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Okay, so you're tired, washed out, in a funny mood or whatever but you think you should do some writing. As you write you know it's not coming out very well.

Should you keep going so that at least you get something down and you can come back later and fix it up? Or, is fixing up bad writing more trouble than it's worth, so you just pack it in and start again next time you're feeling more energetic?

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Yes !!!

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or No!!

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hope that helped

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Think if you are tired you are better off leaving it alone. Think you just tend to get bogged down more. Probably better to carry a pen and paper with you and write ideas down as the leap into your mind............








any similarities between my thoughts and the truth are purely coincidental.

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Write...no matter what!

Write everyday no matter what is happening. Write your committed 1000 words or two pages how ever badly they are coming out.

WRITE....NO EXCUSES!

p.s. Steve, I promise I never ever get it perfect first time or indeed ever. I just don't labour the re-writes or you will never submit the ms. At a given point I leave it to the editor and once we begin working together on it, it is much better for the joint effort.

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That's funny. I was just thinking of a simialr question, so instead of writing I woosed (sp?) and came here. I am exhausted after a couple of very hectic weeks, a house warming party / weekend (!) and my brain won't function.

I normally agree with Fiona, write every time. Unfortunately with moving and having the PC off line for a while and then all the other issues that come up, I haven't written anything for over a month.

Now I'm having real trouble just starting again. "> .

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Life is a containment field for thought. (A Slatz original.)

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I suggest just ploughing on...any words are better than none... you have to rewrite anyway (please take note Fiona... mere mortals have to rewrite) so atleast you are doing something...

Or, if you know your story and your character somewhere has a similar mood to the one you are experiencing... then go for that scene... your mood will come across to your audience... well thats my theory anyway.

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What Darren describes is part of the problem. When you write daily you have a routine. It's a bit like going to the gym or taking regular exercise...when you stop, for whatever reason, you get the guilts. Other pressures come to bear. Suddenly you haven't written for a few weeks and then it's so incredibly hard to find that rhythm again. Worse, it's feels impossible to find that mindset you were in when you wrote the last few pars.

You don't have to be manic about it. Give yourself a realistic target to hit. Everyone will have different pressures i.e. work, family, chores, all sorts of commitments.

Set a goal which your life can cope with - even one page per day yields progress. Everytime you sit down, push the story forward just a bit more. Even if you just move past a thought, a scene, a conversation - it's progress and you can go to bed knowing you've achieved something.

Small steps, don't look too far ahead and sooner than you think you'll have thousands and thousands of words under your belt.

I was telling Obelixx today that I had put aside the prologue of Blood and Memory and finally committed myself to chapter one which for me is always the beginning of the novel. I linger over prologue because I'm scared - nervous of that huge journey ahead.

We're all the same. So even after a long day, thump in a few words and know you've done something towards progressing the tale, even if you spend the rest of that session reading and improving a previous passage.

Looking forward to hearing more about this story. Definitely read Thomas Covenant - now there's a very reluctant hero. The next fantasy series by Donaldson - Mirror Rides Through It or something - it's a two book series has a hero who has real trouble learning how to tap into a magical talent. Bit of a strange one but I enjoyed it.

Good luck, Ian. ">