“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer
FEATURING GUEST Veronica Rossi
Working Through Writer’s Block
Welcome to the ninth session of
THE MODERN INK SOCIETY!
Introducing Veronica Rossi!
“First of all, thank you Colleen for inviting me to the blog today! It’s lovely to be here. One of topics writers discuss fairly commonly is working through writing blocks. I had to do this a number of times while I was writing the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series, to varying degrees. At first, it worried me but I learned that being “stuck” is just a normal part of the writing process.
Here are some tips I developed to work through those roadblocks. I hope they help those of you who are writers out there:
Throw it in reverse – Usually when the writing is slow (or stagnant) for me, it’s because I’ve 1) made a misstep somewhere along the process and landed in a plot dead-end, or 2) haven’t done enough research or planning ahead of time and have fallen into a rut.
To get out of the first situation, I return to earlier chapters and back the story up to the point where things began to feel wobbly. One of the benefits of having had to rewrite my novels over and over, and having thrown out hundreds of pages in the revision process, is that I’m not afraid of tossing material. Really, I’m pretty fearless about it most of the time. All I need is a plan of action–and identifying that wrong turn is the first step in moving in the right direction again.
To deal with the second instance, the story rut, which is different than the dead-end because it’s motivational, not executional, I look at early sources of inspiration, which can be reinvigorating and give me just the boost I need in order to keep pushing ahead.
For me, this can be reading, looking at photos, listening to music. Anything that stokes my imagination. Sometimes you have to go backward before you can go forward.
Throw it in neutral – There are times that a story will stall because I’m just plain burned out. When that happens, it’s time to fill up the creative tank by getting away from the computer and doing something fun. Going to movie, having lunch with a friend—you name it. As long as it’s a diversion, it’s good. The idea here being that sometimes writing is the worst thing you can do for your writing. Makes sense, right? Trust me, there are times it’s the truth.
That said, stepping away from the work shouldn’t be an avoidance tactic. Writing is hard work and there’s no getting around that. But, if you spend many hours a day at the computer like I do, a personal health outing here and there is beneficial and necessary.
Throw it in 4WD – My favorite gear. The one I use most often, too. This is just good old fashioned grit, my friends. How do you push through? Well, you tuck your chin and you push through.
Writing is hard work—that deserves stating twice. If you want to become a published writer, it’s not only about maximum effort, it’s about stamina. Tenacity. Passion. It’s about wanting it so badly that all the crazy setbacks and highs and lows in the journey won’t stop you.
For specific tools to help motivate you, check out www.yamuses.blogspot.com. We have a tab over there just for inspiration.
In closing, do whatever you need to do to push through, yes, but more importantly, remember to enjoy the journey! Writing is its own reward.”
A huge thanks to Veronica and for her GREAT advice on working through writer’s block. For all of you who are aspiring authors, a great source of inspiration can be those writers who have paved the path for us. Their experiences bring great insight and wisdom and can help us along on our journey of writing.
If you haven’t checked Veronica out, you can visit her website at www.veronicarossi.com.
Also, for anyone who wants to join us, you can participate in Colleen Houck’s Online Book Club! Simply go and get your hands on this book and if you’ve already read it then awesome! You can start leaving your questions right away (but don’t share spoilers just yet).
For fun there will be a GIVEAWAY during the live chat! Colleen will be choosing one lucky participant on the live chat to win at least one (but up to all three) of Veronica’s UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy!! You won’t want to miss this one!
~ Till Next time,
Linda Louise Lotti
This entry was posted in Featuring Authors, The Modern Ink Society, Writing Advice.
I’m Linda Louise, one of the bloggers on this website and Colleen’s little sister. I’m just a girl in her mid-thirties who feels thirteen when I play outside with my boys, fifteen when I sing my heart out listening to tunes while driving by myself, and sixty five when I go out past ten at night. I have a thing for junior mints, Mt. Dew, shrimp and kale (though not all at once) and I have a crush on Superman. I still get girlish butterflies when I read Twilight, cry when I read These is My Words, and smile from ear to ear when I read Anne of Green Gables. I have nightmares about aliens on a regular basis and I have a bad habit of midnight snacking. I love everything sports, except golf (although can that honestly be considered a sport??), and I hate anything that slithers, hisses, or stings. I have a problem with giggling at inappropriate moments and I sometimes wish life was a musical. I love science, hate math, love Dr. Seuss, and hate olives. My family is my world and my joys come from their happiness. I’ve learned I don’t know much about anything and I live for a good adventure, naps, cuddles, stories, exceptional food and The Shire.