WIP Challenge Check-in, Day 21 -- Tuesday

[linaewen]

Sorry I'm so late today!  The screen on my laptop died and it has taken me a bit of time to scrounge an external monitor and get it set up in such a way that I still have room to work on my desk.  The current arrangement is not ideal, but it will do until I can get the laptop screen repaired.

Today's quote is especially applicable to me, not simply because the main fandom in which I write is Lord of the Rings, but also because this situation is exactly what I struggle with daily -- getting started!

“It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish.” 
~ J.R.R. Tolkien

So tell me -- how did it go today?

• I wrote
• I did research
• I did editing
• I posted
• I took a break
• I'm still staring at the page trying get started
• I had too much Real Life stuff to deal with and couldn't think about writing

Getting started is possibly somewhat related to getting inspired, but not always.  Aside from what we have already talked about on how we get ourselves inspired, does anyone have any additional tips for how to get started on a writing project?

Comments

[linaewen]

My main problem most days is that I let the tyranny of the urgent take charge and simply don't do what my quote says -- just get started. I can edit and plan and outline all I want, but the story won't get written until I start putting some words on the page. It's a bit late in the day here now, but I really ought to go off as soon as I post this and actually begin writing and see how far I get before I have to stop!

I wonder if I'll actually do it...?

[mystiri_1]

Go on, do it, do it, do it!

[enemytosleep]

That is my biggest problem, and not just starting, but the whole first draft. I self-censor way too much. Having the daily check ins has really helped me push to just get words down each day that I can clean up later.

[mystiri_1]

I have broken my long streak of not writing anything with two-and-a-half ficlets for ff_exchange's Kissing Battle. (Half, because I'm still finishing the third one.) As this is the first time I have finished any stories in months, I am quite proud of myself.

[roane]

Yay you!

[pinstripefedora]

Congratulations! Go you! \o/

[insignia]

Huzzah! :D

[crowdog66]

Congratulations! :) That's great news!

[roane]

Today has been a study in RL getting in the way. I've been thinking about writing a lot, and getting to chat over ideas (yay!), but that's about it. My writing to-do list might've gotten bigger. Again.

[enemytosleep]

I got nothing done last night on any projects. I'm scrambling tonight to try and wrap up the big fic, as RL is starting to drown me (i knew it would the beginning of March, but I was hoping I'd have this week for fanfic, first). Hopefully I'll have a better update tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about your laptop! I'm worried about mine as the new kitten loves to attack it when I'm working. ^^;

[pinstripefedora]

Ugh, had another bad writing day today. I'm just so tired. Also, I think I've finally hit upon a really great angle to tackle this scene from. Unfortunately, I'm already halfway through it, so if I want to use this idea I'm going to have to nearly completely rewrite the entire thing, which is not exactly a prospect I'm looking forward to. I'll have to think about it.

[snowynight]

I'm still staring at the page trying get started. I'm just hitting a point that writing takes too much effort. It'll be nice if I can talk to someone and bounce the plot idea off, but currently I have none.

[psyco_chick32]

I had too much Real Life stuff to deal with and couldn't think about writing

This entire month has sucked. I ended up in a horrible place mentally, but after a great weekend away I am READY TO GO.

(except this weekend, I'm spending time with the in-laws. Maybe I can use "I have to work on my novel, sorry" as a reason to lock myself in the guest bedroom?)

[sharpiefan]

Well... I'm posting the day after. Never mind.

Writing went pretty good yesterday (and the day before, incidentally!) - I posted up two chapters in two days and I'm hoping to get a third one written today, which will be roughly 7500 words in the course of three days, and a fic complete apart from the epilogue.

Go me! :D

[insignia]

Sorry about your laptop!

I've concluded that I've been tackling my WIP from the wrong angle. Some supposedly minor plot decisions turned out to be impossible to make, because I just don't know yet how they'd affect the story as a whole. So instead of trying to squeeze something out of this chapter, I've written about 1400 words of character descriptions and backstory. Basically, I have to sort out the overarching plot and clarify parts that are still vague in my head. This means my February challenge doesn't apply anymore, because finishing a chapter is no longer my goal for this month.

I'm still awesome, though!

[crowdog66]

I wrote and posted a new chapter of "Ovum" (my Garak/Bashir mpreg story), for a total of ~1800 words.

As for getting started... on a long project, I tend to sit down and write a key scene first, one that really resonates for me: usually the opening scene, the one that I know will grip the reader and pull them in. After that I'll loosely plot out the whole fic, then proceed to write each chapter in turn.

For a short story I'll usually get a vivid impression of the scene or a line or two of dialogue, and from there the whole story spins itself out in my mind: after that it's just a matter of sitting down and transcribing it. The larger question of where these ideas come from is one I'm afraid I can't answer, except to wonder (as in that article I posted a couple of days back) how other people get their ideas to stop. :D