Tag / word count

by Lindsey Nicole

The Editor Strikes Back

“No, I am your…Editor”
“That’s…that’s impossible!”

Someone please cut off my hand already.

Things were going great. Nano was going ok. And then I overwhelmed myself this weekend, studying, working, taking the GRE’s. Then yesterday, my editor reared it’s head and started ruining my progress with judgment.
I did write 17000 words.
Yes but how many of them will you actually use again.
Well…
Exactly my point.

My editor, like all editors, is cruel. She captures princesses and destroys planets in her wake. She does not know how to use the force yet, but she’s still training. She cut me down to size and she made sure that I had a very low word count yesterday. (Does writing two essays for the GRE count towards my WPD? Didn’t think so)

So today I’m swallowing my pride and I’m turning on Hemingway mode and I’m not looking back.

My editor will just have to wait till December.

darthchristmas

by Lindsey Nicole

Getting Unstuck: Finding the Words

This was me for a long time.

I’m one to talk. I’ve had adult onset writers block for five years. I told myself that my day job would give me time and the ability to write at night. It was a lie I told myself. I’m not sure where I was able to ditch the 8-7 (9-5 is also a lie).

But I know I can force myself into writing. I can trick myself. I’m rating these on normal to “unique” (think of the most patronizing way you can say that) and none of these should actually be used to fix an actual diagnosed case of writer’s block.

Hopefully, I can overcome this feeling some day…

  1. Timed lists (write as fast as you can in bullet points about your character for 5, 10, 15 minutes).
  2. Generate plot with a plot generator (google plot generator)
  3. Timed sentences (write as many coherent sentences as possible, see #1.
  4. Draftin.com in Hemingway mode. (This is my favorite tool for writing, it is distraction free and Hemingway mode makes you keep going without a backspace. No editor. My perfectionist right brain nightmare. But it works.)
  5. Alcohol. A small amount, 1-2 drinks is the perfect elixir for the writing anxiety that accompanies starting, make goals for yourself. Example: at 1000 words start the second beer.
  6. Brainwave meditation tracks to increase focus and creativity. YouTube search for more brain wave meditation or therapy tracks and really limit your time to 2 hours so that your brain can go back to a normal cycle quickly.
  7. Meditation. Sit and breathe.
  8. Maybe imagine your characters in different places or times and how they would react. Get to know them by asking questions.
  9. Exercise. A brief walk with your characters can change your mind about them or where you are taking them.
  10. Imagine how the story would be if it were a movie, a screenplay, a poem. Write the scene as this new genre.

Go get ’em!