How do you get down to actually writing?

[AllWrite4Now]

How do you rid yourself of the daily distractions and actually get down to writing? Have you cut out television altogether? Do you set aside a time to write and actually do it?

I'm curious as to how all the people around me have finished their Great American Novel and are even working on their second or third, but I keep getting stuck with details. I've been working on this legal thriller for at least 4 years. And I can't honestly commit to a single well-written chapter.

What gives?

[joyce]

It took me more years than I like to think about to finish a novel. When my daughter went off to college it seemed my house got quiet enough for me to concentrate on my dream. I finished novel 1.......it sucks and needs revamping for the 100th time, but damn I finished. Now that I moved onto novel 2 & 3 she decided to move back home so she could be closer to another college she's attending. For the past month I've had so many difficulities trying to concentrate and get back into the swing. Hopefully this will settle down because I don't want to think I've got to wait for her to finish her Masters before I will find mental peace to throw myself into writing again. Good luck.

[batgirl]

I'd recommend reading the Learn Novel Writing With Uncle Jim thread. The first posts are about setting aside a time and place to write, sitting down there, and writing.
-Barbara

[melaniehoo]

I'm still a writing newbie but I read some good advice from Uncle Jim. He basically said to pick two hours a day, same two hours every day, and only write. Don't allow yourself to do anything else then, and be disciplined about it.

My husband takes a night class so those two hours are best for me.

Trick is not to let yourself get up, surf online, nothing. Just write.

[Azraelsbane]

When I pry myself away from this board. I go back to my word documents. ;)

[Soccer Mom]

Commit to a certain amount of time BIC every day. Then do it. Make it a habit.

For myself, I have certain expectations for word count. I don't allow myself to quit until I've done my minimum word count.

ETA: Sopha is correct below. BIC stands for Butt in Chair. It's the only way to do it. Set aside the time and put your BIC.

[Esopha]

Butt In Chair. (Thanks, Uncle Jim. :D Best advice ever!)

For more pertinent advice, this part bugs me:

And I can't honestly commit to a single well-written chapter.

Don't reread your work, especially not your uber-crappy first draft. All first drafts are uber-crappy. Mine is not fit to line my cat's litterbox, for she is a high-class creature and refuses to make her poopies on crap.

Write it all. Let yourself write bad prose. Everybody writes bad prose. It doesn't come flying out of the pen (or the keyboard) complete with glitter and rainbows. You need to peel away the layers of yuck to get the the glitter and rainbows beneath.

More experienced people will give you more (and better, and more coherent) advice. I'm just throwing my two cents out there.

Also, don't go into the Office Party forum until you're at least half-way through your second draft, or else you'll never get anything done. I swear.

Welcome to AW! :welcome:

[joyce]

When I pry myself away from this board. I go back to my word documents. ;)

That's another problem of mine, staying away from AW.

[III]

For me, I have a pretty disorganized process of outlining - just spend weeks making hasty notes on post-its, then I take a few days to organize it all in a document. To actually do the writing, I usually take my laptop out on our back porch and disconnect the internet and tell my wife to keep the kids and dog inside for an hour or two. I usually write in spurts - I'll write for 3 nights and one weekend day, but then I won't write for another week - I'll just spend that week reading and editing what I've written.

But yeah, you gotta turn off the TV and the internet and find a place where you can be relaxed and focused.

[melaniehoo]

That's another problem of mine, staying away from AW.

Blasted Office Party... I'm working on a way to incorporate all the garbage I write there and put it in my book!

BIC BIC BIC BIC BIC

I go for the minimum word count per day as well.

[JoNightshade]

I have the exact opposite problem. Prying myself away from my writing to get the necessary things done: laundry, cooking, "real" work, etc. This is especially a problem since I work on my own time from home. So every day I think, "Hmm, should I make some money or do what I really want and work on my novel?"

[ccarver30]

I usually go around the same time to the place I like to write- that way I don't really have a choice!

TURN THE TV OFF!!!

[Ava Jarvis]

Make a scheduled time, every day.

