[lockzinhas]

[avi-why]

controlling your inner editor

 hi! it’s been a while since i’ve done an actual advice post, so here are some quick tips on dealing with your inner editor.

what is your inner editor? it’s the little voice in your head that says ‘ew, your writing is awful! go rewrite that chapter now.’ oftentimes, it won’t let you move on and keeps you editing the same scene over and over again.

so: for short term edits (a sentence, a paragraph or two) i use a variety of tactics:

 i bargain with myself (’if i can write another 150 words i can go back and fix it’)

i use placeholders (and then she said [INSERT SPEECH HERE])

i start the next bit on a new page so i don’t have to see it

etc., etc.

what i find most people have trouble with are long term edits (scenes, chapters, concepts). for these, i have a list called ‘revisions’ on a separate doc. whenever i feel the urge to go back and rewrite a scene, i make a note of it on that doc instead. i try to focus on more useful things, like ‘the party scene has too much dialogue’ rather than ‘the party scene sucks, fix it later’.

your inner editor is a good thing! it knows where the problems are, and how to help you fix your wip. it just has a terrible sense of timing, that’s all. learning how to make it shut up is a good skill to have.

[jaywrites101]

These are all extremely good things to do! Another thing that can help is to put a reverse time limit on when you can edit things. You have to wait for the time to run out before you can edit. 

For one chapter at a time, I recommend a week. Finish the chapter completely, and then after the chapter is finished wait a full week before making any edits. What do you do in the meantime? I recommend the next chapter. But really, It’s up to you how you spend your time.

Editing a scene instead of a chapter? No problem, just wait a few days. Do you want to re-write the whole chapter? Wait a month. Doing an edit on a single line? Forget it! You should be doing all your line editing as part of your chapter edit.

If you’re not sure what to edit next, I recommend running your chapter through a text analyzer. They measure things like passive voice, common words, sentence size and complexity, as well as many other things! There are several to choose from, so experiment around. Find one that’s right for you!

[fifineller]

by Sondre Eriksen

[hayner]

they can take your heart

[drabbleitout]

Dear self,

Every time you’re lying in bed and you get an idea for your work and you tell yourself “I’ll remember to add that in the morning”

Stop lying to yourself.

No, you won’t. Keep a journal open on the nightstand, a document on your phone, something so you can lean over and jot it down. You aren’t going to remember it on your own.

You’re welcome,

-Your Future Self

[feathersandfortunes]

pls reblog if you’re an 18+ writeblr

I have nothing against teens working hard!!!! I just don’t feel a) comfy talking to minors, b) confident, I feel late to the game at 20 yo oof

[buyakasha]

star wars has such a good sci-fi aesthetic. all the sci-fi these days looks so…… i-pad-esque, y’know? like Apple lived on into the year 3000 and produces everything. but star wars. star wars’ style looks like a microwave you’d find in your uncle’s garage. like the business calculator your mom used. like a SNES. DURABLE. no gloss.

[dearasteria]

The Elder Scrolls VI: Hammerfell???? Anyone??

[christmas-winter]

[alex-astralis]

me, in any place but where i can’t write: my brain is so full of ideas i cannot focus on anything happening right now. i have detached from the material realm. i will literally set myself on fire just so i can write.

me, in front of my empty document:

[deseos-de-la-via-lactea]

[frosssty-deactivated20130517]

awakening,  and the beginning of an end.

[soberreader]

[roselinbooks-deactivated2021032]

If you’re feeling frustrated with your WIP, take a moment to breathe and remember what WIP means: work in progress.

It’s not done yet. You still have plenty of time to clean it up.

Breathe. Recover. Write.

[listentothestories]

Sarah Babineau

[bookishdiplodocus]

In the spirit of your last answer, if we don't already have writer friends, do you have any suggestions on where to meet other writers for in-person writing session meetups?

Good question!

How to find writer friends for a writing club

First, ask around among your other friends, because I turned out to have more (aspiring) writer friends than I thought. But then, most of my bookwriting friends were bookreading friends, so that’s not a weird connection.

Check on Facebook if there’s already a writer group near you. Maybe they are aspiring writers, maybe they are professional freelance writers looking for some company. Don’t be intimidated by professional writers. If they say the writing session is open for anyone, you can join them.

If you can hang notifications in your local library, that’s also a good spot to look for fellow writers. Check for places where writers hang out (bookish cafe? bookstore?) and ask if you can hang a note next to the till.

If you really can’t find any other writers, find other creators. Do you have a friend who likes to paint, knit, origami…? Maybe they want to join you in a Shut Up and Create session. Hopefully they are interested in discussing your story, and otherwise you at least get the benefit of the collective concentration.

Speaking of collective concentration: what also works for me if none of my writing friends can join me on a particular session, is to go to the study hall of my city library. The room is so silent and filled with concentrating people that it actively refrains me from taking out my phone and scroll.

I hope this is helpful! If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask them. Happy writing!

[dreamingofgoingthere]

Montreal,Canada