Melanie Ifield's Blog: Writing with Illness - Posts Tagged "writing"
Discipline or Muse?
Recently my dad was looking up an old Western series he enjoyed as a children through Google. He found the author had written over 700 books.
I was looking through the history of people like Enid Blyton, who was also prolific, and starting to feel the weight of it all!
Some people write literally hundreds of books in their lifetimes and others, like Harper Lee, are known only for one or two. Though those one or two are legendary and are the kinds of novels most only wish we could write.
As I slowly head towards forty, sadly I feel that hundreds of titles under my name will not be the reality of my situation. Not only does it seem impossible to come up with that many ideas – I’d have to write upwards of say, 25 titles a year, then work on them, edit them and publish them… - but I feel I’d become a writing machine, instead of a writer.
I don’t know if writing should be organic, not forced, or be a part of a discipline. I’ve read of two different points of view on this.
1. That writing is a creative pursuit, thus we as writers, should always wait for the muse to turn up and write when we are inspired. Our writing would then flow and feel natural and have a freeness and spontaneous feel to it. Which sounds all kinds of good and would be ideal in an ideal world.
2. Writing is a discipline, a job, like any other. We should learn to sit ourselves down at the same time every day, turn off all distractions, and just write. Make ourselves concentrate and over time, the words would just start to flow. But it takes time and discipline and work. You work at writing. We don’t have time to wait upon the muse for it may or may not come calling.
I don’t know where I stand on this. At one time I was writing every day, quite a lot, and pumped out half a dozen books in a short period of time (well I thought it was short, but looking at the numbers from the example authors above, it was nothing!). I thought I was doing really well, but it didn’t feel like work. It was disciplined, yes, but it was also inspired and the muse was definitely in town!
So which is it? Keep to the schedule and plug away even when every word, every sentence, feels wooden and laboured? Or wait until it flows? Until the words come flooding out of your fingertips, magic in every paragraph?
I’m still unsure, but I can tell you one thing – nothing is getting written while I procrastinate about it, so I’d better wrap this up and get back to the ‘real thing’. In this case, editing.
I was looking through the history of people like Enid Blyton, who was also prolific, and starting to feel the weight of it all!
Some people write literally hundreds of books in their lifetimes and others, like Harper Lee, are known only for one or two. Though those one or two are legendary and are the kinds of novels most only wish we could write.
As I slowly head towards forty, sadly I feel that hundreds of titles under my name will not be the reality of my situation. Not only does it seem impossible to come up with that many ideas – I’d have to write upwards of say, 25 titles a year, then work on them, edit them and publish them… - but I feel I’d become a writing machine, instead of a writer.
I don’t know if writing should be organic, not forced, or be a part of a discipline. I’ve read of two different points of view on this.
1. That writing is a creative pursuit, thus we as writers, should always wait for the muse to turn up and write when we are inspired. Our writing would then flow and feel natural and have a freeness and spontaneous feel to it. Which sounds all kinds of good and would be ideal in an ideal world.
2. Writing is a discipline, a job, like any other. We should learn to sit ourselves down at the same time every day, turn off all distractions, and just write. Make ourselves concentrate and over time, the words would just start to flow. But it takes time and discipline and work. You work at writing. We don’t have time to wait upon the muse for it may or may not come calling.
I don’t know where I stand on this. At one time I was writing every day, quite a lot, and pumped out half a dozen books in a short period of time (well I thought it was short, but looking at the numbers from the example authors above, it was nothing!). I thought I was doing really well, but it didn’t feel like work. It was disciplined, yes, but it was also inspired and the muse was definitely in town!
So which is it? Keep to the schedule and plug away even when every word, every sentence, feels wooden and laboured? Or wait until it flows? Until the words come flooding out of your fingertips, magic in every paragraph?
I’m still unsure, but I can tell you one thing – nothing is getting written while I procrastinate about it, so I’d better wrap this up and get back to the ‘real thing’. In this case, editing.
When your brain has other ideas
I understand that blogs are meant to be meaningful or your daily life or even some sort of challenge – if you have ever read or watched Julie & Julia then you know what I mean. I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have a particularly interesting life that would require a blog for every day of it – regardless of the challenges I may think I have to face. Right at the moment the greatest problem I have is not so much writer’s block, because I tend on the verbose side as it is, but a little bit of difficulty making my thoughts behave in the order I want them to.
