Even the most prolific writers sometimes suffer from dreaded writer’s block. I admit I did when I faced a plot twist that I really didn’t want to write. The twist seemed to jump out of nowhere and just felt wrong for the character and the plot. What did I do? I stepped back, wrote other parts of the book, and made lists of alternatives to the twist I was stuck in. I gave it time and space. Eventually, I came up with an alternative that worked for my character, the plot, and my sensibilities.
My friend PJ Donison has been equally pressured by writing deadlines, as we’ve both been reporters and editors. Now she has even tighter deadlines as a practicing attorney. She shared a helpful, maybe life-changing, article (below) on how she conquers writer’s block.
Everyone is different, so take the suggestions she offers and adapt, as need be. For instance, PJ finds music helpful to block out other noises and distractions, but that doesn’t work for me. I need quiet to write.
Thank you, PJ!
Happy writing, everyone!
Shelley Sommers
PS Louisa’s Vineyard Book 2, Will’s Secret, is launching in July! Stay in touch to find out when the book is available!
Louisa’s Passion is still on a special sale on Amazon!
CALLING ALL READERS – WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BOOKS BEFORE THE PUBLIC? – CONTACT SHELLEY@SHELLEYSOMMERS.com TO RECEIVE AN ARC (ADVANCED READER COPY) – JUST BE WILLING TO WRITE A SHORT NOTE TELLING ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE BOOK.
Summertime and the Writing is Easy: Five Tips To Make It True
Guest Blog by PJ Donison
In a recent conversation with Shelley Sommers, we talked about how to make writing easier, faster, better.
As former journalists and editors, Shelley and I have an advantage. We don’t get writer’s block, and here’s why. When writing is time limited, deadline driven, and part of your daily life, there’s no such thing as a block. Unless you want to be unemployed, that is! I’m a practicing attorney and the same holds true in that field. Writing is a major part of being an attorney, and no, the judge doesn’t care that your pleading is filed late because you couldn’t find the right words. If it’s late, you’re in trouble, end of story.
But how do those of you who’ve never worked in a writing industry access this magical property of never running out of things to write? Here are a few tips that I use and that I’ve shared with my UnBound Writers group that you might find helpful, too.
TIP ONE: Schedule and prioritize your writing.
I know, I know. Some of you are trying to shoehorn your writing in between school drop offs and conference calls and caregiving with elderly parents and your partner’s latest shift schedule, so “prioritizing” your writing seems like a cruel joke. But I’m here to tell you that the best gift you can give yourself (and the people around you) is some “me” time.
But first, you have to commit. Are you gonna write, or not? It’s sometimes the hardest thing to do, but scheduled writing time is a game changer, even if it’s from 4-5 a.m. on Saturdays. I made that commitment in January, 2019 and—with a few breaks here and there for vacations, etc.—have stuck to it ever since. My writing time is blocked on my calendar, and as far as the world is concerned, I’m not available unless there’s a fire or doughnuts.
TIP TWO: Get a writing buddy.
When I first started scheduling my writing time, it was easy to push it off to “later” or “tomorrow” because it was just me and my calendar having these little trysts. I think you know how well that worked out. But when I met a like-minded and similarly situated writer, I suddenly had an accountability partner. I had to show up, because she was waiting for me. There are tons of avenues for finding someone to write with, including Facebook groups, local writing organizations, and NaNoWriMo Meetups, to name a few. No matter how you find your person / people, do it! You’ll be amazed at how much you get done when someone’s watching.
TIP THREE: Focus your mind.
I never would have imagined that focus music would help as much as it does. When I was in undergrad, working on my thesis, I listened to very loud classical music to drown out the noises outside (and in my head!) so I could wade through pages of research data. It was surprisingly effective! And then I graduated and forgot all about it.
Fast forward to earlier this year. We were in Spain and, although our condo was in a great location, one of the neighbors was having a major renovation accomplished in their unit. The drilling-banging-grinding-sawing noises were pretty much non-stop, Monday through Friday, all day. But I had work to do! I found this YouTube channel and popped in my earbuds. Next thing you know, I’m doing some of the best writing I’ve ever done!
TIP FOUR: Create an outline.
I was a pantser for my first novel and hooboy, I’ll never do that again! But I’m also not much of a plotter, so what works for me is a rough, bullet point outline to keep me headed in the right direction. I still have room for flights of fancy and character detours, but I don’t write myself off into the weeds anymore.
Even if you don’t feel like outlining your whole book, you can outline as you go. When you sit down to write, set your intention. Jot a few notes to yourself about what you are writing today, what action needs to happen, and which characters will be in the scene. Even that little bit of structure can make you far more productive.
TIP FIVE: No editing!
I know you’ve heard it before, but there’s no way to revise something that hasn’t been written! Just get it all on the page, typos and all, and you can revise later. If, as you’re writing, you think of something that will slow you down (like researching that 400 year old incident in the Pyrenees), insert a note to yourself and highlight it. Then, when you are ready, you can click through the highlights in your manuscript and you’ll have your research outline. The same goes for all sorts of things that might trip you up, such as character or place names, dates, processes, and so on. For example, I don’t know exactly how traffic light decoders work, but I have a note in my WIP to read up on that technology.
BONUS TIP: Set a timer.
If you haven’t tried the Pomodoro Method for writing, I recommend you try it. No, it’s not an editor or filing deadline breathing down your neck, but knowing that you are doing nothing but writing for the next 30 minutes is powerful. It goes by super fast when you get in the flow. In fact, if I’m hitting a flow state, I will adjust the timer to one hour intervals to take advantage of the situation. There are Pomodoro timer apps, or you can use an old-fashioned kitchen timer.
I hope this helps you find your writing rhythm! Ask me anything!
Write on!
Pamela Donison, JD, released her first full-length novel in 2022 under the name PJ Donison. Death Comes For Christmas is a soft-boiled murder mystery set in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the origin story for Camelia Belmont, an aspiring female investigative attorney based in Phoenix, Arizona. The second novel in the series, Death At The Crossroads, will be out later this year.
Pamela is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, Writers Guild of Alberta, and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, as well as a practicing member in good standing of the State Bar of Arizona. Pamela is the 2023 Vice President of the Canada West Chapter of Sisters in Crime.