Ask the Author: Jason W. LaPier
Answered Questions (1)
Jason W. LaPier
When I'm having trouble getting started, I:
1. Draw the scene I need to work on. I always have an unruled notebook for sketching in. I'm definitely not an artist and would never show this crap to anyone, but it gets me thinking without using words. Sometimes it's details around characters, sometimes it's stick figures and it's all about arrangement and movement. Sometimes it's even just a map (of the room, building, countryside, whatever).
2. Write dialogue. For me, this is sometimes much easier. If I'm stuck, I write the scene kind of like a screenplay, with just a bunch of dialogue and some action notes in between. Then go back and fill it in (now or later). If there's not a lot of dialogue to write, sometimes instead I write it deliberately poorly, just to get the scene out of my head. I write it like I'm a drunk guy trying to tell a story to his friends. "Okay, so this dude walks in, right? And then he looks around ..."
3. Meditate. I know, I know. It's freaking hard for a creative mind to sit blank for any length of time. It takes a *lot* of practice - but hey, so does writing. But I think of it this way: if I'm going to spend 10-20 minutes spinning my wheels, what's the harm in spending that time trying to actively quiet my mind? And lemme tell ya - when it works, it works. It becomes much easier to focus. I use an app called Headspace for guided meditation.
1. Draw the scene I need to work on. I always have an unruled notebook for sketching in. I'm definitely not an artist and would never show this crap to anyone, but it gets me thinking without using words. Sometimes it's details around characters, sometimes it's stick figures and it's all about arrangement and movement. Sometimes it's even just a map (of the room, building, countryside, whatever).
2. Write dialogue. For me, this is sometimes much easier. If I'm stuck, I write the scene kind of like a screenplay, with just a bunch of dialogue and some action notes in between. Then go back and fill it in (now or later). If there's not a lot of dialogue to write, sometimes instead I write it deliberately poorly, just to get the scene out of my head. I write it like I'm a drunk guy trying to tell a story to his friends. "Okay, so this dude walks in, right? And then he looks around ..."
3. Meditate. I know, I know. It's freaking hard for a creative mind to sit blank for any length of time. It takes a *lot* of practice - but hey, so does writing. But I think of it this way: if I'm going to spend 10-20 minutes spinning my wheels, what's the harm in spending that time trying to actively quiet my mind? And lemme tell ya - when it works, it works. It becomes much easier to focus. I use an app called Headspace for guided meditation.
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