Hi, I would like some opinions on the benefits of setting aside a fixed time each week to write. I think this could be crucial, especially around the halfway stage when inertia sets in. My only reservation is that I might be writing parts which are not as insightful as they would be if I wrote mainly when I felt inspired. It would be great to hear the thoughts and experiences of others. To date I have only written short stories, so I am just trying to find my way in the world of writing novels. I should add that I work full time and have a small child, so writing time will probably be restricted to roughly half a day each week. Thank you, and as a new member I’d like to say I’m looking forward to meeting you all.
Writing is as much about discipline as it is about writing itself. So, setting aside a fix time is one way of acquiring that discipline. Once you have that you might even be able to switch on your inspiration at any time you want. How? When the "unplanned" inspirations strike, keep a notebook handy and simply jot down whatever you have in your mind. It may be a beautiful sentence, or simply a word, a brief outline of a scene, or something about a character, just write it down. And when you sit in front of your computer in your "writing time", open the notebooks and read what you have jotted down, I assure you all the magical inspirations will surely strike again. You might use a tape recorder instead of a notebook even though I have never tried it myself.
i agree with killbill. Usually inspiration strikes after you've been sitting at the computer and writing for some 20 minutes or so. Plus even if what you wrote during the less inspired times isn't great - that is what revision is for. At least you will have something to revise, and if you can see your train of thought at that time, now you can develop that and turn it into something better.
Killbill's definitely right about the notebook , some of my best scenes never came from sitting down at a computer putting in my time - especially with something as massive as a novel. I always carry a spiral bound notebook -the kind you find in dollarstores and I'm always whipping it out to jot down a scene , a remark , a cool line , a string of words, later I put them in a wordperfect doc, which I usually name Chew on This so I can find them again. I wouldn't worry so much about setting aside huge chunks of time for writing , jotting here and there over a cup of tea , skipping a t.v. program to sneak in some writing might be better for your schedule and maybe for your creative flow. With writing a novel, I found that it's best to stay pretty connected to it , on a daily basis but you don't need to spend a lot of time on it, a page or two here or there can be more fruitful than an afternoon spent trying to get into the mood.
I agree with the others on the notebook, napkin, post-it, back of envelope. I have found ideas strike at the most inopportune times and a few choice words written down will mark your thought for later exploration. I use a tape recorder b/c I have a 45 min ride to and from work and cannot trust my memory to remember the brilliance (ahem) it sometimes comes up with from the car into the building. As a matter of fact, I'm "smarter" about story stuff in the morning, when my mind isn't cluttered from the events of the day. If you try and carve out a niche of daily or weekly time you'll find that will get filled with something else, so these moments will become more valuable to you. My kids are now older, 25 and 19 and they and my 17 mo grandson live with me and I have no more time now then I did when they were young. Life fills in each moment so even if you can spare 20 minutes sometime during the day to get anything written, even a sentence or two, you'll be further along than if you try to follow a set schedule. You will also find that what becomes important to you in life gets more attention. I like to write and sew and I find minutes each day to do both, even if it's to read what I previously wrote or fondle my fabric and pins.
