Motivational Book of the Month

4 Responses to “Writing when the inspiration comes to you, or setting a certain number of words for constant deadlines?”

1. Sunny, on August 29th, 2009 at 2:57 am Said:

   Because I write for fun, I write when the inspiration comes to me, otherwise I’d probably learn to see it as a chore, which is something I definitely don’t want to do.

   However, in saying that, I do make sure I write at least a page a day, just to keep myself going with it.

   I think that pretty much covers your question.
   x
   References :

2. LK, on August 29th, 2009 at 3:12 am Said:

   I think every writer is hit by inspiration, and indeed should be… even at a job, on a walk, in almost any situation… because writers should always be open to all that occurs around them, plus use imagination as they observe.

   That said, yes, I’ve often been suddenly inspired and sit down and write, then do the numerous revisions I even do on my answers here.
   I lose my Top Contributor badge occasionally because I get busy that way, but it returns eventually.
   When ‘inspired’ it is a terrific feeling, and one that does. not. go. away. until something is done about it.

   I’ve written lots of short fiction and had a fair amount published in a variety of magazines and other venues (collections). One play to success. Bad poems.

   For some years I was also a staff reporter.
   For that type of job, assignments show up suddenly, and writing is on a constant deadline. It is a great way to learn to write to deadline and do it well enough the chief editor of whatever section of the paper the article fits doesn’t chop it into incomprehensible (to me) bits before the print.

   *There are many advantages to both types of writing…
   …The inspired and almost dream-state type that rarely lets a writer go until the writer is satisfied…
   …And having strict and quick deadlines (interviews, events both high and low, book reviews, theater reviews, concerts and crimes- None happen on your time, they just happen and you must attend to them)…
   …Both are excellent training for writers to be aware and focused on life outside the ‘room’ or ‘office’ -AND on life inside it as the clock ticks on and the race is run.

   Good question and details; a star for it.
   Thanks. It’s different.
   References :
   Made living as writer (which never really stops), editor, tutor. Mostly retired.

3. Steve, on August 29th, 2009 at 3:17 am Said:

   If you write for fun, or as a hobby, then by all means, write when you feel like it, and don’t write when you don’t feel like it. There’s no point in doing a hobby that you don’t enjoy.

   If you’re writing with the aim of being published, as I am, then you will need to treat it as a job, and build the self-discipline necessary to deliver a book to your editor or agent on an agreed date. I think the only way to do that is to commit yourself to writing a certain amount every day or every week (my target is 3,500 words a week). If you know roughly how long you want the book to be, that gives you a rough idea of when you’ll finish the whole thing. It gives you an overall goal to work towards.

   Writing to a target has the advantage of keeping the story fresh in your mind, so you’re thinking about it when you’re not writing. This reduces or even eliminates writer’s block.

   Saying "I’m waiting for inspiration" doesn’t pay the bills, and doesn’t endear you to readers who want to read your next book. Some well-known authors may appear to be doing this, but (a) they don’t always know how long a book will take to write and (b) the publisher puts up with it because they know the book will sell well when it’s eventually published. If you’re an author who tends not to appear in the New York Times Bestseller list, you probably won’t have that luxury.

   Unless you’re the sort of person who thrives under deadlines, I would suggest that you try writing when you feel like it for a while. If you rarely feel like it, maybe writing is not for you. If you don’t enjoy even when you don’t have to do it, adding a target probably won’t help.

   EDIT: Rae – the way I treat my weekly target is that it’s a minimum. If I reach it before the end of the week, I feel good about myself and just keep writing. The extra doesn’t come off my target for next week. Next week’s target is still 3,500 words. It means that I finish the book a bit earlier than I planned – or that I write more than I planned, and have to cut it down.

   If I miss the target one week, I don’t add the deficit to next week’s target. This could prove to be a mistake if I hit a trough and don’t write much (or anything) for a few weeks, but so far, that hasn’t happened since I started writing to a target. My experience is that rushing to catch up tends not to work. You might still catch up gradually, if your overall deadline is far enough away.
   References :

4. Rae, on August 29th, 2009 at 3:46 am Said:

   I cannot write "a certain amount of words" and then just stop.
   I just know I’ll get caught in the middle of a sentence and I won’t know what to do.
   To finish the sentence, or leave it to add to my word count the next day? .. The horror. I suck at decisions.

   I don’t make deadlines for myself. I’ll write when I want to. I do not force my writing.. it’ll show I was trying too hard after it’s written. The words will have no flow, the descriptions will be horrid. I prefer writing when I’m inspired.

   Here are the advantages/disadvantages of both –

   Inspiration -
   Pros:
   You want to write! You’re yearning for it!
   Your creativity is flowing, and you’re bound to come up with another idea or two.
   The words will generally come more naturally.

   Cons:
   Sometimes you’re not able to write when you want to. You could be hard at work, or in the middle of something. You can’t just pull out a pen and paper at ANY time. It’s a bad example; but if you had an armed robber threatening to kill you unless you gave him all of your money and valuables, you can’t just say, "WAIT! I just had a spur of inspiration hit me like adrenaline. Please make yourself comfortable while I write it all down."

   Er, yeah, that was a bad example. But you know what I mean. It’s not always appropriate to pull out the pen.

   Deadline -
   Pros:
   You have something to work towards when writing. You have a goal.
   It makes writing a priority. You devote yourself to it. It’s like fulfilling a job.
   It organizes your time, and allows you to set aside the appropriate amount of time each day for you to write. (Of course, it’s not like you can’t do this when writing under pure inspiration ..but you know what I mean.)

   Cons:
   Like I said earlier, you don’t always want to write. That’s fine. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood to pour your thoughts onto the page. Take a break.

   :}
   References :

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