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- What's the word for the one after Inaugural?
What's the word for the one after Inaugural?
I might be learning something about this Newsletter stuff.
It’s been a week
Discipline and routine are better than motivation.
I remind writer friends of this. It’s what I tell clients.
Build a routine that has writing as part of the hard landscape of your life. Make it so there’s a block of time where you can rely on having the right headspace, the right environment, and the right amount of time for you to do some quality writing.
Ever heard the phrase “Do what I say, not what I do?”
Yeah. Feeling kinda hypocritical right now.
It’s been one of those weeks where things got a bit on top of me. The day job, the struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, and if I’m totally honest? There may be a newish game that has managed to get its hooks into me.
While I did manage to get a good few blog posts written and published, set up a newsletter for another site I run, work a 40+ hour week and achieve a lot in the game… (not that I can pretend that actually matters, but it is fun)… none of my word counts increased by as much as a single material word.
The works are never far from my mind though. There are scribbled notes (some of them slightly wrinkled from wet fingers - why do ideas so often come to me in the shower?), and a couple more pages added to a couple of Obsidian vaults.
It’s progress of a sort, but it’s not the sort I measure. Not the sort I really value.
Ultimately, writers... well, write.
I didn’t really write this week. I can feel the pressure building. That’s why I’m writing this tonight—Friday night for me. This will free up my Saturday morning, let me dedicate the time that was scheduled for this newsletter, and use it writing instead.
Corwyn’s story, After Checkmate needs to be moved on. Kris and Esme too, Deep Space Blues has been languishing for a little while. Then there’s the outline for Palmer’s Town, my next contemporary novel.
I know that’s part of my problem. Too many projects, leading to decision paralysis. I sit at my computer and I don’t know what I should be working on. I dabble, and I fritter away the time.
So, I have this forum. I have this audience. How about I hold myself accountable to y’all.
Next week, I’ll be reporting an increase to my word counts.
Fifty Word Story
I’m dying up here. Their sullen silence kills me. My best jokes land with a thud, their punchlines weak and insipid. Not my night, not tonight.
I give up, start to walk off stage, feet tangle in the mic lead, so I fall flat on my face.
Laughter. Finally.
Pricks.
If you tried the exercise from last week, I’m interested to see what you came up with. Replies are encouraged!
Exercise for This Week - Free writing
I start off my writing sessions with a free-writing session.
This is either:
10 minutes
500 words; or
1 A4 page of handwriting (sometimes handwriting feels right).
The rule for free writing is simple. Write. Don’t stop. Don’t edit. Whatever comes to mind. Whatever is ON your mind? Get it off your mind. Write it. This isn’t a time to worry about being coherent, about grammar, spelling, or even making sense.
It’s a warmup exercise, but it’s also more than that.
I find it helps me to put things into perspective. Whatever is bugging me, no matter how serious or trivial, can get in the way of the writing.
I write it out.
This puts everything into perspective. It gets it out of my head, externalising it so I can look at it.
It short circuits the looping brain-worms, and clears out some head-space, making room for the words to come.
Then they can flow out of my fingers.
I’ve been doing this for most of my time writing. I do it at the start of every writing session, but also when I’m feeling stressed, when I need to put something into perspective.
It works for me. Maybe it can work for you too?
Why not give it a try?
Current Works in Progress
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Your Two Whys
Everything in your story has two Whys.
The first is in-story:
Why does this happen in the story?
Why does the character make this choice? Why does the event unfold in this way? Why is this detail here, in this moment? This Why belongs to your characters and your world. It should feel true to them, even if it’s impulsive, foolish, or selfish—because people are impulsive, foolish, and selfish sometimes.
The second is out-of-story:
Why did you, the writer, put it there?
What purpose does it serve in the larger story? Does it reveal character? Build tension? Foreshadow something? Change a relationship dynamic? Or was it just because you thought it was cool? (Which is fine — but if that’s the only reason, make sure it earns its place.)
Also on the ‘blog
Outro
Well folks, that’s been my week. Too many balls in the air, and not enough discipline.
I’m a work in progress people, but the work? It progresses.
Until next week…
-O