First off, I have to say that my long and unannounced absence was due to a Florida vacation with unexpected internet deficiency. I thought I would have wireless there, but as it turns out, my computer refuses to connect to wireless networks unless it is fifteen feet from the router, and I had no idea where the router at this retreat center was.
I am back now. Hello.
The other day I had what we in the writing community refer to as a SNI, or Shiny New Idea. Many of you know what this feels like: the idea creeps into your mind when you least expect it and then bangs its fists as hard as it can on the inside of your skull, trying to force you to pay attention to it.
But this SNI will have a problem worming its way into my life, because I am in a long-term relationship. Also known as a trilogy.
Back when I was just dating-- wait, did I say dating? I meant writing stand-alone books-- I could feel free to flit around from SNI to SNI if I wanted to, knowing that I could go back to whatever Work-In-Progress I wanted to work on at any given time. Now, that practice is somewhat unwise, because you should really focus on one eventually or you'll never finish anything, just like if you keep jumping from significant other to significant other, you'll have trouble discovering the person you want to marry.
This parallel really does work. Because in a long-term relationship, you can desperately love the other person but still have days when your relationship frustrates you and you have to work really hard to make it work. And that's how I feel about Divergent. I love this book, and I am excited for the next two. But it has just dawned on me that I really do have to just write down those SNIs and put them away until a few years from now when I can give them my full attention (this is when the parallel breaks down. Because eventually, the trilogy will be done, whereas the real life long-term relationship, if successful, will continue indefinitely.)
People in relationships talk about being "in a rut" after they're married for a long time, so I thought I would look at their advice for getting out of it and try to apply it to writing. (THE PARALLEL GOES BOTH WAYS. AHA!)
The relationship tips I'm using are from here. Prepare yourselves, guys. This is going to be weird.
1. A Weekend Away: Take some time to reconnect with your trilogy. Put away the message boards, Twitter, Facebook, and hilarious website in which you can find de-motivational Twilight posters involving velociraptors. Re-read it. Get in touch with why you fell in love with it in the first place.
2. A Weekly Date: Reread your manuscript every week. Yes, that's right. Every week. How are you going to remember all the good times you had together if you don't revisit them, eh? You should know your trilogy like you know the back of your hand. Better, actually, because who memorizes the back of their hand? I have a scar on mine and I have no idea where it came from.
3. A Peaceful Room: Maybe there should be at least one place in your home/apartment/dorm room/bedroom that is clean (unless you don't like clean), organized (same here), or at least, dedicated completely to writing. Where else are you going to go to "get away from it all" together?
4. Write a Letter: Make a list of all the things about your trilogy you would like to fix. Is it too long? Too short? Does it constantly nag you to do the dishes? Does it always watch football when you want to watch a Lifetime movie? Then make a list of all the things you like about it. Like: the main character is a badass. The antagonist haunts your dreams. And sometimes, when the light hits it just right, you can see a little bit of blue in its eyes.
I told you this would be weird.
5. Make Plans for Your Future Together: One word. Brainstorm. This trilogy has a future, right? It has an arc. And you'd better know what that arc is, dangit.
6. Spend Ten Minutes Together Daily: I need writing time every day if I'm going to get in the groove. Even if I just sit here and stare at the screen for a half hour, that half hour is useful. And I don't think I'm the only one. And no, opening the manuscript while you watch Glee is not quality time with your trilogy. I don't care how hunky you think...that one guy...is. (I don't watch Glee. I don't know their names.)
7. Do Something New: I really like this one, actually. Sometimes, what I need to start to love my manuscript again is to just write a new scene. It doesn't have to make it into the draft. I usually have a bunch of ideas laying around that I haven't written out yet, and I bet you do, too. And I've done this twice in the past few weeks, and discovered that those scenes I had bouncing around in my head are actually useful for the manuscript. WHO KNEW? And now they're in the draft, and I love them. Putting your characters in new, random, ridiculous situations sometimes recharges your trilogy batteries.
Sometimes it makes you feel like you're writing fanfiction for your own novel.
But whatever.
