Thursday, March 22, 2012

Slump and funk

I'm in a real funk at the moment. I'm almost finished my 5th rewrite of The Boyfriend Plague, and I'm stuck. I don't know how to tie all my myriad plot threads together to make a satisfying ending. All my big climaxes have happened, but trying to write an actual ending is making me crazy.

Being a tiny bit depressed probably isn't helping. I didn't expect getting knocked out of ABNA to have affected me so much, but it really has. Don't know why. It's not like it hasn't happened before. I guess I had high hopes this year.... I got a fantastic review though, one of the best I've ever had for anything, and that softened the blow. A little.

How do you deal with a writing funk? Do you try to write through it, or do you just give it up for a while and come back when you're in a better frame of mind?
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5 comments:

  1. Loralie HallMarch 22, 2012 at 12:41 PM

    So sorry to see you bummed :-(

    If you want any brainstorming help with Boyfriend, I'm happy to toss ideas back and forth and see if it jogs something.

    As for dealing with a writing funk...I can't work on any major projects when I feel like that, because I think it all sucks and I delete tens of thousands of words. I go find something on the side to do instead, like follow a contest prompt or two and enter. Or, let my awesome CP's, who are awesome writers (I'm talking about you, btw), remind me it gets better.

    You're so very talented, and I know you can figure out what you need to ^_^

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    1. Kate LarkindaleMarch 22, 2012 at 2:44 PM

      Thanks Lori,

      I will send you some stuff soon. I'm just trying to figure out how I've managed to basically start a whole new book in the 2nd to last chapter.....

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  2. Adam GaylordMarch 22, 2012 at 1:04 PM

    There's nothing wrong with stepping away for a little while. I recommend trying something else creative. Go paint something or work with clay. You might find that flexing some other part of your creative muscle will help relieve the cramps in your writing. It's always helped me.

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    1. Kate LarkindaleMarch 22, 2012 at 2:45 PM

      That's a good idea. Although I kind of suck and everything else... Maybe I'll just actually watch some of those screeners that have been piling up on my desk. Good films (and really bad ones sometimes) often kickstart my creative juices.

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  3. Juliana L. BrandtMarch 23, 2012 at 11:12 AM

    I definitely take breaks. It's the only way I stay energized. I can usually tell I need a writing break if my brain starts feeling like mush and all the ideas stop flowing. Take a week or two to just be inside your own head, don't worry about the story. It'll still be there when you get back :)

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