I’m writing another novel and I know what is needed to be said. The only trouble is, because I know this, my brain has decided that it’s already done. It has said, oh that’s how its going to end and what the different plot lines are. In that case, consider it done. Which is lovely for my brain to do for me (thank you Brain) but on the other hand, I am finding it increasingly difficult to settle it down and make it continue. In the mind, the novel is done and dusted. In fact, the brain has washed it hands of it, thinks the whole thing is sold and making me millions and is wondering what the next project is going to be. I don’t have a problem with an overactive imagination (writer’s live on them) but I need my Brain to stop having galloping consumption and focus on the completion of the task at hand. Nice to idealize my life and believe I have it made, but I need to do the work first!
The trouble is, I have multiple characters all racing around in my head all wanting their story told or at least, to have their voice heard. Sounds lovely. No lack of plot lines there. Except when they wake you up at 3am and start having a general confab in your head without your expressed permission and keep you awake until dawn, then it’s not so great.
Once they have had their say, they go quiet. No matter how much I tell them that is only part of the deal. How do you explain to figments of your imagination that the rest of their job is staying with me until I’ve written the damn thing. Allowing my brain to dictate what parts of what stories can be told because it has already decided someone has had their turn isn’t something I want to encourage. It’s just a wee bit messy. I have all these chapter ones…. and the completed novels trapped in my skull.
I know that out there somewhere, someone will read this and say ‘why doesn’t she have some discipline?’
Sounds wonderful. Someone want to finish this blog… I’ve got a novel to write.
I’m writing another novel and I know what is needed to be said. The only trouble is, because I know this, my brain has decided that it’s already done. It has said, oh that’s how its going to end and what the different plot lines are. In that case, consider it done. Which is lovely for my brain to do for me (thank you Brain) but on the other hand, I am finding it increasingly difficult to settle it down and make it continue. In the mind, the novel is done and dusted. In fact, the brain has washed it hands of it, thinks the whole thing is sold and making me millions and is wondering what the next project is going to be. I don’t have a problem with an overactive imagination (writer’s live on them) but I need my Brain to stop having galloping consumption and focus on the completion of the task at hand. Nice to idealize my life and believe I have it made, but I need to do the work first!
The trouble is, I have multiple characters all racing around in my head all wanting their story told or at least, to have their voice heard. Sounds lovely. No lack of plot lines there. Except when they wake you up at 3am and start having a general confab in your head without your expressed permission and keep you awake until dawn, then it’s not so great.
Once they have had their say, they go quiet. No matter how much I tell them that is only part of the deal. How do you explain to figments of your imagination that the rest of their job is staying with me until I’ve written the damn thing. Allowing my brain to dictate what parts of what stories can be told because it has already decided someone has had their turn isn’t something I want to encourage. It’s just a wee bit messy. I have all these chapter ones…. and the completed novels trapped in my skull.
I know that out there somewhere, someone will read this and say ‘why doesn’t she have some discipline?’
Sounds wonderful. Someone want to finish this blog… I’ve got a novel to write.
Freedom through Discipline
I was texting with dear friend last night and the topic came around to perseverance and discipline. It reminded me of something I was told many years ago and had only sometimes thought about since. I was told that freedom came through discipline. Or put the other way round, discipline leads to the freedom I am seeking.
It didn’t really make all that much sense to me at the time, because I was young and full of reckless freedom that had little or nothing to do with discipline. However, as time has gone by, it makes more sense now. Reflecting on the hard won discipline that has helped me overcome other things in my life, I suddenly felt the shift (or the epiphany!) of knowing come to me last night when my friend and I had said goodnight.
It left me thinking about what I meant by freedom and what is meant by discipline.
Which showed me how I was finding my freedom through the things I was doing (or procrastinating about doing….) every day.
The freedom of good health (not yet mine sadly) through the discipline of good eating habits and sensible sleep patterns combined with measured intervention from medicine.
The freedom of the body through the discipline of regular and appropriate exercise.
The freedom from mental stress through the discipline of things like Tai Chi and meditation (disciplines that I sadly allowed to lapse when I became ill this time round).
The freedom of my mind, allowing me to go places I’d never have dreamed of, meet people and create people, through the discipline of writing.
I realised, in that darkness of deep night, that while my body was experiencing betrayal of itself through a nervous system that plays havoc with certain functions, there was freedom to be had even though it wasn’t the freedom of my body – YET!I could give myself freedom to explore the world through people I meet and the worlds I create in books.
Procrastination is the antithesis of discipline and perseverance and I have given it a lot of leeway, stealing my own freedom by constantly putting off discipline as ‘too hard’.
