Writing tip #3: If you get stuck, take a break and you'll come back stronger
Sharing some tips that really, really help me when I feel stuck while writing/editing
Dear reader,
Hello! How are you?
Do you have exciting plans for this year? Anything new you want to try or something you’re working on? This is a supportive community where we can cheer each other on, so if you’re comfortable with it, feel free to share in the comments below.
I’ve been pouring even more focus into In Your Dreams as 2023 is the year it finally makes it out to literary agents! The last time I submitted this story for publication was back in 2016 or earlier, so it’s been a very long time and I’m SO excited! For the first quarter of 2023, my novel-writing goal is to finish editing In Your Dreams and then we’ll talk querying. (More on the editing process in The Writing Life section below.)
I absolutely love In Your Dreams and I really believe in it. I am also absolutely eager to write something new. While there is some writing in the editing process, it’s not the same as freely creating a new story, and I really LOVE writing.
As usual, I want to thank you so much for your interest in Doing the Write Thing and for your patience as I learn to juggle In Your Dreams alongside other writing projects, such as this newsletter. If you read the second issue of Doing the Write Thing, you know I like to focus on one project at a time, so launching this newsletter and a parenting magazine/blog (coming soon!) while preparing my book for publication is a new juggling experience for me.
Speaking of which, I want to get back on a newsletter schedule where new issues come out at the beginning of the month, so you should receive the next issue soon at the beginning of February.
I want you to know that every time you read Doing the Write Thing, or comment, or share it, or—most of all, hopefully—feel inspired or supported or motivated by it, it means so much. I hope Doing the Write Thing helps you feel comfortable following your heart, pursuing the creative project you’re passionate about, and spreading kindness around the world.
I hope this issue brings you inspiring and helpful tips and I look forward to sharing the next Q&A with featured author Patricia Bandurka with you soon!
Sincerely,
Marisa
In this newsletter…
The Heart of Storytelling: Writing tips for when you feel stuck
The Writing Life: Reaching a new milestone re: preparing In Your Dreams for submission!
Writers’ Corner: A neat exercise that can help with creating descriptions for your stories
The Heart of Storytelling
This is where I’ll share writing, editing and publishing tips, based on my experience.
Feeling stuck? There have been multiple times while editing In Your Dreams when I’ve felt stuck.
Sometimes really good feedback can leave you feeling stumped: someone makes a really good point about a plot hole or something in your story that you agree needs to be addressed but, at the same time, you need a certain thing to happen or an important part of your story will unravel. This is probably the most discouraging of the “story stuck” experiences.
Other times, you’re writing and the words aren’t flowing. Or they’re flowing so much as doubt abounds and, next thing you know, you’ve written multiple versions of the same scene, thinking none of them were the right one and then suddenly there are multiple versions and you like all of them, but need to pick one.
Feeling stuck can really affect your motivation, inspiration and story momentum. I understand—I can relate! Here are some tips that really, really help me when I feel stuck with my story. I really hope they help you too!
When you feel stuck, take a break. I have said this many times, but completing a mundane task or going on a walk frees up your mind and lets your subconscious speak, revealing an answer that is sometimes blocked by too much analyzing and thinking.
Similarly, try reflecting on your story AWAY from your computer or pen and paper. I find that when I do this, I'm more free to sort through my thoughts and reach that place in my heart that knows what’s right for my story.
You've probably heard this before, but if you're stuck on a scene, take time away from it and move onto the next scene. It might seem like you're falling behind if you do this or like something is incomplete, but there is a certain level of fresh perspective that you can ONLY gain from taking a break, which will give you the ability to make decisions faster and more confidently when you come back to your story.
For example, you might write three fantastic versions of the same sentence and feel lost trying to choose between them; however, if you step away and reread the sentences later, there’s a high chance one of them will stand out as the one you strongly feel works best. Trying to choose one of those sentences now might take way longer, be much more difficult and not even include the best decision, compared to rereading the options later with a very fresh, clear perspective that helps you quickly reveal with enormous confidence what’s right for your story.
How about you—do you have tips that help when you feel stuck while working on a creative project? Feel free to share with fellow writers in the comments below.
The Writing Life
This is where I’ll share updates on what I’m writing and working on.
While I was on a walk with our son on a beautiful autumn day, I came to a decision based on how I’m feeling about editing In Your Dreams. I’m sharing this to help provide insight into an example of an editing process and in case someone else is mulling over a similar editing decision; sometimes it helps to feel like we can give ourselves “permission” to adjust our editing plan.
