How Do You Create?
I'm a naturally curious person. New book at the bookstore? I have to check it out. New show on TV? I"ll usually check it out. New designer who promises jeans will instantly slim you? You can bet I'll try a pair on. Curious. I have a need to know.
This feeds nicely into my writing. A song or a snippet of conversation or a phrase in the newspaper will spark my imagination and I'll be off and running. I may not know the how or why of that song or conversation, but I'll figure out the how and why of my characters in a book. I'll fumble it a little and revise and edit and my characters will - at some point - hate me. But in the end we'll find our happily-ever-after.
There are times, though, when I'm completely blocked. When I have an idea or when I'm half-way through a book and I have no idea where to turn. I'm lost. Those are scary moments, but I've learned that when I have those lost-and-freaked moments I shouldn't push through. Warning: This is true for me, it may not be for you.
When I come to those moments, I need a break. I'll take a walk around the neighborhood and when I get home, I'll keep that file closed. I'll read a book. Watch a favorite television show. Play with bebe. Do something out of my chair and away from my computer. It helps my mind rest and allows my subconscious time to work on the problem. Many times I'll pull out my sewing machine to work on a crafty project - a new sundress for bebe or the block of a quilt. These non-writing but creative tasks give my brain a rest - time to not actively think about the characters or the plot or chapter and instead to focus in a different way.
That focus invariably leads to a solution for the manuscript. Do you step away from the computer when you're stuck? Or do you push through?
This feeds nicely into my writing. A song or a snippet of conversation or a phrase in the newspaper will spark my imagination and I'll be off and running. I may not know the how or why of that song or conversation, but I'll figure out the how and why of my characters in a book. I'll fumble it a little and revise and edit and my characters will - at some point - hate me. But in the end we'll find our happily-ever-after.
There are times, though, when I'm completely blocked. When I have an idea or when I'm half-way through a book and I have no idea where to turn. I'm lost. Those are scary moments, but I've learned that when I have those lost-and-freaked moments I shouldn't push through. Warning: This is true for me, it may not be for you.
When I come to those moments, I need a break. I'll take a walk around the neighborhood and when I get home, I'll keep that file closed. I'll read a book. Watch a favorite television show. Play with bebe. Do something out of my chair and away from my computer. It helps my mind rest and allows my subconscious time to work on the problem. Many times I'll pull out my sewing machine to work on a crafty project - a new sundress for bebe or the block of a quilt. These non-writing but creative tasks give my brain a rest - time to not actively think about the characters or the plot or chapter and instead to focus in a different way.
That focus invariably leads to a solution for the manuscript. Do you step away from the computer when you're stuck? Or do you push through?
I usually go back and read what I've done. Sometimes I can tell if I've "made a wrong turn" in the MS. It's a pain to rewrite, but sometimes that what it needs.
ReplyDeleteRe-reading definitely helps, Allison!
DeleteI think I've done it both ways, and like everything else, it depends on the situation. Sometimes the block is just a caution light, warning me to be careful what I say (i.e., when I'm writing about adoption or an overweight heroine!).
ReplyDeleteGood post as usual, Kristi
thanks for coming by, Liz! Sometimes I see those caution lights in my sleep!
DeleteCecilia and I role play our characters. So when we get stuck, we just have a bit fun with the characters, write some story lines apart from what we are writing and voilá!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison that sometimes it's just a question of backtracking to the wrong turn and re-writing. We've had cases where we just had to go back and add a little bit of detail in the beginning which changed the whole end of the story and made it work beautifully.
Cheers!
Great suggestions, Chris! I like the idea of role-playing, will add that to my list of Things to Do.
DeleteI push through. Usually I have to go back and delete, and sometimes it takes days to figure out where I've gone wrong. Part of the process, I guess. Great post!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I push through, Jennifer. Usually I take a short break of some sort. But, even if I'm on a break, I won't leave the MS for more than a day.
DeleteI do best when I walk away and do something else. Doing dishes, laundry, walking the dog, raking leaves, weeding the garden to name a few.
ReplyDeletePS: the dark background and comparatively light type color make it hard for me to read your blog. Consider making your background color lighter and your text color more intense. The lack of contrast is bad enough that, though otherwise I would return, I won't because my eyes won't take it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, Maggie, I'll make that change.
DeleteI do all of those things and if that doesn't work then I do push it. I give myself permission to write dreck. I tell myself that there's always the delete key. More often than not that works the best. Knowing I can delete it seems to open my mind and let the words flow.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that kind of what La Nora says - you can't edit a blank page? I'm the same way, Sharon. I'll take a short break and if that doesn't work its push-push-push til I get it right.
DeleteWhen I get stuck I read the section out loud and pretend my shrewd English Professor, my Mother, and the Queen of Genovia are in my audience. The weak part usually surfaces.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I've never considered reading aloud to my there-in-my-imagination worst critics. Great suggestion, Karen!
DeleteIf re-reading what I've previously written doesn't WD-40 me out of the skid, I create a list of 20 "what-if" questions. I've never made to 20. The answer has always come to me.
ReplyDeleteOh, 20 questions! I've read that somewhere before but never tried it...I'm going to next time this happens. Love that idea, thanks, Sheri!
DeleteI like the idea of reading out loud to an imaginary critique group like Karen up there. I'm going to have to try it.
ReplyDeleteI step away and do something else. Because I write in the mornings before my second shift job, the problem usually works itself out while I'm obsessing over it at work later--when I'm nowhere near my computer to fix it. (I scribble lots of notes!)
When I reach a wall I usually step-away as well, that might just mean switching tabs and going to check on twitter or read emails for a few minutes. Like smelling coffee beans to clean out my olfactory palate, lol. My problem is I can't get my mind off the story, so I visualize it like a movie, I go over the dialogue (usually where the problem lies, for me) and play it in my head like a scene until I can see it more clearly.
ReplyDeleteI suggest read to re-fresh and refill the well before going back to the PC!
ReplyDeleteBut it is a great post and all the comments above are good and helpful too!