WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 20 -- Monday

[linaewen]

Thanks for everyone's input yesterday!  It's encouraging to see how many of us are managing the amount of writing that makes us feel successful.

Now then, on to another aspect of writing that isn't always quite so encouraging, as reflected by the following sometimes-true quote of the day:

You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.
-- Jack London 

1.  How has your "inspiration clubbing" gone today?

• I'm writing!
• I'm researching!
• I'm editing!
• I'm posting!
• I'm taking a break!
• I'm totally uninspired today!
• I'm wishing I had time to write, but I'm just too busy with other things...

2.  On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most positive, how are you feeling about your writing efforts today -- and why did you choose that number?

3.  For discussion:  What do you do to get yourself inspired, if inspiration is attempting to elude you?

Comments

[linaewen]

I had a successful day of research and outlining yesterday, but then Real Life got in the way and prevented me from writing. So that's the on the list for today -- taking my outline and trying to get inspired with some actual words to put some flesh on the bones of the outline. ;-)

When I'm uninspired, I do more research, or fine tune my outline, or look for pictures that might help me visualize what I'm trying to talk about in particular scene. That usually is enough to provide a spark. Sometimes it comes down to using the club to force myself to sit and think long enough for the words to come. I think a lot of times inspiration is low because I'm not disengaging myself from being busy with real life long enough to get into the flow of the story.

[dragonfly]

I am writing, or I will be, once I get off of Dreamwidth. *g* That's my agenda for today. Write.

When I'm uninspired, I read/watch the source again. Also, I take a shower. Something about that process helps me imagine conversations in my head.

[musyc]

1. Clubbed a short fic into place, posted it, and am now off hunting inspiration for a femmeslash fest assignment.

2. I think I'm at a 7 today. The things I want to work on aren't things with the swiftly-approaching deadlines, so I'm torn.

3. I play hidden object/time management games. The repetitive actions put me into a zen state and I usually exit out with my next few hundred words ready to go.

[littlebutfierce]

I started what might end up being a treat for the Natsume Yuujinchou exchange. We'll see. I like the idea of what I have; whether I manage to wrestle it into a finished fic is another idea. I printed out a hard copy of my main assignment for the exchange & then promptly forgot to use that to edit on my way home: so maybe I'll do that on my way in tomorrow morning.

I've been picking at other WIPs a little bit this evening, but am having trouble focusing. So... I think I'm at about a 5 -- happy that I wrote some words this morning that I could potentially develop, but feeling stymied otherwise.

When inspiration eludes me I either take a break of a few days or try to do something different to shake something loose in my brain (go someplace new, etc.). Sometimes both.

[enemytosleep]

That's how I feel with my treat too. I'll worry more about it once I wrap up my main gift, though I would like to get it a fair way done before more prompts are revealed AKA more shinies to distract me!

[crowdog66]

I'm editing and writing! Or rather, I WAS editing and writing... I finished and posted a new chapter of "Ovum", the Garak/Bashir mpreg story. ~1750 words, most of which I'm pleased with... I'd call that a 7/10 day, because while I'm happy with what I've written I wish I could have gotten a jump on another chapter.

Inspiration is seldom a problem for me, and when it is, I find it works best (for me personally) to pretend I'm not looking for it. Like a cat, it will usually come quicker if I'm not aggressively hunting it down. :)

[crowdog66]

Well, I feel a little silly now. :) Reading over other people's responses, I've realized that there IS one thing I do to prime the pump: I'll look at images or video from canon. That often shakes loose stuff inside my head (or at the very least it makes me fall in love with the characters and settings all over again, and thus ideas start to flow).

[insignia]

Today I've mostly been working on the backstory to one of my WIPs, and writing down some descriptions of characters and important items. So more organising than storytelling, but it's been AWESOME anyway.

[dhae_knight_1]

A measly 199 words, but I'm about to fall asleep on top of my iPad.

Usually, I go for a walk. Or pace in my apartment. I think better when I'm walking. Hmm... Maybe i should do some researvh into my family history. Maybe Kierkegaard is lurking down there, somewhere... XD

[sharpiefan]

I'm writing!! 1060 words of what will (hopefully) be the penultimate chapter of my multi-chapter Sharpe fic. (I hate battles, especially canon battles told from a different viewpoint. I will never ever do this to myself ever again!)

For inspiration: Read or watch some of my source material (I write in the Age of Sail, source material is rather plentiful, depending on what one is seeking inspiration for.) I like listening to music - depending on how I feel or what I'm trying to write, I'll put on some suitable music. Going for a walk helps sometimes, too. A change of scenery can often lead to creativity.

