Tuesday 7 April 2015

Bea Keen

I crept out of bed at 6am this morning and headed for my study. The husband opened a bleary eye.

“You must be keen,” he said.
Except I’m not. I have forced myself to the computer while the household are still asleep. I’m trying to instil a habit of writing. To do this writing job well I need to write even when I can’t be bothered. When I feel too lazy. When the ideas will not come.

Just like now.
In November I used the NaNoWriMo framework to start a new short story every day. I didn’t insist that I finish unless a particular story was flowing well. Then I deliberately put them out of my mind. Two months later I looked again at those beginnings and was pleasantly surprised by what I had written. Many were usable ideas and have become stories I have since submitted and sold.

I decided to do the same exercise in April, managed two days and ground to a halt – because it was Easter, because the family were coming round, because I had a jigsaw to finish…
What techniques do you use to motivate yourself to write even when you feel anything other than keen?

 

2 comments:

  1. I've had a spell of being lazy myself recently. Or maybe the problem is that I let myself get distracted too easily. I think I've been abusing the fact that I can be flexible in my writing hours and might be better with a more strict routine.

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    Replies
    1. That's one of the pleasures, but also the problems, of being your own boss. Prefer the independence, even if it does mean I'm lazy at times.

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