I've been amazingly productive this month. Now that my son is back to catching the bus at 6:46 a.m., I'm at my computer, coffee in hand, by 6:50 a.m. (Or he misses the bus at 6:47 a.m., I drive him, and don't get that first cup of coffee until after 7:00 a.m. Grrrr.)
Either way, I've been kicking #@% keeping butt in chair. But what makes me even happier than the work at the keyboard, is the work everywhere else. I am in the writing zone.
I am so in the zone I finally figured out the mucky middle of my YA WIP and I haven't touched it in six weeks. My solid plot took twists and turns that that led straight into dead ends. But as I revised and polished my MG manuscript every morning until it's spit-shined, a funny thing happened every afternoon. My thoughts turned to my YA as I took care of all of life's other business. And I figured out where the plot went wrong.
I can't wait to dig back into my YA--I even have a new name for my MC--something that has driven me crazy since I wrote my first three pages.
Fellow writers, has this happened to you? When you take the pressure off, do the answers come?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
In the Writing Zone
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Congratulations on all the recent productivity, J.A.! That's awesome!
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, there are definitely times when taking the pressure off has lead me to huge leaps in a manuscript. That's why I like to work on multiple short manuscripts simultaneously. When I'm "goofing off," I'm actually doing something productive!
Kuddos for all the hard work!
ReplyDeleteI love the zone. I've written close to 12 hours a day since last Thursday, after very long dry spell that had me worried. It feels great.
Brianna, I've never known you to goof off! You are amazingly productive.
ReplyDeleteAimee, it sounds like you will be more than warmed up for NaNWriMo!
Being in the zone is a wonderful feeling. I have found, lately, that when I am stuck it is because I have gone wrong somewhere in what I've already written. Finding that spot isn't always easy, sometimes it creeps up on you, like when you're working on a different story. For me, it's when I'm driving, showering, or reading. Unfortunately, since I don't have anyone at home to chauffeur around anymore, I'm not spending as much time in the car. I am, however, VERY clean!
ReplyDeleteMeg, the down side of being in the zone is that my house looks like someone came over and shook it.
ReplyDeletePressure on. Pressure off. Who cares how you get there? The best feeling in the world is when your ideas and words are coming together and you're cruising through a construction zone without being stopped for a speeding ticket.
ReplyDeleteGale, please, no more tickets! I can't afford the points!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like being in the zone! Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm stuck I ask for guidance in my dreams, but I've never yet woken up with a plot twist straightened or an "aha" idea. I keep trying, though. It seems like such an elegant and easy solution.
ReplyDeleteBish - hope it lasts!
ReplyDeleteMG - I have only had one dream to date that I had to immediately write down. And now when I read the notes, I can't quite capture the magic I felt at that point. maybe someday, I'll dream it again and figure it out.
I've had fantastic dreams, where the whole story comes together. I write the dream down, but in the morning - forget finding the magic - I can't make any sense of it.
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