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.

Cut-to's and Scene Profiles: A Second Draft Life Saver

You've written your novel. The creative juices were flowing, you hit a few blocks and snags, but you got past them, and it feels so great to have reached the end.

And now you have the second draft to deal with.

The drafts that follow that magical first one can be magical too, except this kind of magic comes with a price, that of lots of toil, pressure, overcoming self-doubt or self-delusion, sweat, and more dark valleys than bright mountain peaks. It's worth it; trust me; you don't want to put that first draft in a safe and leave it as is. Your baby has to grow up.

There are lots of ways to tackle subsequent drafts. I've tried many of them. I still use many of them. My favorite is quickly becoming the art of the scene profile and cut-to. Screenwriters use this technique and so can you. It's like rewriting your novel before you actually rewrite it and it'll save you having to do lots of other rewrites.

For example, have you ever started a rewrite - even with an outline - and at a certain point you realize that the whole things isn't going to work? Or maybe the story's been derailed or sidelined. Outlines are great to help prevent this, but outlines aren't written in stone and can easily be overturned or go astray. Outlines are pretty distant too, even the in-depth ones, giving you a panoramic big picture view of your story and where you expect it to go. The problem is when you settle in to write and all the little things start accumulating, you find that that big picture wasn't so accurate or that you're in a tussle to try to make the little things tow the line and keep to the outline.

By all means, use outlines as tools. I do. But after you've had your panoramic glimpse of the big picture, may I suggest using scene profiles and cut-to's before you start rewriting in order to keep the big and little things from creating an epic battle that will threaten your sanity and eat up extra time as you try over and over again to make them agree with each other.

What are scene profiles and cut-to's? How do you use them?

A cut-to is an overview of a scene, like a close-up glance, or play by play of the action.

A scene profile is where you've gathered your pertinent information on the scene and the characters in it.

Together the scene profile and the cut-to list makes rewriting your scenes easy and efficient. They'll help you spot inconsistencies, plot-holes, will help you decide if you need minor tweaks or an overhaul, or let you know if a scene needs to be dropped because it has no purpose. While these sound like extra effort and work, they actually save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

Here's an example of what I do:

1. Create a list of scenes that are in the novel or that I know need to be in the novel.

2. Working one scene at a time, plug in the information about the scene (whether directly from my first draft or the outline or both) into the scene profile.

3. Create the cut-to list for each scene.

I have a template I build off of for each scene:

Scene name or number: I'm a big proponent of naming scenes because it encapsulates the purpose of the scene and makes it easier to keep them straight rather than using numbers.

1. Date: This refers to the date in your story. Is this scene during Day 45 or on the 27th of March. It seems like a little, unimportant thing, but it's not. Knowing the date helps set your chronology and makes you step back and think about how realistic your time frames are in the narrative.

2. Time of Day: This affects your characters and your setting. What if your main character is a morning person and this scene takes place in the evening? They are more apt to be tired and cranky. Didn't think of that the first time you wrote this scene did you? Or what if it's night time and your characters are at a university? What are they doing there at night? Little details like this enhance your narrative and pique reader curiosity.

3. Weather: Yes, what is the weather like during this scene? Did your first draft read like a perpetual summer's day? How might knowing the weather affect your characters, the setting, or the plot?

4. Setting: This is where you plug in the details of your setting. And I do stress details. You should write it all down in a separate file, envision it. And then be prepared to pull what you need from it and let the rest go, or bring out some details in this scene and other details later on when revisiting this same place. Make a note here of the details you've chosen to reveal.

5. Objects: Good novels have objects. Memorable characters are associated with objects, like Snow White and the apple or the Beast and his enchanted castle. Objects are symbolic of what is happening in the plot or to the characters. What objects are noticed, sought after, obtained, or lost in this scene?
6. Characters: Write down which characters are actively in this scene. This is also the place to mention if there is something new, off, or otherwise different about any of the characters. If you're introducing or exiting a character, you can make a note of that as well.

