Fiction Scribe

Hello there. How are you?

Perfection: Writing? How can you possibly write when your office is a mess, you have other work to do, you don’t know what you’re going to eat for dinner, you don’t have the right music –

I think you can see where this is going. Like many writers (writers who have a talent for procrastination, especially) I often become the victim of my perfectionist voice. The voice which is never satisfied with the surroundings, the music, the state of the world, the state of hunger…

If you have the power and determination to actually sit down and write, then you have to deal with the perfectionist voice doubting your writing voice, your ability, your talent (if you can convince your voice that you have any), and your future prospects in the world of writing among other things.

Needless to say, I don’t get a lot of writing done when I listen to the voice for too long. My two biggest problems (excuses) are the thought I have other things to do or not having a great writing environment.

Things you can do to get past your perfectionist:

*Make a goal of writing in different places.
*Don’t think about writing too long before you do it. Decide on writing and then do it.
*Freewrite before you start in on writing in your work in progress.

Do you have any other tricks to getting past your perfectionist.

Literary Agent Janet Reid recently posted about Why You Got Summarily Rejected Today.

It never fails to amaze me how many people don’t seem to understand that there are guidelines for a reason. Guidelines for your submissions make lives easier for agents around the world, so why would you not follow them?

As I said in Pet Peeve #21 - Questioning Guidelines:

“I can understand if you want to clarify something like a technical term or the like with someone who knows, but my teeth truly grind when I see someone ask something like this:

“The guidelines say to submit three consecutive chapters, but can I submit chapters three, nine, and eleven?”

Yes, I’ve seen it.

First, it’s not “can I” it’s “may I”. Secondly? Open a Word document, type in “consecutive”, and press shift and F7. (I’m assuming if you have a question like this about the guidelines, you don’t have an actual hard copy of a dictionary or thesaurus.) In none of the alternatives does it even hint that “three consecutive” is anything other than three in a row or three chapters - one after another.”

And yet people still go on and on, wondering if they can do something other than exactly what the agent/publishing company has asked for. That doesn’t make any sense as far as I am concerned.

But if you don’t want to take it from me, then listen to an agent: “There’s a reason that query letters have a certain form to them. There’s a reason I ask for a hook before I ask to read the pages. I’m not doing that to make you crazy. I’m doing it so that when you send me an email, I don’t go crazy, and auto-reject you.”

One of the hardest things for aspiring writers (and some accomplished writers) is to complete this equation.

As we know all too well, doing the laundry or washing the lawn never looked as good as it does when you’re supposed to be writing.

So how do you get yourself in the chair? Here are a few tips:

1. Just do it. Yeah, I know you’re groaning now, but give me a second. It’s obvious that a big part of this is getting yourself in the habit, right? Well, you can’t start a habit by waiting for motivation to come, that’s for sure.

Whether you write or end up doodling for half an hour, sit at your desk at the same time every day. If you can’t swing the same time every day, at least do it for the same amount of time every day. It takes three weeks to get into a habit, so start now.

2. Mind drain. This is useful no matter what you’re doing. If you find yourself getting distracted or caught up in other things, take some time to do a mind drain. Pick a notebook and for a certain amount of time or pages (I usually do it for a half an hour each morning before starting work) write without stopping.

Get everything off your mind and onto the paper. Keep a notepad there, too, if you find you are checking back to the page because you wrote a to-do list.

3. Close the door. This advice comes from Stephen King. The first draft of any story you write is strictly for you. You are telling the story to yourself. When it comes time for working on the following drafts and editing, then you can open the door.

Get to it and get writing.

Needless to say, it’s definitely not always easy to keep yourself motivated and organized when it comes to writing. Life events happen. We lack the will power to get our bums sitting down so we can write. Or, even when we do, we suddenly find the words won’t come.

Whether you write for a newspaper, a blog, or yourself in a novel in progress, we all struggle at one time or another with our writing. It’s no surprise that along with inspiration, motivation is a very hot topic for writers.

I recently read a post on the Blogging Tips blog that lists twenty-seven ways to be a smarter writer in 2008. Don’t be fooled by the blog title, though – these tips also serve as excellent advice for non-bloggers.

With tips like “Practice Every Day”, “Go On Location” and “Get Your Writer and Editor a Divorce”, they provide one of the best tips for writers list I’ve come across. They even point out things I’ve mentioned like taking a pen and paper with you wherever you go.

I’ve found that if you have a problem – of any sort that you have some control over – then taking an active role in solving the problem is the first step in the right direction. This list might not work for everyone, but quick tip lists are often the best place for people with limited time/attention spans.

I think I am going to start with switching away from the computer and back to pen and paper for a while. It should prove interesting.

It happens so subtly at first. You’re sitting back after your large Thanksgiving meal (if you’re in the States) and it’s in the back of your mind at first. Then, bam! You realize.

It’s now officially Christmas season.

What to get? Shopping to do, another big meal to plan, will he really mind socks for the third year in a row or do you have time to think of a ‘real’ gift for him?

Calm down. It’s not time to panic.

If you have a writer in your life (or someone who fancies him/herself as a writer) I have a few gift ideas for you.

Do you have a poet in your life? Then check out Poets.org http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/75 This is a great site with a lot of merchandise ranging from books to clothing to bags. Not only that, they have a “Priced Under $20” section that will make anyone with a budget sigh with relief.

If the writer in your life prefers the ‘finer’ writing things in life, then you should check out NostalgicImpressions.com http://www.nostalgicimpressions.com/ This is one cool site. We’re talking quills, inkwells, calligraphy sets… You can even get an embosser, which is really cool but rather pointless if you’re at all like me. But it’s still awesome.

MagneticPoetry.com http://www.magneticpoetry.com/ has to be one of the coolest online shops I’ve found. I never got into the whole magnepoem thing, but this site has a lot more than that, including word buttons, word beads, and word stamps. It’s worth a look at the very least.

CafePress.com I think someone needs to by me this shirt (on the right). It’s just…perfect, don’t you think? Or the shirt that says: “Careful, or you’ll end up in my NOVEL.” If you need some nice gifts that are fun and not usually expensive, go to Café Press and search “writers” or “writing”. There is so much fun stuff there, you might just find yourself giving yourself a few presents this year.

Be sure to check out my gift ideas for the book lover in your life on The Book Stacks and even more ideas for gifts on Long Relationships.

Stuck for ideas? Having a hard time writing?

Try meditation.

Many writers in the past and present have found that taking a hot, relaxing bath is just the thing to help them on their way to solving their writing problems. However, not everyone likes baths or has the water to take such a long shower.

If you’re having trouble, try meditation. The idea is still the same – you’re relaxing yourself and your mind so your subconscious can come out to play.

Give it a try and see what happens. It may not happen instantly, but it will happen.

If you are looking for inspiration by the way of prompts, be sure to check out Write Anyway where I am posting a NaBloPoMo prompt and NaNoWriMo prompt every day this month.