#Writing Community
This week I’ve been wrestling with this weird little story about Iceland I’ve been working on. For whatever reason, I just keep hitting a wall with it. I’ve started and stopped maybe four or five “first” drafts by now; I’ve tried writing it out longhand, I’ve tried writing it in Word; I’ve tried every trick I can think of to jumpstart this thing and it just isn’t working. Something about it feels…off. I’ve toyed with the idea of just dropping the story for a bit and moving on to something else, or maybe taking a longer break to refill my creative tank (much like I talked about in last week’s blog). But there’s this part of me that just refuses to let it go. This story is testing me…
“Ok,” you say, “but what does this have to do with #WritingCommunity?”
Well, one of the coolest things about being on Twitter is the incredible community of writers out there. Just scrolling through #WritingCommunity, you’ll come across boat loads of great writing tips, encouragement, and support. It’s a community I’ve really come to enjoy being a part of.
So when I hit this wall with this story, I realized I wasn’t feeling very emotionally connected with my main character, or even the story itself. I wondered if that had anything to do with my struggle to write it. I’d seen plenty of writers use the #WritingCommunity tag to seek advice, so I figured this might be a good thing to ask about. Here’s what I Tweeted:
Hey #WritingCommunity: If you don’t find yourselves emotionally invested in your characters or story while you’re writing your first draft, do you continue or move on to something else? I may use your answers for a blog post today. #amwriting #WritersCafe #writerslife
And here are some great responses I received:
From @irons_zack:
If it wasn't there. Yes I would stop and let it bake a little longer before picking it up again.
From @_ADWillis:
I'll usually try and steer them in different directions to see if I can rekindle investment, if it's not there already. That, or kill them off.
From @j3tm1a:
Sometimes, I really give time to reinvent my attention to my characters and my plot, but most of time, once I don’t feel the connection I would technically move on and create a new one.
From @JLovedayWriter:
In-depth outlining that explores the characters wants vs. needs helps. What a character wants usually conflicts with what they need. And that helps move the plot along. At least for me.
From @iamjppressley:
I tend to continue writing and see if I grow close with them that way. Tbh, I very seldom feel emotionally invested with a character when I first start writing about them. Rather, the more time I invest in writing them, the more this attachment grows. Most times at least ;)
There’s something so immensely helpful about getting different viewpoints on a question like this. It helps get me back on my creative feet, and thinking about what I’m trying to do from different vantage points. It’s also great to know that I’m not alone in this writing journey—there’s other writers out there that have struggled or are struggling with the same things as me. (People like J.P. Pressley, an awesome writer friend I connected with through the MFA program at Lindenwood. His response particularly resonated with me.)
So here’s the point: Writers, just like anyone, need community—whether that be other writers to talk to about the craft, to bounce ideas off of, or to just get advice. When you hit a wall creatively, don’t just sit there dazed and confused and frustrated: reach out. Talk to your #WritingCommunity.
That’s what we’re here for.