7. Scene cut-to's: A list of play-by-play action that goes on in the scene. This is where you very briefly and succinctly write the scene before actually writing it with fleshed out details. For example: 
     i. Main character walks into the room with a book.
     ii. Side characters B & C stop talking about Main character and look guilty.
     iii. Main character asks them what is going on.
     iv. Character C pulls out a letter from their coat pocket and hands it to MC
     v. MC opens the letter and starts to read.
     vi. Character B makes an excuse to leave the room.
     vii. Character C tells B they can't go yet.
     viii. MC reads that their teenage child has run away from boarding school.
     ix. Character C tells MC that they aren't surprised, launches into a tirade about MC neglecting their child.
     x. MC slams the book down on a table.
     xi. Character B makes a hasty exit through an outside door.
     xii. MC laughs and Character C is shocked.
     xiii. MC tells C that they helped their teenager escape.
     xiv. Character C reaches for their phone.
     xv. MC twists C's arm behind their back.
     xvi. Character C drops the phone in the pool.
    xvii. MC whispers in C's ear that they know C was the reason the teen was sent to the boarding school to begin with.
    xviii. Character C asks what the MC intends to do.
    xix. MC lets C go and walks toward the door.
    xx. C repeats the question with greater agitation.
    xxi. MC tells C that they won't hear from MC or their teen again.

8. Flashbacks or backstory reveals: Here's where you plug in your backstory material that has any relevancy to what is happening in this scene. It can be pages long or a quick sentence. Not all scenes should have flashbacks or backstory reveals, but you as a writer need to know where these things are simmering in the subtext.

9. Foreshadowing: This is the place where you have your big picture outlook come down to manageable size. Not all scenes have foreshadowing, but good ones do. It may be a simple remark a character makes, an event, an object, or a decision that will have big consequences later. Stop and think about this scene and your book at large and make this scene stronger by adding an element of foreshadowing.

10. Notes: Here is where you jot down any additional notes you have, like psychological development of the characters, things to watch out for, research data that you've collected that will have a bearing on this particular scene, etc.

See what I mean about writing the rewrite before actually writing it? By putting together this information you get to know your scene, its purpose and place in the novel without expending the time and sweat writing it. And it's much easier to tweak, change, or discard as you build your other scene profiles than going back and rewriting pages of prose.

Once you've made up all of your scene profiles and cut-to's and everything is fitting into place and all your insights, twists, and details match up as they should, then comes the fun part - rewriting your novel. And the best part is that it will be quick because you have everything thought out and jotted down, everything.

Give it a try and tell me what you think. I know I've avoided repeating details too much, found plot-holes, and developed stronger subtext by employing this method. I've also been able to chuck scenes that don't really do anything for the story. Sentimentality is avoided when working in a scene profile and with cut-to's. And usually, a writer's sentimentality is the biggest stumbling block of all to overcome.

Secrets to Keeping Things Straight in Big, Complex, Epic Novels

I've been asked a time or three how I'm able to keep facts and events straight when I write a big, complex novel. First off, kudos to the querier because they recognize there is more work involved in such a novel. Secondly, everyone who tackles these types of novels will have their own system. Here are some hints from mine.

1. Write things down.
I have multiple files that are generally categorized as Notes and Structure. When I get an idea or a snippet of conversation in my head, I write it down. Don't leave these precious tidbits floating around in your head until you get to writing that part of the story. You'll most likely forget them by that time.

I don't always write the story chronologically or linearly. I certainly don't edit that way either. That means I have to have written notes as a backup. Granted, I have a pretty good memory for just about everything I write, but why leave it to chance?

I have backstory notes files as well. I find that the more of these I have, the richer the story becomes. Some complex novels stay within one person's POV, but not usually. Most deal in multiple POVs, and that means you need distinguishable backstories, vernacular, personalities, and quirks for each POV character. And then you have all the side characters.

I have note files and picture files sometimes to help me with my world building. It's been so handy to reach a part of the story and just pull up the description of the setting to pull from rather than try to remember or create it on the spot. Especially when you don't want to present the setting the same way each time it's shown. Setting, as I've said before, acts like a character or mood setter for the scene.

Writing things down also helps you remember them better. The act of writing, literally writing not typing, has a peculiar effect on memory in the brain. I tend to jot things down by hand and then transcribe into digital files afterwards.

My notes files tend to be twice as large as the novel by the time I'm through.

