September WIP Challenge Check-In, Day 20

[soldierwitch]

gif credit: goodvibesinroswell
 

Alright, writers, 20 days into the September WIP challenge and we've made some stellar progress. Some of us have chapters published and out there for our audience to read. Others are getting back into the swing of things and getting words down on the page. Real good news, y'all. Excited for everyone!

But, as always, getting stuck in some capacity is a part of the writing process. So I thought we could use today's check-in to give advice on how to move past a writing block and request some help if we need it. Here are our prompts:

-When you hit a writing block how do you work yourself out of it? Do you have any activities or prompts you do? Any quotes or sayings you pull out to keep you motivated? How about other dreamwidth writing communities? Do you have any you'd recommend?

-Do you need help untangling a problem that's keeping you stuck in your WIP? Feel free to let us know what the issue is in the comments, perhaps our community of writers can help!

-Would you like Saturday's check-in to be a writing sprint? If yes, please state whether morning, afternoon, or evening Eastern Standard Time works for you and if you'd prefer a 30 minute sprint or an hour. If there's interest, we can start working out time intervals for at least three opportunities to write together.

Comments

[soldierwitch]

I am still working on writing blocks not getting the best of me. The advice that's stuck with me has been from you lovely writers from words on not letting a need for perfection get in the way of actually writing to reasonable and manageable daily word count goals. So thank, y'all.

Here are pieces of advice I have jotted down in my fanfic journal:

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough. - frogfarm

It doesn’t have to be good (that’s what editing is for) it just has to be THERE! - athaia

Plus peachpai's daily word count goal of 50 words has been such a motivator. I want to get better with achieving that but what I have done has seen a few hundred words be added to the WIP for this challenge as well as others which I'm very happy about.

[frogfarm]

After nearly twenty years of writing and posting fic, the only thing that works to get me out of a block is to power through it. I abandoned my first attempt at a series when I figured out I'd be dead before I finished. In contrast with this current series, every time it feels like the flow slows or stops, I just keep bashing at it. Throwing whatever words I can, deleting and doing it again, until I have something good enough to move on from. Don't know about anyone else, but it's working for me.

I almost wish I had a problem to ask for help with, because I know one of you smart people would have the perfect solution.

I'd vote for an hour Saturday sprint, and any time of day is good for me.

[soldierwitch]

What you described sounds like a brute force plan of attack. Into it!

[xmarksthespotwhereistand]

Managed to add some words to my To Be Submitted To A Zine Fic! It also gave me the idea for the next couple of paragraphs.
I would love sprinting, EST morning or afternoon would work best for me.

[soldierwitch]

Great steady progress!

So I have you and frogfarm down for being up for a Saturday sprint. I'm going to run the question run more time tomorrow and see if we have any more takers.