Open It Up!
You’ve had a long, hard day at work. You’ve been sick. You have writer’s block. You have housework piled up.
You just don’t feel like writing.
I know. I’ve been there, done that.
There are about a million things you can do to work up the motivation to write, but you know what I’ve found works best? It’s SO simple, and it requires no work, no positive thinking, no time.
Just open up your document. That’s it. Open it up. Because I’ve discovered that simply having the thing open puts it right there in your face. Your WIP stares at you. Taunts you. And if nothing else, it encourages you to tinker. Even if you don’t add significantly to the word count, it feels good to read a sentence and just make a single word better. That can lead to more tinkering, and in no time, you can find yourself immersed in your book and happily plunking away at the keyboard.
So if you’re having motivational issues, try just opening the document. You might be surprised at how much work you actually end up getting done!
March 17th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I have done this. Yesterday, I was having a hard time concentrating and decided to take a shower to clear my head. I did wonders, I wrote 1400 words.
It’s funny how things in my personal life get in the way of creativity. Thankfully, my characters don’t care what’s going on, they demand attention.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Patty, it’s funny, because showers often get me going! For some reason, I always think about my stories while I’m showering. Naps…same thing. When I’m really needing ideas, I climb into bed and start thinking, and I almost always solve the problem (and end up with a nap!)
March 17th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Truer words were never spoken. I did this last night and ended up writing 2k! So thanks Larissa.
And showers do the same thing for me, too. Great place to plot.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:17 am
that’s a great idea, larissa! thanks.
Of course, Word is such a RAM hog that if I leave it open, I can’t play warcraft!
Wait a second…
March 17th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Great advice.
Opening it up is 90% of the battle for me. Once the current doc is open, the story calls, and I start poking at keys. May not get much done, but it’s always more than if I’d never opened the file.
March 17th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Showers have some scientific reason for clearing the head. Something about negatives ions, Hubby knows, but he’s at work, all I know is it works. Whenever he’s stressed he pops in the shower and when he gets out he’s got all the answers. It happens to me when I’m stuck all the time.
As to opening the doc, oh yeah, that works. Can’t help myself, just a little of this and little of that, then hold on where’d that chapter come from??
March 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Yeah, opening the file is such a hurdle… Until I open it, I’m convinced the story is crap and I just can’t write it. But once I compel myself to open it, and start looking at the words, it’s half the battle won.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
This is so true. Who can resist tinkering when it’s staring them in the face?! The other thing I do is take off my writing cap, and just go back a few thousand words and read what I’ve done - not with the purpose of editing. (I’ll fix blaring typos, and maybe highlight something I know I will have to fix later) but generally, I try to just read it, and enjoy it. It gets me caught up with where I was going, and it gives me a warm fuzzy (assuming I’m happy, overall, with what I’ve done). It’s a good way to get un-stuck too.
Thanks, Larissa!