2. Chunking and Recall
Chunking is a great term I learned last January when I took a course on the human brain and how to utilize it better in order to learn. In regards to writing, chunking would be taking an element of the story and associating it with other things in order to have better recall.

For example: When I bring up the word "red," based on the series I'm currently writing and publishing, I automatically think of one of my main characters, Thssk. I also think of blood, lava, anger, fire, dominating personalities, and power struggles. These next tier words lead me to specific scenes, character development, and backstory events - most of which revolve around Thssk, but also lead and connect to other characters and their story lines.

By chunking, or associating elements of the story to other elements, it just takes one word or phrase to recall much more information at once.

3. Make lists.
This one might go up under the Writing Things Down category, but I like to treat it differently. Lists are more compact, easier to read information, the overviews of the story.

In a complex novel I will use lists for:
i. Characters
I list characters by whether they are main characters, significant level B characters, C, and so on. Writing down everyone who has a name and assigning them their role in the story lets you see if your cast is too big and if you can't combine characters to have fewer people doing more in the novel. The danger with big, complex, multiple POV novels is making it difficult for the reader to remember who is who.
ii. Places and Settings
Listing your settings down gives you a great overview of what the story is doing. Do you use the same settings over and over again? Is there variety in your settings? Do you have too many settings? How can you reuse the same setting and portray it differently to help the mood of the story?
iii. Chronological order of events
Not all stories are told linearly, in fact, many really good ones aren't. Yet, it's important to know the chronological order of events as the author to avoid discrepancies in your writing. You don't want to use the scene where character A discovers the bad guy is really character Y before the scene where character Y declares they are in love with character A.
iv. Chapter and scene orders, including a list of POV characters for each
In a multiple POV novel, this list is vital, particularly for keeping track of how well mixed those POVs are. It lets me know if I've gone on too long with one story line at the expense of another.
v. Language and dialect
This has been valuable when I'm making up the words and phrases. I'm able to keep them straight, including their spellings and meanings.
vi. Historical events
A chronological list of historical or backstory events goes hand in hand with your story chronology. Backstory fuels character motivation and plot lines. Know what happened before the story and keep it straight with a simple timeline.
vii. Nodes of conjunction
This isn't one everyone uses but I have to. Nodes of conjunction are where story lines or characters connect. Say information about character D is discussed between characters X and W that will lead the reader to understand character D's actions in the next chapter. Or, characters F and G are going to finally collide with each other, when and where does this happen and how does it change the story? By using Nodes of conjunction in both a list and in my notes, I've found my stories get fuller faster and have more vitality in character development. 
viii. What still needs to be written
I'm a to-do list sort of person sometimes, and with big, complex novels, it helps me feel like I'm making a dent in the writing if I have a checklist of what needs to be done. Completely changeable as the story develops, this checklist works hand in hand with my outline and if I get stuck, I make a note about it and move on to the next item.
ix. Inconsistencies and places that need further research and development
All writers end up with inconsistencies in their stories, especially in the early stages. When I find one, I'm usually engrossed in working on something else. It helps to make a list of what the inconsistency is and where it is so that I can go back and revisit the issue.
x. How one scene or chapter segues into the next
Another list others may not use, but I like to. When moving from one POV character to another or one story line to another, I may have a cliffhanger, but something in the scene or chapter preceding the next needs to have a segue. It can be an object, mentioning the conflict or the next POV character, or even a theme. This list has been crucial in helping set chapter order.

4. "Put it together and what have you got?"
I've made mention before on this blog about creating a Story Bible. In essence, once you've created all of the things I've listed, you have made a Story Bible. The essential ingredient to successful orchestration of a complex novel.

When really considering how I keep things straight, my most personal answer is I like a challenge. I enjoy diving into multiple character and plot lines and playing with them. I love making connections between them and exploring the results. To me, it reflects life. Our actions or failure to act have an impact on others. It's never been about creating a glut of characters, events, or settings just because I could. People are complex. We're never completely good or evil. To me a story isn't about creating one hero that does everything, but celebrating the many heroic acts happening at different levels. The same thing for the mischief and malice created by the characters bent on being antagonists.

