Tag Archive for 'creativity'

20
Aug

goals and priorities - a writer’s biggest hurdles

By jess 2 Comments
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My biggest goal, my lifelong dream, is to finish writing a novel.  After all, you have to finish it before you can publish it, right?

I am great at starting things, and I think if life didn’t get in the way, I would be great at finishing them too.  But sadly, that’s just not the way things usually work–I can’t quit my day job and devote myself to being a full-time fledgling author, even though I would love to do nothing more.

I have responsibilities, and I have a life away from the computer, the notebook, and the novel.  I can’t ignore those.  My life interrupts my dreams frequently, whether it’s a health issue, a big project at the office, or an occurence beyond my control that is just plain more important than blogging or writing.

I get so used to having to set aside my novel–my dream, my goal–for the important stuff that I let the little stuff start getting in the way, too.  I’ll find myself surfing the Internet, watching Project Runway, or organizing my iTunes collection instead of writing.  Once I let myself stop treating it like it’s important, it falls by the wayside and it’s hard to get back on the wagon again.

Not only am I getting back on the wagon, I’m getting in the driver’s seat.  There are things in this world that I can’t control, but the one thing I know I can control is ME.  I used to be good at setting goals, meeting them, and exceeding them, so i know I have it in me if I just put my dream first for a change.  I think we have the tendency to put off our dreams because they don’t feel tangible or realistic, and usually only realize that it’s time to push towards fulfilling those dreams when we might not have another chance down the road.  I do that all the time, and it stops here.  I’ve been inspired by too many successful, driven people lately to let my suddenly acquired sloth-like habits get the better of me.

I’m setting some goals for myself to get back up to the high volume of writing that I used to be able to attain without even breaking a sweat.  I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month for 4 of the last 5 years, but I haven’t ever made it to 50,000 words in November, so I’m going to prepare until I’m blue in the face, and then write my butt off until November 31.  So I have a schedule for myself:

  • By the end of this month, I will have written 12,500 words–1/4 of the National Novel Writing Month goal.  That means that for the next 12 days, I have to write 1042 words per day.
  • In September, I am planning on doubling my word count to 25,000 words.  That should get me in the groove to make the big push in November.
  • In October, I plan on writing 25,000 more words, as well as doing the outlining, research, and planning for my November project.  I make the bad habit of going in cold to a project because I am just so excited to get started, and it usually ends up coming back and biting me in the ass.

This writing will be my NUMBER ONE priority–more important than blogging, more important than surfing the Internet, more important than fall TV (thank goodness for DVRs).  As much as I love doing all those other things, I’m never going to get a book written if I don’t start putting it first.

Take that, life!

Word Counts - Today: 1,063 | August: 1,063 | 2008: 13,877

24
Jul

creatively overwhelmed

By jess 0 Comments
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what to write?Right now my head feels like it’s about to explode.  I just got out of a long design session (almost 45 minutes longer than it was planned for!) and I think I’m on information overload.  We’re discussing the creative approach to take for an eLearning course, and there is so much to consider that I feel creatively overwhelmed.  It’s not unlike how I feel when I’m working through my writing projects.

Last night when I was live with Cali Lewis, I talked about how scary it can be to write a novel.  It may seem easy at first, when the ideas are flowing and you’re really excited about the project, but when you are trying to figure out intricate plot points and character motivation, it can be really hard to buckle down and make your creativity work for you.  Ideas can go in all different directions and you can get completely off track from where you intended to be.  That’s what I’m working through on my main project right now.  I got off on a tangent and now I’m having to rein myself back in and get back on the plot path I need to be on to move my story forward.

At work, I’m trying to get all the creative ideas our team came up with to form something more concrete that we can present to the client, and that can be really hard too.  I was in kind of a tizzy after the meeting because I just felt snowed by the task, and confused already with what we had discussed.  So what do you do in a situation like that?

My first inclination is always to analyze things further and get them straight in my head so that I can push forward.  But if I want to get things back under control, that’s NOT my best path to take!  The more I analyze, the more confused I make myself and then suddenly I have no idea where I wanted to end up, let alone what path I wanted to take or what I intended to accomplish along the way.

