Write It

What are they? How well do they work? 'Cause I don't even have 5K yet!

Find a way to get onto the KW chatroom and have some word wars! I log on there several times a day, and war as often as I can because I write well in short focused bursts. Give it a go.

WIP: Ayden: 92,043/95,000 (estimated total).
Rough Editing: Lifelines: 104/104 pages.

J.C Hart

Get rid of all distractions. Lock yourself in a room with just your writing implement of choice for fifteen minutes, half an hour or an hour and just write. Force the words out! Eventually in such a bare environment (devoid of even the internet) you'll have to write something just to entertain yourself. :)

This is extreme but you can see what your major distractions and remove them. Don't let yourself look at anything but your story for the time you've allocated to writing and word at putting one word after another.

No Excuses. Just Write.
WIP - Freeing the Flame: 31/66 scenes of scene review #3.
Eve's Vineyard: 3,375/6,000 (Sept Zing Thing)

I really wanted to reach the SoCNoC halfway point by the end of the 15th; so tonight I had myself shut in my room, trying to make up 1400 words. I was *so dry* of ideas, though. Finally, with ten minutes left to midnight, I thought--"At least I'll get out as much as I can!"

So I started speed-typing a page full of all the little bits I'd had floating around in my mind--one line of dialogue here, one description there, etc.

Wow, did that have an interesting effect--for one thing, it revealed a new aspect to my villain's personality, because he was responding to stress and adrenaline at the same time I was! :-) But also, it made me shake off a habit of contemplating/worrying too much...and just made me write.

Next time I get stuck, I'll try speed-typing again, I think. :-)

http://mousewords.wordpress.com

I strongly suggest word wars. Word wars are fabulous for forcing you to just power through scenes that may otherwise be blocking you. Because you're so focused on just writing, it doesn't give you time to stop and think about it. Anyone who is having problems writing a scene should try it with a word war.

I find another thing that helps is writing programs that block the whole page. I use Q10 for word wars because it covers the screen so that you can't see anything else except the clock and your word count. That basically forces me to concentrate on writing and not get distracted.

If inspiration is your problem, then try talking about your plot with a friend. It can help a lot to hash things out with someone, and get a different perspective on it. Also, sometimes you can get invaluable suggestions you may not have otherwise though of yourself, plus, it can give you that excitement you need to jump in.

September Zing Thing -> 0/2,000

Illuminated Words - My writing blog

Have a written conversation with your MC - I did this when I got stuck, and I actually learnt more about him... Men, they have a strange way with them! Anyway, I was actually able to use the "interview" in my story. :o)

"You will never get published if you don't write." Said Kerry Mead (my darling husband!)

WIP - Book III - The Rise of the Chrystias 58326 / 50000 words (First draft)
Total word count - 158543!

Put on headphones, up the volume and open the word processor. Don't listen to the radio, too much chatter -- it's distracting.

Read my article on this: http://ezinearticles.com/?When-The-Words-Wont-Come&id=4937

cheers

http://writerspress.co.nz/writersblog/

http://www.leepletzers.net

Plot the whole thing in advance. Although your finished manuscript may end up very different, knowing the plot gives you a direction. Even when you're tired, you know what is supposed to come next. If you get inspired, well, then you just add something new.

It took me an unmentionable number of years to realize that my writer's block was a plotting issue. Now I won't start a story without the plot all figured out. And that accounts for my speed once I starting writing the ms.

A key part of developing the plot is to decide on who your characters are first. If you know them, you know what their range of behavior should be. That helps immeasurably in creating the story.

*Get a timer.
*Set it for several minutes (15, 20, 25 are my favs).
*Don't stop until the timer beeps. You'll be surprised what a little pressure can do.

Also, don't do any editing as you go (except typos). Wait until you're finished to worry about editing.

NaNo 25K+: 0/25,000

I find it really helpful before you actually start working on a story to write a 'blog' in the first person of your main character. Some of the text can be used in the story later if you want to, but this just helps get inside their head. What do they talk like? How do they feel about their story, or whatever is happening to them.

Yes, sounds weird, but it works. From there I always find that the story just flows from nowhere.

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia"