Stepping into the forest of my mind

Stepping into the forest of my mind
Just as every journey begins with a first step, every story begins with the first word.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Insecure Writers Want to Know: When your writing life is filled with rain, What do you do to dig down and keep writing?


Please understand that any time I’m struggling with my writing, it pours. Thunder and lightning included. Hail, many times. I mean the storm clouds just won’t leave me alone. My children and husband even scatter! It isn’t pretty. Eeyore has nothing on me. 
http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com


But I try to convince myself that I’m not alone. Drenched souls don’t mind sharing umbrellas or fluffy beach towels. That’s why I treasure IWSG. I’d be lost without you guys!

The first thing I try to do is remain at my desk, fingers at the ready on the keyboard, eyes focused on the computer screen. I turn off any outside noise. If only I could find that hidden off switch on the children!
Then I attempt to inhabit the story or memoir situation, asking myself:
If I were the protagonist, what would I do?
How would I feel?
What would I remember to help me cope with the present day action of the story?
What meaning would the story action have for me?

However when the rain is really pelting me, it’s time to save my work and close the document. Then turn to other writers to learn. Mostly this means reading stories and blog posts, essays and how-to books, and listening to the writing gurus’ podcasts.
But in so doing, I try to remind myself that they, too, might have struggled to write their stories or posts or essays or memoirs or podcasts.

When I can’t see where to go in my story or memoir, I turn off the computer and take my brain outside. The weather doesn’t matter. I’m really just thinking and walking; looking at the real world to be able to make sense of my fictitious world or the past memoir world that I’ve lived. I’m taking my eyes away from the page; noticing the sky and the trees; smelling the flowers and the earth; listening to the song of the birds and my thoughts. I’m a concrete thinker. I need to understand the logic of what’s happening before I can transcribe it into story or memoir.

 As I return to my work and my computer, I consider any knowledge that I might need in order to move forward in the story or memoir. I’m talking about research here. And while I believe in the power of the library or any expert interviews you may be able to acquire, the internet is a fine place to begin a research campaign.
Now I don’t know about you, but I need to remind myself that I’m working here and not get interested in what’s happening on social media or suddenly want to discover what my favorite movie star is up to or the royals. I try to console myself saying it’s only because I don’t know where to go in my WIP. Yet, I’m a writer. There’s a time to play and a time to work.

Writers work incredibly hard to make their creation a reality. How do you climb out of the mud puddles of your WIP when you don’t know how to proceed? Humor me please. I’ve moved to higher ground and still I’m drowning trying to make sense of my college memoir.

Thank you for visiting Adventures in Writing. Please follow my blog if you haven’t already and connect with me online. Leave your blog link in the comment so I can be sure to do the same for you.

This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s SupportGroup. We post on the first Wednesday of every month.  To join us, or learn more about the group, click HERE.  

38 comments:

  1. You are exactly right - drenched souls sharing umbrellas and fluffy beach towels make all the difference! I think at the end of the day, we all have the same story, but with different details and tweaks. And that is such a great realization, as we travel on our own byway. Like you, I find renewal in solace, outside, in nature, and for me, even in the storm. Keep writing!

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    1. Thank you, Lee. You are correct. It's just the details that are different. I work very hard to keep my head above the storm waters at times.

      I truly appreciate your comment here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  2. Social media is my downfall. Curse you, Facebook!
    Glad to hear that you’ve found a way to cope with the stresses of writing.
    Thanks for sharing

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    1. Seriously, life was easier without the social media distraction. Sometimes research took a bit longer, though. Thanks for your note here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  3. I like that you know when to shut off the computer and get some inspiration from other sources. And you're right, none of us are alone in going through challenging times.

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    1. Isn't that the truth, Natalie! Thanks for your kind words here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  4. I think getting away from the manuscript is the best way to find sunshine again. Whether it is by reading about the craft or something that interests you (I see all this as beneficial to the act of writing), or by walking and being outside, which benefits the mind and the body. Social media should be avoided at all costs, since it is purely distracting (and to me only has a place “outside office hours” or as a reward to relax).

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    1. You are exactly right, Liesbet. Reading is very beneficial to writing, and certainly getting away from the manuscript helps. Once I turn off the computer at the end of my sometimes extended day, I don't turn it on until the next morning. To relax or reward myself, I stay OFF the computer.

      It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  5. I slog if I have a deadline, but I surf if I don't - or escape into another world.

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    1. Some good points here, Roland. Thanks for sharing them on Adventures in Writing. I truly appreciate it. All best to you, sir.

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  6. See, I write and research concurrently a lot of the time, so I need that pesky internet. But yes, it's easy to get caught up in the fascinating details and then get far away from my manuscript. Discipline is key, eh?

