How to write a hundred pages a day
- Mikel Parry
- Jan 20, 2016
- 3 min read
One of the most difficult and painstaking tasks that daunts a writer is actually, writing. Sitting down, sipping on some coffee, soda, or just a glass of nerves to rev up the creative engine is problematic. The traumatic experience of a blank page staring at an aspiring writer can obliterate the will to move forward. So what are some tricks to beat the inherit system? The system that we all know very well can consume, digest and spit you out. So let's get into my personal experience in tackling this beast.
One of the hardest urges to fight is that of procrastination. That somehow, someway if you just wait it out the creativity and work ethic will just suck itself into the apathetic black hole you've created, in my personal experience, nope. You're going to have to pull yourself out of the rut, get up, and start writing. Write anything if you must but don't waste your time just dreaming about that "next great novel" you've got in you. But if you feel like you're not ready maybe it's time to take some prep work into account.
When approaching a blank page it has been significantly helpful to have the creative gun cocked and loaded. Before we get into any sort of political debate here let's dive into what I'm talking about. Your mind is an absolute creative maelstrom. It's doing it all the time. You dream at night, during the day, at your desk and anywhere else you can imagine. But often these dreams need time and, dare I say, silence! Oh the irony of that exclamation point! When you have too much noise, too many distractions, too many too-manys, how can you possibly expect to start pumping out your creative juices like a newly struck dwell of oil? In short, you can't. Ideas need to simmer, plots bake, stories set out to cool. But when you've spent the time dwelling on your next-big-novel, I assure you your keyboard will start sounding like a drum line.
So is writing a hundred pages a day possible? I wouldn't have put the title if I hadn't done it myself. For me it's been the recipe that I've abstractly described above. So let me list it out.
1. Find your space! Can’t stress that enough... You've heard the term "find a happy place"? Well, find it.
2. Turn off the noise. I'm not talking your next Enya CD that you hide from your friends. I'm talking about everything that distracts your mind. For me it's almost pure silence, or full disclosure, pure moods on Pandora. Don't tell anyone!
3. Dwell. Remember when you were a kid and spent hours just daydreaming? Great you have the experience now start using it. Sit, dwell, dream, walk yourself through your story.
4. Rehearse it out like scenes playing in front of your mind. This helps me visualize and describe what I'm writing. If I can't see it in my mind's eye, I'm not writing it.
5. Put your fingers down, close your eyes and let your QWERTY power go.
6. Ignore errors, grammar, minor holes. Your goal is to finish what you sent out to do, write. If you get caught up in the minor stuff that goal is outpacing you in the marathon race to the finish.
7. Don't stop! Often writing a few hundred words can feel rewarding. Or maybe that single scene that seemed to come out so well was enough. But press forward. You can always come back! You literally have the time machine power that you've coveted all these years, and tech vests got to love tech vests.
8. Sit back and smile. Do your word-to-page calculator and revel in your ability to do the unthinkable. The feeling should permeate within in you as an indelible print you need to hang up on your fridge. You can do it and did!
Now it's obvious that moments of undistracted, clarity are sometimes as rare as a happy taxi cab driver. But when you can make them happen, carpe the diem completely out of them. There are so many people, talents and ideas that never make it anymore for fear and a small hill of apathy. It's my humble opinion that with proper use of some of these tips that doing a hundred page marathon run can and will happen. And the best part is, you'll only keep getting better. As I am now in process of finishing my fifth novel I look forward to powering on into the future! I hope I've helped and that you can join me on my journey.
Comments