A NEW WRITING TECHNIQUE

Hello my Friend,

Today, I’d like to write about a system that helps me cope with my various moods when sitting down and trying to write on my manuscript. Being a busy author of books, short stories and poetry, this stands me in good stead and I am very happy to pass this on to fellow writers. My new method is especially helpful when having to write about so-called boring subjects, like long descriptions or uneventful scenes. If you are like me, obsessed with writing, pouring out thoughts and ideas on paper, we have many obstacles to face – all the way to the printed publication!

Labouring under the requirements of strict discipline, this new method entails  working with so-called ‘snippets’!

The first hurdle is one of motivation or writer’s block. We are not always the same person but may feel differently at various times of the day. In my case, for example, having scribbled or typed away busily, as per synopsis, character outline and chapter outline, suddenly a kind of slump set is. I may not feel inclined to deal with a certain situation right now or my mood is suddenly for writing a different encounter which may come much later in my work. 

However, we have a story to follow, that is, as per our chapter outline. It is sometimes difficult to concentrate on dealing with an incident whilst our mind is already racing away, far ahead of our story.

Still perusing the chapter outline of the future book, I have the habit of writing in manuscript mode any detail I just feel like writing about. Whatever comes to my mind and in whatever mood I am at the moment. This is what I term the ‘creative moment’ and it should not be resisted or suppressed by forcing oneself to write about something else as we would lose what I term ‘quality’.

Having finished this piece of writing, I title this paper ‘snippet number 1’, underneath, I state the subject or topic and the result of my word count. After which I file it away in a document file aptly called ‘snippets’.

These snippets do not need to be filed in any particular sequence, however, they will arraign themselves numerically in their document folder.

And now, I glance at my chapter outline to select another subject I feel like writing about.  

My fellow authors will find this a valuable technique which soon fills the ‘snippets folder’ without losing any time or momentum!

Would you like to visit me at http://www.peterfrederick.org or http://www.life-on-the-road.com ? You are welcome!