct to help me finish plotting the novel, which is where I got stuck. Some of the scenes didn't work for me, and I worried about credibility, which put me in constant re-write mode. I also found my story veering off in strange directions because I was writing the first scene ending that came to mind, rather than picking the best one to move my story toward its desired conclusion.
So, if you're stuck, and (1) taking a leisurely diversion was nice but didn't make a difference, (2) plowing through only takes you farther into literary darkness, or (3) you don't know what advice to take and what to leave from your critique group, well-meaning family, or the poor stranger who had the misfortune of sitting next to you on the bus while stuck in traffic during the afternoon commute, consider grabbing a book on writing and plunging headfirst into learning more craft.
I don't have a long list of recommendations, because I haven't read that many, but you can easily find them. A great place to look is on the websites of your favorite authors. Who better to ask?
This cure will not only take your mind off your wip but ideally, you will pick up some tools and techniques that address the issues with your wip or serve to rejuvenate your creative juices.
It worked for me.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
For instance, I recently read REDEEMING LOVE by Francine Rivers and WHEN YOU WERE MINE by Adrienne Byrd. Excellent bookends for the type of writing I wish to do. Ms. Rivers book, which is considered a seminal inspirational novel, was raw, riveting, and deeply sensual. Nothing graphic here although the reader certainly understood everything that happened, from prostitution to child abuse. A long novel but very well paced. 
Emma St. James has led a charmed life. The daughter of one of America's most glamourous movie stars and a highly successful, albeit ruthless, businessman, she is an acclaimed photographer in her own right.