I’m not saying I’m about to change overnight, though I am grateful for the text conversation! But it has given me food for thought – if I truly value my freedom, in any little way that I can get it these days, then I should be willing to put in the hard yards – the discipline – in all my endeavours.
Nowhere is this seen more than in writing a book. At the end of a day of procrastinating, there is literally nothing on the page to show for the day’s non-work. But at the end of a disciplined day, I quite often can look back at a whole chapter, or two!
With that in mind, I think little steps and little lifestyle changes might help me to bring back the discipline that I once had that allowed me to write seven books and run up mountains. I possibly won’t be running up mountains again, but enjoying a day out with friends without keeling over, is even better.
Here’s to discipline – and the freedom it may afford me one day!
It didn’t really make all that much sense to me at the time, because I was young and full of reckless freedom that had little or nothing to do with discipline. However, as time has gone by, it makes more sense now. Reflecting on the hard won discipline that has helped me overcome other things in my life, I suddenly felt the shift (or the epiphany!) of knowing come to me last night when my friend and I had said goodnight.
It left me thinking about what I meant by freedom and what is meant by discipline.
Which showed me how I was finding my freedom through the things I was doing (or procrastinating about doing….) every day.
The freedom of good health (not yet mine sadly) through the discipline of good eating habits and sensible sleep patterns combined with measured intervention from medicine.
The freedom of the body through the discipline of regular and appropriate exercise.
The freedom from mental stress through the discipline of things like Tai Chi and meditation (disciplines that I sadly allowed to lapse when I became ill this time round).
The freedom of my mind, allowing me to go places I’d never have dreamed of, meet people and create people, through the discipline of writing.
I realised, in that darkness of deep night, that while my body was experiencing betrayal of itself through a nervous system that plays havoc with certain functions, there was freedom to be had even though it wasn’t the freedom of my body – YET!I could give myself freedom to explore the world through people I meet and the worlds I create in books.
Procrastination is the antithesis of discipline and perseverance and I have given it a lot of leeway, stealing my own freedom by constantly putting off discipline as ‘too hard’.
I’m not saying I’m about to change overnight, though I am grateful for the text conversation! But it has given me food for thought – if I truly value my freedom, in any little way that I can get it these days, then I should be willing to put in the hard yards – the discipline – in all my endeavours.
Nowhere is this seen more than in writing a book. At the end of a day of procrastinating, there is literally nothing on the page to show for the day’s non-work. But at the end of a disciplined day, I quite often can look back at a whole chapter, or two!
With that in mind, I think little steps and little lifestyle changes might help me to bring back the discipline that I once had that allowed me to write seven books and run up mountains. I possibly won’t be running up mountains again, but enjoying a day out with friends without keeling over, is even better.
Here’s to discipline – and the freedom it may afford me one day!
The writing lectures mystery
Having trouble plotting?
Not sure if your characters are personable?
Ever tried simply to craft your work so it continues to engage your readers?
Watched a writing lecture recently?
I have - and I was astounded at the enjoyment I got out of it!
I remember my mother once saying, when I was younger and much smaller than I am now, that you never know everything. You continue learning until the day you die.
I think she was talking about the art of horsemanship at the time, however the theory is sound no matter what the subject.
With that in mind, I settled myself in front of You Tube and began to watch a series of lectures on the art of writing.
The mystery is - they have far less 'view' counts than I would have expected.
Ok, so they are presented by an epic fantasy author and fantasy isn't everyone's cup of tea. And predominately the examples used were a mixture of fantasy and science fiction.
But writing lectures aren't about their examples, I would have thought - they are about the content. Which is fantastic!
There are many master class writing lectures out there and I would love to hear from you if you've found any of them particularly helpful. But for my time, note taking and effort, I couldn't go past lectures where potentially time travelling pirates and a dog with journalistic tendencies (I kid you not) are used as examples!
I love the idea of learning while laughing and I have to say - Brandon Sanderson's lectures, while a bit dated (I'm watching 2014) in our fast tracked world, are informative, fun and fast paced - for a learning experience!
Let me know: Are you for or against honing your skills from lectures - or do you prefer to just keep writing and to allow practice to make perfect?
Not sure if your characters are personable?
Ever tried simply to craft your work so it continues to engage your readers?
Watched a writing lecture recently?
I have - and I was astounded at the enjoyment I got out of it!
I remember my mother once saying, when I was younger and much smaller than I am now, that you never know everything. You continue learning until the day you die.
