Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I can usually tell when I’m about to have a day when my writing is going to be awful. I’ll have this moment where I think the blank page looks so much better than the drivel I’m about to fill it with.

And I know that I’m envisioning the plot in my head a lot better than I’m going to write it out that day.

Since I give myself daily permission to screw up my writing, though, I keep on going.

There’ll be some days when I just can’t get my thoughts on paper in any kind of organized way—much less an entertaining way.

I’ll see that lousy day’s writing when I’m working on the second draft—it’s still there, it’s still awful. Time hasn’t made it any better.

The interesting thing, though, is that there usually is some redeemable part of the poorly-written scene. There might be a shred of decent character development, or a turn of phrase that’s not bad. It might have been the point in the story where I got a great idea for the next scene of the book.

Or it might have been so terrible that I took the whole scene out. :)

But usually, there’s something good there. It might just be some tiny thing that I can salvage and just rewrite everything that surrounds it.

I think what I’m trying to say here is that there are going to be plenty of days of writing drivel. There are also going to be days when our internal editor is on hyper-drive, reminding us how terrible our writing is.

Just keep going. Either ignore the internal editor or acknowledge it and just don’t let it affect you—tell yourself that you’ll fix the wretched writing later because priority #1 is to finish the book.

Even on a bad writing day, you’re still:
Keeping up your writing habit
Learning to quiet your self-editor
Moving your story forward
Making time for an activity that’s important to you
Exercising that writing muscle
Thinking about your story and characters

I know some of y’all work well with your inner-editor and edit your work as you go. Whatever works is definitely the method to go with. My advice is more for folks who get tripped up by their internal editor—and end up with a stalled-out project.

So my question to you is this—do you coexist well with your internal editor? If you don’t, how do you shut yours up? :)

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week.

If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

Breaking Into Video Game Writing: http://dld.bz/9pVE

The use of cliffhangers in crime fiction: http://dld.bz/9qvT @mkinberg

6 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills: http://dld.bz/8Dtm

Best Articles This Week for Writers 12/3/2010: http://dld.bz/9pTD @4KidLit

A useful trait for a protagonist: http://dld.bz/9pMz

Manuscript submission etiquette: http://dld.bz/8DsX

Maintaining Creative Control for Artists: http://dld.bz/8DsF

Your monsters don’t want you to write: http://dld.bz/8Ds9

Do Zombies Eat Ivy? The Undead Reach Academia: http://dld.bz/8Ds7 (NY Times)

How to Create a “Kindle for the Web” Sample of Your Kindle Book on Any Blog or Website: http://dld.bz/8Ds5

Top 5 Tips for a Sustainable Home Office: http://dld.bz/8Dsd

Revisions revisited: http://dld.bz/88zj

10 Most Beautiful Public Libraries in the US: http://dld.bz/88zc @janetrudolph

How to Captivate Your Audience with Story: http://dld.bz/88yT

How to put heart & soul into your story structure: http://dld.bz/88yQ

Investing in your writing: http://dld.bz/88yH

5 Common Blogging Disasters to Avoid: http://dld.bz/88yF

12 things one writer learned from NaNo: http://dld.bz/88xH

How To Keep Blogging From Being a Popularity Contest: http://dld.bz/88xB

Reversion of rights: http://dld.bz/88wX

Author blurbs: http://dld.bz/88xa

What editors do at conferences: http://dld.bz/88hZ

Active vs. Passive Voice in Writing: http://dld.bz/88hF

12 Ways To Scare Away Twitter Followers: http://dld.bz/88h9

4 Ways To Deal With Fictional Parents: http://dld.bz/88gy

Writing a book proposal – you are in the driver’s seat: http://dld.bz/88gu

5 Kinds of Blog Posts Proven to Drive Traffic: http://dld.bz/88gn

The writer/editor relationship: http://dld.bz/88f5

Freedom to Write and to Teach Writing: Notes from the Swamp: http://dld.bz/88fp

3 writers on creativity: http://dld.bz/8vXm

The importance of keeping your story interesting: http://dld.bz/8vWV

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Pasta Primavera http://bit.ly/fNOccC @CleoCoyle

Degree options for aspiring writers: http://dld.bz/8vWS

10 of the best fishing trips in literature (Guardian): http://dld.bz/8vWR

Querying publishers directly: http://dld.bz/8vW4

Breaking up (with an agent) is hard to do: http://dld.bz/8vWp

Getting The Call Means Your Work Gets Harder: http://dld.bz/8vWg

Conflict–put it at the front of your story: http://dld.bz/8vVJ

10 Authors Whose Novels Took Over 5 Years to Write and Publish: http://dld.bz/8vVn

Looking for story ideas? Consider the front page news: http://dld.bz/8vUP

Google to move into the ebook market at end of year: http://dld.bz/8Y7G

National Novel Writing Month Writers Produce 2,799,449,947 Words: http://dld.bz/8Y73

A 2011 planner for writers: http://dld.bz/8vUb

The art of the editorial letter: http://dld.bz/8vTV

What a conversation with a seduction guru taught one writer about creativity: http://dld.bz/8vTC

