It’s Thursday. How did this week fly by so fast? Tomorrow, already, is my sacred day of rest. But with my niece stirring softly in her sleep beside me and Matt Maher reminding me in the background that Chris is risen from the dead and Easter service almost planned, it feels rather like Thursday has its own kind of rest.
This week held a special landmark. After around twenty seven classes and countless hours of intense feedback and sweat-breaking assignments, my student has finished her novel! This teacher is doing a happy dance of pride. There are always times when writing a novel seems impossible–when writers block hits or characters keep secrets from their author or scenes refuse to bend to that author’s will. (I am of the belief that books have a mind of their own–or at least the good books do.) But my student has waded her way through the various swamps and FINISHED HER NOVEL.
So, one last encouragement, Camp NaNoWriMo started yesterday. If you want to write and are intimidated by the process, take the plunge today. Check out the site, grab yourself a private cabin, and start that book already. The minimum word count is only 10,000 for the month. Believe me. You can write 333 words a day. And it is immensely good for the soul to write–whether or not you finish your story. 🙂
In closing (and because the baby is stirring, so don’t judge my grammar–I don’t have time to edit) and in anticipation of Easter, I am reminded by Maher’s Christ is Risen:
O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory? O church, come stand in the light. The glory of God has defeated the night.
Hallelujah. Amen.
Guidebook: 63, 47, 81
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Anna, background, basic plot, blog bonus feature, characters, creativity a gift, daydreaming, direction, drained artists, Elsa, established your setting, frozen, Grand Pabbie, halfway point, imagination, initial excitement, inspiration will dry up, Jessie Mae Hodsdon Writing Guidebook, Kristoff, let me know in the comments, minor characters, novel, plot clues, point of uncertainty, potential to bless, potential to curse, purposeful breaks, purposeless breaks, reading, secondary charactesr, stall-out point of a novel, starving artists, story color, struggling writers, treasure of immeasurable price, trolls, value in a break, warning, writing, writing endeavors, writing stalled out on August 27, 2015| Leave a Comment »
This post goes out to all my fellow struggling writers out there…
Sometimes it happens. Authors find their creativity, sense of purpose, and vision has stalled out. (Believe me, I’ve been there.) And so I’ll devote this installment of the Jessie Mae Hodsdon Writing Guidebook to that very thing. How to win back excitement when writing has taken on a monotonous or overwhelming quality.
#63: Recognize that the Halfway Point is Hard.
Anticipate that inspiration will dry up around the 1/3 or 1/2 mark of your novel. The initial excitement over the characters has run its course; you have established your setting; and the basic plot is well in hand. Now what? Whether or not you outline, there comes a point of uncertainty. The best way to deal with it is to expect it. Then you won’t be discouraged when it arrives.
#47: There is Value in a Break.
I want to start this entry by offering a warning. Just as breaks have the potential to bless, they also have the potential to curse. If you make them purposeless (ie not writing, reading, or daydreaming anything), they could destroy your rhythm. Instead, take a purposeful break from your story by reading multiple novels, watching movies, and doing something unrelated but creative. (Your probably already know what that creative thing is. Maybe you like to cook or play guitar or draw. You get my drift…) This will stimulate new creativity inside of you and, before long, you will find the old passion for your story returning
#81: Minor Characters have the Potential to be Awesome.
I’ll assume you are familiar with Frozen. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff are incredible main characters, but really… where would the movie have been without the trolls? Not far. Kristoff would have been a little less loveable. Anna wouldn’t have gotten the push to accept her feelings. And the essential clue/moral of the movie would have been lost. Not to mention the trolls (especially Grand Pabbie) added flair and spice to the story. The minor characters gave background to a major character (Kristoff), direction to the writer, plot clues to the movie watcher, and color to the story.
I’m a big fan of secondary characters. (And I’ll admit, sometimes I carry them a little too far.) But minor characters, being able to sustain eccentric personalities you could never get away with for main characters, have limitless potential. When your writing has stalled, turn your focus from the main characters you know so well and let your mind tool on the minor characters. Perhaps you will discover background, direction, plot clues, and color too.
If you have other ways to deal with the stall-out point of a novel, let me know in the comments! Best wishes in your writing endeavors,
Jessie Mae
(See my previous posts about the Guidebook here and here.)
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