Have a quota, every day. Number of words is pretty good, probably the best.

Give yourself permission to write crap. That's what the numerous rewrites later are for.

Give yourself a warmup before any session. For me, it's retyping some paragraphs from the short story of an author I admire, and listening to how they chose their words and narrative paths.

If you get stuck in the middle, open a new file and write something. Anything. Characters putting aside differences and ordering takeout. Backstory. Random story not at all connected. V.v. secret diaries. Gaiman says that once, when he got stuck during American Gods, he opened a new file and wrote a soft porn story. Heh.

If you get confused or know you are going offtrack, start writing things down on paper or index cards. Playing with index cards for a bit seems to work for me.

Regardless, you must hit your word count every day. Or close to: have a calendar on the wall, and circle in red the days you hit your word count, and aim to get full blocks of red as much as possible. This works on the same principle that Benjamin Franklin used to practice making himself *not* fall into his vices. After a while, this will seem natural to you (it may take a long while).

Happy writing!

[III]

I think the place that you choose to write definitely impacts your writing as well. For example, when I write outside I tend to put in more observations and details about nature, as opposed to when I write at Starbucks I tend to put in more details about people and their appearances. I guess it's just osmosis. So to the OP, you may want to try writing in different locations and see if one really works well for you.

[Shane Fitzsimmons]

Thankfully I have no TV to tempt me, so my biggest issue is the internet and procrastination. I've mostly phased out the internet, but that damned procrastination is always looming over me, watching.

[ZannaPerry]

I really have to be in the mood to write. Kind of like right now. Distractions or not, some of my best work can come out of nowhere. And then as I write just to write my muse takes over.

After watching a really sad movie, or listening to some easy listening music can put me in the mood. But I mainly write at night. Where it's quiet.....

[Ava Jarvis]

TURN THE TV OFF!!!

Yes, TV time is a natural slot to trade in for writing time and not force a makeover of your schedule.

[Branwyn]

I'm with Suzy. I have to feel like writing. If not, it's a waste of time. If I haven't written in a while it takes me about a day or so to get my mind set into the story. I have a goal to finish the first draft of book #3 by Oct. 1st.

We'll see...

[Stijn Hommes]

There's really one important thing you should remember, AllWrite4Now.
Allow yourself to suck.

Allow yourself to write crap, because if you don't get the crap out, you can't get to the sparkling stuff beneath. Finish the first draft. Start worrying about if it's well-written when you come back the second time around for editing.

P.S. I get the feeling you should listen to Mur Lafferty's I Should Be Writing podcast.

[Alvah]

What is your minimum word count per day? 500? 1000? 2000? How many?

[scarletpeaches]

I don't wait for the distractions to go away. I just ignore them.

[Hillgate]

What is your minimum word count per day? 500? 1000? 2000? How many?

In the zone, 5000 words. Out of the zone, errr, zero.

[Ravenlocks]

I don't do schedules because I'm about the most undisciplined person in the world timewise and I've accepted that fact, but when I'm writing (as opposed to rewriting) I do give myself a daily writing quota. And that's for adding new material; tinkering around with the old stuff doesn't count toward the quota, even if you add a little. Granted, the quota would often mean I'd be at the computer last thing before bed after procrastinating for hours, but hey, at least the writing was getting done. Lunchtime at work was also a godsend. So were slow days when the boss was out of the office. :D

I also don't delete anything much until I'm done with the first draft. If it sucks, there's always a second draft; the delete key isn't going anywhere. I know I'll never get anything done if I don't make myself keep going even when I think I'm writing crap. Oddly enough, some of what I thought was crap in my current WIP has made the cut and is still in the second draft, and some of the stuff I thought I loved is gone.

[Deirdre]

What is your minimum word count per day? 500? 1000? 2000? How many?
A paragraph.

I figure that, even on the worst days, I can manage a paragraph. It can be short or long, whatever I want. It has to really be a paragraph, though.

Last night, I added 293 words to a short, bringing it to 1949 words.

