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| The writing tool that's rocking my world. |
You're good to go.
Except you're not. Because now you're staring at the page, rereading what you wrote last, making little grimacing faces (if you're like me) because you can't remember quite where your head was and what's happening next.
Maybe this is the curse of the pantser.
Whatever the case, I realized I needed a tool to practice getting my head in the game faster. A tool to teach my brain how to put on its writing hat as soon as that cursor starts blinking.
Deb Marshall inspired me when she wrote her #wipmadness goal last week: Take full advantage of short chunks of time.
I thought, There's no way. I need at least half an hour just to get in the groove.
Enter the #5minblitz.
Every night, right before pushups and planks before bed, I sit down, open my doc, cursor ready, set my timer, read only the LAST line, and GO!
The first few times, it was like writing blindly in the dark. Now, I'm starting to feel the urge to keep going. But I won't. That's not what blitzing's for. At least not for me. Not yet.
If you're looking to make the most of less time, I challenge you to decide on a time of day for blitzing and stick to it. It literally only takes five minutes. Your writing brain will thank you.
And if you post your #5minblitz word count to Twitter, we will cheer for you!
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Come make weekly writing goals with us! We'll help you keep them: Deb Marshall hosts this month's #wipmadness.
Come blitz with us!
Come blitz with us!
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Any other writer's brain tools out there?
Links, posts, ideas?
How do you make the most of less time?
I love this! I can see myself so doing this! Okay, it's done. I've set up a reminder on my iPod for 5 minutes before heading to bed. This way I'm forced to quit after 5 minutes! I'm looking forward to seeing the results!
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion, Lora!
Oh, what a great idea! I think I'm going to need to try this; it sounds like it might just help me, too.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience as a newspaper journalist, the most difficult times for writing are those when you are all set, with plenty of time at your disposal. My best articles have been written in a huge hurry, when I was horribly stressed by my editor's fierce scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the blitz, Lora.
ReplyDeleteI have a few other tricks to share. One is to leave a bubble comment when I quit that tells me where I plan on heading next.
I also take a few minutes when I'm not writing to let my mind wander into the scene, eavesdrop on the things my characters are saying to each other. Keeping your head in the story even when you're not at the keyboard can be a big help for a pantser. ^_^
I let music inspire me to write. But yeah, when I read back on what I wrote last, those funny faces scramble across my face. I mean, heck, what was I thinking?!
ReplyDeleteSince I do all my best thinking right before I fall asleep, I keep my iPhone on my nightstand and jot down notes as they come to me. Makes for a difficult time getting asleep, let me tell you, but then I have something to write about the next day.
Love this idea! And it's so much easier to sneak in... ;)
ReplyDeleteFun! I made up my own version of this a while back when I kept making the excuse that I didn't have enough time to write. I would have a 15 minute challenge, and write as fast as I could and see how much I could get done. I'm pretty competitive, so even racing against the clock was fun.
ReplyDelete