[sylvaine]

1. So, so uninspired. Been uninspired for days and I don't know how to get it back. :/
2. ... a 0? Yeah, that's about right. For reasons of being so very uninspired that even when I open my fic docs I just sit there and stare at the page for a while before giving up.
3. Clearly, what I normally do isn't working... but anyway, normally I look at pictures or do research or sometimes go outside. Going for a walk is usually fantastic for inspiration, but I'm also really lazy, so that doesn't happen all that often. :D

[enemytosleep]

Today's progress...

Yuujinchou Exchange (due Mar 17 - 1K word min): 728 new words. I've got one more scene to draft, then it's time to clean it up and pass along to my betas. I will feel so much better once I get this off my plate. ^^; Current word count: 7,311

Yuujinchou Exchange Bonus Treat #1 (due Mar 24): No new words. Current word count: 328

Help_Japan (due 18 years ago - 750 word min): No new words. Current word count: 3,666

1. I'm writing!

2.  8: I got a fair amount done, but RL distractions and illness prevented me from wrapping up everything I would have liked to.

3.  If I'm not inspired I just move onto something else and let it come to me when it does. I find physical activity usually does the trick for me.

[roane]

Well let's see...
1. I think I'm kind of taking a break, but now that I've said that, I'll probably go write like the wind. :)

2. 8. By which I mean "this is how I am feeling today about my writing efforts in general" rather than "this is how I'm feeling about the writing I have done today". And it's an 8 because I love the way the ideas are flowing right now. I feel like I might be getting the hang of this fanfiction thing. And I'm getting some great feedback, which--I won't lie--feels wonderful. :)

3. When I'm trying to make writing a habit, inspiration doesn't play into it. I write, or I don't write. Sometimes when I'm writing, inspiration will show up. But if I'm not writing, it will never show up.

[bay_alexison]

1. Editing today, looking over Beta B's notes for Chapter 4 of my Big Bang.

2. 4. LOL I checked my beta's end notes for my Big Bang and she mentions about the main character being whiny, which he isn't in canon. Not looking forward to editing this time. >.>; I did managed to edit a bit and might do more tonight, but again bleh I always hate it when I make a character OOC like that. At least this story is still in the editing stage and have time to shape it up.

3. Usually I try to get something done if I know I need to get my butt off and do it. However if I'm suddenly inspired to do another story or come up with one I'll run with it.

[enemytosleep]

You can do it. \o/ How many chapters is it all together? You paced yourself pretty well since it seems you've been mostly editing for a few weeks now, so you should feel happy with that as you groan and go back to the draft with your new notes.

[bay_alexison]

Haha, thanks. The story is eight chapters and an epilogue and so far the first three chapters are fully polished. Just last night I had send Beta A the last few chapters, so I'm waiting on those. Guess I'm just all POLITICS HOW YOU DO IT and wondering if I should keep bothering Beta A and Beta B over the many changes I did since I'm aware they're busy with their own stuff (Beta B is participating in Big Bang too).

[enemytosleep]

Well, you're getting closer! As for the betas, if they say they have time and are willing, then I think you should stop worrying about it. If you're unsure, then ask them if they're still okay helping. It'll save you worrying over it, and will let you know if you need to find someone else to help sooner rather than later should their plates be too full now (though on a purely selfish note, they are the most familiar with the story and would be best to see it through for consistency in styles, etc.).

Also, have you seen fandom_grammar? I joined recently and it's been pretty good (and hopefully my question will be answered soon; they did acknowledge it and ask if they could list my name).

[bay_alexison]

Yeah I would ask them if they're still willing to look over my work and they said they're cool with it. Sometimes I might not hear from them until days later after I emailed them, but at least I know, heh.

And I poked around fandom grammar a bit last night and looks like a great community there. I might look through more of it soon.

[pinstripefedora]

Ick. Not good today - probably not even fifty words. I managed to flesh out the last of some poorly thought-out dialogue I had written a few days ago, but I'm too tired to do much else now so I guess I'm going to call it a night. I think I would rate my day of writing as a 2. Maybe a 3, because at least I accomplished something.

Hm... when I need inspiration, I do one of a few things - I could take a shower, take a nap, reread the canon, read other fics, call up a friend to talk about it, or listen to some music. However, the inspiration that results isn't always the inspiration I was looking for. Then it's worse, because I suddenly want to work on something other than what I'm supposed to. Although sometimes, working on something else for a little while can actually kick loose something in my head so that going back to what I was supposed to be working on afterwards isn't so hard.