Ten Other Ways to Write When Sitting at the Keyboard Doesn't Work

 

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 Whether it's writer's block, outside circumstances demanding your time, lack of sleep/energy, depression or anxiety crushing your creativity, or you just don't feel like writing, you can still write. Like with anything, doing something is better than doing nothing. And it piles up to gains in the long run.

1. You can brainstorm anywhere. Whether cleaning house, running errands, taking a break at work or school, even while staring up at a darkened ceiling at night when you can't get to sleep - you can be putting together the pieces of a story puzzle in your head. Perhaps just diving in deeper to a theme you want to explore, or a character's motivations or backstory. Maybe its envisioning a setting, or a play-by-play of an action sequence. Brainstorming's a vital step to writing, and you have to take time to do it anyway, so why not utilize those moments and hours when you can't sit in front of a keyboard to get this vital process done?

2. Another task is evaluation. Stepping back from a manuscript - especially if it's already written and you're in the revising phases - to see how tight or accurate or well-paced the story is. How is it doing as far as size? Too bloated? Too slim? Too pedantic? Too rushed? Are you hitting the right beats where they're supposed to be? Do you get an overall satisfied vibe from the draft? Make a list of what is going well and what needs work.

3. Along with #2's suggestion, would be outline tweaking, and synopsis, query, and blurb writing. Again, stepping back from the story, can you summarize it in a nutshell? Is it following your initial vision? Usually not, so how has it evolved? Is this good or bad? Stepping back can help you avoid wasted hours of writing by making a course correction.

4. Visuals. Whether you're an artist or not, doodling can help your creative juices. Draw a map (or mark a map if the setting's a real place), draw a character, or a setting. Design a vehicle. Make a schematic for a machine, or whip up a treasure map. Make a stick-figure storyboard and play with key dialogue and action. Decorate your writing space with objects that will help keep you in the zone for what/where your story is about.

5. One of my favorites is to create a first and last lines list for chapters. Do they hook the reader? Do they leave the reader with enough of a cliffhanger so they'll keep reading? It also helps you analyze where your chapter or section breaks are, and how you might play around with those breaks for a better impact.

6. Many books don't use chapter titles, so for fun write up a list of what each chapter would be called if they did. Then use it when you do face that keyboard to keep on track - and make sure you fit the spirit of the title.

7. Get hands on. If a character is supposed to be a baker, hone your own baking skills. If a firefighter, talk to actual firefighters and visit your local firehouse. Through experience we are able to write better, giving a validity to what we write. If possible, visit a place you put in your story and take notes and/or pictures of everything you experience. Act out a scene, especially an action sequence (I'm not advocating jumping off high buildings or trying to fly, mind you! Don't do anything stupid.), to make sure what you've written or are going to write is believable. 

8. Read a scene, chapter, or your entire story out loud. You'd be surprised at how many things stick out from this. It might be poor dialogue or sentence phrasing, to noticeable gaps, or lengthy descriptive passages you don't need. Even made-up names spoken out loud can be either hilarious, suggestive of something you don't intend, or too close to a well-known person's name to work well with what you want to do. 

9. Good old research is another side-writing staple. Similar to #7, this type of research is more sedentary: reading books or online articles,or sitting down to interview someone. If you're writing about interstellar travel, find out what others have done or discovered about it. Want to knock off a victim in a murder mystery? -  maybe you need to learn more about poisons. Even small details like what people wore in the 1940's, to when toothpaste was invented might make a difference in how authentic your story sounds.

10. Compose or work on your "Writing Bible." Get your notes organized and compiled. Do you have your ducks in a row regarding where your characters are from scene to scene and what they are doing? Do you know their backstories, and what parts of these will need to be revealed and when? Do you have lists of information, like foreign phrases (real or made up) you need to keep handy? Or a list of character names, descriptions, and occupations? 

You don't have to do all of these, but chances are you will need to do at least one in your writing journey. Don't beat yourself up if a lack of time, energy, or drive is keeping that novel from completion. Work around it by doing side-writing. You'll still be moving forward, keeping your story alive. Just watch that side-writing isn't all that you ever do. Many a tale has failed to be born because it never developed past the side-writing stage.

Question for you: Do you have another suggestion for side-writing? Or a further suggestion on one of the ten I've listed? Please share it in the comments.

NaNo Tip: Verbal Tornado

We're almost there! How'd you do this past week? Are you staying on top of your daily or weekly goals? Did you fall behind a bit? Are you beyond what you thought you could do?

Ready for another NaNo tip?

This one's fun to do. Take a scene, or a string of them, and just write dialogue. Except for the tags, or if you absolutely have to write a short (and I do mean short) word or two of action, keep to only what the characters say and see how much you can convey through their dialogue.

What I love about this tactic is it makes the pages fly by and it's easy to get into. It also helps you narrow down your characters' quirks and verbal style. Arguments and explanations are great for filling in word counts.

Want to take it up a level? Pick two characters, major or minor or both, and for a day or two, only write their encounters with each other. Skip everything else, and show - through dialogue - how their relationship develops or unravels.

Paul and Betty may start off as old school mates who haven't seen each other in years. Their initial encounter would probably contain pleasantries, leading into a bit of reminiscing about people or their old school. Perhaps this makes them want to meet up again, maybe it doesn't.

Needless to say, they meet up again a few days (or hours) later. This time are they more open, or does their dialogue take another turn. Do they rub each other the wrong way?

Then write their third encounter, and the fourth. You might want to bear in mind what's been happening with the rest of the story. After all Betty and Paul's conversation may cover something going on with one of the other characters or an event.