How to write a 1-page synopsis: http://dld.bz/8vT4

When it comes to writing, economize: http://dld.bz/8vTx

Worldview and story approach: http://dld.bz/8vTd

Without libraries, we will lose a mark of our civilization (Guardian): http://dld.bz/8vTc

Friends Don’t Let Friends Overwrite: http://dld.bz/8vSX

Putting In the Time to Become a Good Writer: http://dld.bz/8vSR

Front-loading your work as an author: http://dld.bz/8vSM

What one writer learned while writing his latest book: http://dld.bz/8vS5

An example of a query letter that worked: http://dld.bz/8vSu

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Holiday Lights or Lites?? http://bit.ly/fi6UB8 @CleoCoyle

Basic Structure of an Erotic Short Story: http://dld.bz/8vSp

Best Literary Agents on Twitter: http://dld.bz/8vSc

Re-Envisioning a Scene Without Rewriting it: http://dld.bz/8vRW

How to write an author’s bio: http://dld.bz/8vRT @clarissadraper

10 signs of an approaching deadline: http://dld.bz/8RWM @elspethwrites

7 Ways to Write When You Don’t Have Time: http://dld.bz/8vRM @4kidlit

Overwhelmed by your writing? A hint for overcoming it: http://dld.bz/8vRJ

Romance in a Mystery Series: http://dld.bz/8vR4

Good Writing is Invisible: http://dld.bz/8vRy

9 Ways to Create and Maintain a Successful Blog: http://dld.bz/8vRs

Staying out of the Rejection Pile: http://dld.bz/8vRm

Booksellers (and e-readers) – you have never had it so good (Guardian): http://dld.bz/8vRh

Should you write all-dialogue scenes? Not really: http://dld.bz/8vQV

An agent with querying tips: http://dld.bz/8vQN

10 things for writers to be thankful for: http://dld.bz/8vQM

Holiday gift books for authors – 2010′s best writing books – Pt. 1: http://dld.bz/8vQE

9 tips for querying: http://dld.bz/8vPW

3 rules of dialogue: http://dld.bz/8vPU

The Difference Between Good & Bad Literary Fiction: http://dld.bz/8vPN

What writers have to go through: http://dld.bz/8vPF

Writers pick their favorite translations (Guardian): http://dld.bz/8vPd

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Ham and Hash Brown Casserole http://bit.ly/hlINhJ @CleoCoyle

5 Procrastination Strategies to Become More Productive: http://dld.bz/8vPa

What you say to yourself matters: http://dld.bz/8vNU

3 lessons in publishing: http://dld.bz/8vNF

Is it time to start revising your manuscript? http://dld.bz/8vN7

A Guardian interview with Margaret Atwood: http://dld.bz/8vNw

5 best free WordPress plugins for your writer website: http://dld.bz/8vNg

The New Yorker’s holiday gift guide for book lovers: http://dld.bz/8vMx

Become a fictional character for free speech (LA Times): http://dld.bz/8FmV

10 Realizations that Will Crush Your Little Heart In Your First Year of Blogging: http://dld.bz/8vMp

3 Tips on Writing Love Scenes: http://dld.bz/8vMk

The Best Time of Year to Query Literary Agents: http://dld.bz/8vKW

How Reading And Book Buying Has Changed With The Kindle: http://dld.bz/8vKR @thecreativepenn

How to Write the First Draft – 6 Writing Tips From Writers: http://dld.bz/8vKF

Fan-Fiction: Worth a Writer’s Time? http://dld.bz/8Dvn

No sex, please, we’re literary! (Salon): http://dld.bz/8CQQ

Can’t find an agent? Go to Plan B: http://dld.bz/8CA6

How to speak publisher – A is for Apps: http://dld.bz/8vKt

Getting Better at Bad: Why Practice Doesn’t (Always) Make Perfect: http://dld.bz/8vKn

Hit a roadblock in your manuscript? 7 ideas for getting around it: http://dld.bz/8BYm @authorterryo

Making a plan to write: http://dld.bz/8vKb

Description: Friend or Foe? http://dld.bz/8vKa

The Great F-Bomb Debate: http://dld.bz/8vJT

Writing: The Character Dilemma: http://dld.bz/8vJK

How to get a 100% full-request rate (lol): http://dld.bz/8vJC

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Chanukah Latkes and a Chocolate Candle Giveaway from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/e21Juv @CleoCoyle

What’s Your Novel’s Log Line? http://dld.bz/8vJ6

How To Write Honest Fiction. If Not, How To Fake It: http://dld.bz/8vJn

7 Timeless Principles of Achievement: http://dld.bz/8vJa

Top 10 ways to get your word count in during the upcoming holidays: http://dld.bz/8vHW

Fake Writing Jobs: RealWritingJobs.com: http://dld.bz/88w2 @victoriastrauss

Writing Devices: Transitions: http://dld.bz/8vHG

Mystery Writer’s Guide to Forensic Science – Poisons VII: http://dld.bz/8vHB @clarissadraper

