Writers who don’t like research often don’t know how to start. Writers who love research often don’t know when to stop. Paradoxically, the solution is the same for both types. Stuck in the Research Some writers say they get stuck in the research because they love it. Whether they know it or not, many writers … More Writers Who Resist Research and Writers Who Can’t Stop
About a month ago, I stumbled on a stand-up routine by Amy Schumer. I learned something from Amy about women her age that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else. My mouth fell open. “Really?” I said this out loud even though there was no one else in the room. “Seriously?” Thanks to Amy Schumer, random … More Is Your Writing Blocked or Have You Run Out of Random?
You have your fingers on the keyboard or pen on the page in only 1 of the 6 stages of the creative process. So what do you do to move your writing project forward when you’re in the other 5 stages? Find out at the FREE 2-hour class Six Stages to Successfully Complete the Creative … More What to Do When Word Counts Don’t Count? Find Out in Free Writing Classes
1,666 words a day. That’s all that matters if you’re doing NaNoWriMo. 2,000 words a day is the target if you’re Steven King. Challenging yourself to write a certain number of words a day can give you the incentive to break through resistance and get your butt in the chair. But word counts can work … More When Word Counts Don’t Count
“Excellent!” was my first thought when I read the title of Brian Klems article Six Secrets of Writing a Novel Without an Outline. I had found another writer willing to go “outline commando.” (Why I think outlines don’t work) “Absolutely!” I thought when I read Secret #3 Follow Rabbit Trails: “It’s inherent to the creative … More Going “Outline Commando” to Avoid Writer’s Block
Seven-year-old Jillian H. collaborated with her mom, Raime H., to create this response to the question “Where’s your creative brain?” Right where it should be — at the desk. But they don’t want to leave it at the desk too long. Fortunately, Jillian and Raime can take their creative brains out for a treat. They … More Treat Your Creative Brain to Something New
If you read the previous post and thought there isn’t enough productive work in Incubation to count as Product Time, you’re going to be flabbergasted by Hibernation. Circling Through You can move through the stages of the creative process many times in one project. The drafting or revising you do in Verification can cause you … More Are You Blocked or Hibernating?
Frustration is the hallmark of Incubation, the stage between active investigation/research (Saturation) and the aha moment/ flash of insight (Illumination). In the research stage, you had a pretty good idea what to do: go look for answers, look for related questions, look at what others have done. You knew whether you’re doing your research or … More How to Create While Doing Nothing or What to Do in Product Time When You’re Incubating
What’s the difference between writer’s block and Incubation or Hibernation? Incubation and Hibernation, the third and sixth stages in the creative process, can look and feel an awful lot like writer’s block. So how you do tell the difference? Take the quiz and find out. Identify which statements describe writer’s block, Incubation or Hibernation. You … More Writer’s Block Quiz
In the previous New Book Update, I talked about how, when I’m writing nonfiction, I strive to get as much out of each stage in the creative process before moving on to the next stage. But when I’m writing fiction, I spiral through some or most of the stages, then drop back and spiral through … More New Book Update: Fiction Spirals
Bane of Your Resistance 