So there you have it. Ways to get your relationship with your spouse--er, I mean trilogy-- out of a rut.
Let's see if they work, shall we?
Any other suggestions?
I am back now. Hello.
The other day I had what we in the writing community refer to as a SNI, or Shiny New Idea. Many of you know what this feels like: the idea creeps into your mind when you least expect it and then bangs its fists as hard as it can on the inside of your skull, trying to force you to pay attention to it.
But this SNI will have a problem worming its way into my life, because I am in a long-term relationship. Also known as a trilogy.
Back when I was just dating-- wait, did I say dating? I meant writing stand-alone books-- I could feel free to flit around from SNI to SNI if I wanted to, knowing that I could go back to whatever Work-In-Progress I wanted to work on at any given time. Now, that practice is somewhat unwise, because you should really focus on one eventually or you'll never finish anything, just like if you keep jumping from significant other to significant other, you'll have trouble discovering the person you want to marry.
This parallel really does work. Because in a long-term relationship, you can desperately love the other person but still have days when your relationship frustrates you and you have to work really hard to make it work. And that's how I feel about Divergent. I love this book, and I am excited for the next two. But it has just dawned on me that I really do have to just write down those SNIs and put them away until a few years from now when I can give them my full attention (this is when the parallel breaks down. Because eventually, the trilogy will be done, whereas the real life long-term relationship, if successful, will continue indefinitely.)
People in relationships talk about being "in a rut" after they're married for a long time, so I thought I would look at their advice for getting out of it and try to apply it to writing. (THE PARALLEL GOES BOTH WAYS. AHA!)
The relationship tips I'm using are from here. Prepare yourselves, guys. This is going to be weird.
1. A Weekend Away: Take some time to reconnect with your trilogy. Put away the message boards, Twitter, Facebook, and hilarious website in which you can find de-motivational Twilight posters involving velociraptors. Re-read it. Get in touch with why you fell in love with it in the first place.
2. A Weekly Date: Reread your manuscript every week. Yes, that's right. Every week. How are you going to remember all the good times you had together if you don't revisit them, eh? You should know your trilogy like you know the back of your hand. Better, actually, because who memorizes the back of their hand? I have a scar on mine and I have no idea where it came from.
3. A Peaceful Room: Maybe there should be at least one place in your home/apartment/dorm room/bedroom that is clean (unless you don't like clean), organized (same here), or at least, dedicated completely to writing. Where else are you going to go to "get away from it all" together?
4. Write a Letter: Make a list of all the things about your trilogy you would like to fix. Is it too long? Too short? Does it constantly nag you to do the dishes? Does it always watch football when you want to watch a Lifetime movie? Then make a list of all the things you like about it. Like: the main character is a badass. The antagonist haunts your dreams. And sometimes, when the light hits it just right, you can see a little bit of blue in its eyes.
I told you this would be weird.
5. Make Plans for Your Future Together: One word. Brainstorm. This trilogy has a future, right? It has an arc. And you'd better know what that arc is, dangit.
6. Spend Ten Minutes Together Daily: I need writing time every day if I'm going to get in the groove. Even if I just sit here and stare at the screen for a half hour, that half hour is useful. And I don't think I'm the only one. And no, opening the manuscript while you watch Glee is not quality time with your trilogy. I don't care how hunky you think...that one guy...is. (I don't watch Glee. I don't know their names.)
7. Do Something New: I really like this one, actually. Sometimes, what I need to start to love my manuscript again is to just write a new scene. It doesn't have to make it into the draft. I usually have a bunch of ideas laying around that I haven't written out yet, and I bet you do, too. And I've done this twice in the past few weeks, and discovered that those scenes I had bouncing around in my head are actually useful for the manuscript. WHO KNEW? And now they're in the draft, and I love them. Putting your characters in new, random, ridiculous situations sometimes recharges your trilogy batteries.
Sometimes it makes you feel like you're writing fanfiction for your own novel.
But whatever.
So there you have it. Ways to get your relationship with your spouse--er, I mean trilogy-- out of a rut.
Let's see if they work, shall we?
Any other suggestions?
