Mental Clutter and Writing

There are some days, no matter what the state my house or study is in, I’ll write like a madwoman possessed. Forgetting to eat and only taking necessary breaks to visit the bathroom. I end the day in a misty haze and sore hands. That’s in my manic state. More often than not I require the bed to be made, the dishes done, my desk clear and just a few scattered notes on my outline to accompany me on my writing day… only because of all the mental clutter. Distractions, random thoughts beckoning me away from what I am meant to be doing. (Don’t get me started on the evils of Youtube and Tumblr.)

I find making lists keeps my head clear and on point. But they are short and realistically achievable in a day.

In the days when I was fierce about my career in Film and Television, I’d thrive on days of unprecedented tasks. The overachiever in me loved a challenge. My brain and limbs would crackle with nervous energy and the day would literally pass in a blink because I was so consumed with my work. I love that feeling. The amount of work you can get done. But it is not realistic or sustainable, especially in a creative role. Plus, completing such a high volume of work also takes impeccable organisation and time management. These days I have a toned-down version – simply because I like to enjoy my life a bit more, explore the outdoors and feed the muse. If I really wanted to, I could lock myself away and write until bleeding from every orifice. But then I’d have to deal with the crash. The writing hangover. And I’d be no good to get the edits, marketing campaigns, query letters, and all the stuff (which takes up just as much time and is essential after writing ‘the end’) that comes next.

There is so much more to writing a book than writing a book.

So I like to keep my house, my workspace, and my thoughts organised. I have folders galore. Excel spreadsheets. Goals stuck on the wall in front of my face. It works for me. It leaves me feeling fresh and ready to take on the world in the mornings. Because writing is a long-term endeavour – for me anyway. I give myself small daily wins and keep my eye on the finish line.

 

If I don’t maintain the tidiness of my work desk at times I feel claustrophobic or headachy. Psychosomatic symptoms of trying to juggle too many things and keep on task.

When I lived in the city, I loved my white, sparsely furnished office, with a massive workbench to spread out on. Now in the county, I love the view from the mountain top to the coastline. It says anything is possible. Sky’s the limit. Yes it’s cliché, but having so much space just outside my window lets me expand my mental musings into the never-ending sky.

I’ve come up with some of my best ideas watching the clouds roll across the lush green landscape. It’s calming. It’s inspiring. Now I understand what people say when purporting that nature is fodder for creativity. I’ve also noticed, the lessening of technology aids in my writing productivity. No television, internet, phones and other devices. It’s me and the blank page. Pen and paper or the keyboard and my word processor. Simple. Something about that state calls to me. Urges me to fill it with words and ideas.

Granted the finish line will always keep moving. Because, lets face it, there is always going to be the next book I want to write. It will be that way until I die. And that’s okay.

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Never stare at a blank page helplessly ever again.

Here’s some ways I’ve found that help to keep inspiration coming, the words flowing, and never having to face writers block again.

I frequently get asked how I can write every day, do I get writers block, and how is it possible that I can have many works in progress going at the same time… well I think it comes down to organisation. Time management and compartmentalisation. That, and your personality, and work ethic. We all have different habits and things that aid our productivity. Sometimes I like music in the background, sometimes not. I might perform better in a café with paper and pen, and other times locked away from interruption in my office at the computer. The trick is developing a collection of tricks that keep you mind working and the words flowing.

And never let an idea pass you by. Write down everything.

I have an ideas folder. A section for story concepts, interesting characters, or scenes that jumped into my head at one time or another. They are always great sources of inspiration, or even parts I can include in a plot I’m working on…

As for my works in progress… I mix in “pantsing” and planning. Meaning, for the most part, I’ll blurt out anywhere between two and five chapters in a story straight from my head before I go back and look at things like structure, pace, plot, character development, if the writing in engaging… and from there start to form a framework, tweaks and plan out the rest of the novel. I do this in two ways – massive spreadsheets where I can label scenes, turning points, note how each chapter is driving the story forward, keep track of content and time lines… having a detailed plan means I can skip forward and back without dropping out of the narrative. The second method, is having blank pages for each chapter in the book, and scribbling notes on what I want to happen in each chapter – it grows as I start writing, and before commencing to write each new chapter I’ll review the points, put them in order and follow that map as best I can. Sometimes it works flawlessly, and other times my characters react in unforeseen ways and I head back to the drawing board. Never let your outline keep you trapped.

