Hello everyone! Writer's block has me in its cold grip and man is it not fun. So, here's the tea. The Morrow Lands is slated for release toward the end of 2024; the year we just so happen to be nearly a month into. And boy when I tell you I have about as many pages done as days into the year, I mean it. The book should tap out somewhere in the three-hundred-to-four-hundred page range when finished, but we are in the editing time of year, and I have about twenty-four pages to my name. This is perfectly respectable considering the absolute wild ride the last year has been, but nowhere near where we need to be.
Let's start out by being real; I've put a truly monumental task onto myself for this next year. Hollows took two years to write and publish, and I want to do The Morrow Lands in half that time. Here is the kicker, I actually have twenty-four pages from three months of battling this absolute menace. Leaving me just nine months to cook this sucker up from inception to end.
Is it doable? Perfectly. Does it require holding myself and my caffeine dependent self accountable? Yerp.
I will be battling this writing block demon with sword and shield to get this done because, and let's get cheesy here, it's what I've always wanted to do. Tell stories.
I've learned a lot over these last two years, most notably that I'm a lazy sucker with a pension for procrastination and time-blindness if I allow myself a moment of rest. That is when it sneaks up isn't it?
To fix this issue I'm pulling myself up out of the depression-riddled-stupor, the shell of comfortable isolation, and the dread of "what-if's" to push myself into action. Mostly, setting together a routine (I swear I'll stick to it this time, said the kettle to the pot) and I've relocated some tasks and other personal matters to areas where they will remain until step-whatever is finished.
Step One of My Master Plan:
Finish draft 0 by the middle of February no matter what.
Step Three:
Finish draft 1 by the end of March no matter what.
This should leave April-June for beta and critique partners, July for more editing, August for more critiquing, and finally, September-October for the professional Editors. Leaving a good solid release time around December. This is my plan. As loose as it is. And I intend to stick to it. But how?
Firstly, the Neil Gaiman method for draft 0. I'll explain more about this in next week's letter. It --- when I do it --- is an absolute life saver and totally allows huge gains in the page count. I've only stuck to it for a few days in a row but got most of my twenty-four pages in those few days. I'll be doing this for the next few weeks to finish up draft 0.
Then for editing. I've got a critique partner I'll be meeting up with through February and March who will help me stay accountable to goals. It's an asset that if you are lucky enough to have, you should 100% be using. It also gets me out of the house and socializing. I have a tendency to fall into the pit when I don't socialize, and my writing suffers as a result.
is understanding your working method and making sure the environment you stick yourself in is the most conducive --- within reason --- to completing your goals. I personally know having a check in partner, a looming deadline, and plenty of social outings and things on my to-do list help me stay organized. Without that structure and social obligation, I tend to spend the whole day staring at my computer screen and then wonder where the day went.
So this is how I'm combating this villainous monster at the moment. There really isn't a trick to tackling the writer's block monstrosity. It's hard work, accountability, and giving yourself the tools you need to combat it the best way you know how. It'll be different for everyone, but the general idea of "work through it" is pretty much the backbone of all strategies. You have to plan and be willing to adjust that plan when needed if it's not working.
I wish you luck in your own battles, hazzah!
コメント