Whether it is about writing or life, my best advice when you can’t get something done is to sleep on it. I was writing last night and the scene was going but plodding along. I wanted sharp, witty, argumentative. I’ll read what I wrote and decide if that is how it turned out but I didn’t feel it was that way.
I talked to one of my daughters last night for quite some time, just chatting about life. It was a good conversation and when I was done, I realized I wasn’t going to write much more. I know where the scene is going, could see it in my head even last night but the flow was not there.
I opted instead to go to sleep. This morning I woke up and not only do I know where the current scene is going but I also know how the over arching plot is going to end. Interestingly I even know where the next book is going to start (at least right now).
Being so involved in a story is always fun and a bit tiring. Sometimes I feel like conversations going on around me are intruding on the story and I just want them to stop so I can go back to writing. At the same time, I know I need that time away from writing to decompress.
I’m sure if I talked to some science geek they could tell me that the chemistry in the brain (or whatever) is what helps the creative process. Here’s what I know, if I’m living a story like I have been, I need to sleep on certain aspects to create a good story. It gives my brain – my inspiration a chance to catch up with the story I’m typing.