Does Writing Have To Be A Solitary Business? . . .

My friend and I decided to try something new the other evening - a group writing session. I say 'group' but there were only two of us. We were each armed with our laptops and each prepared for an evening of tapping away. She trundled over to mine where we had tea and munch, played with the cats for a bit and then settled down. We've both written flash fiction in writers' groups but never done serious work on our own WIPs.

I had this idea a while back. I was watching the first episode of Castle (back when it was semi new. I refused to watch it when it first aired in protest for the way they killed Firefly. I couldn't see Nathan Fillion as anyone else and the loss was still too painful then). Anyway, there he was, Rick Castle, a writer battling writer's block. Oh I was right there with him. The frustrations of the block. Anyway, I watched as he stalked the NYPD, chose a target, and wormed his way into a relationship that would forever be known as Caskett. Then came a scene where he sat down at his laptop and wrote.

Now, I'm not sure how scenes like this affect other writers, but I can only liken it to someone watching porn. Oh, just watching Castle tapping those words on the screen got creative things flowing in ways only other writers can know and understand. This got me thinking. What if I was in a room with other people all tapping away on works of fiction? Would this have the same affect as watching someone on the screen? Would it induce inspiration? If we're still talking porn, I imagine most people would say yes, this theory would work, but writing??

Turns out, it's also a yes. It worked just as good as porn, in fact even more productively so. Within a space of an hour both of us had cleared well over 1500 words. I understand many writers out there may clear that easily in that time, but for those who sometimes struggle, just listening to someone else tapping away, seeing the creative cogs turning in their eyes, is enough to get their own creative cogs shifting into motion.

So there you go. I was being both social and productive at the same time. How about that? Turns out writing doesn't always have to be a solitary business. Now, I wonder how Nathan Fillion would feel knowing his writing scene in the first episode has just been compared to pornography. Hmm...

Getting Back In The Swing . . .

I faded.

I disappeared from the whole blogger community. I used to post twice a week, every week, religiously. I loved it. And not only did I fade from you wonderful people, I faded from my own creative self, too. I've been clinging on to that creativity for a good few years now, struggling and desperate not to let go - but then not doing much to help myself rescue it either.

I've suffered a whole identity crisis in the meantime, too. I've always been writing, as a little kid, all through my teen years and up into my adult life. It's the one thing I've always wanted to do, and the one thing that has always been a constant for me, and after publishing a few works online as well and my inclusions in anthologies, as well as personal projects that I've been working on, I was proud to call myself an actual writer. But then I wasn't writing. And if I wasn't writing, who was I? This left me confused and added to the struggles. In the end, I've just been meandering through life, not doing much at all to be honest.

I'm not sure why my creativity dried up. I could put it down to changes in work which have left me unsettled and therefore unable to get into it; a break which got me out of the habit of writing regularly, and a habit that I haven't been able to get back into...who knows. But one thing still remained, and that was the passion for my ideas. Even though I wasn't actually writing, the ideas still kept flowing, ideas that I love and would one day want to put down on paper - or a word document.

So, a little while back I decided to get my posterior back in gear and get back in the flow, and I've finally finished my novella, Tunnel. Can't actually remember if I mentioned it all those years ago in one of my last posts, but I originally started Tunnel (a zombie flick) for Nano way back when and then had a car accident which ruined that November flow. I still worked on it though at my own snail pace and eventually finished it. And now it's edited and polished and soon ready to go up on Amazon. I'm actually proud of myself and I will keep you all posted with that one.

Then also, out of the blue a few days back, I received a friend request on facebook from the wonderful Nick Wilford who inadvertently reminded me of the whole writer community sitting here that I had once been a part of and who offered support and inspiration (thank you), and so decided that I needed to get back here too. If you believe in fate, I think the signs are all there, finally aligning and telling me it's time to rekindle that creative spark. It may be hard and a struggle but I'm ready to give it a go...

So, deep breath and fingers crossed. Let's get this show back on the road...

Wanted: Dead or Alive . . .

I've been duped! Duped big time stylie!!!

After finishing Son of Jack I wrote a series of short ghost stories and then decided that I could happily have a little break from writing - only for a week or so. I figured that now I didn't have any deadlines to contend with I could put my feet up for a bit. I started to draw, then that idea got a bit old; read some and then became a member of LoveFilm. I could stream and watch films instantly.