5. Index cards
Sometimes I need a visual representation of the story, especially when dealing with multiple POVs or plot lines. That's when I get out my index cards and put down information scene by scene. By keeping to scenes it makes it possible to rearrange quickly or play with the order. Usually my card looks something like this:

(Name of Scene) (Scene #)
Setting/Date
List of key points
POV character
Ritual/Theme
Key objects

I name my scenes. In a large novel it makes it easier to refer to if I've given a short clue as to what the scene is about. The scene # relates to where I have it listed in my overall outline or Table of Contents. The list of key points is pretty self-explanatory, as is point-of-view character. Rituals or themes help me classify the scene. For example: Outward Conflict, or Barter Ritual, or Point of Humiliation. Key objects refer to literal objects in the scene that have meaning or purpose to the story. They might be a weapon, or a green dress, or a tree. They are often symbolic and reoccur in the story.

Once I've compiled all my index cards I put them up on a blank wall in my office. Usually right in front of my treadmill so that when I'm taking a break and releasing endorphins I can also be brainstorming and reviewing the basic story material.

In Conclusion: 
My love for exploring every aspect of a story makes it easy to keep things straight in my head. I like to live and relive the moments. It's not a matter of knocking off a scene or chapter in order to reach a quick writing goal and then move on to the next novel. I prefer to savor and revisit. And that is why I know my stories so well and can write big, complex, epic novels.

Have a further question about anything you've read here or regarding more info on how I keep things straight? Please, ask me. Or tell me how you keep your material straight when you write. Do you do some of the same things I do?

Don't Buy That Method!

Oh, there are so many great sources for writing instruction out there! Authors, editors, publishers, universities, writing forums, books, YouTube clips ... For a beginning writer or even someone who is checking out the professional side of things, the plethora of resources can be daunting and confusing. Should you get a MFA? Which conventions and conferences should you attend? Which workshops should you take? One group of people swears by this method, others swear by another. Bloggers try to help by sharing their favorite methods and it adds to the confusion.

First off, take a big breath and relax.

Secondly, congratulations for recognizing that any good writer needs to work on their craft. Anyone who assumes otherwise is in for a long, hard ride.

But here's the bit of truth you seldom run into when trying to find the one-true method: There isn't one ultimate method to writing or your writing journey.

I'm sorry if that's a disappointment for some, that there isn't a fast-track to writing bliss and success. On the other hand, if you're like me, knowing that fact is a huge relief. It's easy to think you're doing everything wrong because your writing journey isn't the same as someone else. Online, everything seems so competitive. We are exposed to more success stories than we would in our real lives. Those that make it big become instant rock stars (never mind if it took them years to get there, we only see the here and now) and the rest of us are poor, deluded drudges. It gets depressing if you let it. Sometimes we're tempted to pay someone to teach us the mystic secrets of writing and publishing, and granted, some resources are worth the price. However, most of what you need to know, the basics, you can find out for free if you take the time to do some research.

Ask any writer and they'll share the resources they found helpful. It's a place to start. The next step is trying out different methods and see what works best for you. Chances are you will spend several years developing your method. That's good, and healthy.

But wait, there's more.

While it's not good to only buy into the method someone's trying to cram down your throat, did you know it's equally detrimental to only create one method for yourself? Once we get into a pattern that works for us, it's tempting to stay there, and it's possible to churn out many adequate or good books that way. So why bother rocking the boat once we get in?

Our brains are amazing, and there's this wonderful technique called interleaving that helps stimulate creativity, memory, and creating connections between facets that normally wouldn't come together. In other words, you can write better than your one-true method will allow you to.

When we're in those early experimental stages, we're actually at our creative best. We haven't locked onto one method; we're trying lots of methods. We're interleaving. Let's look at some examples:

1. You've been stuck on a particular chapter, having difficulty creating the right dialogue and exposition between two characters. You know what's going on, what needs to be discussed, even know how your characters feel about it, but things aren't working out right. Say your one-true method is to pound out the scene then go back and edit it like crazy until it shines. Not bad, and yes, you'll probably think of snappier dialogue with each pass. But, what if you tried a different method, a POV reversal. You've had the scene written out in character A's POV, now rewrite it from character B's POV. Wow, you think afterwards, I thought I knew both characters sides, but look what else came out. Switch the POVs back adding in the new angles, or maybe you'll decide that character B was the right way to go all along.

