The Writer's Pit and How to Avoid It
Today we have the lovely Kaylin McFarren, author of BURIED THREADS, to talk about the writer's pit and how we all can avoid falling in it!
Her latest book is Buried Threads (Book 2 of the
Threads series).
Visit her website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com.
The Writer’s Pit and How to Avoid It
By Kaylin McFarren, author of BURIED THREADS
The
writer’s pit. Ugh!!! I admit it…I’m an obsessive panster, if that
makes any sense at all. As a practice, I sit down and create a basic summary
for a new book, avoiding the
post-a-note story boards and 20 page synopses,
which works for most writers. Since I’m a bit of a perfectionist as well, I end
up self-editing myself for hours on end, which can result in highly polished
chapters, gleaming in fact, along with an enormous hole for the next three to
four days. At times, jumping over it to keep going can be a major pole-vaulting
experience. Then it’s back to staying the course – moving the story forward,
until the next hole arrives.
Of course, every author wants their writing to be
perfect and to complete their project as soon as possible. We know what we want
to say, the arch we’re hoping to create, and where we’d like our characters to
ultimately end up, but we’re afraid our writing and storyline won't measure up
to our readers' expectations. Sound familiar?
As you might imagine, I’ve been told these feelings are
natural and normal. Everyone finds writing a challenge. Many writers, however,
compound their problems by employing weak writing strategies and when these
methods fail, they surrender their efforts. Quite often, the number killer for
great stories is perfectionism. I should know. It’s the fastest way to dig
yourself into a pit or to drive headlong into writer’s block. Expecting
everything to come together at once leads to paralysis and an emotional heart
attack. When you're not just blocked, when you're absolutely stonewalled, I tap
into an easy, workable solution: freewriting.
This is how it works. Sit down for ten minutes and write
down everything you can think of about your topic. The object is to write
without stopping for the whole ten minutes. If you can't think of anything to
say, write "blah, blah, blah" over and over. If other things occur to
you as you write, go ahead and record them, even if they are not directly
related to your topic. These distractions may be part of what is keeping you
blocked.
Although this isn’t the same as brainstorming, free
writing is a great means for uncovering ideas – it's a good way to reconnect or
to find inspiration. But the main purpose is to get you moving again…to get
your creative juices flowing and those fingers typing away. Most of what you
write in those ten minutes will go in the trash or be completely deleted, but
it’s a sure way get warmed up for some serious writing.
About the Author:
Kaylin McFarren is a California
native who has enjoyed traveling around the world. She previously worked as
director for a fine art gallery, where she helped foster the careers of various
artists before feeling the urge to satisfy her won creative impulses.
Since launching her writing career, McFarren has earned more
than a dozen literary awards in addition to a finalist spot in the 2008 RWA
Golden Heart Contest. A member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and
Willamette Writers, she also lends her participation and support to various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
McFarren currently lives with her husband in Oregon.
They have three children and two grandchildren.
Visit her website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com.
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