I feel the need to be flexible in how and where I write. Sometimes the character tells me where the story is going, sometimes I need the focus of a storyboard, scene by scene to get me writing.

Whenever you get stuck, switch it up. Move out of the study or office, jump to a different point in your manuscript, chat to someone about your work, take a walk around the block. The more tricks you have in your repertoire the better equipped you are to keep the inspiration and words flowing.

Everyone has a slow day. Don’t let it bother you. Writing is more a state of mind thing than anything. At one point I was journaling my feelings before writing – it was the only thing that enabled me to leave the emotional baggage at the office door.

But my most successful tool, above all the other tips and tricks has been time management. If I set a timer for an hour and work on one thing, be it a scene, chapter, concept, blog for one hour and then stop. It will always get me out of a writing funk. Who says you need to be sitting at your computer fourteen hours a day in order to call yourself a writer? A few productive hours a day could be just as good. Structure your day to free up a no distraction window and give yourself a simple task.

Hand in hand with this activity is that spreadsheet or storyboard, because you can switch projects or chapters/scenes on a whim. Breaking your down into chunks of simple tasks can kick start your brain and get those creative juices flowing.

Whether it’s immersing yourself in scenes – feeling a breeze in your hair, the warmth of the sun on your face, the tang of salt in the air as you sit at the beach to scribble out a lusty romance set in the crashing waves; or concentrating on a conversation between two characters while you sit at a coffee shop, or hide in an office to knock off a chapter in complete silence; keep experimenting and finding things that work for you.

And as always… happy writing.

What tips and tricks do you use that keep up your productivity for writing? Share them in the comments section below – I’d love to hear about them.

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Editor’s remorse… it’s a thing right?

I have so many articles and posts sitting on my desktop ready to go, but I think I’m having a bout of editor’s remorse. Every time I re-read a document to decide if it is publish-ready, something is holding me back from giving it the tick of approval. Heavens to Betsy – am I boring myself with my own writing?

There is an instinctual feeling I get when I read through a piece of work that says ‘done.’ Though lately it has not been happening as much as I’d like. Sometimes my sense of humour is not translating, sometimes the subject matter feels a little stagnant, and others, well… I’ve seen so many articles posted about the same thing I don’t want to feel like I’m regurgitating identical stuff that is already out there.

My novel writing hasn’t suffered – that is still going strong. And I am still loving taking my shelfies and working with PhotoShop. So, maybe it’s time to come up with a new concept, or a new take on things?

I’m not bothered too much about posting to a schedule, because I’d rather publish things I’m passionate about and happy with. Maybe editor’s remorse is a real mental condition… hmmm, doctor says take three shots of your favourite top-shelf alcohol, dance to some music with your dog in the front yard, and repeat until the blockage is gone. Sounds like a fun remedy to me. But I don’t want the hangover, or my neighbours thinking I’m any crazier than I already am.

So I keep writing new articles until I feel one is worthy to publish, and keep staring at the others trying to work out what it is that has me hesitant to press ‘print.’ If they sit there long enough, I’ll get fed up and simply delete them. Problem solved!

How many of you out there have the same issues as me upon re-reading your work? I pray I’m not the only one.

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Glitch – Pause – Loop

It’s like someone jammed my pause button the last few weeks – there I was, all ready for the new year with a plethora of blog posts and a writing schedule ready to fire away… and nothing happened.

It has just been one of those things, where businesses are closed, and building projects on the house slow to a crawl and you do your best to help them along yourself. Family and friends stop in for the annual catch-up. And well, I’ve been babysitting my sick puppies and tackling a bad case of Hayfever.

