How to Beat Writer's Block

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Here's what works for me:

1. Shut down your computer.
2. Tell your brain you are NOT going to write.
3. Go and do something which prevents you from writing/typing your ideas, but won't involve any active thinking. Suggestions: scrub dirty dishes, have a shower, brush your teeth, go to bed and turn out the lights.
4. Relax and let your mind wander.
5. As the ideas start to flow out of nowhere, curse your inability to make notes.

When you finally get your computer back on, the words and phrases you end up typing are never quite as magical as the vivid movies playing through your head in the shower. Sigh.

The Mystery of Artistic Magic

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I'm deep in the thick of editing (when I get around to it!).

I love those moments when you’re reading over your work and you’re like, “Wow, this is good! Where did that come from?”

Those epic moments where inspiration, talent and some sort of artistic magic combine to make words, phrases and paragraphs that are music to our ears. Perhaps they may not impress anyone else, but they make us smile in a deep place. There's a sense of pride in that work. Most of the time I don’t remember the actual moment of creation. It’s almost like the muse had completely taken over and delivered the story, pure and simple, in the best possible form. The wonderful part is, the muse is just part of us. We create that gold. All the tools are within our minds and hearts; we just need to create the right vehicle of expression.

Then there are those moment when you’re like, “This sentence doesn't even make sense. What was I on when I wrote this?”

…Just in case you were tempted towards artistic arrogance. I don’t see that happening any time soon – the mediocre moments far outweigh the sublime. But the fact that the sublime art does exist – that is what makes it all worthwhile.

How'd It Get To Be May Already?

I thought it was high time for another post! I've been getting back into my second draft with gusto, now having a bit more time on my hands to do so. Revisions are both thrilling (as I fall in love with the work afresh) and scary (when I need to make big decisions, deletions or both).

I discovered a problem with my sub-plot, which demands I either kill off a character or make two family members unrelated. In a twisted way the killing-off would make for a better story, but I can't see where to fit it in with the other characters' arcs without disrupting the flow. Sigh. I've decided to put off the decision for a bit.

The other thing with the subplot is deciding whether to tie up all the loose ends in this book. In my mind I have books 2 and 3 of a trilogy mostly mapped out, which would mean not revealing all in this book. But I'm thinking I should probably pitch it as a standalone to start off with, to see if I get any nibbles. Decisions, decisions.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some things which have inspired me lately. First, this quote from C.S. Lewis. I found it on a writing blog, and the writer was using it to illustrate what we need to do with our manuscripts. For me at the moment though, it provides more encouragement as it was originally intended: for our lives in general.

“Imagine yourself a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping up the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew that these jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and seems not to make sense. What on earth is he up to?

The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought. He is throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage, but he is building a palace."

Over the past couple of weeks I've discovered some musicians on YouTube who I now adore.

First, The Piano Guys. I looooove these guys. So clever, talented and funny. So hard to choose just one video; they're all so different!



Also, Lindsey Stirling...


 
And finally, 2Cellos. Enjoy :-)

The Value of Writerly Companionship

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For many years, I have been afraid of letting my writing life cross over into my real life. I wouldn’t freely divulge my writing hobby among casual friends and acquaintances… though people accidentally finding my blog when it was under my real name sort of gave the game away. While I had overseas-based online writing buddies, I didn’t think joining a local real-life writers’ group would offer me much more than one conference a year and maybe some writing tips. Or perhaps I was just too much of a scaredy-cat to get over my shyness and put myself out there.

How wrong I was. Through Twitter, the great networker of our time, at first I followed like-minded writers in the US and UK, gradually finding Aussie authors. I’d been following a couple of Kiwi authors for a while, but eventually I came into the sphere of some active RWNZ members. One of them was so kind as to chat with me about my writing and invite me to the local chapter meeting. She was so lovely I just couldn’t say no.

