Quit Before You Get Ahead

Have you ever stopped writing when you were on a roll?

No!  Of course not!  Those are the best times, right?  When you're in the groove...well, keep groovin'.  Stay there.  Ride it out.  That's probably what most of us do, and there are many reasons why we do it.

We don't find that groove every day, for one thing.  More often, we're slogging it out.  Pushing.  Searching for the details or the next corner to turn.  After having trouble getting started for the day, you sure don't want to lose momentum.

But there is a school of writing thought that suggests you deliberately stop, even mid-sentence, just a bit sooner than you normally would.

I first heard about this strategy when reading Ernest Hemingway back in the day.  He learned to leave himself hanging on the precipice, especially after working in a rhythm.  He said that way, he always knew he had something to come back to. 

Stopping on the verge built motivation.  Instead of stewing or stressing about what to write next, he couldn't wait to get back the next day and carry out the incomplete thought he'd left behind.

Pack that into your toolbag of block breakers, and Write, Dream Writers!  Write!

"Writer's Block?!"

"Writer's block."  I put it in quotes because for me the term doesn't deserve much respect, and neither should it for you.

Nevertheless, I do stall out sometimes.  It happened recently.  I just wrote right up to the edge of a cliff.  I teetered over the edge and swayed back.  No where to go in spite of the fact that what I had on the page so far seemed pretty good ~ if I do say so.

I was working on a scene for the memoir I'm writing about my remarkable brother, Glenn.  It rocked along at a good clip, as he opened a business, made wads of cash, and ran from a tornado.  Then this:

The storm seemed to have made a decision.  It lifted its sucking feet and releasing its hold on Tulsa, it slipped eastward, rumbling, tossing threats back over its shoulder with lightning flashing on its underside. 

The afternoon sun lit its trailing edge with magic glowing gold.  As if  pulling giant tarp west to east overhead, the storm clouds left clear blue sky in their wake.  People emerged from their basements and turned their faces upward, smiling at God, filling theirs lung with electrostatically cleansed air. 

Safe for the moment at least, Glenn’s mind turned to the storm that lay ahead.  Karen.

My plan from there was to write about Karen, his wife, as background for the stunning finale to that era of his life.  Then I just turned to stone. 
No need to describe the sensation in too much detail because writers know it intimately and superstition suggests writing about it could bring it on!
Here I urge you to adopt a bull-headed attitude and refuse to surrender.  Instead, try pulling one or more of these "thumbs" out of the dyke:

• Look at and write about a related picture.  I have a picture of Glenn and Karen's wedding in the hippie days on a friend's front lawn.  But old yearbooks pics or snapshots can trigger a memory that will get you into the language and emotion you need.
• Take a nap.  Take a walk.  Take a break.  Play loud music and sing along.  Step onto the porch and breathe real air.  Talk to your cat.  Just be sure to set a timer and don't stay gone too long! 
• When you return to the keyboard, start writing with one of the senses.  What did it smell like in the room where your scene will take place?   
• Read your stuff out loud, from the top.  This can create momentum.  Keep going.

Most important of all ~ Never Give Up!  Never Surrender!

Because if you give in to "writer's block," you'll wind up with "that book" you always meant to write.

Keep writing, Dream Writers!

Applause Group or Writer's Group?

Ever been in an applause group?  You know what I mean ~  a group of folks who love everything you write.  You read; they applaud.

Let's not underestimate the value of such a group.  God knows we need encouragement.  If your grandma's not around to tell you how great you are, it can be tough pressing on page after page in that silent vacuum of self-doubt with inertia peering in.

If you're writing for that only, for the atta boy's and the feel good, there's nothing better than predictable applause.

But if you aspire to a wider audience, you no doubt hear another faint but persistant call...for the kind of feedback that not only encourages you to keep writing, but also offers insights into what you've got on the page.

If you find you're in an applause group and yearning for more, of course you can go in search of another group.  But you might also consider some gentle prods for the group who already loves you. 

Here is a starter for eliciting deeper conversations about your writing:

Before you read, give your group a task that will help you.  

• Ask the group to listen for something specific, for example, action verbs versus passive verbs. 
• Ask them to notice if your writing demonstrates emotion instead of telling the reader how to feel. (show v. tell)
• Ask them to point out anything vague or leaving an unanswered question.

In short, ask your group for what you need ~ real feedback! 

You may be surprised how quickly their comments move up a notch, especially if you show your appreciation for their efforts and respond in kind.  It's also helpful to read the same passage at your next meeting, showing them how their input helped improve your work.

Onward and upward Dream Writers!