For the past week, I’ve been in the middle of a tiny war. My house, overrun by fevers and hacking coughs, stuffy noses and aches and pains, feels like a cesspool of germs. My kitchen counter is steeped in antibiotics and decorated with post-its listing reminders of when and how much.
Recovery is slow. Currently, in order to breath through my nose, I must a) walk around in circles or b) lie down on my right side. It’s like a cruel joke, this little Spring time bug. All I want to do is stomp around, throw the kleenex, complain, and beg for mercy.
Times like these test a writer, especially a writer who is in the middle of cranking out a first draft of a novel. And, here’s one thing I know about first drafts: if I don’t spend time with my story (every-single-day), I will certainly get lost.
Lose steam.
Falter.
Because colds and bugs won’t be the only thing to get in the way of my push to The End, I had to come up with other ways to keep the story alive and on track, even if the word count was stagnant.
1. Read through research.
I have a short pile of books about the setting and times of my story, and reading through them has been one thing I could do while buried under covers, conveniently turned towards the right. As I read through those books, I took notes on scene ideas that come to mind or on details I wanted to remember.
2. Put pen to paper.
I may not have been able to type on a laptop while I walked in circles, but I could – quick – hand write a scene or a stream of ideas or dialogue onto paper. That counted, as it kept the characters in the novel at the forefront of my mind.
3. Be satisfied with whatever hit the page.
If I made it to my laptop, between the time my sinuses opened up and clamped shut again, and I managed 100 or 300 or (on a good stretch) 500 words, I was perfectly happy. Every little bit moved me closer to my goal.
What do you do to keep your eye on the prize?
*photo credit: anna gutermuth on flickr.com
Ah Christi, I feel for you and I’m also grateful I can’t catch whatever you have 🙂 I get frustrated if obligations eat up my time with a first draft. I also use research for keep in the mood or if I can’t write it out, I actually talk it out. Yes, I talk to myself and sometimes in character. I once asked a main character, why would you do such a stupid thing and when she couldn’t give me a good enough answer, the next time I got to the draft, I took it out. Can’t explain or find a good reason for something? Let the characters fight it out. So, maybe if you talk while you walk in circles, you can get the character to help you stay on track. Feel better 🙂
Florence,
I’m glad you can’t catch this either!
Talking it out is another great idea, a technique akin to how I sometimes work out descriptions or expressions: stand in front of the mirror, scrunch or scowl, and see what that mad face actually looks like. We writers, we’re an odd bunch 🙂
Aww, hope you feel better soon, Christi. It’s like Pressfield says, momentum is everything! I recently had a health setback, and it really took its toll on my work. I’m should be working on revisions, but I just can’t focus. I’m unable to sit at my desk, and my inability to work elsewhere is a serious shortcoming. Sending good health vibes to you and yours!
Vaughn,
Sending good vibes your way, too. I hope you find the perfect alternative to desk writing soon!
My goodness, your house is like my house right now. I’ve just finally cleared the batch of empty med bottles from my kitchen counter. This is a nasty spring cold season.
I too must stay connected to my WIP. I keep my journal on my bedside so I can write, even for just 15 minutes at a time. If I’m lucky, what I put down will make sense. Good luck, and waving over some good health juju in your direction.
Mieke,
Glad to hear you came through your bout of bugs. We are finally nearing the end of all this. I finally had a “feeling fairly well” day yesterday and a very good writing sprint. Thanks for the good juju!
Your suggestions are great for whenever life takes a detour from what we planned … work “emergencies”, poor health, family crises … thanks for the reminders. I like Vaughn’s reference to Pressfield, I just started re-reading The War of Art and there is truth on every page!
The other thing I do, when I remember (!), is “touching base”, which means taking five minutes before I turn out the lights to read a paragraph, review a character sketch, or anything else that will get me connected to the world so my Muse can work while I sleep.
Cathryn,
I like the touching base idea, too. I have a picture on my bulletin board of a woman who looks like how I imagine my main character to appear. After ignoring her for a few days, I finally stopped down to at least say hello. That photo alone is enough to keep me hooked in the story.
Feel better soon, Christi! It’s hard when the whole family is sick.
I can just picture you walking in circles, scribbling on scraps of paper.
I can relate to your post for when I get migraines. I actually strangely appreciate the time spent lying down, unable to read or type, because I can daydream without feeling I should be doing something else and play out in my head scenes from what I happen to be working on (probably just nerve cells misfiring–ha).
Lisa,
Oooh, migraines. I appreciate your point, though, to let your creativity take off in other ways. It all still feeds the story.
I can so relate to this Christi, but you’re doing the right thing. Feel better!
Thanks, Jan. I’m on the upswing. Yay!
Thanks for this post. It’s such a great reminder of the daily importance of writing. So often I am unable to follow through and immediately regret that end. This time around I should try harder.
Nona,
I’m glad you stopped by. Cathy Day published a great post on her blog recently where she mentions that the hardest part of writing is “convincing yourself each day to keep going….” It’s a great post if you want to check it out: http://cathyday.com/2012/04/30/last-lecture-am-i-a-writer/
I’m not sure how I came accross your post, but enjoyed never the less….not your illness however, sorry about that and hope you feel better. Nice to see you still have a crcking sense of humor even while sick. I actually found that this IS how I work on a first draft…I have always been a planner, and after oulining, I will break it up into scenes and then, what I call “ruminate’ over them. Whether that be researching, hand written notes (slowing down the thought process) etc. Then when I write the scene it is so ‘vivid’ in my minds eye, it just flows and I find that less revision is required during my second draft. I find it also solves the daunting blank page syndrome each day, allowing myself to take just perhaps an hour or so to do this, is so less daunting than the blank page. When I sit to actually ‘tap’ it out….it just pours onto the page. I enjoyed your blog and will be back….get better soon!!
Tina,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your process. I like your perspective on ruminating and slowing down the process, especially if it means less revision later. I’m going to keep that in mind when I approach this draft the second time around!
(ps. I’m feeling much better, thanks!)