At the meeting I met a variety of wonderful people who welcomed me in and were eager to find out about my writing journey. Shortly thereafter I joined RWNZ officially and have since enjoyed all the subsequent meetings, the newsletter and recently, the email loop. Unfortunately I won’t be able to go to this year’s conference due to a prior commitment (although that commitment is going to be pretty awesome).

I’ve already learnt so much. Not just about the craft and different approaches to writing, but about the various avenues to get your work out there. It’s amazing really: writers come in so many different personalities and tastes, but at the heart of it we all love to do the same thing: create characters, worlds and emotion.

These people are my people, and they get/understand so many parts of me like no-one else in my life can. I feel validated in all my quirks, methods and neuroses. I feel encouraged. I feel less crazy. And even though it’s early days, I feel a bond with this group. It’s still daunting rocking up to a large group of (mostly) ladies I barely know, but it gets easier each time, and when the writing discussion starts, I lap it up.

So if you’ve been thinking about joining a writer’s group, any group, I say go for it. If I scaredy-cat like me can enjoy it, you can too.

The Writing Switch

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Isn't it amazing how the writing vibe can be switched on and off, depending on how much mental energy we assign to it. I've been so preoccupied with attending to urgent business in real life, I haven't really given my imagination permission to do what it must. It's been busy, but mainly trying to imagine my own unknown destiny.

A few nights ago I made a conscious decision I will devote more time to my writing. I then had some fun with research, sparking ideas to use in my WIP. I know I have to make some tough decisions before I can proceed with properly editing this book, but I feel as if I'm almost ready.

But do you know what I love, what reminds me I'm getting back in the zone? When I'm doing my teeth, as I was at the end of that evening, and my brain starts to innocently mull over my creations... then boom. Inspiration. The (possible) first scene for my next book* dropped into my mind. Granted I'm still editing book 1 but I don't argue with the muse. I hurriedly went to my notebook and scrawled down the bones of it, for fleshing out when I'm "allowed" to work on it. The first scene for my current WIP also came to me when my brain was supposed to be otherwise engaged, and I just knew it was a keeper.

A few minutes after that flood I wrote this blog post. Life has since intervened again, preventing me from typing it up! 

However. The switch is back on, baby. I know I must gift myself the time I need to finish what I started. 


*This book is roughly outlined already with quite a few scenes written out of order... what can I say... I'm a hopeless pantser!

Research vs Writing

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One of the main challenges in writing historical fiction is of course, the history. I love it, but by golly does it take some time to get it right.

I jumped back into my WIP last night (after a considerable absence) with excitement, ready to slice and dice that baby into shape. Looking forward to reading my words again. But I became hamstrung by some details I have to get sorted…. such as how to address the younger son of an earl, and what to call the different types of hired carriages. Then I spent the rest of my allotted writing time on this stuff (although I will admit I got distracted by some real-life business that also needed to be sorted) and I didn’t get any actual writing/revising done. Sigh.

(Also I’d like to whine about how frustrating it was to learn that the younger son won’t be addressed by the same name as his father. I wanted this man to share the name of the earldom and their estate, but it’s not to be. Double sigh.)

Being a detail-oriented person, now that I’m at a point where the story’s written, I can’t go on with revising until I fix this stuff. I’m sure my WIP will still have many glaring errors that I’ll be crucified for if it ever sees the light of day, but at some point I just need to be happy with fixing all the stuff I can see and then sending it out there.

Soon, I hope. Pity the research is only a small part of the revision process.

What sucks you in when you’re doing revisions?

Also, this is my 100th post! Yay.

Natural Inspiration

When the minutiae of every day life threatens to overwhelm me, I have always turned to natural beauty for solace. I find my soul refreshed as I gaze in wonder at the world around me. On a recent afternoon country drive we took a walk and I was blown away by the sweeping vistas across the harbour and islands.

These images seem to sum up these little islands of paradise I live on... the clear sky, the deep blue ocean, a deserted pathway, and of course, sheep.

What ordinary magic inspires you in your every day life?