This Sunday I worked at 5:30 AM. Big deal, morning folk say. I am not morning folk, and I ordinarily keep a midday schedule from 9-6 or 10-7. As a result of the disruption, I did not sleep well the night before, and as a result of that, I got sick. Between the odd seven day work week, stress, an unseasonably cold evening of no sleep- needless to say, I fell off the wagon. But even worse, I fell ill with the oft-revisited delusion that ravages the work habits of writers.
Remember: researching, outlining, daydreaming, sketching characters, designing clothes and buildings and maps, revising, and reading (including books about writing) do not count as writing. Only the act of writing counts as writing.
Of course these things are all important, and keeping interest alive in your project during a hiatus is very much so. But they do not count. Ten minutes of writing per day count. Even with a cold, I should be able to keep up with that (today has been a success on that front).
To help on your way, a Scene Starter:
If _________ hadn't done that, _____________ wouldn't have happened, and everything would have been great/horrible.
What words are dirty for your character? Are they profane or just sound strange?
I, for one, hate the word grotto. It sounds gross.
Would your character hate to be caught in the cold without a jacket or stuck in the heat forced to wear heavy clothing?
And a World Builder for good measure:
What form of government does your world have? Who's in charge? How do they get to be that way? How are laws made?
Most importantly, when slips are made for whatever reason, it's time to let go, take a breath, and get right back to writing. I for one am going to go make up for some lost time. Best of luck to you too, Challengers.
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