2. You're an outliner. It keeps you on track and you can check things off your outline as you do them; it gives you a sense of accomplishment and productivity. You wake up in the middle of the night with your story on your brain. An unplanned setting, an event not on the outline, and interaction between two characters you never intended to meet up suddenly makes several plotlines make more sense. Grab a sheet of paper or a notebook and write like a pantser. Don't outline the scene, write it. Don't worry about your outline, after all, outlines aren't carved in stone and you can always change the whole thing tomorrow when you add this new scene into the story. The point is, you're brain has made new connections unfettered by a strict outline which can change the success of your story.

3. You've always written chronologically; it helps you keep your facts straight; but now your stuck and having a hard time moving forward. In the back of your mind is the next key scene, the problem is you have to get your characters to that point before you can write it. Rip out that mental stop sign and go ahead and write the next key scene. By writing it, you may come up with the pathway those characters have to take in order to feel, do, and say the things that this scene demands.

4. You write your stories in first person, present tense. That's what's been popular for the past few years and you've become accustomed to it, even love it. But it's not working for your current WIP. First person's leaving out too many important details and events that would enrich the novel for your readers. The situation, at times, when written in present tense makes you sound like you're hyping up the slow parts of your novel to a ridiculous level. Try writing in close third, or even the frowned upon 3rd omniscient. Does it make the story flow better? You may find you even like it. Or, it will help you weed out what isn't working well in your pet style.

5. You've got a big, complex story with lots of character POVs. Making each of those POVs different is a Herculean task. You've been editing and editing to try to make a difference but your beta readers are struggling to know whose POV they're in. Time to pull the novel apart and work on one storyline at a time, rather than as a cohesive whole. This way you get into one character's head and stay there for the duration of their story, allowing you the time needed to develop that character's particular syntax, perspective, and style, making their voice strong.

Get the picture? Don't be afraid to stop your usual writing routine to try out something new, something different. Our brains like this kind of stimulation. We have to look at our writing from new angles in order to keep it fresh. Study the methods of others, lots of others, decide which ones work best for you, but don't stop interleaving methods. Never put yourself in a rut because it is safe.

From my own experience, I never realized I was a natural interleaver until I learned about it. I seldom get writer's block because of it, and I'm bombarded by new ideas and new connections all the time. No two novels are written the same way. If anyone were to ask me for my method I'd have to smile; I have no method. I use many and I like to discover new ones to try out. Perhaps after reading this post you've discovered you're a natural interleaver too. If so, keep it up, and don't let anyone else tell you to box yourself in. Embrace the creative freedom.

Question for you:
What are some of the methods or resources you've found helpful when writing? Please share them so everyone can learn something new.

Writing for Hours Uninterrupted? Not a Good Idea.

Conventional wisdom says to try to write every day. Most of us don't have an entire day before us, like a blank sheet of paper, but when we are able to snatch a block of time to write we use it. And when we do get an entire day, perhaps even an entire week to write, the temptation is to utilize all our time for writing. That's where we blow it.

To start with, sitting for great periods of time is bad for your body and your brain. Here's a great little video that explains why sitting is detrimental to your health:

Plus going nonstop on one thing can cause burn-out of the mind. After awhile you get tired, blocked, you've lost your writing mojo. But ... but, you have a precious block of time for writing! How can you not keep glued in that seat working away?

First off, writing just for the sake of writing doesn't equate to quality writing. The same goes for reaching a word count goal for its own sake. Contrary to popular belief, amassing words can give only a momentary sense of satisfaction. In the long run, you've created a larger pile of editing for yourself.

So how in the world can you maximize your time, try to reach your writing goals, and give yourself less editing to do?

1. Take breaks. Get out of that chair and move around. Get your blood flowing and give your muscles some relief.

2. Drink water. Our bodies are mostly made of water, including our brains. Keep hydrated.

For further reading:
Top 7 Brain Benefits of Drinking Water
Why Your Brain Needs Water

3. In a rut? Blocked? Ready to wring your hands or pull out your hair because the clock is ticking and you can't move forward? Exercise. Research has proven that the brain is stimulated through exercise.