What works for me is taking a step back, letting things settle down before I tackle them again, and then approaching the situation from a different angle.  For instance, in my writing project, I’ve stopped actually writing for the moment and I’m going back and shoring up my outline, fleshing out some things, and doing some research to help me with a character I’m stuck on.  At work, I’m taking my lunch break, and when I’m done, I’m going to take some design templates and start plugging information in rather than trying to deal with the mess of notes I took during the design session.  That will help me determine if we’re on the right path or if we need to make some tweaks.

What is your action plan when you get creatively overwhelmed?

Word Counts - Today: 0 | July: 616 | 2008: 5,089

23
Jul

project focus deficit disorder…do you suffer too?

By jess 1 Comment
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LightbulbsLately I’m suffering from PFDD–project focus deficit disorder.  Typically, I try to focus on one project at a time; one story, one blog, etc. and then move on to the next once the first is completed.  But lately, the ideas are flying at me full throttle and it’s hard for me to decide which one I want to start working on first.  The lightbulb isn’t just turning on over my head–I’ve got every lamp in the room on at the moment!

I know, I should have worse problems than having too many good (I hope!) ideas.  But having that creative bottleneck can be an artist’s biggest challenge–which painting to start, which book to write, which story to pitch, which song to finish the chords on.  I have been faithfully writing my ideas down and stowing them away to come back to later, but then my current project starts losing some of its sparkle when I think about the even BETTER story sitting in my queue.

I subscribe to the David Allen methods of Getting Things Done–I’m not great with GTD, but one of the tenets that has stuck with me is the one that says if you can complete a task in under 2 minutes, you should just do it NOW instead of putting it on a list to do later.  I don’t always get things done in 2 minutes, but I knock a lot of things out of my inbox with that general rule.  When it comes to writing, I force myself to work on my current projects with this in mind: if I’m working on a project that is 20% complete, it’s a lot closer to 100% than a project that is 0% complete.

To get myself jazzed about the project at hand, I try to mix it up a little.  If I’ve been slogging through a chapter, I skip around and start outlining another chapter, or even go through and read what I’ve already written–reading my finished chapters lets me reconnect with my characters and my story as a reader, not a writer, and allows me to get some valuable space from the work and some insight into what a reader might find interesting.  I do anything it takes to move the progress forward just one percentage point.  The more I write, the more I see the progress forging ahead, and that makes me want to write even more.  Pavlov would be proud.

Even though I try to stay focused on my current project, I still can’t deny the siren song of a new idea from time to time.  There is one that I’ve been thinking on for the past couple of days that I will probably spend an hour or so on, getting some plot points down in writing and crystallizing a few ideas.  I don’t want to lose valuable thoughts just because I’m doggedly focused on another project!  Then I can use my excitement about the new project to spur myself to finish the first one.

What do you do when you have too many ideas, and just not enough time to do them all at once?

Word Counts - Today: 0 | July: 616 | 2008: 5,089

30
Jun

a moment of stillness

By jess 0 Comments
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Our “vacation” officially ended last night as we drove back to Dallas from the in-laws’ beautiful lake house, but we still had today as a vacation day as well.  I was happy to sleep in and relax around the house with a book for awhile, but I had errands to run that I knew I had to accomplish today while I had the chance.  We had plans this evening, but thankfully the rest of the day was free for me to take my time and do what I needed to do.

I got my oil changed and some other maintenance work done on my car, then I realized how hungry I was.  I was practically around the corner from the giant Half-Price Books that I love so much, so I decided to head over there and eat lunch in their cafe.

I had been there probably 20 minutes when I glanced at my watch, almost out of reflex.  My sandwich was half-gone, I was close to finishing my book, and I realized that I was perfectly content, sitting at the cafe table, in my own little bubble of quiet.  I had nowhere that I needed to be other than where I was.  So, I stretched out that moment of stillness as long as I possibly could.  I wrote in my journal.  I read the rest of my book.  I finished my lunch.  And I was supremely happy.

