Comments on: Consistency in the face of Quiet http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/ Computer Nerd by Day, Writer by Night Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:27:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gabriel Novo http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Gabriel Novo Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:53:52 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-53 Thanks everyone for the suggestions and empathy. As you can tell from the lack of new posts I'm still struggling with the Quiet. I've tried all the tricks, but it seems I just need to wait this one out because the more I stress it the more resistance it builds. I'm also trying to scale back on forums, blogs, FB and other electronic noise. Unplugging will hopefully get my internal juices flowing as opposed to over stimulation from the information buffet. Fingers crossed the voices wake up sometime soon. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and empathy. As you can tell from the lack of new posts I’m still struggling with the Quiet. I’ve tried all the tricks, but it seems I just need to wait this one out because the more I stress it the more resistance it builds.

I’m also trying to scale back on forums, blogs, FB and other electronic noise. Unplugging will hopefully get my internal juices flowing as opposed to over stimulation from the information buffet. Fingers crossed the voices wake up sometime soon.

]]> By: Terrie Matsuura http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Terrie Matsuura Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:05:39 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-52 I'm at a similar place. I'm working on a re-write for my agent and I am almost frozen-terrified that he's not going to like it. I'll take one of those Jack and cokes. terrie I’m at a similar place. I’m working on a re-write for my agent and I am almost frozen-terrified that he’s not going to like it. I’ll take one of those Jack and cokes.

terrie

]]> By: Jarrett http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Jarrett Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:48:51 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-51 I am with Brad on this one. When I take too much time off from writing is when things dry up for me. Then I have to struggle -- and I do mean struggle -- to get back on the horse. And knowing this you'd think I'd make sure I don't take too much time off, but I do. Often I'll go a week or so without writing more than a few paragraphs, knowing what will happen but still doing it. Typically, it's not laziness that keeps me from writing, but other obligations. When I have found the voices have all gone silent I can usually get a bit of a boost by reading something else. Or watching something else. I find that my mind will start thinking about whatever project I am working on and the voices start to whisper again and eventually it will get to the point that they are shouting loud enough that I can't concentrate on whatever it is I'm watching/reading. I am with Brad on this one. When I take too much time off from writing is when things dry up for me. Then I have to struggle — and I do mean struggle — to get back on the horse. And knowing this you’d think I’d make sure I don’t take too much time off, but I do. Often I’ll go a week or so without writing more than a few paragraphs, knowing what will happen but still doing it. Typically, it’s not laziness that keeps me from writing, but other obligations.

When I have found the voices have all gone silent I can usually get a bit of a boost by reading something else. Or watching something else. I find that my mind will start thinking about whatever project I am working on and the voices start to whisper again and eventually it will get to the point that they are shouting loud enough that I can’t concentrate on whatever it is I’m watching/reading.

]]> By: Brad R. Torgersen http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Brad R. Torgersen Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:34:04 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-50 For me, the trick is to not let myself have too much of a break between stories, and to not let myself have too long of a pause while writing in the midst of a story. If I allow a week or more to go by in either case, I'm done. It can take me weeks or months to crawl back to the fight and dig in again. So I just basically make myself take -- at most -- a day off in between completion of one project and the beginning of the next. More than that and I risk losing the momentum. And no, I think all of us fear being One Book Wonders. I like to think I have enough ideas for 500 books. But you never know. It's happened before. I am sure previous One Book Wonders never intended to be One Book Wonders. But they wound up that way, regardless. A fate I am not sure any of us want! For me, the trick is to not let myself have too much of a break between stories, and to not let myself have too long of a pause while writing in the midst of a story. If I allow a week or more to go by in either case, I’m done. It can take me weeks or months to crawl back to the fight and dig in again. So I just basically make myself take — at most — a day off in between completion of one project and the beginning of the next. More than that and I risk losing the momentum.

And no, I think all of us fear being One Book Wonders. I like to think I have enough ideas for 500 books. But you never know. It’s happened before. I am sure previous One Book Wonders never intended to be One Book Wonders. But they wound up that way, regardless. A fate I am not sure any of us want!

]]> By: T. Comprés http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-49 T. Comprés Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:19:05 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-49 I'm with Isaac - I usually run for my workbook and look at things I jotted, ideas, anything. And I also read inspiring works by other people. Anne Enright is someone I love to turn to. Also, don't underestimate the power of the unconscious... I’m with Isaac – I usually run for my workbook and look at things I jotted, ideas, anything. And I also read inspiring works by other people. Anne Enright is someone I love to turn to. Also, don’t underestimate the power of the unconscious…

]]> By: spamwarrior http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-48 spamwarrior Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:04:33 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-48 I worry about that sometimes. When that happens I take a break. And then the words start flowing again and I realize that I haven't run out of ideas after all. I worry about that sometimes. When that happens I take a break. And then the words start flowing again and I realize that I haven’t run out of ideas after all.

]]> By: Jamie D. http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Jamie D. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:52:06 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-47 Sorry to hear that your voices are taking a break. I normally feel a little panicked when that happens, but then I remind myself that they *will* start talking again eventually. They always do, otherwise I'd have been able to give up writing long ago. Embrace the silence. Your characters will be back when you're ready for them. Sorry to hear that your voices are taking a break. I normally feel a little panicked when that happens, but then I remind myself that they *will* start talking again eventually. They always do, otherwise I’d have been able to give up writing long ago.

Embrace the silence. Your characters will be back when you’re ready for them.

]]> By: Isaac Espriu http://gabrielnovo.com/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Isaac Espriu Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:00:31 +0000 http://gabrielnovo.com/2009/06/30/consistency-in-the-face-of-quiet/#comment-46 When my voices go quiet i do a couple of things. If i figure i'm near burnout creatively or from other things i take a couple days to regather energy. That's one reason why i don't write on the weekends, so i can refuel. If it's not burnout i look through a document full of potential ideas that i've jotted down but haven't had time to develop, and i have a folder full of news articles that i thought at the time i saved them would give me ideas. Also, i write. Words. Anything. Getting into the process usually helps the machinery start working again. When my voices go quiet i do a couple of things. If i figure i’m near burnout creatively or from other things i take a couple days to regather energy. That’s one reason why i don’t write on the weekends, so i can refuel.

If it’s not burnout i look through a document full of potential ideas that i’ve jotted down but haven’t had time to develop, and i have a folder full of news articles that i thought at the time i saved them would give me ideas.

Also, i write. Words. Anything. Getting into the process usually helps the machinery start working again.

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