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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Crafting Corner—Hardcore


A few months ago author Shannon Hale wrote a post on being a hard core writer (you really should read it). She said the following…

“I've discovered that I can be hardcore as a writer. I write when the words are flowing. I write when they're not. I write when the story delights me and I can't wait to see what happens next. I write when the story is murky and sticky and complicated. I write when I'm energized and feeling great. I write when I'm sick, pregnant, have newborns, am grumpy, sad, confused, angry, and so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm hardcore, baby.

I on the other hand am NOT hardcore :) I’m kind of a wimp. I need quiet and peace to write. I need no distractions and no stress. You can guess how much writing I’ve gotten done in the last few months. NONE.

But I’m jumping back in and trying to finish my second book (Sorry Emily for all the whiny emails). While going through chapters I’ve already written to see what I can use and what needs cut, I found this gem of a paragraph smack in the middle of a chapter.

Oh my gosh I need some words, but my brain is mush and I want to scream. So I’m going to push out some crap so I can make my goal even though it will be completely unusable. So should it even count? I don’t know. I don’t care. I just want to be done writing for the night!

Hardcore? Nope. But it sure made me laugh :) It took me a minute to realize I was saying it and not my characters.

So I need your help. What do you do to push through the times you don’t want to write?

-Angie

21 comments:

Miranda Hardy said...

It's not always easy to push through when I'm short on time. I try to motivate myself through reading, bringing a book with me everywhere.

Cortney Pearson said...

I try to be hardcore as a writer, lol, but it doesn't always happen! For me, to push through when I don't really want to write, I have a prompt book that gives me a new prompt for each day of the year, and I flip to the day's prompt and try. It doesn't always flow, but sometimes it does. But at least I'm *trying* to get something done every day!

Kyra Lennon said...

I am not hardcore in the slightest lol! Although recently I've discovered the joy of word wars, so even when I don't feel like I can get another word out, knowing there is someone else writing with me makes it so much easier!

Stina said...

I haven't had times when I don't want to write. My issue right now is that I do want to write, but can't because it's the kids' vacation, one has camp this week early in the morning, which I have to get him to, and we leave on vacation this weekend and I so much to do before we go. Fortunately, my kids let me focus on my edits last week for a novel I was doing a revision request on, but that is no gone to the agents and I'm dying to write again. *counts days until returns from vacation*

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I think it's about figuring out for yourself if it's one of those times you just need to push through or if it's one of those times you really do need to take a small break and renew yourself and your creativity somehow. (I'm not so great at this myself but I'm learning...) :)

S.P. Bowers said...

I remember that post of Shannon's. It's hard to push through all the time. I'm afraid if I was up all night cleaning up pukey babies I nap instead of write. And I've come to accept that sometimes taking a break makes me a better writer. The key is knowing when I really need a break and when I'm whining. If I'm only being lazy I look at the goal, ask myself if I really want it, and when I say yes then I get to work.

Jeff Hargett said...

That paragraph is just too funny. Sounds like something I might find buried within my current WiP.

Meredith said...

Ha, so cute! I try to give myself a reward for every 1,000 words written--I read a chapter of a book or watch 10 minutes of a TV show. That keeps me going.

Morgan said...

Oh my gosh... I *love* that quote... that's what I aspire to be... I want to be hardcore. I want to be able to push through regardless of my emotional state... so awesome. Love it, Angela!

Stacy Henrie said...

For me, it's letting go of the idea of having it perfect the first time through and instead just getting stuff down. Loved the part you wrote in the middle of your manuscript! :)

Emily R. King said...

It's tough to push through when you aren't feeling it because sometimes you get up from your computer and you know everything you just wrote will need to go. But sometimes writing it wrong helps you write it right.

Your emails weren't whiny. I truly enjoy being apart of your creative process! :)

Johanna Garth said...

I push through and tell myself it doesn't matter what I write as long as I meet my word goal. One time I wrote ten pages about Persey at the grocery store! Seriously! It was sooo bad and it all got cut but it helped me over a little hump.

Brandon Ax said...

I guess I am not quite hardcore, but I'm getting better. My nerd station helps some, I have weird little things around my desk that I can start toying with if I get the feeling I want to get up and quit writing. Most of the time it works, something about have the screen in front of me I always start writing again. Sometimes I take a walk and clear my head.

Unknown said...

Ha ha ha! That IS an inspirational quote.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious! And where did you find that Lego graphic? Priceless!

What pushes me to write? Two things: One, my health condition has severely shortened my lifespan (unless Dr. House comes to visit) so I gotta get it done; and two, I'm the kind of person who likes to FINISH a project, and I JUST WANT TO GET IT DONE! (Starting a project is a whole other issue.)

Tara Tyler said...

i'm not hardcore, except for this month. i like getting the first draft done under the gun. editing is the long hard trip!

Brinda said...

I'm not hardcore either. :(

Sara said...

I'm not 100% hardcore, although I'll give you the advice that was given to me when I was talking to someone in a similar situation.

If you don't want to write it, your readers probably wont want to read it. So if you really don't want to write a particular scene, write something else and come back to it. If you can never get excited about it, rework your plot so it doesn't exist.

Leigh Covington said...

I need to bookmark this. Or at least print it out and tape it next to both of my computers. I MUST BECOME HARD CORE! Right now, I like the peace and quiet - which I never get. So frustrating! Guess that's when I just suck it up and GO!, Right!?

Angela Brown said...

I don't know if I can call it hardcore. I just PUSH. Pray Until Something Happens is the original version. But I kind of like Pen-on Until Something Happens.

I keep going. And going. It's like Dory from Finding Nemo, you have to keep swimming, even when there's no light to see. Keep swimming.

Keep writing. That tends to yank the words out of their hiding spots :-)

Anonymous said...

I might watch an old favorite movie or read a fav book to get inspired, or go for a long run or take a long, hot shower to clear my head. When all fails, I just write. It may be total crap, but it comes together when push comes to shove:-)

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