On Blocks and Other Frustrations

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Have you ever set a goal for yourself, like, “I’ll finish this story by X date,” and then realized your mind’s gone blank?

Yeah, me too.

I wanted to have the next chapter of The Night Is a Harsh Mistress today, and set that as my goal.  Then, when I sat down to write, my mind went blank because I worried about whether it will be any good.  Rather than fight the goal, I figured I’d chat about what works for me for getting around it.

First, be careful about what goals you do accept.  If you know that setting your expectations can tend to block you, then be selective about what goals you do try to struggle for.

Second, set small goals for doing the work.  For example, try using a timer and set it for 30 minutes.  Even if you just stare at your computer for that 30 minutes, (and no cheating on Facebook or garbage surfing), see what happens.

Third, if that doesn’t work, try sitting with your journal for a while.  Write about why you don’t want to work on your goal.  Write all the nasty, petty, complaining little putsy comments that you can think of.  Sometimes, just getting them out there can help.

Fourth, try something else.  If you have another craft, like knitting, do that for a bit just to get moving creatively.  Or, try a blog post, like this, for example.

Fifth, give yourself permission to fail.  By the time it got to be dinnertime, I realized I wasn’t going to get the chapter done today.  Instead, I decided to be honest and write about my block, and in the process, came up with some ideas for how to get around them.  It doesn’t make my goal happen, but it does keep me moving in the right direction – and that, in and of itself, can help you.

Above all, remember we are all imperfect beings.  It’s not about the goals you accomplish, but the journey you take along the way.  As they say, you win some, you lose some.  Just keep moving forward and you might be startled by how many you start finishing.

Happy creating!

Writer Wednesday – More on Establishing Routines

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Yesterday I brought up the value of establishing routine.  A. Catherine Noon commented with a good idea, too.  She recommends weekly planning, which makes sense; looking at matters within a larger block of time would cut down on the minutia of daily scheduling.

I do intend to resume spending time each day at my desk, regardless of whether it be a Wednesday or a Sunday.  That kind of discipline can only be good for me.  Many writers have a set goal for their office time, such as producing a certain word count.  I used to be that way, with a hope of reaching a thousand words every day.

Now, however, I’m not going to be that strict upon myself.  It’s enough to take baby steps in the right direction.

In fact, whenever the weather cools back down I might count sitting on my porch with a laptop or notebook as office time.  I’ve enjoyed much creativity there.  And the creative process deserves flexibility to flourish.  At least I find that is true for me.

So, here’s a proverbial toast to routines without restrictions.  I hope that any endeavor upon which you embark gives you more a sense of freedom than burden.

Routine Matters

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Looking upon the clock a short while ago, I found myself appalled that no ideas had surfaced for my blog post today.  The concern led me to wonder why this is so, to ponder many of the tips I’ve read on writing, and ultimately to come to a topic.

As stated in the title, this is all about the value of routine, though my use of the word “matters” is meant in the description of a thing’s importance rather than the usual “matters at hand” insinuated by the saying.  Dear colleagues on this blog are a great source of inspiration and ideas in this area, too.

Yet despite acknowledging this value of routine, I’ve been really slack at following any such thing since returning from a visit to my parents’ home.  In my own house, I find it all too easy just to pick up my Kindle Fire and flop across the bed.  Mealtimes (cooking to feed my partner or pulling out the cat food) seem to be the only timely activities accomplished.  Other than that, I barely manage one meager daily goal to keep up on housework.

My desk, where I currently sit, has been completely neglected.  It’s nice, too, an office piece from my husband’s uncle.  It’s set up with a digital photo frame filled with favorite images, beloved art on the walls, and even a freshwater aquarium.

So why have I lost interest in sitting here?  I currently find myself feeling quite comfortable and productive.  And I think that’s just the reason for avoiding the space.

I’ve feared failing at getting into the swing of writing.  Of late, the act of opening a document on my laptop or pulling out pen and paper for more than casual journal keeping intimidate me somehow.

In retrospect, I think making this once-joyous activity a routine part of my day will prompt my blogging and fiction writing to flourish once again.  I need to set up some sort of daily plan, which should certainly include physical exercise, but surely can involve some time for pleasurable reading.  After all, I need to know what’s selling if I really want to earn any sort of living in the publishing industry, right?

