"One minute."

[mugenmine]

Stuck: Day 14
Chapter: ?
Total 6945

GYWO still seems to be holding steady. I've written at least 500 words every day since 1/2, and am about 1400 words ahead of schedule. Don' break the chain! The Writing While Blocked workshop was really great after all, and I did 1395 words during the workshop alone, including getting my daily 500 fic quota in as well. (I was the only one there writing in a notebook. I felt very analog... ) I've always taken my blocks at face value. I am either in a state of block or not-blocked. But I've never really thought much past that. This workshop asked a lot of questions, gave a lot of techniques and actually made me look at the possible reasons for stopping writing. We were given the following questions:

1. What starts the block?


2. How do you feel when you're blocked?


3. Do you have theories about what causes the block?


4. How did you get out of it?


5. What is the worst thing that could happen if you finished your story?

Answering them gave me insight, and I also realized I had another tricky blocking pattern which is the "Let me rewrite the beginning of a story 15 times." Now this is kind of part of my process, but if I can never get past the beginning then that is a block as well. Same result: unfinished story.

So I've been going with the "don't fucking look behind you!" technique for my current story. I write, save, spell check and that's it. Next day, I look at the last paragraph and no further back, and just go from there. I don't delete, I only add. I might go back when the first draft is over and rewrite the start 50 times, that's cool, but at least I'll have a complete story to start with. GET 'ER DONE!

As for this thing. I'm almost at the 7K mark and this thing is just growing. My one-shot has again gotten out of control. I blame my eight month hiatus... This might be thrree chapters maybe, four perhaps, and I'm probably half done? I'm so close to the end of the last scene, and have had my fun putting characters through their paces, but from there I have to write a beginning and start with the true arc of the story, the inciting event, motivations, dig into what they want. They always want something. I have to write maybe a scene or two outside 221B because I can't put everything in that flat. Okay (checked) only 2.5 of 5 fics have taken place in 221B, but yeah, must stretch outside of things. Aiming for draft zero by end of month. That's another 8K.... Might be enough?

Comments

[coloredink.livejournal.com]

I particularly like question five, "What is the worst thing that could happen if you finished?" Because in my experience, 99% of "writer's block" is just year. (The other 1% is not actually knowing what happens next. XD)

[mugenmine.livejournal.com]

Yeah! It's one I'd never really thought about before, but when the question was asked, I was able to write a long list of the "worst" things that could happen. All of the answers were of course fear related and irrational. It was really insightful (and helpful) to realize that I thought this way. Very helpful course :-D

[coloredink.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was such a terrible typo (year?! y and f aren't anywhere close to each other!) that I'm impressed you figured out what I was talking about. XD

But yes, it's a very insightful and enlightening question. I'd say that I've eradicated 95% of my fear concerning my own writing--but that remaining 5% is keeping me from reaching my full potential! Gah! But now that I know, I'm going to chew on it. >:3