So, I found out this week that it is really hard to write a book on top of finishing work for my normal classes. I think it is also a little challenging to write a lot because my mind is focused heavily on science during the majority of the week, and that makes transitioning to writing realistic fiction difficult. I also found out that writer’s block, at least for me, hits even harder when trying to write a book, rather than a “normal” paper, blog post, etc. Trying to create a world real enough for readers to immerse themselves in is incredibly challenging, and has been pretty discouraging.
You have probably guessed by now that I did not meet my goals set last week. I wrote a few paragraphs of Chapter 3, but that is literally it. In this chapter, I have Commissioner Howell returning to the police station, distraught over what he has witnessed at the crime scene. Throughout the book, I want to add oddly specific details, to make the readers pleasantly uncomfortable, a phenomenon that is hard to explain, but one that I cherish dearly. I want to do this especially for John, as I feel that this awkward meticulousness is integral to his character.
While I have not physically written down my plot plan, I have a general framework in mind. While I cannot reveal too much, as to keep the story intriguing, I will say that I am considering adding a love story element to the book. I think the girl that John falls for will enter the story about a third of the way through the book. This placement is for two reasons:
1. It will add a nice new element to help keep the story intriguing.
2. It will serve as a “catalyst” to keep the story going.
Since I did so poorly following my goals this past week, I really need to buckle down and make up for lost time these next couple weeks. This weekend I hope to have made up for what I wanted to do last week. This includes finishing Chapter 3, writing Chapter 4, and writing the plot plan. I also think that a plan of attack that may be beneficial is sitting down for a few hours and just letting my fingers hit the keys, unrestricted by conscious thought. I think this unadulterated stream of consciousness will really help me see what direction I want to take this book in, as well as see if there are any characters I need to add (which I am more than 100% positive I will given I have less than ten characters right now), and will help me see what sides of the story to highlight, and which pieces to keep more subtle.
If you guys have any tips for what approach I should take to make some progress on this project, I would love any advice. Hopefully I can beat the writer’s block! I am still very excited about this project, and I hope I can follow through and knock this thing out!
Writing a book in itself is a daunting task so do not beat yourself up from not completing the goals that you set for yourself! I have found that with being a science major it is difficult to switch from the one mode of thought of analyzing data and facts to pursuing a paper in RCL. If you want to work more of book while in school, try to look up videos and articles that discuss issues or topics that are non-science related. For me, YouTube videos of talk show discussions like the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon or reading how-to articles get me thinking about different ideas and topics. Hope that helps!
I would say just keep going and don’t give up. Writers block is awful, but not permanent. When I have writers block I give myself some distance from what I am writing and I go for a walk, letting my mind wander around what I’m writing. I also try to write in the middle of the night. I don’t know when your peak writing/creative time is, but mine is from 12 am to 5 am. Other than that, just keep going. The plot sounds great already! I also know what you’re talking about with pleasant uncomfortableness, it’s weird to explain but I think you can do it.