[ClaudiaGray]

I don't set specific schedules, and I still go out or watch TV or whatever, but I get a lot done because of one simple rule: Writing is what I'm doing if I'm not doing something else. Writing is not an activity that I try to find time for; everything else is what I find time for. Writing is what I am doing every night and weekend day that is not otherwise accounted for.

Don't get me wrong: I end up taking plenty of time out to have dinner with friends/travel/do housework/watch "Lost"/whatever. But I think that if you adopt this rule, you will quickly discover how much writing time you can get in even on a night when something else is going on. Once you internalize it, it becomes very natural. Though I have a lot of writing to do and a pesky day job swallowing up most of my waking hours, I never worry about whether or not I'm going to get the writing done anymore.

[scarletpeaches]

Good attitude, Claudia, and one I shall try to cultivate. No, I won't try - I will do it. :D

[KTC]

I get up at 4:30 and do a lot of writing for two hours. How do I start? Always with a poem or six. Then I springboard into fiction. I also work on my freelancing during these two hours. And, in the evenings, I usually only spend about an hour writing. Also, during lunch I write. I can write thousands of words in one sitting. I'm the fastest typer I know and my thoughts usually come faster than my fingers can get them out...so I never really have any constrictions once I sit down and start writing.

[Ravenlocks]

What is your minimum word count per day? 500? 1000? 2000? How many?

For the first draft of my current WIP I wasn't doing a word count quota, although I guess it probably came out to about 500 per day. Instead I made myself write a single-spaced page every day. That way I could see where I was with a glance at the screen.

I think it varies for everybody, but the trick is to pick something small enough to be doable for you, and then you can pat yourself on the back if you go over.

[Scrawler]

I'm still a writing newbie but I read some good advice from Uncle Jim. He basically said to pick two hours a day, same two hours every day, and only write. Don't allow yourself to do anything else then, and be disciplined about it.
I agree with this. It's important to take yourself and your writing seriously. Diligence and commitment are vital. For me, waiting for the mood to strike doesn't cut it. I'd never be able to get away with that attitude in a "real" job and if I don't take my writing goals seriously, who else will?

[JohnDavidPaxton]

Yeah, it's a pit of a process at this point.

It starts off with waking up and not allowing myself to get out of bed until I've thought over what I wrote the day before. This has only cause a problem once when the bed was on fire. Luckily I thought fast enough and the crises was averted.

Then I eat. I like brown rice, green chili. Something that's solid, easy to digest, will keep me full for awhile. I'm a huge believer in the Hippocratic approach to changing your life (if you don't like how you feel or how things are going, change your diet and exercise first).

Then, as I'm digest I stare at the ceiling a bit and thinking about the sum of the work. Sometimes I'll pull up and outline and look over where I'm supposed to be heading next or what I've been over more recently than just the day before, but I find it better to be organic. Remember what you just wrote, where it was, where you should be going. If you feel you don't need the map. If you need the map, pull it out.

Then I get the tingling. The little sensation that I'm about ready to start. That's when I take a shower and shave my head and stretch and gargle and think (and if that turns you on, wait until you can read chapter 15). But, most importantly, I think about what I've I did the day before once more briefly and I think "what am I going to do today when I get out of here? What am I going to write as soon as I towel off?" I don't allow myself to get out of the shower until I have affirmed the scene that I have already plotted out and, possibly, looked at earlier (there is sometimes shrinkage, not that I have much to work with to begin with).

Then I sit down and pull open two files. The first is the MS to date in whatever condition it's in (right now I'm working on something called the BETA 2 - Ending 2) and a new blank document. The Manifest, as I've taken to call it, the sum of work on that project to date is my safety net. If I get lost or stuck or need refrence it's there, but I try and keep it in the new, blank document. Then I turn on the playlist that I listen to every time I write and stare at the screen until it's time for the words to come out. I find that listening to the same music over and over again is very helpful. It's like a timer when I'm not writing, it's ambient when I am, and it drowns out all other noises from registering.

If I get through the session (typically 1 - 3 hours) I go back to the Manifest and make sure everything lines up between what has been written and what I wrote that day (since somtimes my chapters are upwards of 8,000 words there isn't always a clear break). Once it's synced up I make sure not to read a damn thing about it because I know I'll hate it.

