I have the amazing privilege of co-hosting this month's IWSG along
with CD Coffelt, Isis Rushdan,
and Michelle Wallace!
*****
Today
I'd like to offer some ideas for when you're feeling stuck, out of
ideas, in a slump, and just plain discouraged. These have worked for
me, and maybe they will for you, too. We all have different writing
processes, but maybe at least one of these “tricks” will fit your
style.
As
writers, we've all probably heard the “just write” admonishment.
I firmly believe in it. Writing is a solitary endeavor, and it takes
discipline. It takes constant practice. It takes doing it even when
you just don't wanna. But how do
you "just write" when it ain't flowing?
I
just open up a word document and start typing. Literally. Anything
that pops into my head. I jot down what I'm thinking, what I'm
worried about, what I did the day before, and most of the time,
something clicks and I have an idea for a post, and I'm off.
My recent post "The Fog Stole My Feet" happened that way. I was sitting there, idea-less, and I wrote, "We had weird fog this morning", and that led to Carl
Sandberg's line “the fog comes on little cat feet”, which I'd memorized in high school, and I realized
that I couldn't even see my feet, so off I went.
On
the days that a post doesn't come to me with this method, I turn back
the clock. I start typing out childhood memories, identifying them
by a phrase, and most of the time something will spark and I'll write
a post about young Tina and her weird antics, or accidents, or
invented games.
When I'm really stuck I read.
I have the luxury of a Kindle, a LOT of writer friends, and an
impossibly long to-be-read list. I usually have three books going at
a time, and I'll “pick one of them up” and read a few pages.
Sometimes what I read makes a light-bulb go off and I have a post
idea. If that doesn't work, at least I'm procrastinating in a useful
way ;-)
Some
days, a post just doesn't come with any of these methods, so I turn
to my kids. “What should I write about today?” They usually
offer some pretty weird ideas, and sometimes nothing useful, but
again, a spark can come from that. However, a lot of their
suggestions are about embarrassing incidents, and so that's where my
series of unfortunate event posts have come from: desperation and the
encouragement of my teens.
Being
stuck for a post is different from being stuck in your WIP, though,
but I'll save those suggestions for next month. I hope at least one
of these ideas might help you next time you need a little boost for your blog.
~Tina
*****
Alex “Ninja Captain” Cavanaugh is our leader for this wonderful, supportive group. Don't forget we even have our own website now. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already, and "like" our
facebook page, too. I'm so impressed with what these talented folks are doing
to promote this group! Encouragement month long is now just a click
away!
