Glass slumping and the procrastination monster

When I feel overwhelmed by all I’m trying to do I find my mind doesn’t quite function as it should. And I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. Partly because my day job has been exhausting over June and I’ve had little creative energy left for anything outside of work.

When I get stressed I tend to start thinking at strange tangents.

So the little creative energy I have had I have been using to find something artistic to enrich my life. I’ve researched glass and ceramic classes and considered getting the camera out again and focusing on photography.

But it took some time to realise that I am already doing something like this – my writing. And these ideas take from my writing time, that researching classes robs my writing time.

In my search for some stress release I found I was procrastinating, and in many ways only adding to my stress.

At least I am able to see this for what it really is.

So instead of taking up a new hobby I have taken some time to refocus on why writing is important to me and what I want to write. Which it turns out is not very different to what I have been thinking about and working towards for some time. I just needed a bit of a kick.

I have looked over a variety of advice to beat procrastination (again, and yes that is in a way another form of procrastination). I have decided to try using a writing journal. This will be a notebook where I map out the aim of my next writing session, then how well I thought that session went and how close I came to meeting the session goals.

This may help cut down the email checking I do before I start writing because I only have an hour of a morning before the getting ready for school madness starts and a clear plan/aim/goal for that hour would help guide me straight into writing.

Happy Scribbling

First Written Rejection

I'm so excited to share the news that I have received my first written rejection.

My first rejection was by non-response. So this one has been tacked up on the study wall.

Part of me doubts my first novel will ever be published but I am going to send it out again into the scary world to see what happens.

In any case, I will continue writing.

Happy Scribbling

The Connection Between Reading and Writing

My current subject at Uni is looking at the importance and the connection between reading and writing. That is that one does not or cannot exist without the other. It is an interesting point and timely.

My mother has chastised me recently for not having enough faith in my own writing and not sending it out into the world.

‘But I have,’ I whined.

But not enough I whispered to myself.

The only way I can really call myself a writer is when others are reading my writing. My reading my own, apparently, is not enough.

So, I hear you sigh. She is going to refocus, again.

Well, yes I am; and no.

In light of where I want to be, that is a published writer, people will at some point read my writing. I am most comfortable with novel length writing, but I also need to work a little on short stories and memoir. Other forms in general, let’s say. Poetry has had its run methinks.

Part of this change has been spurred by my assignment this term - to write something for publication in the university magazine. I have thought about this previously but this form of writing has taken a backseat and my novel writing has taken over. I do think there is room for both – I just need to watch even less TV and try not to read so much.

Reading is important and I feel that I learn a lot from the books that I read; both those I enjoy and those I don’t. Writing more than reading I think. If I’m not getting my book written because I am too busy reading someone else’s novel – well it’s not good. Balance is the key.

I have some new points to focus on with my study – confidence and my powers of description (which are currently lacking). The more I write the better I get, so more writing it is. And that was my aim all along.

Happy Scribbling

Overflowing Ideas

I have had a problem with new ideas recently. They seem to be invading my thinking nearly all of the time and I blame my writers’ group. Yes, it’s your fault. All of you.

Little sayings, little phrases are sparking ideas at the moment and drawing my attention away from where it should be; firmly focused on my fantasy novel which seems to have stalled in a way, again. It is being written, and edited, at the moment and I’m getting lots of fresh ideas for that too.

But in a recent day dream of all the stories I would like to write I started to think about those I have planned or started or had ideas for. An action style women’s fiction I started some time ago, that is still in the planning stages has been haunting me and the ending came into focus in the car the other day. Another women’s fiction idea, still in the very early stages of thinking about seemed to float back to the surface too and I ended up doing half a day’s research for it.

All distractions from my current work.

Coming back to my writing group; imagine the cheek of some people, actually inspiring writing in such an environment. But they have (and they do regularly) and a couple of phrases are starting to grow into bigger ideas. I think for the moment they are short stories but I have had to stop and ask: is it worth me writing them now?

All of this thinking about stories, and more stories and parts for old stories and unfinished stories is good in some ways. It helps my confidence that there are that many stories locked away somewhere in my head. And that my muse is working and I may never run dry for ideas. Yet it distracts from what I want to finish now. Again with the unfinished work.

I want so much to finish my current fantasy because I want to see how it ends, and because then I can legitimately get on with other stories. I will have to write down the little ideas, so I don’t lose them, and focus, focus and focus some more on one project at a time.

Happy Scribbling

I spoke earlier in the year about some exercises or activities to help with creativity, skill and enriching writing.

A search of the internet will provide a lot of exercises or activities for different levels and different interests. I have pulled together some from different sources that appealed to me. You can adjust or adapt any of these for your own needs.

1.       Dream journal – keep pen and paper by the bed and write down dreams when you wake, or a story of the images that come to mind. I can’t always remember my dreams clearly but sometimes an idea of the dream leads to some very interesting stories.