Turn your computer into a typewriter: http://dld.bz/8vH5

Six Ways to Polish Your Book Proposal Before Sending It Off: http://dld.bz/8vHe

How to Get More Subscribers for Your Email List: http://dld.bz/8vGZ

The Nine Circles of Writing Hell: http://dld.bz/8vGY

Is Boston the hub of steampunk? http://dld.bz/8vGS

Handling Your Word Count: http://dld.bz/8vGM

Revision tips–issues to watch out for: http://dld.bz/85ke

8 Tips for Writing in the Flow: http://dld.bz/8vGG

What a ‘short bio’ should include (Writer’s Digest): http://dld.bz/8vGA

Comprehensive review of the NOOKcolor: http://dld.bz/84zW @authorterryo

Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling’s writing style: http://dld.bz/8vGj

How Google Can Save America’s Books (NY Review of Books): http://dld.bz/8vGg

Three Simple Ways to Make Your Writing Just Like Everyone Else’s: http://dld.bz/8vFQ

How Not to Launch a Career in Publishing: http://dld.bz/8vFK

Distraction-free writing: http://dld.bz/8vFF

One thing that I really don’t think I  am, is curious.

I like observing people.  I like imagining reasons that they do the things they do or say the things they say—but I’m not curious to find out the real reasons that motivate them.  I’m no investigator.  I’m nosy enough to watch people and listen in on their conversations—but more interested in coming up with my own conclusions than whatever the truth might be.

But there are curious people out there.

My house was way too distracting for me to write in on Thursday, so I escaped to the coffeehouse to get some work done.  I really just needed a solid 30 minutes of writing and then I was going to call it a day.

I knew exactly what I was going to write, too.  This meant that I wasn’t staring around into space a lot.  I ordered my coffee (I was at Starbucks, and I stubbornly asked for “a small coffee,” since I don’t like all the ‘grande’ stuff they put up on their menu), sat down and started writing.

I had my Word document open and my outline printed out and on the table so that I could follow it—no, I don’t ordinarily outline….but it’s a new project with an editor who requires them.

I worked hard for 30 minutes straight.  I drank my coffee, I glanced up briefly when cold air hit me as the door to Starbucks opened and closed, but I got my work done in a very focused, concentrated way.

When I  reached the end of my writing session, I sat up straight and reached up to close my laptop.  And darned if there wasn’t some woman there, standing in the very long coffee line, reading my synopsis/outline for the book! Yes, I’d printed it in a slightly larger font than usual because I’m getting to the point of needing reading glasses, but I’m not wanting the bother of them.

She opened her mouth for a second like she thought she might ask me a question, then quickly turned her back to continue waiting in the line.

Curiosity killed the cat, I thought, sourly.  Maybe it did, but I started thinking about what  an important trait it is for a protagonist.

Because a protagonist shouldn’t be like me—content not to know the full story behind something.

Main characters need to get to the bottom of a problem.  They need to want to learn the murderer’s identity.  They need to want to discover the cure for the mysterious infection that’s turning the population into zombies.  They need to want to learn how to win the heart of the person they’ve fallen in love with.  They need to want to figure out where the next horcrux is so that disaster can be averted. They can’t be content to take a backseat while someone else with a curious mind, bravery, and determination runs off to save the world. 

Their curiosity can create  conflict for them, too.  In a murder mystery, it can scare the killer enough for him to try to murder the sleuth.  It can make put the protagonist in an office building after closing hours, rifling through someone’s desk for evidence that an important government official is involved in illegal activity. It can put a protagonist on the wrong side of town at the wrong time of day in an attempt to get information.

But it’s a crucial trait that helps drive the story.  How curious is your protagonist—and what are they trying to find out?

I like to stay organized, but sometimes everything happens at once…and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

It’s my day to post at Inkspot and I hope you’ll pop by as I try to prioritize tasks when everything on the list seems important. :)

I emailed in my Memphis Barbeque III manuscript to my editor on Tuesday afternoon. :)

I had a great time writing the book—particularly the end when I got to tie together some subplots into the ending. For some reason, that’s always one of my favorite things to do. I just love giving the little inconsequential bits a more important role at the end.

And now—I’m moving on to the next book!

I used to take breaks from working on the next manuscript, but I’ve found that it’s a whole lot better in the long run to just keep on writing every day. Even during the holidays, I can manage a little time to move my story forward.

But the reason that I keep going is because it doesn’t take long for me to slip out of a writing habit or lose my writing momentum.

But I don’t have to write at the same pace I’ve been keeping. And I’m not editing anything right now (which is a nice break! Editing gets old after a while.)

Things I do when I’m writing at a slower pace:

Brainstorm ideas for the current WiP
Brainstorm ideas for other books in the series I’m writing
Brainstorm ideas for possible new series (I just like to keep thinking ahead)

Of course the promo obligations don’t ever really let up and I’m still doing non-creative writing—blogging, etc.—but with the brainstorming, I at least feel like I’m keeping it creative even while I’m working at a slower pace.

I know a lot of y’all are coming off the frantic pace of NaNo—congratulations to everybody who completed the challenge! My question for you is—are you giving yourself a break? Editing your NaNo manuscript? Or moving on to your next project? And…if you’re writing something new, are you moving at a slower pace?