RoW80 Check-In

Sometimes you sit down to write and nothing comes out. Literally nothing. You may have a clear outline in front of you and know exactly where you want the next scene to take you, but no idea how to get there. It’s like understanding the theory behind driving without ever being able to get behind the wheel.

That has been happening to me a lot these days. I know exactly what I want to happen but getting from the last scene to the next scene is like trying to build a suspension bridge over lava. Mostly I just sit and sweat as nothing happens. 

This is where the freedom of non-linear storytelling comes to save my ass. Okay, I may need some help with the transitions, but I know what the scene after this one is supposed to say, so start there. Write the words that are bumping around in my head and come back to the transitions. Writing programs like Scrivner and Babble allow writers to organize their writing by scene and to move entire scenes from one place to another. 

So, I have been trying to avoid making myself crazy trying to write what comes next, and just write what I know. Two characters have an epic argument that reveals a lot about their love-hate relationship. And then what? 

I don’t know but I know in the end they call a truce, so skip the parts I’m fuzzy on and write what I’m clear about. 

I did this a lot when I was participating in NaNoWriMo and consequently, I have a lot of things that need explaining (like how my characters are all of a sudden ride-or-die for each other after a rough start). But now that the pressure is off and the story is written, I can fix it all in the rewrites. 

If you want to be a part from the start and read along with me be sure to follow me on Wattpad, where I post my rough draft. Posting my rough draft helps to keep me accountable and motivated. When I can see that others are enjoying my work, I am more confident about finishing it. 

As for my word count, I admit to falling a little behind. Some days 400 words are all I can manage. But for me, the point of RoW80 is to develop consistency. I have an idea, and rather than clearing my schedule and hammering it out in a few weeks I am fitting it nicely into the crevices of time that I have left over each day. 

Daily writing goal: 500 words

Current word count: 7996 words


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