It’s easy to forget how important just taking some time for yourself can be.  We’re always in such a hurry–somewhere to be, something to do, even on the weekends when we impose that sense of rigid order on ourselves.  But lately I’m trying to learn to let go of my need for structure a little bit, and just let myself be still sometimes.  It feels good, like a creative recharge.  I guess it’s hard for my creative voice to be heard when I’m always talking over it.  Baby steps, one at a time, starting with lunch.

Word Counts - Today: 0 | June: 0 | 2008: 4,473

28
May

managing inspiration

By jess 1 Comment
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LightbulbI always get ideas in the most inconvenient places. I know a lot of writers and other creative types suffer from the same problem–the ideas flow best when you’re not really trying, when you’re occupied with something else, and most likely when it is difficult to record your idea to remember for later.

The lightbulb always turns on for me when I’m driving, when I’m in the shower, or right before I’m about to fall asleep. All these situations make perfect sense, because those are probably the only time I’m actually letting my thought processes rest. But how am I possibly going to capture those ideas before they get away? I’ve lost too many great snippets of poetry or song lyrics, pieces of dialog, or plot ideas because I had no way to safely and quickly record them. So how can I manage inspiration when it hits out of the blue? Here are a few tools that I’ve found invaluable:

1. Evernote - I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–Evernote is a killer writing tool. When I have an idea that hits right before I fall asleep, I’ll grab my Windows Mobile phone off the nightstand (I use it as an alarm clock, so it’s always handy), fire up Evernote, jot down the idea, and then sync the note to my Evernote account. It’s then accessible from the desktop version of Evernote (Mac or Windows), my mobile device, or the Evernote web interface. I can tag the note with a story name or other identifier so that it’s easy to call up later when I’m ready to use it. I honestly don’t know how I got by without Evernote on all my devices.

2. Jott - I have a long commute to work each day, and some of the best ideas hit me when I’m in the middle of the highway. I can’t exactly pull over and grab my notebook, and it’s not very safe to try and use Evernote while I drive. Jott to the rescue! Jott is a phone service that allows you to manage your life hands-free–you can take quick notes, add appointments and get schedule reminders, add to your to-do list, Twitter right from your phone, blog, and more! I added the secret Evernote email address (Tip: Check your Settings page to find your own Evernote address!) as one of my addresses in Jott. The Evernote email address allows you to email yourself notes that get automatically added to your Evernote account. Adding it to Jott means I can call up, Jott to myself, and the note will get transcribed into Evernote. Now I can take notes on the go without ever lifting my hands from the steering wheel.

3. Circa 3×5 PDA - This is my favorite analog writing tool for managing ideas. If I’m at home, or sitting at my desk at work, or anywhere that I can write things down the good ol’ fashioned way, I use notecards. They help me break my ideas down into plot points, character cards, important notes, etc. Then I punch the cards using my awesome Levenger Circa punch and file them on a set of rings set up to handle 3×5 cards.  I even made hard plastic covers for each end of the Circa PDA to protect my notes. I am experimenting with entering my notes into an interface like StorYbook or SuperNotecard to have a digital backup of all my analog inspirations.

How do you manage inspiration?

Word Counts - Today: 0 | May: 4,473 | 2008: 4,473

27
May

a room of one’s own

By jess 1 Comment
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Lady writing at a deskI have been incredibly lax in writing for a number of reasons over the past few weeks–work has gotten crazy busy on me, I’ve had some more important things to attend to in my personal life, and I’ve been trying to get our apartment organized. The first two have been real motivation killers, but the organization has been boosting my creativity like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t wait to get my office/craft room completely finished (I’m about 50-60% of the way there as of today) so that I can use it, because I’m chomping at the bit to get in there and CREATE.

I think that the environment you write in can be as important as what you’re writing about. It should be a place that you feel productive, creative, and happy. I have not been able to write or work very well in my home office in quite a while. The problem was twofold: the desk was too small to comfortably hold everything I needed it to (all-in-one printer, 19″ LCD monitor, external DVD drive, external hard drive, wireless keyboard and mouse), and we didn’t have any storage for anything. It’s difficult to put things away when all you have is a very, very overstuffed small bookcase.

