So, how do you entertain yourself while writing that novel?

Maxinquaye · Jan 4, 2010

There you are, you got the chasm of the middle ahead of you. A grand canyon of words you got to cross.

Do you play games to keep up interests?

I find myself doing lots of stuff, like writing in dialect, writing unecessary descriptions, TELLING and so on - as long as it doesn't remove from vomiting the story out. It seems a good way to keep things fresh, right?

Lots of it will of course get lost in revision.

Do you do this?

Krintar · Jan 4, 2010

I up the stakes with a spontaneous twist every time I start to get bored. And if I write myself into a corner, I make all of everything explode until the corner is no more.

Bufty · Jan 4, 2010

gothicangel · Jan 4, 2010

I focus on the words I'm writing at the time. I don't think of the marathon ahead (there's no bigger motivation killer.)

As an art teacher once told me: "when viewing a painting you can't focus on the small details, when observing the panorama as a whole."

kaitie · Jan 4, 2010

gothicangel said:
I focus on the words I'm writing at the time. I don't think of the marathon ahead (there's no bigger motivation killer.)

As an art teacher once told me: "when viewing a painting you can't focus on the small details, when observing the panorama as a whole."

I'm the opposite lol. Generally what keeps me wanting to write is a scene that comes later on that I'm really excited about. In my current WIP, all of those moments occur in the last quarter of the story, including the big climax. Also, knowing how I want to do that in advance helps me make sure I emphasize certain things leading up to it and what not as well. Everyone's different.

evol_reed · Jan 4, 2010

No. I find the telling of the story to be quite enjoyable. No games are necessary, putting the story in my head into words is wonderful fun.

megan_d · Jan 4, 2010

I don't think I could find the motivation to write stuff that I know would just get cut in the first revision. I'm not saying it doesn't work for you, but it just seems like a huge waste of time to me. Sure, a lot of what goes into the first draft will get cut, but when I'm writing that first draft I still try to make every word count.

williemeikle · Jan 4, 2010

IMHO if you need to entertain yourself by creating things tangential to your WIP in order to keep the WIP going, then you're doing it wrong...

Kweei · Jan 4, 2010

I'm a little confused what you are asking. These games you are making, will they help your manuscript at some point?

I guess what I'm asking is are the games mental exercises to help you know your setting, plot, or character better?

When I'm stuck or feeling pressure of the middle - I hate middles - I tend to think on future scenes or flesh out parts of backstory. I may never use exactly what I've written, but it helps me know the characters better or it sometimes helps reveal something I didn't see because I was so focused on something else.

Wordwrestler · Jan 4, 2010

Generally speaking, the writing itself is my entertainment. I do have some rough spots, but that has nothing to do with boredom.

Writing the story itself is the most entertaining activity in my life. I enjoy it more than my favorite sport (which I enjoy a LOT and am also addicted to) more than my other areas of talent, more than watching TV, more than reading.

I do get stuck, but usually it takes writing a different story, moving to a different point in the current story, or taking a brief break from writing to get me unstuck. Games aren't really my thing.

AryaT92 · Jan 4, 2010

I enjoy the writing but aside from that music really helps keep me going.

ChaosTitan · Jan 4, 2010

Wordwrestler said:
Generally speaking, the writing itself is my entertainment. I do have some rough spots, but that has nothing to do with boredom.

This.

Birol · Jan 4, 2010

I'm with Chaos and Wordwrestler on this one.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 4, 2010

I sometimes listen to old time radio dramas when writing, but the writing itself is the entertainment. If it weren't, I'd find some other way of earning a living.

maxmordon · Jan 4, 2010

I am with Birol, Chaos and Wordwrestler on this one. If you don't entertain yourself writing, how are the people going to entertain themselves reading it?

DeadlyAccurate · Jan 4, 2010

I'll listen to music while I write, but I entertain myself with the book I'm writing. If I don't like it, I probably can't expect anyone else to either.

OctoberLee · Jan 4, 2010

Ugh. Middles. Don't even talk to me about middles. Dark, gaping hellmouth middles. Guess what part I'm cleaning up on my novel right now? ;0

I usually just find myself surfing the net when I'm not writing

The worst thing is that, when I go to bed at night, I'm filled with ideas of things I should have written... Usually, if I'm bored when I'm writing, that part ends up being something that didn't work out and is re-written later.

ChainsawLicker · Jan 4, 2010

maxmordon said:
I am with Birol, Chaos and Wordwrestler on this one. If you don't entertain yourself writing, how are the people going to entertain themselves reading it?

I was thinking the same thing. If you, the author, are bored, there's a problem.

jasonleeward · Jan 4, 2010

Staying Focused On Writing

Some scenes are going to be boring, however, there will be many scenes that are entertaining to write and these are the times that keep me moving forward when writing.

Mr Flibble · Jan 4, 2010

I find an exploding turnip always relieves the monotony. Or possibly two people just deciding that despite all indicators to the contrary, they like each other, so they start dancing round it.

Or just adding in someting that really just fucks it up for one of my characters - that 'worst thing' that could happen to him? It happens. That's the best

Cos I'm a sadistic bitch

the addster · Jan 4, 2010

I don't really get bored either. I sometimes get into the "better this way or better that way" thing with moving things along, and end up writing both and dumping one. But that's just the way I have always worked.

Krintar · Jan 4, 2010

maxmordon said:
If you don't entertain yourself writing, how are the people going to entertain themselves reading it?

Well, presumably they won't be reading your first draft.

dawinsor · Jan 4, 2010

Mostly I just plow through, but sometimes I sit down and create secrets for several characters. This person once had an affair with that person. That one is pregnant. That other one cheats on his taxes. The secrets don't even have to come out in the book but I find they make it more fun to write.

Birol · Jan 4, 2010

Yeah, you know what. I may be writing is sometimes work camp, and the it's okay to write crap camp, but that doesn't mean even the first draft should be so boring that I have to invent contrivances to keep myself entertained while writing it. Heck, I'm even entertained by my Master's thesis. So many discoveries to be made.

Caitlin Black · Jan 4, 2010

I took the question to mean, "What do you do with yourself when you can't find the enthusiasm to write another 1000 words that day?" So I'll answer that question.

I watch TV show DVDs, and read.

But yes, typically the writing itself is enjoyment enough. It's just that once I've hit my daily goal, or if my meds are making me sleepy, then I'll do other stuff.

So, how do you entertain yourself while writing that novel?

That cheeky buggerer

Where have the last ten years gone?

Toughen up.

With great power comes

Falling in the milk

The force is strong in this one.

Expert Procrastinator

Around

Around and About

Penúltimo

Absolutely Fazed

Destroying something beautiful

Oh snap, it's onomatopoeia!

JasonLeeWard

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Dorothy A. Winsor

Around and About

Wild one