Christopher Jessulat
My advice would be twofold;
1) Some people have success by following a regimented schedule (ie. writing every day, every second weekend, or every Thursday night from 19h-21h), others just seem to get the "feeling" it's time to go to work. Know what works for you, and be objective about your own writing. For example, if you're ordinarily a regimented writer but (upon review) your recent material sounds forced or strained, you may need to set the pen down and walk away from it for a while (as difficult as that can be). Try writing a different scene or a different part in the same scene (ie. if the dialogue isn't clicking, try writing the environment or scene and see if that gets you grooving). Sometimes if I can't get descriptive sentences or dialogue to flow or compliment each other the way I want, I'll switch gears and think about how to integrate other elements of the plot into the story and sketch ideas for future sequences rather than writing the sequences themselves. Find what is right for you, and recognize that maybe - depending on the project, your stage in writing, or whatever is going on in other elements of your life - this could be subject to change.
2) Don't let your ego get bruised. Be willing to have your work read, seek feedback and accept constructive criticism. Not everyone is going to like your style, intonation, sentence structure, etc.; that's a given. You need to be able to look at yourself and your work critically, and sometimes the easiest way to do that is to look through someone else's lens (especially if you have read and re-read your own manuscript). If your work needs help with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar, you're better off finding out early in the process and taking steps towards correcting those issues rather than ignoring and/or hiding from it. Taking the time to assess critical feedback objectively will only help you grow as a writer, even if you don't agree with every single thing someone has suggested.
1) Some people have success by following a regimented schedule (ie. writing every day, every second weekend, or every Thursday night from 19h-21h), others just seem to get the "feeling" it's time to go to work. Know what works for you, and be objective about your own writing. For example, if you're ordinarily a regimented writer but (upon review) your recent material sounds forced or strained, you may need to set the pen down and walk away from it for a while (as difficult as that can be). Try writing a different scene or a different part in the same scene (ie. if the dialogue isn't clicking, try writing the environment or scene and see if that gets you grooving). Sometimes if I can't get descriptive sentences or dialogue to flow or compliment each other the way I want, I'll switch gears and think about how to integrate other elements of the plot into the story and sketch ideas for future sequences rather than writing the sequences themselves. Find what is right for you, and recognize that maybe - depending on the project, your stage in writing, or whatever is going on in other elements of your life - this could be subject to change.
2) Don't let your ego get bruised. Be willing to have your work read, seek feedback and accept constructive criticism. Not everyone is going to like your style, intonation, sentence structure, etc.; that's a given. You need to be able to look at yourself and your work critically, and sometimes the easiest way to do that is to look through someone else's lens (especially if you have read and re-read your own manuscript). If your work needs help with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar, you're better off finding out early in the process and taking steps towards correcting those issues rather than ignoring and/or hiding from it. Taking the time to assess critical feedback objectively will only help you grow as a writer, even if you don't agree with every single thing someone has suggested.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more