Since we extended the deadline of our "Totally Cliche" Short Story Contest, we will be changing the announcement of the winners to July 1st. This will give us more time to give each story the personal attention they deserve. I must say each story is awesome! I have loved reading each one of them and can't wait until the ebook comes out and you can all read them as well. It will be well worth downloading!!
Now on to other thoughts:
Yesterday, Megan broached the question of what to do when you are stuck in your writing or editing. This is something that plagues me quite often and I have spent a lot of time contemplating it. This is the main thing I've realized when I'm blocked: I'm out of balance between my body and my spirit! Our Body, Mind, and Spirit are so interconnected that they all need to be given the same attention or none of them work up to their potential. For me, I am usually neglecting my body when I am blocked. I've learned to take the time to do a short workout. I have to make sure it's a bit difficult so that I feel a sense of accomplishment when I'm done. This usually only takes me 15 mins. (yes, I'm out of shape!) Then I can take a shower and think about my writing and when I get out I'm ready to write, write, write. Each of us have to find our own routine, but definitely experiment with exercise and see how it affects your writing.
Another thing that has been helping me is the tip I got from our follower, Jen, to go to #wordmongering on Twitter. It is more than a typical hash tag. You search for #wordmongering and will find people who are getting ready to start writing at the top of the hour and go for 30 mins. At the end of the 30 mins they all report their word counts and congratulate each other on the progress. Even if you only get 20 words they remind you that it is still 20 more words than you had before. I have also found that if I use Tweetdeck I can set up columns for the different hashtags. Then instead of searching for #wordmongering, I just go to that column and can see all the recent activity. What a wonderful tool this has been.
What things help you to write amongst the hustle and bustle of life?
Also, sometimes my spirit needs more feeding before I can write well. This is when scripture reading and prayer help a lot!! And sometimes I have to rid my mind of stinkin' thinkin' and put positive thoughts in my head. If your stuck, ask yourself how your body, mind, and spirit are doing. See which part is neglected and try to fix it. it really does help!
ReplyDeletegreat post, Nikki!
ReplyDeleteNikki- great advice! If you're not taking care of your mind, body, and soul, it'll show in your writing. For instance, when I try to write when I'm tired, my work is awful. That's why I work in the morning; my mind is fresh from a night's rest. Thanks for the reminder!
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