Thankfully our trip to IKEA this weekend was fruitful and now I have a very large worktable, a set of drawers on casters that fits perfectly underneath it, and a tall, wide bookcase with plenty of room for books as well as baskets or boxes to store odds and ends. I have a new desk lamp that illuminates the room without it being too bright (I hate overhead lights) and room to spread out all my notes and ideas.

I have a table on the other side of the room for sewing, crafting, or whatever other crafty thing I am into at the moment, and having it all come together in an organized manner is spurring me on to use the space creatively.  I’m slowly adding personal touches that make the room feel more homey and comfortable.

What is your writing space like? Does it make you want to write, or does it drive you to the nearest coffee shop in hopes of getting something done?

Word Counts - Today: 0 | May: 4,473 | 2008: 4,473

23
May

Guest Post: I’ve Forgotten How To Write!

By markdavidson 6 Comments
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Today I’m doing something a little different–my very first guest post! My awesome, humble, genius friend Mark offered to write for me and I jumped at the chance. Check him out on his Twitter timeline or stop by his personal site, Twitter Stars.

With all the changes buzzing about in my life, I’ve stopped writing. I used to write for two hours every single day. I love writing. So, what have I been doing? Well, I’ve been blurbing on Twitter like a maniac. I’ve also been developing a new media company and a blog network. I haven’t even been in the frame of mind to write lately.

I asked @jfritsche if I could write a blog post for her. I don’t really have a point or a topic. I just wanted to write. Why? Because I enjoy writing! So, my topic is, I forgot how to write.

@jfritsche wanted me to write about my process of writing. Jokingly I had told her, “I like to write while not wearing pants.” This isn’t true. That’s my weird sense of humor at work. In reality, my process is simple; just start writing.

If I focused on the result instead of just working the task, I would not have started writing here and now. I think a big part of writer’s block is that we tend to fret about the outcome. Instead, I trusted that I could write and just started clacking away in this little WordPress box.

I am so used to writing in 140 character bursts now that making a short blog post could have seemed overwhelming. Instead I chose to write fearlessly. I just jumped right into it.

At this point, I’m at about 250 words or so. For most blog posts, this is a pretty good length. For me, I like to ramble, so I’m shooting for a full 500 words.

So, now that I’ve fired off my first 250 words and have pretty much covered my topic in its entirety, what do I write about? That’s another impediment to making blog posts, isn’t it? A good share of the time, we aren’t sure what to write about, right? That’s a tricky one. Your best bet is to not think about the results but once again, to just start writing.

jfritsche (12:46:42 AM): *wields red pen of editing doom*

When I haven’t written in a long time, as the case is now, I feel stiff. My written voice is labored and pedantic. I don’t feel free. I don’t feel creative. The only solution is to forget about the results and just focus on the now, taking it one word at a time. Not worrying about the outcome. Not focusing on the process. Not thinking about anything other than my next word.

So, I am writing here, without thought. Oh, no. This article is horrible isn’t it? So what! So what if this post is horrible! I can always go back and edit it later. The most important thing for me to do is to write.

If you find your flow and get into your groove; keep writing! Knock out a couple of blog posts, so you have content in reserve for those times when you don’t have the time to sit down and write.

Be consistent! Make a new blog post everyday!

To re-cap:

  • Just start writing
  • Focus on the task, not on the results
  • Don’t worry about what you are going write or even your topic
  • Trust that once you start, you’ll find your words
  • 250 words is a good size for a blog post; keep your post to 500 words max
  • Once you start writing and find your groove, knock out a couple of posts
  • Blog consistently, make a post every day
jfritsche (12:48:57 AM): good job writer, you get a cookie!!

Word Counts - Today: 0 | May: 4,473 | 2008: 4,473

08
May

backtracking in the writing process

By jess 0 Comments
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writing with a penI realized as I was writing last night that I’m going to have to backtrack a little in my workflow. Normally I will sketch out an outline at the very beginning of a project and stick to it like glue until I get the story completed. I sketched out the outline for my current project over a year ago with lots of details and lots of plot notes, but coming back to it just doesn’t feel right. My characters want to go somewhere else, and so does the plot. So, I’m going to have to go back and re-outline the story. There just isn’t any other way.