I think she was talking about the art of horsemanship at the time, however the theory is sound no matter what the subject.
With that in mind, I settled myself in front of You Tube and began to watch a series of lectures on the art of writing.
The mystery is - they have far less 'view' counts than I would have expected.
Ok, so they are presented by an epic fantasy author and fantasy isn't everyone's cup of tea. And predominately the examples used were a mixture of fantasy and science fiction.
But writing lectures aren't about their examples, I would have thought - they are about the content. Which is fantastic!
There are many master class writing lectures out there and I would love to hear from you if you've found any of them particularly helpful. But for my time, note taking and effort, I couldn't go past lectures where potentially time travelling pirates and a dog with journalistic tendencies (I kid you not) are used as examples!
I love the idea of learning while laughing and I have to say - Brandon Sanderson's lectures, while a bit dated (I'm watching 2014) in our fast tracked world, are informative, fun and fast paced - for a learning experience!
Let me know: Are you for or against honing your skills from lectures - or do you prefer to just keep writing and to allow practice to make perfect?
Do you re-read novels?
Are you in the habit of re-reading a novel that grabbed you?
Do you watch a TV show or a movie and just have to watch it all over again?
I was watching a movie I'd seen... well, let's not get into numbers of times or I might seem a little obsessed - let's just say, multiple times and be done with it!
Anyway, there I was watching it and it made me think: How does this movie make me feel and what makes it different to everything else I watch? Why do I go back to it?
And that took me on a journey to my favourite TV Shows and why I have seen them so many times I can quote the lines before the actors say them.
And lastly, I thought about all the novels I've read - over and over - like an addiction.
What is it about them that sticks? How come we can re-read some things countless times and not others?
I'd love to hear all about what you watch or read obsessively (just so I feel wonderfully like everyone else! :) ) but also - why?
I thought about it and for me, it is the meeting up of old friends.
Sure, I know what those friends are going to say and do (sometimes I really wish the characters would change their dialogue, but sadly, no!).
I know what is going to happen and still I'm on the edge of my seat, hoping they get out of it all okay.
And that's just it. A great read, or movie, or TV show, drags me into the world of the characters so well, so deftly, that I am left with an ache when I finish. I feel as though I've lost contact with vitally important friends and am bereft.
Do you feel the same way? Like you've lost people important to you when it's all over? And thus, are led back, to experience the highs, the lows and loves and losses once again? (And again and again ....)
For me, feeling engaged with the characters, wanting to know them, knowing that if they just happened, in some distant universe, to be real, they'd be exactly the sort of people I'd enjoy knowing - or at least want to be - that is what brings me back.
That and excellent writing. Both in the books I re-read compulsively and the TV shows I watch to unwind, the writing sparkles, and I think 'wow, now that's what I'm talking about!'
Do you watch a TV show or a movie and just have to watch it all over again?
I was watching a movie I'd seen... well, let's not get into numbers of times or I might seem a little obsessed - let's just say, multiple times and be done with it!
Anyway, there I was watching it and it made me think: How does this movie make me feel and what makes it different to everything else I watch? Why do I go back to it?
And that took me on a journey to my favourite TV Shows and why I have seen them so many times I can quote the lines before the actors say them.
And lastly, I thought about all the novels I've read - over and over - like an addiction.
What is it about them that sticks? How come we can re-read some things countless times and not others?
I'd love to hear all about what you watch or read obsessively (just so I feel wonderfully like everyone else! :) ) but also - why?
I thought about it and for me, it is the meeting up of old friends.
Sure, I know what those friends are going to say and do (sometimes I really wish the characters would change their dialogue, but sadly, no!).
I know what is going to happen and still I'm on the edge of my seat, hoping they get out of it all okay.
And that's just it. A great read, or movie, or TV show, drags me into the world of the characters so well, so deftly, that I am left with an ache when I finish. I feel as though I've lost contact with vitally important friends and am bereft.
Do you feel the same way? Like you've lost people important to you when it's all over? And thus, are led back, to experience the highs, the lows and loves and losses once again? (And again and again ....)
For me, feeling engaged with the characters, wanting to know them, knowing that if they just happened, in some distant universe, to be real, they'd be exactly the sort of people I'd enjoy knowing - or at least want to be - that is what brings me back.
That and excellent writing. Both in the books I re-read compulsively and the TV shows I watch to unwind, the writing sparkles, and I think 'wow, now that's what I'm talking about!'
Writing with Illness
The blog of indie author Melanie Ifield - just some ideas and a chance for me to chatter on!
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