Is it writers’ block?
Some authors suffer from writers’ block, some are naturally slow writers. Me… my words, thoughts and ideas just come to me whenever they damn well choose to. So unless I’m on a deadline, I don’t fight it.
Rarely am I able to sit with my laptop and just write with words abundantly flowing. I do work from an outline when I write, however, so I already know where my story is going and I have a better than general idea how it’s going to get there.
Writing on the go
Most authors usually keep a notepad handy for thoughts and ideas for their stories. Instead of carrying blank pages, I jot down a few words about the the scenes I have planned in a given chapter. That page may have something like this:
Chapter 5:
– Wedding
– Traveling to honeymoon
– Hospital
When a scene plays out in my mind (while I’m at the supermarket, for example, instead of at my laptop) I write it down under the appropriate scene heading – maybe the ex shows up at the wedding and causes drama. Who does he or she confront? What words are shouted? etc. Then en route to the honeymoon there’s discussion about the destination and a fear of flying. Perhaps some inner thought about how one character really doesn’t want to get on that plane.
The fact that I’ve only written down the scenes for the chapter I’m working on, helps keep my focus (and random character dialog) on events that should occur only in or near that chapter. Ordinarily, I think about my story and my characters throughout my day, but by writing one or two words for the scenes only in the chapter I’m working on, I’m giving myself permission to think only about that particular part of my story.
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