TIRED WRITING

ARE YOU TIRED WRITING?

One of the problems writers face from time to time is being ‘tired writing.’

This is pretty normal during the editing/revision period as this stage can drag on and it can be draining to read the same pages over and over again. It is also easy to miss obvious mistakes at this stage as well…

However, it is an entirely different problem if you find you are bored in the active stage of writing the first draft. If you are tired writing at this early stage – then you have got some serious thinking to do.

SHOULD THIS BE YOUR STORY?

First, you have to try to work out exactly why you are tired writing.   Here, you are going to have to be ruthlessly honest with your self and ask yourself some difficult questions.

Are you simply physically tired and need some fresh air or a break?

Is time pressure grinding you down?

Can you restructure your schedule to make better use of your time?

Do you need to rethink your commitment? It takes more than just a great idea to make a story.  It takes time to write – lots and lots of time. No wonder we can get tired writing. Don’t worry there are lots of ways to make time to write here.

As long as you ask yourself these questions the answers will come. The next question is the crucial one.

LOOK IN YOUR WRITER’S HEART

Are you dragging your heels because somewhere, deep down in your writer’s heart you know this story is not going to work?

If this is the case, then the best thing to do is face the problem head on. You can abandon the story now. No?  Or you can keep going, telling yourself it will work out in the end.

 WOULD YOU READ A STORY THAT DIDN’T GRIP YOU?

Be careful though. Ask yourself how many books have you continued to the end – despite thinking the story is weak and despite being bored. That many huh?

It isn’t easy to admit defeat and abandon a story, but once the decision has been made you will feel refreshed and free to start again with renewed energy.

STOLEN IDEAS

I remember being absolutely horrified when an artist friend had her bag snatched. Not just because her purse and keys etc. were now gone but because her ideas book was taken.

However, after the initial shock, sense of loss and void had subsided, my friend told me that artistically this robbery was the best thing that happened to her in years.

Losing those old ideas made her free to start again. She no longer felt compelled to make those old ideas work. She was refreshed, invigorated and inspired by all the new ideas that came to fill the space.

LET NEW IDEAS FILL THAT SPACE

So, don’t allow the letting go of an idea to keep you tired writing. Remember there is an infinite number of ideas out there and for every one you let go, there will be many more to take their place

Most of us writers have learned this lesson at some stage and sometime it’s a lesson that has to be learned over and over again. If you’ve just pulled your tired writing fingers away from a sticky keyboard – don’t despair; you are in great company.

 SO HOW DO YOU AVOID THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE?

The best way to avoid problems is to prepare for them. Plan your story in advance.  If you know the main plot points and if you know the ending, then getting there can be relatively smooth.

Some writers can work without plans and I think that’s great – if you can do it. For me, writing without a plan would be like going on a long and complicated journey with no destination in mind and no map to get there anyway.

HOW NOT TO GET LOST

So, since I don’t like being lost, I always make a plan – nothing too complicated – just enough to get me through to the end of a story.  There are lots of ways to plan but I like to keep it simple and if you want to know how to do that I have put my favourite tips on story planning here.

There are lots more tips, information, and help with your creative writing on the following pages. So why not visit – help for you is just a click away.

Are you hooked on the net? Then here’s the best way to break that habit.

Do you think you are too shy or too introverted to be a writer? Then you need to read this.

Feeling blocked? Great tips on breaking that writers block here.

Whichever route your writing takes you – best of luck.

Grace