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    1. Isn't it, though? Many times I write and research concurrently, too, Crystal. It's just that when I'm in a session of staring a lot at the page, the internet calls to me to check in on the royals. That baby's due, you know.

      I truly appreciate your comment here at Adventures in Writing. I hope all is well at your house, Crystal. Enjoy your week!

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  7. Right! I'm with you, Anna. It is definitely all me.
    It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  8. Being in the quiet of my own office in the basement is usually enough to get me into the mood for writing. But sometimes you just have to slug it out with the words no matter how you're feeling.

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    1. Lucky you, Ken, to have an office that's quiet and not need to share the dining room table with high traffic in my house. And yes, sometimes I just need to "slug it out" with those words floating in my head.

      Thanks for your note here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  9. That's a really good point. I turn to other writers for inspiration as well. I'm on a break from my book right now, because there's a particular technique I want to incorporate in my work, and I'm learning how other authors are using it by reading. Once I feel more comfortable with it, I'm going to dig back in. :) Great post!

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    1. Good for you, Raimey, for trying a new technique. All the luck with it. We can always learn so much from other writers and reading.

      It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  10. I turn to other writers for inspiration too. Nothing is as powerful as community. Of course, my biggest motivator is helping others. Nothing is as rewarding as singing someone else's success for me.

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    1. Bravo, Erika! And you are truly a wonderful helper to others. I know I can never thank you enough for all you do to help me.

      It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  11. Reading a good book always helps me to rejuvenate my writing. Or two books. Or a dozen... Sometimes it takes more to get back into the writing game than other times, but somehow, I always end up there.

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  12. That's a good thing, Olga. I reward myself, most evenings, with enjoying someone else's wonderful book. But I also study the novel to see how they put their story together, what the protagonist learns and shares with the reader.

    Thanks for your note here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  13. I like reading or getting engaged in some other hobbies I have.

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    1. These are some great suggestions to combat struggles when trying to move forward with manuscripts. Thanks so much for offering them here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your weekend!

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  14. Yes, I too am so greatful for the IWSG group! And I love your tips from the questions you ask, the submerging yourself in reading materials of all kinds, and using the internet as a source for the story and not movie star updates. I especially like how you go outside to take a much needed break. I love the trees and a quiet hiking path. Have a lovely rest of your week Victoria :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words, Erika. They are greatly appreciated. We would certainly be lost without each other here at IWSG. Again, your comment here at Adventures in Writing is treasured. Thanks!

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  15. Yes to learning from others, including IWSG!

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    1. Absolutely, Yvonne! Writers helping writers, learning from each other, listening to each other. It's a great community. Thank you so much for being a part of it. And thanks for you note here on Adventures in Writing.
      All best to you.

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  16. It can be a difficult balance knowing when to push forward and when to step away. I know I get cranky if I let long periods of time pass between writing. Still, getting back into a groove is never easy. There are always distractions that can keep me from writing.

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  17. You are so right, Tamara. Crumbs! I get cranky when I'm not writing and know I should be, and I get cranky when things aren't going well in my story. My poor family.

    Thanks so much for your comment here at Adventures in Writing. All best to you!

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  18. Oh yes, even the people who offer advice have struggled with their writing. That's usually why they share what they know...to help. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for this insight, Chrys. I really need to hear this. It's always a pleasure seeing you here at Adventures in Writing. Enjoy your week!

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  19. I think a few people have mentioned reading as a way to get distance from your work and reenergize your self to tackle it again. That works for me at times.

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  20. Reading is a great way to see how other writers put together story and create characters. I like listening to books on tape because I can see the story as a whole.

    Thanks so much for your comment here at Adventures in Writing. It's truly appreciated. Have a great week!

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  21. Yes, reading or getting involved in a new project is also supposed to help.

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  22. Hello and welcome to Adventures in Writing, Kelly! Getting involved in a new project is a great idea to help motivate your creativity. Thanks so much for sharing this on Adventures in Writing. Have a great week!

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  23. Sometimes I need to take a break, or a few days off. If I'm really stumped, which can happen when I've been away from a novel for a long time, I'll need to read over what I've written from the beginning.

    If all else fails, brainstorming with a trusted friend or partner helps. Sometimes it's just the act of talking about the book that makes the story come back to me. It always works.

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  24. That is so true, J.H. I think talking about the book or story helps a writer to see the logic of it and the chain of events. And boy, do I wish I could take more breaks or a few days off from writing. Somehow, I can never turn off my mind. It is forever groping in the dark for answers to my writing dilemmas.

    Thanks so much for sharing your insight on Adventures in Writing. Have a great week!

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