I’m trying to remember processes after not writing for a decade. I’m starting to feel my way back into it and the best way I can describe it at the moment is collecting different words and phrases, ideas and feelings. There’s a part of my brain where I’ve been collecting it all and recently the motivation to get it out of brain and into the world has retuned. Am quietly excited, making small movements, not wanting to scare it away.
What a beautiful way to describe the pieces of inspiration that tiptoe in. I struggle with listening to them, especially when they’re so quiet and the rest of the world is so loud and busy and demanding.
Quiet is definitely the right word, but I have found them to have weight, some of the pieces I’ve collected have been there for years, waiting patiently.
I like to constantly open up new documents in Scrivener within the same project. It helps me able to bounce around without scrolling through pages and pages of material. And when I get mad at whatever part I am at, I can just jump to another section.
I have to fit writing in around a very busy academic schedule as I'm a teacher with a slight perfectionist problem (I create like 75% of my material from scratch). I depend on sprints to keep me focused and try to do at least 25 minutes a day in my current project, whether it's in the discovery (thank you for this term, btw!), drafting, or editing process. I don't set word count, scene, or chapter totals. I just set sprint goals, which helps me keep my expectations realistic. I write in the early afternoon when I'm not working and in the evening during the school year.
I have a friend that I work with on accountability -- we're nagging partners, lol. I nag her to set a sprint goal, and she nags me.
I used to write approximately 3.5 hours,(4, with 2-15 minute breaks); and then 1 hour off for lunch and another 3.5 hours,(again, 4 hours, with 2-15 minute breaks), 5 days a week. Did this for a couple of years.
Then, a marriage breakdown happened; was forced to move; had no room/place to write for over 2 and 1/4 years; got place, went back to writing; got remarried; made fun of/put down by supposedly supportive new husband; laptop died; another divorce, and my health has deteriorated to the point I can barely breathe/move: so now, no process.
Once the cast comes off my right wrist/thumb and I can start using it again, I hope to begin returning to five days a week production. M
I love doing sprints with my writer friends in discord. Often, our sprints turn into research or problem-solving sprints where we spend a good chunk of the time bouncing around ideas and helping each other figure out how to word. But we're there to remind each other that even if we didn't get many words down "on paper" progress is still progress.
My favorite writing process is writing first thing in the morning. Knowing what my best hours are and prioritizing the writing during those hours makes drafting so much easier.
I’ve been doing body doubling this year. We get on a video call one hour Monday through Friday and the 3 of us start out with what we are working that day. We set a timer and then check in at the end of the hour.
I’m trying to remember processes after not writing for a decade. I’m starting to feel my way back into it and the best way I can describe it at the moment is collecting different words and phrases, ideas and feelings. There’s a part of my brain where I’ve been collecting it all and recently the motivation to get it out of brain and into the world has retuned. Am quietly excited, making small movements, not wanting to scare it away.
What a beautiful way to describe the pieces of inspiration that tiptoe in. I struggle with listening to them, especially when they’re so quiet and the rest of the world is so loud and busy and demanding.
Quiet is definitely the right word, but I have found them to have weight, some of the pieces I’ve collected have been there for years, waiting patiently.
I like to constantly open up new documents in Scrivener within the same project. It helps me able to bounce around without scrolling through pages and pages of material. And when I get mad at whatever part I am at, I can just jump to another section.
I love that! Good idea!
I have to fit writing in around a very busy academic schedule as I'm a teacher with a slight perfectionist problem (I create like 75% of my material from scratch). I depend on sprints to keep me focused and try to do at least 25 minutes a day in my current project, whether it's in the discovery (thank you for this term, btw!), drafting, or editing process. I don't set word count, scene, or chapter totals. I just set sprint goals, which helps me keep my expectations realistic. I write in the early afternoon when I'm not working and in the evening during the school year.
I have a friend that I work with on accountability -- we're nagging partners, lol. I nag her to set a sprint goal, and she nags me.
I love that you added an accountability partner. I do that too
I used to write approximately 3.5 hours,(4, with 2-15 minute breaks); and then 1 hour off for lunch and another 3.5 hours,(again, 4 hours, with 2-15 minute breaks), 5 days a week. Did this for a couple of years.
Then, a marriage breakdown happened; was forced to move; had no room/place to write for over 2 and 1/4 years; got place, went back to writing; got remarried; made fun of/put down by supposedly supportive new husband; laptop died; another divorce, and my health has deteriorated to the point I can barely breathe/move: so now, no process.
Once the cast comes off my right wrist/thumb and I can start using it again, I hope to begin returning to five days a week production. M
Maybe your process right now is heal first, write later. That was mine for many years. ❤️
Thank you! That’s what I’m trying to do. M
I love doing sprints with my writer friends in discord. Often, our sprints turn into research or problem-solving sprints where we spend a good chunk of the time bouncing around ideas and helping each other figure out how to word. But we're there to remind each other that even if we didn't get many words down "on paper" progress is still progress.
I love that! That’s the exact kind of community that we build in the Year of Writing Magically workshop, and it’s amazing.
My favorite writing process is writing first thing in the morning. Knowing what my best hours are and prioritizing the writing during those hours makes drafting so much easier.
I’ve been doing body doubling this year. We get on a video call one hour Monday through Friday and the 3 of us start out with what we are working that day. We set a timer and then check in at the end of the hour.