Oh – and I marathoned ‘Glimore Girls.’

It was just a whole lot of little things that kept me away from writing…

I guess that was my version of a holiday, or break from work, but nonetheless it’s time to get back to my regularly scheduled programming.

I fell behind last year in my editing goals – trying to get ‘Smoulder’ ready for beta readers has proven a little more challenging. I’m going through that awful process of disgust in my writing and undertaking numerous re-writes. It’s so much fun wondering what the hell drugs you were on when writing that first draft. Half the time I’m scowling at the screen WTF? But not to worry, it’s all part and parcel of the creative process and I’ll definitely have it finished along with at least another 3 novels this year.

I started this blog to hold myself accountable, connect to the outside literary world while I’m locked in my office like a forced slave to type a manuscript… and of course book reviews. Boasting how much of an intelligent and wide reader I am… yeah, they are all guilty pleasures and evidence of how little time I actually spend writing. But it is fun connecting with other bookworms and fangirling over different ‘ships and universes.

So don’t look here for any new year’s resolutions, I always have the same goals in mind and try to get a little closer to achieving them each day.

So without further ado – bring on the regularly scheduled posts…

© Casey Carlisle 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Avoiding Distraction and Burnout

Issues I face while trying to write a novel…

It is easy to get distracted by goings on in social media, what’s just popped into your inbox and who’s just posted an interesting blog if you write on your computer… but if you are able to avoid those pitfalls and find yourself on a roll only to fizzle out days later with writer’s block; how are you ever supposed to get any work done?

I’m constantly hearing about these issues from friends, and not necessarily from other writers, and thought I’d share some of my practices to stop these creative killers.

Have a workspace that will allow you to immerse yourself in your story. I have a pin board above the computer with photos, notes, a rough outline for the larger projects (it’s literally like a scrapbook has thrown up on my wall) and a different workspace for blogging and other work (that is kept clear and clinical). I work on a computer that does not connect to the internet to erase any chance of getting sucked into the black hole of interweb temptations.

But I still need to check my email, and get some marketing activities done each day; as well as some entertainment time to connect with friends or watch a funny dog video on YouTube. For this I allot a time limit – even go so far as setting a timer – to do my thing and get back to the days duties. Usually it’s an hour first thing in the morning while I’m having breakfast. It also gives me a chance to quasi plan what I want to achieve that day.

The timer method also works when I’m starting to stumble in my writing – and you can do this in a number of ways:

Simply take a break for an hour and create something new.

Or maybe you have a few projects going at the moment – so spend an hour on each.

Sometimes, I’ll jump forward and write a key scene in the plot (there’s no rule saying you have to write in chronological order).

Spend an hour in a different location, or dictate instead of typing or writing.

All of this is just a different approach to the same thing, and maybe the fresh stimulus shakes something loose.

We don’t create in a bubble, imagination needs some sort of input, so don’t starve your brain of the food it needs to construct something fantastic. Then, even if the distractions are there – you won’t be interested.

I’ve used these methods on many creative endeavours – reading, sewing, building, graphic design… the list is endless. You just have to keep coming up with different angles to keep your project moving forward. But remember to cut yourself a break if it doesn’t happen, nothing worse than stressing yourself out: it only adds to the problem. Maybe you simply need to have a day off. Play with your dog, visit a zoo.

It’s not like I live my life to a series of alarms and scheduled days, though, when I need to knuckle down it certainly is. But these tips are just a guide that may help you along and eliminate any unnecessary time wasting.

And above all – keep a sense of humour in all that you do. It stops me from spiralling into having a conversation with the toaster and licking the walls.

As much as I have brandished the net as a big distraction, it can also stimulate. I’ve found pictures on Tumblr and Pinterest to add to my pinboard collection that have kicked off a writing frenzy. But everything in moderation.

Except writing.

Writing rules!

 

© Casey Carlisle 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.