September 18, 2007
Staring at the blank page
. . . or worse, the proverbial edit procrastination. We’ve all been there. Lost in la-la land when we were supposed to be writing or editing. It’s almost shooting yourself in the foot as a writer when you stare off into space rather than focus and get your ass in gear.
Why can’t we just get the damn words on the page? Why can’t we sit our asses in the chair and crank out the next novel to pitch to our editor(s)? Not to say that one draft and bam you’re done, but as we all know you can’t edit a blank page and we sure as hell can’t pitch/sell if we don’t finish the freaking book.
I know folks who have deadlines and it may go kicking and screaming, but by golly they get it in by the due-date. I don’t have deadlines yet, maybe that’s my problem. I get things in on time when need be, but if it’s up to me to set the pace, then the dishes get washed, the spices rearranged in the cabinet, my sock drawers is color-coded (not really, I am NOT that bad, but you get the picture) but the edits are in a stand-still on page 102 with pretty flower doodles going up and down the side and every “o” colored in with the pretty pink pen I found.
And if you think I am kidding ask Lynn, she saw it :-)
I have tried many a tool to get motivated and stay motivated, but obviously they don’t work for long. What works for you? What keeps your fingers tapping on the keys and cranking out the characters? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, the kids bugging the hell out of me to go back to Disney World hasn’t set the fingers in motion yet to sell that next danged book . . . though getting a new wardrobe for fall can be a little persuasive!



Motivation’s a bitch.
I’ve only had one writing deadline in my ‘career’, and I gotta tell ya—I HATED it. Drove me crazy. Couldn’t sleep, didn’t eat well, just knew I was cranking out crap.
What works for me?
I love telling stories, and if I don’t get them outta me in one form or another, I can get pretty strange.
Not my usual strange, I mean.
We should set a deadline……how about….ohhhhhh I know! December 1!

I must say that those pretty little flower doodles and the … creative …. use of the pink pen were art.
However, the bright yellow paper with all the little pink dots… could give one a headache.
That’s it. It’s the bright yellow paper. It’s distracting you!
Problem solved. 
Raine–I love the teling stories part too, however once I have plotted the whole thing, I feel like I know it all so it seems . . .less somehow, and I get bored . . . dunno . . .
Amie–I do much better with a challenge (besides, if we both had the same “due-date” we’d drive each other nuts with the, “can you read this real quick” e-mails.)
We need to have soemthing at stake. Lemme think,
lemme think,
I’ll get back to you on this
Lynn–you don’t like my yellow paper? The free got it from the FIL who works in a print compnay yellow?
I have green too, you think that’d work?
Hmm, Ames, this gets me thinking–I wonder if our lurker readers might come up with the challenge . . .kinda like a game of truth or dare . . . hmm. . . . maybe
Here’s hoping that next novel comes easy for you!
I so totally need deadlines to get any writing done. I suck as a writer.
Ok, I was just razzing you. However, if bright yellow paper is what it takes to keep your attention (or catch your attention when you walk by the table, chair, or wherever you put it down last..) then more power to ya!
I just think it’s funny to see you with BRIGHT yellow paper and a pink pen to do edits.
*slaps Mik for sucking*
I have an idea…and I LOVE the idea of our lurkers picking our challenge/surprise/incentive. Esp if it includes Gary Allan
Hey I have an idea…..Let’s get togethe rand do a writing challenge SAturday or Sunday at Starbucks (or a coffee shop of your choosing) and if we can meet our goals to write/edit, we can go to the movies!!!!!!!!!!!!