like writing a bike

first blog in 3 weeks.
and if you think that's a long time, then you should see the inch of dust on my writing files.

see, my blog isn't the only blank space i've been neglecting. i have more than a few empty pages at the end of various manuscripts waiting to be filled.

as much as i advocate taking breaks from writing, and as often as i scoff at the "Butt In Chair, Write Daily" method... i have to admit i pay a price for these long breaks.
for me, writing is not like riding a bike. i can't just get back in the seat and rely on muscle memory to keep me balanced and start spinning my wheels.
to get back into the rhythm of writing, i have to strap on some mental training wheels and remind myself how to make time for it, how to prioritize it, how to get lost in it.

i start by tuning out the internet. skip over twitter conversations about the next hot trend or genre - because realizing you are not writing to that trend can be paralyzing. delete the "daily deals" email from PM unread - because seeing that someone just sold something very similar to what you're writing can be paralyzing. ignore forum threads about writing rules - because realizing you are breaking those rules can be paralyzing.

after that, it's just a matter of thawing out the brain and going back to the beginning, before i knew all the "rules" or knew anything about sales and marketing or internet socializing - back to that place i was in before i took the training wheels off, and everything got a little scary.

so if the blog is a bit sparse this month, that's where i'll be - getting back on my bike and remembering how to ride.

the importance of distance

when i hear writers talk about discipline, the advice is usually some form of "BIC" (Butt in Chair): sit down and write, even when you'd rather watch TV or play outside. force yourself to write.

this is excellent advice IN GENERAL. (i think i've already both applauded and criticized the BIC method in this blog.)
but i've realized over the past month that sometimes discipline is forcing yourself to NOT write.
when i got my incredible first beta notes on BILLY D., i was eager to jump right in and start fixing things. that's how i did it with BUTTER - got right to work, and it turned out well - so that's how i should do it this time, right? well, the same method doesn't always yield the same results.

after tearing apart BD's plot (working every day, morning and night, for weeks), i grew so frustrated, i nearly considered trunking it. i was unable to let go of passages i loved, so i squished them into new scenes where they didn't belong. i shoved my characters into situations and conversations they wouldn't naturally be in, so their voices didn't ring true. basically, i was making the book worse, because i was trying to force the manuscript into shape under some crazy self-imposed deadline instead of slowing down to let the first draft speak to me.

finally, after weeks of stress, Handsome said to me: "I think you need to get off books for a few days."
just like that. like books/writing are a drug you can overdose on.

well, Handsome is very wise, so i followed his advice. i took a whole week to clean the house, catch up on TIVO, chat on twitter - anything but touch my writing files.

when i did return to writing, i still felt a knot in my stomach about BD, so i worked on SOMETHING ELSE. i fleshed out the outline for GRIM, wrote a couple scenes and let myself feel the freedom of first-drafting.

once the wheels were spinning, i returned to BD, and surprise! it didn't seem nearly so daunting. over the next 48 hours, i deleted like crazy and churned out about 5,000 new words. that got me to a point in the manuscript where i know what needs to be added and which upcoming scenes need to go. i'm back in the groove, because i forced myself to walk away and come back later with a fresh perspective.

so, yes, "Butt in Chair" is good advice.
but so is getting your butt OUT of the chair and walking around in the real world for a little while to clear your mind.

butt in chair... in front of the TV while surfing the web

someone asked me yesterday if i write every single day.
my answer was: "No way. No! No no no no no."
and he seemed relieved, which made me happy.

he has probably seen all over the web and heard from other writer friends the same advice i have seen and heard:
Write. Write every day.
it's the butt-in-chair method that works for so many writers to stay motivated and defy "writer's block." but BIC doesn't work for me, and i was glad to be able to tell someone else it's not the only way to write a book.

now, i did tell him, when i'm working on a book, whether writing a first draft or doing a revision, i write ALMOST every day.
i'm just not always writing a book. i'm a big believer in taking a deep breath and walking away from the laptop for awhile after finishing a manuscript. when i'm knee-deep in a story, i tend to ignore the rest of my life (chores, socializing, reading, showering). but we need to keep LIVING to stay inspired, so i take breaks from writing.

i'm on a break right now, in fact. ideas have been creeping up on me, but i either jot them down or push them aside, because i can't get too involved in a new story when my editorial letter for BUTTER is imminent. i finished my first-round revision of BILLY D just before christmas and haven't written anything new since. by the time i start revising BUTTER, that will be about a one-month break from all writing documents. sometimes the break is longer - up to 3 months. sometimes it's only a few days. but i do think it's important to take that deep breath and suck in the world around you - with no pressure or guilt. i give you all permission to step away from the laptop!

my friend and i also discussed finding time to write at all. he asked how i do it and whether there is a certain time of day that's better to write.
i had a definite answer to this question, and i'll share it in tomorrow's post!