Hello there! I know it's been too long since I've written anything here. I've been just harried with writing, working and other things right now. Real Life is being a bitch. Anyway, today is the October edition of the IWSG. This awesome group is 2 years old already and I cannot believe it. I've gotten so much from this group, the support, encouragement and commiseration has been truly amazing. Thank you, Captain Alex and all the members of your team who have been there for all of us. And there is even a really cool website now for the IWSG. Whoo hoo!!
I wanted to talk today about stuttering. No, not the speech impediment, but stuttering in writing, you know when you get going, sputter out, get going a little more, run up against a block, get some more story done...And on and on. This stop start cycle is frustrating to me. I want to drive needles into my eyes and run screaming down the street. I've started writing outlines, but even they don't seem to help this. It's not a full blown writers block, because I do write, but it's like my Muse is teasing me. She sends the words, then she takes them away, sends a little more, yanks them back. I hate this!!
Please tell me I am not crazy and am not the only one who suffers from this. And if you are a fellow sufferer, how do you handle it?
Glad you like the new website!
ReplyDeleteOutlines don't help? What's happening when it is working? Time of day, music playing, anything else? Maybe there are things that drive you and the story that would help when it starts to splutter.
Sounds to me like you are getting distracted and losing focus. Happens to me all the time. Sometimes I can't sleep and the more I think about not sleeping the harder it gets to fall asleep. Writing can be like that too. If you force the words to come they remain beyond your grasp. Stop, breath, relax and have a glass of wine.
ReplyDeleteYou are not the only one who suffers from this. I'm currently in a similar cycle. It's not fun at all. Unfortunately, I have no idea what to do about it, but I like Siv's suggestion of a glass of wine. I don't drink wine, but I do have a nice bottle of Irish whiskey that will probably suffice.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I think we are hanging out at the same "stucked" spot on differential realms or something. You are not alone. I think I will try the wine suggestion, I like to write with a glad of it in my system but usually I know where my writing is going. I might try two glasses to see if that relaxes me enough to get my muse's attention.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and I hope you (and I) get writing the useful stuff soon!
Different*
DeleteAutor correct thought 'differential' was cooler apparently o_0
I don't usually have trouble with that but once in a while I have to walk away for hours or even a day to figure out a plot point. Otherwise I get it down for the first draft and try and fix the garbage in the second draft.
ReplyDeleteI have stutters, too. I think it's my brain processing the story and waiting for inspiration. Most time it comes w/in 24 hours. Sometimes not. Chocolate, tea, and TV often help. And workouts.
ReplyDeleteA good nights rest always helps me to get through much!
ReplyDeleteI've hit this phase a couple times. Half the time I force myself to keep writing. What I hate is when I'm wide awake at 3 a.m. with a really cool idea, go write it down and it just stops. Like, that's all I get. I can't move forward. So I make myself move forward and just keep going with something, anything to keep it rolling. It's hard sometimes. More often than not, I just wait for the next spurt.
ReplyDeleteCreativity is tied into emotion, so there's no way to force it. But it is possible to keep the process going. Stuttering is a natural part of that. You'll get there soon Melissa.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle of something either very similar or exactly the same, as my blog's slow output clearly shows. I hope we're both past it and through very soon!
ReplyDeleteHa! I've been stuttering for months!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Melissa! <3 <3 <3
Believe me . . . you're not the only one! I wish it was as easy as the muse whispering to us in our dreams!
ReplyDeleteYou're not crazy, Sweets.... just stressed... BREATHE! Once you relax your muse will keep you awake at night!!!!
ReplyDeleteI stutter with my writing all the time. However, we get American Horror Story season 3 starting up this week, which is just in time to provide some sorely needed inspiration.
ReplyDeleteOh hell yeah I stutter pretty much all the time. I just try to get it all down, even if it's crappy and goes nowhere. Sometimes, the stuttering ceases long enough to actually make a little magic. Other times, I stutter all the way through it. It's just like any other job - just gotta kick its ass as best you can!
ReplyDeleteMy book is told in two different times, so when I'm stuck in one, I go write some in the other. I realize this isn't a solution that would work for most people...but hey, you asked. However, I'm stuck in a total lack of time to work on my book, which is an entirely different problem. Oh, and yeah, wine is the answer to any problem ;-)
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
I reckon I just have to walk away, do something else. Do something mindless...oooh, coloring books!!! You can still be creative in a zen kinda way, and that's sometimes when the good stuff strikes, eh?
ReplyDeleteCheck Out Mina's Resurrection Blogfest II!
Hmm...Maybe it's your muse telling you that you need a break. After all, we need to replenish our creative juices. Watch a favorite show, read a good book and maybe it'll inspire to you get writing again :)
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
I've been stuttering and I tend to do this, hop around the internet. My best advice is to set a goal and keep to it. Make a goal of words or hours to write during the day, see what happens.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...I totally stutter when it comes to my writing. But I'm not really popular enough to care much. People like GRRM? Yeah, his stuttering drives millions of people nuts. That must be a lot of pressure. At least he's getting paid lots of money though!
ReplyDeletehey melissa!
ReplyDeletestuttering is a great way to put it
ive done some scenes where it comes so easily, then ive spent days and days on others, because it comes and goes
ive found these stuttering scenes are usually ones in which im not so familiar with the stuff im writing about! lol