Riding a Horse: How I got back in the Saddle

Officially, I am back to writing the novel. At least a little a day. Hopefully it extends into Fall Semester, but that's not always likely. There was a brief hiatus after my Summer Semester that ended on June 22nd. I didn't write much because I had rushed to finish a short story. I didn't have to but I basically rewrote the whole thing ground up. Yes, the concept was the same, but it wasn't just a copy edit. It was a literal second draft where I maybe used a total of 3 lines from the original text. So, that took a lot out of me meeting that deadline and my own expectations.

I think I was able to do it though because I don't believe in writer's block. If there is really a writer's block it is more the person than the amount of inspiration they are feeling. Inspiration isn't just gathered, it can be garnered and created by excitement. Basically, I have found ways to motivate myself simply to just get started. Because (as an old Greek philosopher once said) once you start half the battle is won.

How I begin:

What has worked so far, and what I have been testing for the past month is a habit chart. I wrote down around 17 things I wanted to do each day (around 5 to 6 are basically freebies) and charted when I did and did not do them. Each time I did them it was a point. I only started on the 5th of June, and am tracking it statistically by month. I wrote 18/26 tracked days for June. In pure honesty, some of these days didn't include actual "writing" where I contributed directly to the story. Sometimes I gave myself this point because I was at least putting in legwork towards the lore, the characters, the setting, or the outline of the story. Most of these days I wrote for my short story. I scored about the same on the whole of the tracked month: 346 acheived points out of 442 possible points. So, I am basically treating my life like a school grade. No incentive beyond an on paper objective.

I don't need incentive I need something telling me to go and do.

Most days I went and did.

To no one's surprise the only category I scored perfectly in was Chess. I played chess and did a lesson in chess at least once a day. I've probably done it the past several days in a row before the month started. I truly don't know the last day I went without playing at least a game of chess. ... Has to be months. Probably a year when I got bored of losing in an over-exhausted state so I thought it was the game and not me or something like that.

Another way I begin, after recognizing I need to accomplish the point for the day, is by putting on some kind of noise cancelling background noise. I have a pair of Sony headphones that are noise canceling and I put on a video for writing now. It especially worked for the short story so now it automatically brings me into writing mode. It is a rain and thunderstorm pomodoro video. A pomodoro is when you focus on a task for 25 minutes, then take a 4 to 5 minute break from the task. This helps your focus stay high throughout a 1 to 2 hour period when (if you didn't take any breaks) your focus would decline and your work would be harmed. This method is useful for studying, writing, and basically any paperwork. My mind knows now, when I hear the start of that video, that small prepatory phrase, "Ready for a Pomodoro?" I flip my tabs over to whatever project I've got a mind for, and I write.

Yesterday I started up writing around 1000 words a day again. Sort of. Really any progress with the novel is great for me. But I hesitated going to far today because I want to refamiliarize myself with the nuances of the story I envision a few months ago: the specific subliminations that have yet to be revealed and so forth. I need to remember what I have and have not covered essentially. I have an outline but that only gets me through the plot, while the tension is related directly to what the reader does and does not know. And slowly revealing to them what I know will startle them. Especially in this quieter idea. Normally I have action, but this is borderline sci-fi literary and its just a bit different. But I like it. I'm ready to reread the first 3 chapters, the 3rd being the one I finished up tonight. No edits, just reading. Just refamiliarizing.

Being in the Saddle is not even a matter of discipline to me this way. It feels more acheivable while discipline sounds so hard. I've made my writing an activatable habit even when I have been doing other tiring things all day. I used to only write if I had done nothing else, could only focus briefly, but I've found the habit of it. And the habit of it will become what makes the words unfold.

I am riding the Horse.