What routines help you achieve your goals?  I’d really appreciate the moral support.  Best wishes in whatever you endeavor.  Now I’m going to go feed my fish.

Writer Wednesday – Noonorial on Permalinks in Blogger

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I’m having so much fun learning to do multi-media presentations that I figured I’d inflict my enjoyment on all of you.  ðŸ™‚  (Aren’t you lucky?)

This is a brief, three-and-a-half minute presentation on how to get a permalink to a forward-dated post in Blogger.  I hope it’s useful to you.

Enjoy!

Being Thankful

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Fortunate to have the free time, I’ve been taking care of my mother around the clock for the last week.  She has multiple health issues, among them being nearly unable to walk and suffering cognitive degradation.  As if that isn’t enough, her eyes don’t seem to be communicating their message properly to her brain.

Despite it all, her spirits are higher than one would expect.  Through these past days we have smiled and laughed over all sorts of things, both past and present.  The whole experience is really making me grateful for my physical and mental abilities.

Simple tasks like caring for hearth and home are beyond the reach of Mom.  Reading, let alone writing, are joys I will cherish more than ever before.  Gratitude for my father’s good health, his care and patience, go beyond what I can express.

I hope to return home with a renewed sense of what is important.  Little setbacks should be taken for what they are and not be allowed to ruin a good mood.

We shall see how Mom does in the future.  There is hope for improvement.

Please find a source of joy in your daily life, and best wishes to you and yours!

Writer Wednesday – A Line From “Life After Joe”

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Yesterday I finished devouring a gay romance by British author Harper Fox.  She’s a writer of M/M erotica whose work I only just discovered but find stirring on multiple levels.  As you can guess by the title of this post, I would like to quote a line from her title “Life After Joe”.

I kissed him, lightly but with a shudder of fervour across my spine, as if I had wings that were trying to unfurl.

This could easily continue as a review of the book.  Instead, I want to share what this line inspires in me as a writer.

Adoring the idea of romantic relationships between men, I try to offer that feeling through my storytelling.  Yet, in retrospect of reading Ms. Fox’s line, perhaps my methods are too clinical.  Now I feel challenged to experiment with more emotive descriptions, even sprinkling in a line or two that some might consider flowery.

After all, a guy should be allowed to think in a baroque way once in a while, even if he’d feel cheesy expressing the words.  Wish me luck in convincing “my” men.

Please check out Amazon’s Harper Fox Page  And happy writing!

New Job, New Beginning

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I’m so excited!  Today I start a new job.  It’s interesting the kind of serenity having security can bring.  When I was young, I thought I liked change and was comfortable with uncertainty.  It’s taken me years to realize that’s not true, and that I perform better in a solid routine.

What kind of routine helps you find peace, the peace to create or the peace to write?

Happy Fourth of July! – Writer Wednesday

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In honor of the fourth, I figured I’d share four tricks to keep up my writing during holiday functions.  So here we go:

1.  Write 3 pages of longhand writing at some point throughout the day.  Start with a list for the barbecue, if you need to, or list all the stuff you want to get done.  Anything to fill up those pages.

2.  Sneak the laptop into the bathroom and set the timer for a ten minute sprint.

3.  Write a hundred words on “I like holidays in the middle of the week because…”

4.  Recognize that it’s a holiday.  If you have people over, or are going to someone’s home, remember that this is about them.  If you need to take a word count break, then do it.  Enjoy the day.

Happy fourth!

Criticism That Cuts

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I’ve been on the subject of criticism quite a bit lately.  I guess it’s inevitable since my writing has been stalled almost entirely for quite some time.  Today I read something that really hit a sore spot.

I read an interview with a successful comic book illustrator this morning.  My heart warmed when I came to the part about how an older, established artist took him under his wing for mentoring many years ago.  They arranged for a year of this tutoring that got the younger man started off on the right foot.

Or so I thought.

The lessons might have been valuable and established a career, but they were punctuated by constant criticism.  Even years later the elder artist had nothing good to say.

While together at an art showing much later that showcased them both, he said to the younger, “You really can’t draw, can you?”

Wow.

Understandably, this blow crushed the artist for some time to come.  Overall he didn’t let it get him down by his own account but this attack made me ill.  The artist spent years getting past the unnecessary pain to obtain well-earned acclaim outside the shadow.

Please, think before you criticize.  And to all, I wish blessed creativity.