I then go back to my structured outline (I have at least one line of text written for ever 1,000 words of the proposed story before I begin) and bold the portions that I've completed today which allows me to make sure that I'm on track with what I need to write tomorrow.

Then I try and convince Lesbians to have sex with me. Many people think this is odd, but after writing I already feel like I've done something impossible with my day and I want to see if I can make it 2/2.

Minimum amount of words per day? Dunno. I guess it could probably be as low as one. I do keep track of amount of words. It's typically about 1.5 - 2.5 k (though it's steadily increasing to hit around 3k) before the dust settles. But that's not impressive. If I keep one out of two of those words past the first edit it's a good day. If I keep 25% by the time I'm ready to solidify it, cast it into something, it's a damn good one.

[OctoberRain]

I take a minute to breathe and then I start typing. I literally force my fingers to type, even the words aren't totally there. The first few sentences may be absolute crap, but then it starts to flow.

Then I go back after a few pages and fix those sentences where I started off.

I aim for 2,000 words a day, and hit it most of the time. It's working so far, but there are more harder days than easier ones.

[reigningcatsndogs]

The only two hours I can guarantee myself where I am not disturbed are from midnight to two am, and since I homeschool, take care of the acreage, etc., there aren't too many times when I can stay up till 2 (5:00 am just comes too early, and I never just stop at 2:00 if I'm on a roll). We have the GTHOTW system here when I write, which is every day. The kids see me at my laptop, and they know -- Get The Hell Out of The Way. They get out a report that they know they have to do, or they work on a math assignment, and they leave me alone. Even the pets (well, except Herbie, but he's so cute I can't help it) steer clear and let me work, because they know the consequences of derailing the train of thought!!!

ETA: GTHOTW system -- patent pending

[lfraser]

I hit myself in the head with little sticks until I behave.

[KTC]

why little sticks? Wouldn't one hit with a big stick be more succinct?

[lfraser]

why little sticks? Wouldn't one hit with a big stick be more succinct?

Hell, no. I'm not trying to knock myself OUT.

[amber_grosjean]

I've learned that writing at night is the best time for me because there are no distractions. I do try to write during the day but there is always someone calling me away just when I get to the good part lol. So I wait until everyone has wound down for the day and I go to my home office (I've always wanted one lol) and I type away. Of course AW takes some of my attention lol. I love talking about writing too so that's another distraction I'm learning to work around lol.

But really, I try to write at every chance I can get but it's mostly at night. Even if I write during the commercials of my favorite shows. When I sit down to just write, I spend 2 hours just writing. I can get a lot done in those two hours too!

Amber

[Wolvel]

How do you rid yourself of the daily distractions and actually get down to writing? Have you cut out television altogether? Do you set aside a time to write and actually do it?

I'm curious as to how all the people around me have finished their Great American Novel and are even working on their second or third, but I keep getting stuck with details. I've been working on this legal thriller for at least 4 years. And I can't honestly commit to a single well-written chapter.

What gives?

If you will look under my name in the post you will see my motto. Write the Damn book.

Don't over think it since this is the first draft it will be rough and have some crap in it, don't worry about that, you will fix it in the edit stage.

So what I am saying is pick out a time that is good for you, if you can't start at the beginning but you have another part standing out in your brain write it down to be placed later. Some work done is better than none.

If your easily distracted then no tv or music. Some people like me can write with background noise no probelm others can't.

But overall BIC!

[larocca]

I don't wait for the distractions to go away. I just ignore them.

Exactly.

[Atlantis]

The biggest distraction for me when writing "The Great Australian Novel" is the internet. When I used to write on a desktop before I got a laptop, I would send more time surfing the net making posts on message boards and building websites then writing. Ever since I got a laptop, things have been better. I'm one of those writers who can work with distractions in the background on some days, and then one other days I need silence. I sit on my bed with my computer and sometimes have a DVD playing in the background or I'll turn my television off and open my window so I can listen to my wind chimes as I work. I can't really work listening to muisc. I used to be able too, but not anymore, when I listen to certain songs my eyes glaze over and my imagination starts inventing music videos featuring my characters in my head. lol.

