I was listening to Tee Morris’ ‘Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy’ (teemorris.com) yesterday and he said something that struck a chord with me. He talked about the difference between writing fact vs. fiction and how you need to get your mind wrapped around the difference.
The more I thought about what he said, the more sense it made to me. I do a fair amount of technical writing in my day job and I’ve found that, in order to focus, I can’t be thinking about my fiction writing. I’ve got to keep my mind on the writing at hand or it simply doesn’t happen. It usually takes me 30 minutes or so to get into the mode; time enough to grab coffee.
The transition to fiction is usually easier. I prep myself for my evening writing sessions by reading a good book on the bus-ride home (usually Science Fiction or Fantasy). By the time I’m home, my mind is in the proper place and (hopefully) percolating with ideas for my work. It doesn’t always work, but it usually does.
This leads me to conclude that I should be reading work-related stuff on my ride into work. That would focus my energy for the day andI wouldn’t have to ease into the writing… Definitely food for thought.
Personal Update:
I’m happy to say that my writing is picking up again since the holiday. I’ve been able to surpass the 11,000-word mark on my current story and it seems to be maintaining a nice momentum. Onward and upward!