2.       Google image prompt – or review favourite websites for pictures, and one as a prompt to write a short story.

3.       5 minutes of blind writing – I’m not so sure about this one but it works for some. It is what it sounds like, blindfolded write for five minutes.

4.       Eaves dropping – take part of an overheard conversation and write a story.

5.       Describe your favourite place in detail, capturing what makes it special.

6.       Detail a memory from the past – it could be yesterday, it could be years ago, big or small.

7.       Writing off the page – take a line of poetry, or a famous saying, or line from a book/film/tv and continue writing.

8.       Colour – choose a colour, go for a walk and then write about everything you see that is that colour or reminds you of that colour.

9.       Take something already done and twist it – such as a funny story, like Home Alone and make it scary, or take something scary and make it funny, like Dracula.

10.   Take a well known story or character and make it modern – What would red riding hood have to face on her way to grandma’s house today?

11.   Use a crossword – use all the down solutions in a short story.

12.   Take a headline – rearrange the words and then write the new story.

Happy Scribbles

Easter Break

I have been taking some time for myself of late. Not always productive time, but time I need.  Again, I seem to be spending a lot of time setting goals, reorganising and refocusing and relying on my lists but they haven’t necessarily been moving me forward.

Over the Easter break I stretched that out to take some alone time to clear the clutter (from the house and my mind) and try to reclaim my creativity.

It isn’t that I’m not being creative but at the moment I am trying to do so much I am in a constant state of stress about what I want to do. Which is simply crazy. These are goals and projects I have set myself. So at what point did my writing change from being a daily necessity to become so difficult?

I don’t know.

But when I think about it, it is not that it is difficult, I’ve just let other things overwhelm me and get in the way. A few days off my day job gave me the chance to sort some of those other things out and allow me the opportunity to write all I want to.

I’m also taking more opportunities to feed my creativity, such as making sure I read every day, I’ve been to the theatre and booked another visit. And the most exciting is that I’m going to see one of my favourite authors next week launch her new book. In the middle of all of this my writing group is a constant support and source of inspiration.

Have a Happy Easter – I hope your holiday break is as productive as mine.

Happy Scribbling

Priorities

Over the last few weeks I have been looking at my priorities. Ensuring I am focused on the right areas and not trying to do too much. I am often tempted by new project ideas and I find that I can start to get a bit bogged down. Then it all becomes too much and I’m not able to work on anything, let alone complete it.

That is my main aim for this year – to get some projects finished.

This is particularly important for my current novel. I always want to be a prolific writer. I have loads of ideas, stories and characters begging to be written. Some of them will blossom into whole books and some not, some short stories and some blog ideas and some ideas will never make it onto anything other than scrap paper because that is where they belong.

Back to my novel. I spent years (lots of years) writing my first novel and I live in fear of it taking me just as long with this one. If that does end up being the case then I’m a long way from the next novel, and the one after that. And that is not what I want.

So I am prioritising my writing workload in the attempt to get more finished – so that I can start more. Are you still with me?

I have a range of things going at the moment and have recently picked up some more, in a slightly different field for the joy and experience and it is helping someone out.

Initially I had listed in order of importance my writing priorities. But when I read over them, they are all important for the longer term and all of them will need some time devoted to them to get them finished. Some will require more than others.

So in no particular order:

-          Novel one submitted to an agent

-          Novel two completed and ready to send to readers group

-          Writing opportunity

-          Master of Arts (Writing)

-          Regular blogging

I had read the suggestion that all projects should be finished before adding anything else to the list. I can see the sense in that, but some of these projects are ongoing and it would mean that I couldn’t do anything else for at least a couple of years. It may be that I should break them down to smaller chunks, such as just the next stage for each and then add or change as I go.

If I did that the list would look like:

-          Novel one submitted to an agent

-          Novel two – complete redraft/edit of first five chapters

-          Interview “Hero”, draft articles

-          Complete Masters Unit for SP1 – weekly tutorials; major assignment

-          Write blog draft for posting – weekly

But then even as I type this, I can think of better ways, different deadlines for different components. I have a weekly task list; and I have a daily task list. I think I am better working towards my main priorities in the first list my way until they are done. Every week is different too and I believe in being flexible. Some weeks I can get a little ahead with my study; some weeks I may have nothing to write for the “writing opportunity”; or with family pressures and life in general sometimes it isn’t always possible to keep to the planned schedule.

I try. I am writing every day. I am constantly thinking about my writing projects and what I can do. Some dedicated time this weekend and the first item will be ticked off the list. It may come back on, depending on the outcome of the submission, but it will be done.

I’m already tempted to add other things to the list. But if I am aiming to get things finished then I need to focus on what I have first. I have tried to set the outcome to a point where I need to rest, or I can’t do anymore until I have feedback. Then I can use that time to fit in other opportunities and projects.

I just have to continue writing.

Happy Scribbling

(Photo: www.applestooranges.ca)