Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Struggling

I’m struggling on my second draft. I have rewritten chapter 10 several times, and every time it just doesn’t work. I am in a funk right now... hopefully it will pass.

Plz feel free to share your “funk” stories.


I just wanted to highlight a few bloggers out there, thx for stopping by.




Rachel McClellan at http://blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com/ is doing a critic of the first 3 pages of your manuscript. So swing by and enter if you want some feedback on you WIP.

Shawna Railey at http://sycamoremeadows-myjourney.blogspot.com/ gave me a blog award, her blog rocks so go check it out… thx.


Thx for the award, but I just might be setting my manuscript on fire...lol.


And the world turns...

10 comments:

  1. Oh I hate those funks :( Hang in there! Reading usually helps me get out of them - spend some time in someone else's head for a bit. Then maybe Chapter 10 will make sense.

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  2. Have you considered writing something completely different for a while?

    I know everyone is different... but even a little short story, or some haiku, or even something in a different medium might work.

    I am the queen of funk (sounds funny, doesn't it?), so I understand, I really do. Getting my teeth into something else, though, often helps alleviate the funk, and it freshens my mind to return to the manuscript that's giving me fits.

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  3. Actually, keep at it. Things look worse right before a breakthrough!

    And you are probably being too critical. That only means the end result will be even better.

    check out Mastery by George Leonard.

    http://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Keys-Success-Long-Term-Fulfillment/dp/0452267560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305112612&sr=8-1

    Shakespeare's has good advice as well, free your mind.

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  4. I absolutely have those funks, a lot. I just take a break and then get back at it when I can't stand to be away from it anymore. Sometimes its a couple of days and sometimes a couple of weeks. :)

    I have rewritten all my first chapters so many times and still can't get most of them right. Out of the 4 completed novels (one I'm still revising, actually) I only like the first chapter for one of them (my current one). And I revised that one to death too - but I had a breakthrough moment that helped me get it to where it is now. You'll get there with your chapter 10!

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  5. Congrats on the award. If you set your book on fire make sure to youtube it and post it.

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  6. Don't be discouraged. We all fall into a funk once in a while. Usually a hot shower will do the trick perfectly. If not, take some time off to write a short story. You'll get your grove back.

    Good luck with Chapter 10.

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  7. It's so frustrating when a chapter doesn't work. I don't know if this will help. but sometimes what I'll do is take the chapter completely and challenge myself to bring about the scene giving me trouble in a totally different way. Even if you don't plan on using the new idea, sometimes by just writing a new scene you will gain insight on what isn't working with the older one and gain ideas on how to fix it.

    Good luck!

    Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

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  8. Listen to some music. Usually a certain beat, lyric, or an entire song will wrench me from the funk. I also find that thinking about the next part, or chapter will help me to solve the quagmire. A kind of connect the dots if you will. Good luck, I've been there many times.
    Julius

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  9. We all feel your pain with a frustrating chapter. I'm doing final edits on book #3 right now, and book #2 is still out there, a big hairy mess I'll need to fix. Maybe take a break and come back to it in a day or two. Sometimes mulling it over in your head for a while helps a lot. Or exercising.

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  10. I think everyone gets a creative funk once and a while. Perhaps putting your ms to the side for a while and let it perculate in your subconscious. You could start something new or different to stimulate your mind.

    This too will pass, Jeff. :)

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