If you read the November Q&A newsletter, you got to know Alisha Sevigny, the writer/editor/former literary agent who edited my book In Your Dreams. After Alisha and I met in 2016 to discuss her suggestions, I thought about her feedback, focused on the points that especially resonated with me, and began to work on addressing those points. (I’ll share a lot more on this process in a future newsletter in case it helps you find the feedback approach that feels right for you.)
After I put a TON of thought into strategies and made a LOT of notes on how to address some issues, I went to the beginning of my book and started editing one scene at a time. That was in 2016.
In 2017, I kept editing. And in 2018. And in 2019. And in 2020. And in 2021. And in 2022. And, wow, In Your Dreams is still at the editing stage. In 2022, I reached three-quarters of the way through that editing run of In Your Dreams. There are still some key scenes I need to go back to and finish editing, so it’s not even like it’s a “perfectly” polished three-quarters.
But it’s a strong, solid three-quarters! Three-quarters in which I made tough editorial decisions that ultimately made the book stronger. Three-quarters in which I tightened the plot and removed characters (who played small roles) and saved snippets—I call them “gems”—of scenes I really like that don’t fit. It’s also three-quarters in which I created new scenes I’m really proud of and enjoyed writing. I also stopped to appreciate writing I knew not to change.
Change in editing plans
My editing plan in 2016 was to complete this detailed run-through—in which I run (walk?) through the book, applying edits scene-by-scene—and then to read the story at a smooth pace, applying polish to any small or big decisions that need to be addressed before submitting it to literary agents for the first time since 2016—YAY!!
However, on that autumn day, I gave myself permission. Permission to pause the detailed run-through, just before the final, fourth quarter of the book, which I haven’t touched since 2016 (and which needs the least amount of editing of any quarter of the book). Permission to start the smooth run-through (back at the beginning) so that the first three-quarters of the book are fresh in my mind and polished on the page before I dive into the fourth quarter and submit In Your Dreams—a novel I wrote in 2006 and have been editing on and off since, a novel I envision being my first published novel, which has been part of my writing dream since I was five years old.
On that beautiful autumn day when I was walking outside with my son, I just had this feeling that while editing In Your Dreams was going well, I was slowing down on a scene that would benefit from a fresh sense of the events, feelings and pace in the story. Also, it’s amazing how EASY it can be to make editing decisions when you’ve spent time away from something you wrote. I believe it should be relatively easy to breeze through the first three-quarters of the book polishing edits. And then, when I reach the scene I paused at in the detailed run-through, I’ll have a stronger, fresher sense of momentum that will help me make the best decisions for the final quarter of the book (which needs very little editing, save for one part).
For you, kind reader, who is still reading this explanation of my editing approach, thank you (hehe). I don’t know whether you’re super interested in the topic of editing or the topic of In Your Dreams, or both, but I thank thee for your reading support!
Thematic word for 2023
Submitting In Your Dreams is a big deal for so many reasons. It’s also one of the reasons why the word for my 2023 goals is centre (more on theme words in the December 2022 newsletter).
In support of this huge goal, and other writing goals, this year I bought a new agenda. I usually buy this particular small, rectangular, cute agenda I love with a ribbon bookmark, but these goals made me want to use a big agenda with lots of room for writing lots of notes. If you love goal-setting, or don’t love it but want to learn more about effectively setting and achieving creative goals, I’ll share more on this approach to goal-tracking with an agenda or notebook in the next newsletter.
Writers’ Corner
This is where we’ll gather around the virtual cozy fireplace to talk about writing and participate in fun writing exercises and contests!
I know this involves some participation, but I assure you—it’s quick and it can really do magic for your writing!
Writing exercise: let’s pick an emotion and write examples of ways people show that emotion without words (not verbally).
For example, for this issue, let’s choose impatience. How do people show they’re impatient?
I’ll start! Well, for one, they bite their lip.
Now, your turn! Please share your answer in the comments below. Then, read the other answers, too, so you can gain ideas for how to describe impatience in your characters in a variety of different ways.
Thank you for reading this month’s issue of Doing the Write Thing! I hope you enjoyed it!
Stay tuned for the January Q&A featuring author Patricia Bandurka and her insights into creating serial stories. Coming soon!
As always, wishing you happy reading and writing!