Take a moment to think about this ...

We have two modes of thinking, called the focused (task positive network) and the diffuse (task-negative network) modes. Focused mode is concentrated, on-task thinking. It's what you've been in since you sat down to write. The problem is we can't keep up focused mode indefinitely. We run into a problem or get blocked. Our brain needs a break.

Diffuse mode is the thinking that goes on when we are relaxing, when we aren't focused directly on the task we want to accomplish, but actually our brain is still at work--in another area. The back of our mind is still processing the problem and when we are doing something else like exercise, changing tasks, or even sleeping, that diffuse mode of thinking is busy coming up with the solution to our problem.

4. Daydream and brainstorm while doing other things. Go ahead and change your laundry, run an errand, play a game of solitaire (just don't get snared into playing too much) doodle or draw; it's good for your mind and creative flow.

5. Get rid of distractions when you are ready to concentrate on writing.
a) Turn off your phone, disable the internet or pop-up alerts.
b) Tell your family that you need uninterrupted time and make sure they understand and their needs are met so they don't bother you. Give them a time frame to go by.
c) Make sure you are in a place that is not only comfortable but that will encourage you to work. That may be the library, outside under a tree, in an office (clear the clutter from your desk), anywhere that is your place for writing.
d) Don't even think about checking your calendar for deadlines. Sometimes those are more distracting than anything else. You need to relax in order to think clearly. Say to yourself that you have (insert time period) and what you manage to get done in that time is enough. Shrug off the pressure.

6. Sleep. Whether it's a half-hour power nap or making sure you get to bed on time and get your eight hours in, sleep is what clears the toxins from your brain so that you can think straight. Toxins? Yes. When we are awake we are collecting toxins in our brains. The cells in our brain expand and the flow of liquid necessary to flushing out toxins is reduced. When we sleep the cells shrink and the liquid is able to get rid of the daily build-up. Ever wonder why you never do better on less sleep? Now you know.

Want to learn more about the wonderful human brain? Check out BrainFacts.org.

Basically, when we are stubborn about staying glued to our seats in order to pound out the words, we are being counter-productive. The very things we don't want to take time to do may actually help us write better and more efficiently. We are not machines, we are not automatic prodigies, we are not built to work nonstop.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get up from the computer and go do something else for awhile.

Behind the Scenes: Forbidden Without Knowing Why

Welcome to Behind the Scenes, a place where I delve into the wheres, whys, hows, and other sundry research regarding my novel, Trefury. Come explore this month's topic with me.

Have you ever been forbidden to do something without knowing the reason why? It doesn't have to be something deep, dark, dangerous, or controversial. Think especially about your childhood or teen years. Did a parent, guardian, teacher, or other supervising adult have a rule that didn't make sense to you? Did you try to get around it? Did you obey it unquestioningly? Did you ever find out the reason for the rule?

One of my main characters, Cortnee, butts heads with her mother over the issue of taking dancing lessons. Her mother grudgingly allowed it for a few years on the stipulation that Cortnee can't exhibit her skills. This actually applies to all of the other extra-curricular classes Cortnee takes (and there are several!) But as soon as they need to move, her mother seizes this opportunity as an excuse to drop the dance classes. The problem is Cortnee is a natural born dancer and wants to grow up to dance professionally. This whole situation is actually backstory for the novel but the consequences of their subsequent struggle over the issue is a driving factor in present-novel-Cortnee's decisions.

Cortnee bows to her mother's wishes because of what ensues from this disagreement. However, she does find ways to circumvent her mother's anti-dance sentiments. She pursues a secondary dream of becoming a recording engineer.

What's a recording engineer? (More on that research coming up soon.)

This secondary pursuit, along with her original dreams of becoming a dancer, play an integral part in not only who she is and what she wants, but create some unexpected reactions from my other main character (more on him to come.) It's not until towards the end of the story that Cortnee learns why her mother was so against dancing, and the explanation knocks the figurative rug out from under her feet.

Share your story of being forbidden to do something in the comments. How did it affect you? For those of you who are parents, have you been placed in a position where you had to forbid your children to do something? Was it hard? Did you let them know the reason why? Please keep these experiences PG or lower. No political or theological rants, please. These will be deleted.