You're stuck. You started, you've got that first chapter, maybe you even have a plan. But you sit down at your computer, and all you're doing is staring at the blinking curser on the white screen.
Today I'm sharing two of my favorite methods for blowing up that brick wall.
(1) Get thee a typewriter! (That's my latest beauty above.) Did you know that a number of CURRENT best-selling authors still use typewriters to power through first drafts? Why? It makes it nearly impossible to edit and edit and edit as you write. Sure, you can cross passages out, but they're still there in case you need them later. Instead of a new blank screen appearing when you finish a page, you have a physical piece of paper in front of you, and there's nothing quite as encouraging as that growing stack of paper. Writing on a typewriter forces you to slow down - you can't type too fast or the keys lock up, and this allows you to really think as you write - to let the mind roam as it creates. And really, is there anything more romantic than that clickity clack? Visit mytypewriter.com for inspiration!
(2) Not one for the old fashioned and just need a fire lit under you to keep going?Give Write or Die by Dr. Wicket a try. This is a particularly great tool for those of you doing NANOWRIMO this year. Choose a word count or choose a time goal, choose how strict you want the program to be, and away you go. Stop typing for too long? The program will give you a little warning, then launch an attack - either playing horribly annoying sounds or, much worse, erasing your hard-won words!
Happy writing! Get to work!
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