Hopefully this might help you get through the home stretch. And like always, over done or bad dialogue can always be trimmed later. Get the gist of what you need to happen in the story down now while it's fresh and simmering in your brain.

I've also learned it's possible to pull off 10,000 words or more in a solitary week, so don't give up if you have that much left to do. Do your best with what time you have and don't let the stress of word count slow you down.

NaNo Tip: Exposition Help

So we're past the half way point ... go NaNo'ers!! Are you hanging in there?

I've got another tip, if you'd like one.

Focus on internal exposition, no matter what POV your story is supposed to be in. Dive into your character(s)' psyche. Learn what their voice is. Even if it's only for one scene. How does character A see a particular event or place? What ghosts from the past does it bring to light? What emotions? What schemes or desires?

And for further mixing it up, write the same scene from someone else's POV. Or do it from multiple POVs. What this does is add depth to your characters (and words to your word count), which you can later utilize to show even side characters as having a life rather than being dumb extras as stage props for your MC.

Don't worry about whether you'll use this internal exposition later on. Write it. Work on your character development. It doesn't matter how far into your story you are right now or where you're determined to be by the end of the week.

I think one of the most common problems with reaching that 50,000 word goal is thinking you have to finish the story, therefore you have to skip all the good stuff in favor of the action. Action is only one aspect of a story. Exposition helps you (and more importantly your readers) get to know your characters. And at this phase of the writing process you don't need to stress about how much exposition. There is such a thing as too much, which can slow your pacing down. But that is a revision consideration, not a first draft one.

Try it out, you might be surprised how much this helps your word count goal for the week.

Don't miss out on each weekly tip!
Tip 1: Stuck? Do Some Jumping
Tip 2: Details, Details, Details
Tip 4: Verbal Tornado
 

NaNo Tip: Details, Details, Details

Hi everyone! How did you do this past week? Are you still going strong or ready to throw in the towel?

I have another tip for you to keep going: details.

Use some of your writing time to just sit and write a setting, character, or action description. Don't worry about order of any kind. Let your imagination run wild and spill out everything that comes to mind about your topic. It counts toward your word count. Chances are you'll later restructure and toss out or amend what you write now - but that's later.

Fleshing out details can awaken your creativity and get your juices flowing again. All of a sudden you've got loads of new ideas for where your plot can take you, or twists you can add in.

Imagine going from: Carol walked through the park to get to her appointment.
To something like this:
Men wearing green and gold-braided uniforms stood like doormen at either side of the entrance to the park. Crowds of people milled in lines along the pathways, the line moving to Carol's right carrying bright colored balloons and the line going left with either their hands in their pockets and eyes watching their feet or carrying crude picketing signs that said things like: "Give What You've Got!" and "We Want the Combustion!" The wind blew newspapers, empty popcorn bags, and other trash between the marchers' legs. More than one balloon was snatched and floated across the man-made stream towards Carol. The voices, the onslaught of debris and balloons, the confusion - Carol unfroze, looked dubiously at the snooty men by the park entrance, and dashed behind a group of newcomers.

It's rough, but you get the idea. All of a sudden we have details we can play with that might have an impact on Carol later in the story.

Use the five senses. What does your character smell? Hear? See? Feel (physically)? Taste (if applicable)?

Go for the unusual and the pertinent. What stands out about a place, person, or event? What helps move your plot along? What makes your character react in some way? Maybe Carol hates balloons and seeing a bunch of them blowing wildly toward her is what freaks her out. Maybe she knows there are hidden messages in those balloons that could implicate her. Maybe she's supposed to be one of the organizers for one of the marches and instead she's ducking out to go to an appointment. So many possibilities. Don't be afraid to go a little crazy or go big.

Happy writing this week!


Don't miss out on each weekly tip!
Tip 1: Stuck? Do Some Jumping
Tip 3: Exposition Help
Tip 4: Verbal Tornado
 

NaNo Tip: Stuck? Do Some Jumping

Hi fellow NaNo'ers. How have things been the first week? Are you going strong or stuck?

Here's a trick I learned a few years back: ditch chronological or linear order. Seriously. Sometimes it's easier to picture scenes at the end of your story or in the middle rather than at the beginning. Go write those scenes while they are fresh in your mind. Don't worry about how things transition together or if you'll have to throw out these poignant scenes later. Write them! Go out of order. It's okay.

I found that following this non-linear pattern usually led to more ideas, as the ones bugging me were finally put to rest on paper, so to speak. It can be so frustrating to try to stick to chronological order, knowing you've got to come up with transitional material and certain beats while that other dynamite scene or chapter is on constant re-play in your mind.

And ... knowing your ending and/or main plot points can help you nail down those excruciatingly hard beginnings.

Give it a try and keep your writing pace going.


Don't miss out on each weekly tip!
Tip 2: Details, Details, Details
Tip 3: Exposition Help
Tip 4: Verbal Tornado
 

National Novel Writing Month Eve

It's that time of year again! Who's planning on flexing those writing endurance muscles this year?

Suggestion before Nov. 1st kicks off: know what you intend to work on.

Make an outline, write a brief summary, make some goals. It doesn't matter if you are a proud pantser or outliner, get your compass out and make sure you have a plan. It makes the whole month easier. It can be as simple as: Character A meets Character B and that leads to plot points 1, 2, and 3 with such-and-such ending in mind. You go into writing knowing that at any moment things can change, but at least you have a direction start in. It sure beats staring at a blank screen with good intentions and feeling a story.

You've got a couple of days, why not do some brainstorming now?

Good luck fellow NaNo'ers!


Don't miss out on each weekly tip!
Tip 1: Stuck? Do Some Jumping
Tip 2: Details, Details, Details
Tip 3: Exposition Help
Tip 4: Verbal Tornado