Where Do You Go?

Writing takes intense concentration.

Broken up by frequent visits to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Some people call this procrastinating. I like to think of it as... staying up-to-date.

                                      

Back back to my original statement. Writing takes intense concentration. And as NaNoWriMo season approaches (T-minus TWO DAYS!), I'm contemplating how to sink into that "zone." C'mon, you know what I mean. The magical place where the outside world vanishes, and you're totally submerged into the world of your book.

There are many ways people achieve that kind of focus, and they're different for each person. For me, I've found three things that boost my concentration.

1. Having a dedicated writing area. When I sit down at my desk, I know I'm going to be doing something writer-related. Immediately that gets me in the right frame of mind.

2. Being comfortable. Yes, this usually involves pajama pants and slippers. Nothing's more aggravating than trying to imagine a scene and that tag in the back of your t-shirt is playing a game of indian burn with your neck.

                                       

3. Force, by any means necessary. I'm a procrastinator. I'm also lazy and at times very unmotivated. So I have to force myself to write. This is why I love NaNoWriMo so much. It shoves me into writing mode. Every. Single. Day. Rewards are also great motivators. Like if I keep ahead on my word count, on Monday I'll be reworded with a sandwich, chips, and the latest episode of Sailor Moon Crystal. It seriously works.

                                       

When You Hate Writing

I love being a writer.

Making up characters, worlds, and plots. Having a blog, Facebook, and Twitter where I can connect with other authors. Reading book after book and not getting tired of it. But, sometimes?

Sometimes I really hate writing.

                                                

It's exhausting. The words won't come out right. I'm not sure where the plot goes next.

The above sentences sum up my Saturday and Sunday. The words wouldn't come, and I didn't feel like forcing them. But I had to write. I had a word count goal to meet! So I developed a plan of attack to combat my slump. I did the following:

    1.  A form of physical activity. I'm lucky enough to have a pool so I went swimming. Or more like almost-drowning. Terrible swimmer over here.

                                 

    2.  Fueled up. I ate an awesome, healthy snack. No grabbing the chips and chocolate. Resist!

    3.  Went somewhere new. Usually I'll write in my room or on my front porch, but this weekend I sat on my back porch in a lounge chair overlooking the pool.

    4.  Writing sprints! I put myself on a timer. 15 minute writing sprint and then a 30 minute break. And of course I'd announce the sprints on Twitter. Had to hold myself accountable via the World Wide Web.

By the end of all this, I found myself writing for enjoyment. The 15 minute sprint became 20 minutes, then 25, then 30. My imagination swept me away and immersed me in the world of my WIP. It just took some...encouragement... to get there.