[seun]

I don't set specific schedules, and I still go out or watch TV or whatever, but I get a lot done because of one simple rule: Writing is what I'm doing if I'm not doing something else. Writing is not an activity that I try to find time for; everything else is what I find time for. Writing is what I am doing every night and weekend day that is not otherwise accounted for.


That's exactly how I do it.

[ChimeraCreative]

I've gotten to the point in my life where I do it everyday and I enjoy doing it everyday. I don't have a set schedule, nor do I have a set number of words I shoot for everyday. I have a 3AM to 6AM sweet spot, but I'm not necessarily up then.

My best friend is a fella about five years younger than I am and he's having a devil of a time committing to writing everyday. I tell him not to worry or obsess over not writing because he's not ready to do it yet. In a few years when he's more mature and wiser and not so damn busy he'll have plenty of time to write. I think one of the biggest hurdles he has to jump over is not re-reading what he has managed to write. New writers have a tendency to write garbage. Hell, even practiced hands write garbage. Being discouraged and bummed out doesn't help anyone move forward with writing (even though it's great when folks recognize junky writing ^_^). I usually tell new writer's not to dissect what they have written until they're ready to write seriously.

-An

[Prawn]

When I am in a writing phase and not an editing phase, I write everyday, at least 1000 words. My best time is first thing in the morning. I get up an hour early (5 a.m. which takes discipline) and write then, sometimes before I even get out of bed (I write on a laptop). If I don't write first thing, I am always trying to fit the writing in among all the other competing concerns of the day, and writing often gets pushed to the side. Then I spend my time worrying about being able to find time to write.

When I write first thing in the morning, I feel like I am done for the day and i don't waste energy wasting about if I am going to get to it or not. Any thinking I do about my book is about the characters or plot.

I know getting up early sounds rough, but sometimes that's the only time I have. I mean, if you don't have any other time to write, and you are not even willing to get up early, are you really going to finish a novel?

[AceTachyon]

Wake up. 30 minutes or 250 words, whichever comes first. Little digital egg-timer helps.

Continue with the day.

Evening: 30 minutes on egg-timer or 250 words, whichever comes first.

On weekends, set timer for 1 hour in morning, 1 hour at night. Aim for 500 words.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

If at anytime the word count goal is exceeded for that session, yay for me.

Also, any free moment can be used to jot down some words.

[Jamesaritchie]

How do you rid yourself of the daily distractions and actually get down to writing? Have you cut out television altogether? Do you set aside a time to write and actually do it?

I'm curious as to how all the people around me have finished their Great American Novel and are even working on their second or third, but I keep getting stuck with details. I've been working on this legal thriller for at least 4 years. And I can't honestly commit to a single well-written chapter.

What gives?

I set aside writing time, and when that time comes, I sit down and write. Are you after perfection? It might be well to remember the saying that perfection is the enemy of good enough.

I only read my chapters twice. After this, they have to go out in the world dressed as they are. If I don't read them again, I can't see perceived mistakes that usually aren't really there, anyway.

I suppose it's a bit like sending a child out into the world. When my oldest two hit eighteen, they became adults. I knew they weren't perfect, I knew I made mistakes here and there in how I raised them, but tough titty. Perfect or not, it was time for them to go out into the world and see what happened.

[jennifer75]

How do you rid yourself of the daily distractions and actually get down to writing? Have you cut out television altogether? Do you set aside a time to write and actually do it?


First, I've already asked this. LOL. I've even considered developing insomnia but I just like sleep too much to give it up on purpose.

Second, how do/did I do it? Well, I'm unfinished as of yet. But when I got most of my 30K words down, most was spent at work, during the quieter part of the afternoon 3 - 6. So I was getting a good 3 hours a day in.

When I would try and get writing done in the evening, it would have to happen after the lil one was asleep, so after 10:00PM. And then I would only get in an hour or so.