An alternative title for this post was "Ranting About How Outlining Sucks" which might have been catcher. However, I am having issues with outlining and just butt in the chair in general. The re-edits for the first chunk of Mystery of the Dark book 1 is done, so why not outline book 2? And, you know, write it so you can be editing it while trying to push book 1 towards publishing? It all seems like a good plan on paper but, in practice? I am having so many issues here. Let's go through my top three with the problem and the solution.
Problem: The butt-in-chair isn't happenning - it's just not. I can think of everything else that needs to get done - like my laundry yesterday and the fact that I should go shovel Cookie's area outside (she's a short dog) and the dishes and and and.. you get the idea. It's not that they're things that need to get done right this second, save for maybe Cookie's area as it's just going to get colder in a few hours, but there's no reason why I cannot just sit in the chair and try to outline. And yet, I can still feel like I'm wanting to get up and go do something - anything - other than try to figure out where this book is supposed to go.
Solution: Write down the most exciting parts and then go do a house chore that needs to be done. In doing so, you might find the dot that connects the exciting parts together.
Problem: The butt is in the chair but there's other stuff to be done online - this is harder. This is a lot harder and I'm actually doing one of the butt is in the chair but yet I'm still procrastinating right this second by writing this blog post. So, thank you for being my procrastination. Or there's all those plan with me videos I could be watching or I could catch up with Lucifer or some other TV show I've got a back log on the DVR with.
Solution: Get an extension to Chrome or whatever web browser you are using and use it. Make sure all the sites you would go to procrastinate and your email is included in them. Do not put in Google because you might need to search for something. Hide your cell phone / put it in to airline mode so you don't use it as a go-around to get to a site. Then, set a timer or get an extension with a timer so you're dedicating a block of time to do what needs to be done.
Problem: I have no clue what the hell I'm doing and why am I a writer in the first place?! This is all going wrong.
Solution: Deep calming breaths, maybe some yoga, and either tea or coffee. More deep calming breaths. It'll pass. It'll pass and you'll go right back to being the kick ass writer you know that you are.
These are my top three. I have a lot more, but those are a lot more my own issues and related to the book itself. For those related to the book, the solution is all the same for me. Grab a notebook or a yellow pad of paper - I've been using a yellow pad a lot and love it more than a notebook - and start writing down what you need to figure out. For me, it was making sure that everything connected back to the first book and what I needed to get done plot wise in the series. It also helped to figure out my antagonists for each book and how to loop in the eventually insane end to the series. I hope that my top three problem / solution helped you and if you have any tips or would like some help with your own problem, leave a comment below or hit me up on twitter at @CrescentLizzy. Until next time, take care and kick some writing butt.
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