After watching god-knows how many films, I got back into the ye old faithful series of True Blood. Seeing as I'm not one to sit down religiously at a set time every week to watch a series on TV, I got the DVD, but I'm a skin-flint. I only had season one on DVD and thought I'd wait until the price dropped before buying the rest. So, after watching season one I had to get the second season. Now I've watched every episode I find myself in a rut. What am I to do now? I'm at a loss. I've ordered season three but it won't be here for at least a week. What am I going to do in between times???

Then I remembered that I'm actually a writer!!! How could I have forgotten? And then it dawned on me.

Yep, I've been duped. My muse enjoyed his little break and obviously doesn't want to come back without a fight. He's been quite happy sitting down, watching TV and becoming the stereotypical couch potato. Now I want to put him back to work, he's up'ed and made a run for it. I've tried, I've fought, and I managed to write the opening chapter of the vampire story that I had in mind, but then he got the upper hand of the fight. I'm not quite sure where he is now. He's hiding and could be anywhere. But I know he's still in the house. I hear him creeping around the shadows at night; I know he's playing games with me; I feel him peaking over my shoulder when I'm reading through previous work, and as soon as I put finger to keyboard he sniggers at me and runs off.

By allowing him this little break, I've been too soft on him and now he's running riot and doing as he pleases. I need to gain control of him! I need to put him back to work and that means discipline! He's not going to like it, but once he's under control again, everything should be fine and he'll see it's for his own good. You have to be cruel to be kind.

So, if anyone sees an unaccompanied muse wandering around, no doubt he's mine. He's Wanted: Dead or Alive. You know how to contact me if he's sighted and your cooperation is very much appreciated.

Thank you.

To Write Or Not To Write . . . That Is The Question

Well, I want to write. I really do. But every time I open my WIP the words don't want to come. I don't know why. Is it writer's block? Or is it just my lazy streak being allowed more rein than usual?

I've been reading a lot of blogs just recently, as well as talking to fellow writer buddies, and they're saying the exact the same. They're going through a lull and their words just aren't flowing. Why not? Is there something in the air? Is there some conspiracy to stop writers writing? Maybe the Internet is getting so flooded with ebooks, 'they' (you know, thems) have decided to take drastic action to slow us down . . . or maybe it's just because Summer is here and people would rather spend their evenings out in the garden as opposed to cooped up at their work space.

Hmm . . . I know which theory I'd go for ;D

Or is it writer's block? I've gone from someone who couldn't put a pen down, to someone who can't be bothered to pick it up. My zessed for my WIP is still there, flowing strong. I dream and plot about it while laying in bed at night (oh, the words seem to flow without a problem then . . . grrr); I visualise my characters as if they're real people; I put them in other situations to see what they would do, hoping to get to know them better and get a feel of how their minds work.

And as usual, I'm thinking about the next installation in my world. I'm plotting, planning, visualising, building and creating . . . but I'm not writing. I'm so excited about my work that it confuses me why I'm having difficulties just sitting down and doing the deed.

Maybe I've just allowed myself to get too slack. One blog mentioned that once you get out of the habit of writing, it's hard to get back into it. Maybe that's what my problem is. I need to be more strict! I need assert my authority over myself, and tell myself that I'm not leaving this desk until I've written so many hundred/thousand words. Maybe I need to be taken and shackled to the whipping post outside my house and whipped back into shape . . . (gasp! maybe that's a bit too kinky)

Either that or can somebody please track 'thems' down and tell them to stop putting stuff in the air that prevents people from writing! Thank you!

Novel Update - Building Those Bridges. . .

I haven't given one of these for sometime but, to be honest, there's not a lot to report.

My new novel, 'Lady of the Seas', that was started beginning of February, is taking a break. (Here's a reminder of the opening chapter I posted for those who want a read) It started off so well then went on strike. I have a feeling that this strike won't be lasting too long, though. And I also know the reason for this strike.

I've come steaming full pelt to a river with no bridge, ending in a sudden stop. I need to build this bridge before my story can continue. It's a wee flaw in my plotting and planning. I need to write this section to enable the rest of the story to flow - all of which I know and is plotted. It's just this one little blank bit, and it's annoying me.

So far, 'Lady of the Seas' has reached 22k. I don't think is too bad. Again, just like my last one, 'Kiss of the Gypsy', I've given myself a deadline to get it finished, which is the end of the year. I can see that happening, even before time - if I can build this bridge. Even if it's just a temporary structure to help my characters across, and then I can come back to it at a later date and strengthen it.