I’ve tried to write without an outline before, and in theory it is very freeing and fun. But I can only complete short stories that way–I absolutely cannot write a novel without some kind of a roadmap that I can check off as I go along. I’ve been writing for only two days on this thing without a proper outline, and it’s already driving me crazy.

I also have to get the facts reorganized. I had to scroll up and make notes quite a few times on some of the plot points I started writing when I first began the story. It’s been long enough that I can’t keep track of who is who, who did what, and where they did it! Since I’m not doing the bulk of my writing on the Mac, I can’t use Scrivener to keep track of things like I used to. So, I can either go the software route and create a database of characters, plot points, and locations, or I can do it the old-fashioned way and freaking write it down!

I think I’ve decided to take a “write it down” approach initially just to get it all out of my head. I have a stack of index cards that I’ve punched with my Circa punch and plan to put on some extra Circa disks when I get home tonight. It’ll be easy enough to keep them together and get them organized while I work, and then when I have it completed, I think I may use a program like BasKet Note Pads or SuperNotecard to get it all organized on the eeePC.

So, fellow writers, how do you keep your work organized? I always love hearing about people’s workflows. Talk back in the comments.

Word Counts - Today: 542 | May: 4,173 | 2008: 4,173

07
May

making a goal and sticking to it

By jess 2 Comments
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Today feels really good–not only did I make and exceed a goal of 2000 words written on my novel tonight, but I also cranked out a 650 guest blog for a site I contribute to and worked on some of my own blogs.

I love watching my word count go up and the percentage complete rise on my progress graph! This project may end up way over 50,000 words, but that’s my target wordcount. I can’t wait to write more tomorrow!

Word Counts - Today: 2,026 | May: 3,631 | 2008: 3,631

07
May

write what comes naturally

By jess 0 Comments
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Las Vegas PD adJust a few posts ago, I talked about how daunting it is to admit that I’m writing my first novel.  Apparently, admitting it is the hardest part, because not only am I writing my first novel, I’m also writing my second.

I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month a few times, but I’ve never made it all the way to 50K words at the end of November.  However, I have had some ideas that I’ve really enjoyed working with, and I keep all my drafts just in case I get around to finishing them someday.

My 2007 effort was a fun murder mystery centered around a plucky female detective with the Las Vegas PD and her partner.  Yeah, I know–those kind of books are a dime a dozen these days.  I let my internal editor get the best of me, telling myself it was cheesy, stupid, and cliché.  This week I was going through my Google Docs and I pulled up the 4800 word draft that I churned out before giving up.  I read it, and lo and behold I LIKED it.  I love my heroine.  I remembered how fun it was to research and write, and how the characters just created themselves as I wrote.  I couldn’t help myself–I told the inner editor to get lost, and I picked it right back up and started churning out more of the plot.  Now I have over 1600 more words and I can’t wait to get home and work on it some more.  I’ve even thought of the plot for a SEQUEL already!

My other novel is much more serious.  It has elements of the fantastic to it, but it’s also very focused on people’s relationships and how their actions affect those relationships.  I love the story I have created in my head, and I want to get it all out on paper so I can share it with others.  But it’s HARD.  For some reason, I’ve written in circles on it.  I finally got to a point about a month ago where I felt like I’d solved the problem with my story and could move forward–and I still feel that way.  It’s just not coming as easily to me right now as the possibly stupid, cheesy, cliché mystery novel.

You always hear the advice that you should write what you know.  I think that’s true–especially in blogging.  But if I’ve learned one thing this week, it’s that you should write what comes most naturally to you.  I will fight through and finish my first novel; I know it hasn’t always been so difficult to write, and that the mystery novel will probably have me tearing my hair out before it gets completed.  But I’m not going to force the issue with the first story when the second is coming so easily out of my head.

Have you ever been derailed in the middle of one project because another project comes along that just feels right?  Share your stories in the comments.

Word Counts - Today: 2,026 | May: 3,631 | 2008: 3,631

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