Many people, if they stumble across a problem like this, will ignore this section and go on to the next, to keep writing, and then come back to it later. If that works for them then great. But it doesn't for me. I feel I'll loose the flow of the story, and it will also be on the back of my mind that I need to go back and write that section. This will affect any future work that I churn out. I'm a planner. I need to know where I'm going and how to get from point A to point B. And understanding how these points are connected, how they entwine with each other and how they feed off each other, strengthens the route. Every bridge has to be in place, no matter how rough and unsteady.

This missing bridge is the cause for my writer's block.

What about you? Do flaws in your planning create havoc for your writing, or are you happy to go with the flow and see where your words and characters take you?

Exercise: I Suppose It Could Have Been Worse . . .

On Monday night we pulled out the ye-oh faithful word box. Inside is a collection of random sentences used to inspire. This is the consequence of the sentence I pulled out . . .

Exercise: I Suppose It Could Have Been Worse . . .

As the door to the partitioned gangway in front of the dungeon opened, the Duke of Dorset crawled from his dark, dank corner to see his visitor. "What happened? What went wrong?" he asked.

The man stumbled into caged gangway, helped by the forceful hand of the prison guard. "We tried, my Lord. The legions were in place. The attack went as planned, but there were just too many of them to fight."

"So you failed?" The Duke's words drowned in the sound of the barred door being slammed and locked in place behind his visitor.

The man cowered to the floor and dragged himself over to the bars. Clinging onto them, he pressed his regretful, grubby face through and searched for the Duke in the darkness. "It wasn't our fault. We were misinformed. The information provided by the Duke of Buckingham was wrong. We didn't expect there to be so many Yorks."

The Duke sighed with frustration and slumped back into the gloomy shadows. "So King Henry still reigns."

The man tightened his grip on the bars, pressing himself against them as if hoping that he could pass through. "But my lord, word has spread that King Henry is of ill health and that he won't be seeing the winter through."

"And what good is this news to me?" The Duke sprung from the shadows like a demon. The man in the gangway recoiled with fright as the Duke's hand reached out for him. "Your rescue attempt for me failed. Even if King Henry were to die of ill health, what good is that to me when I am still locked in here? What good?" The Duke's fingers gripped tighter around the bars, wishing they were the man's neck.

"Well," the man replied as he made himself comfortable on the gangway floor. "I suppose it could have been worse."

The Duke's face twisted with rage. "Really? Pray tell."

The man gave a shrug. "You're being beheaded tomorrow. At least with you gone I'll be released and free to live as I please without the fear of you."

The Duke raised a single eyebrow. . .

Overcoming The Opposite Of Writer's Block . . .

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Now is the time to get back into the routine of life and blogging.

A friend of mine asked me for some advice the other day, and I have to say it's the first time I've ever considered this. She asked how to overcome the opposite of Writer's Block. She said she has so many ideas racing through her mind, how can she possibly know which one to choose?

Dilema!

Writer's block is a horrible thing and can affect any writer at any time. I've always had a novel on the go since I was a kid, and rarely suffer with it, but I have to confess these last few months have been harsh for me. I don't know why, and I have no idea where it came from. One minute my fingers were steaming across the keyboard, the next they refused to work. The words I needed just no longer come. It's hard to explain. I still had the enthusiasm for the story. I knew exactly where I was going (I'm a planner), I was nearing the end (the time when writing normally speeds up) and I was really excited about finishing it (even designed a front cover).

So why couldn't I write?

I soldiered on though, and I'm glad to say that I worked through the block and finished my novel, Kiss of the Gypsy, on New Years Day. 87,000 words. And the last 10,000 words steamed out so fast it was like they no longer wanted to be contained. I have no excuse for why I struggled, but happily things are back to normal.

Now I'm suffering with the opposite of writer's block. Because I'm a planner, I'm always planning my next piece while I'm writing the current piece. This way when one is finished, I can jump straight into the next. It's how I've always worked. However, because I wasn't writing I was looking for inspiration, and now I have so many ideas floating about in that big, wide space between my ears. I just can't decide which one to go for next. Luckily I'm editing so I still have time to decide, but I'm not too keen on the feeling of not knowing where I'm going.

I couldn't offer my friend any valuable advice other than just weighing up the pros and cons of each and picking. That's what I have to do.

If you've ever suffered with Writer's Block, how have you coped? Or if you suffer with the opposite of Writer's Block, how have you decided what path to take? Would be interesting to hear thoughts . . .