These past couple weeks I’ve found myself catching onto a good rhythm with my writing, and in doing so I’ve also learned (or realized) a couple things I’d like to talk about:

1. Finding your Fortress of Solitude

It’s not just about finding somewhere you can feel isolated (the keyword here being feel), but also about finding somewhere that’s consistent. For me, I’ve taken to exiling myself to the basement not just to write, but also to marathon easy-viewing content that’s easy to slip in and out of (such as documentaries or TV shows – in this case Doctor Who). At the same time, I make sure to have a cup of coffee on hand to sip if I’m not busy with the keyboard. It’s all about keeping myself busy.

Essentially, consistency equals writing fuel, i.e. if I’m in the basement with my laptop at the ready, a coffee on standby, and a DVD on ‘play all’, I’m in full writing mode.

It might be different for you. Maybe you go to a local cafe or library, or maybe you have some other means of filling the void when you hit a speed bump while writing, but what’s important here is that you find somewhere that can act as your office space.

On that note —

2. Make writing a job

I’ve often said that inspiration is something that can’t be forced, and I still stand by that, but as long as you’ve got ideas or a story that needs fulfilling or fruition, you owe it to yourself to make good of your writing.

For myself, I’ve been writing Monday through Friday from 12 pm – 5 pm. In that five hour period my mind is on writing. I’ll take necessary breaks to get some fresh air, but for the most part I get a decent amount of work done (I’m averaging 1000 words a day).

Five hours is a very doable goal for me, but it doesn’t have to be that much for everyone. It can be four hours, two, one, even thirty minutes, but devoting a set amount of time to writing on a daily basis can be a big help. Even if all you accomplish is one sentence or nothing at all, you’ve at the very least committed yourself to your writing – you’ve made the sacrifice.

Everyone has their own way of doing things, some completely different to what I’ve said here today, but this is what works for me in the here and now. Perhaps tomorrow it won’t tomorrow, but when it comes to writing I need to live for the moment.

-Tori Domay

If you perform a google search for the ‘snowflake method’ you’re directed to a ‘surface credible’ website running a legitimate business. They claim to have invented a scientific method that will solve all your motivational and creative writing problems.

I say, codswallop!

As a semi-novice writer, I know the dangers associated with cash-grab scams as I’ve nearly been suckered into them myself. If you type into google ‘how to write a novel’ the further down you search, the more sure-fire methods, systems, paradigms, programmes, classes, books and lessons you’ll find. It’s easy to want to buy them as well, because they often feel like the CURE to your writer’s block. Anyone seeking a magic spell to fix their craft will be drawn to these sleazy salespeople. Surely they cannot ALL be the best writing methods?

No.

The only writing advice you need, is to pick up a goddamned pen!

Take it from someone who has read well over 12 dozen books on the topic. Unless you’re grammatically inept, any fool can learn to write if he tries. I’d also like to point out as I have in the past, that buying books about writing does not = writing. Some things that are useful are a dictionary, thesaurus, grammar guide, or a tutor who has several years experience with the craft. Having professionals edit your work is an invaluable experience. I’d also listen to Stephen King’s recommendation and pick up a copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. I picked up this book again after watching it collect dust on my shelf and it’s startling how many grammar rules I’ve forgotten or neglected.

I’m not here to tell you that these so-called ‘magic methods’ won’t help you. They may bring some writers out of the slum they’re in. If it works for you and you’re a better writer because of it, who am I to judge? I will say that you need to be wary of them. Check out their credentials. Do your research before you plug in a credit card number. Most of these website authors have books on the market that I’ve never even heard of. Even more unsettling is how poorly their novels sold on the market. Why then, should I pay $59.99 for your writer’s seminar?

In an effort to not sound hypocritical, the reason I started this website was for people to learn from my mistakes. I haven’t had my “big success story” but that won’t stop me from writing about the craft. I’d be a real asshole though if I charged you all for what little experience I do have. Unless I became a bestselling author, (LOL) I’ll never be so arrogant as to claim I’ve invented the ‘perfect method’ for budding authors, then have the cojones to make them pay for it.

Please… if anything, pick up a book on the writers craft by CREDIBLE and SEASONED authors. Both Tori and I have professed our love of Stephen King’s On Writing. Other useful books are biographies of famous authors, or books that interview/outline their success stories.

The greatest thing Tim or anyone else could do, is to read a lot and write a lot. It starts by picking up a pen and just doing the work. The only method you’ll find that works for you, is one you’ve invented for yourself through experience.

Fellow artists… success does not come overnight.

Steven Spielberg didn’t make Jaws until 1975 … he was 29.

J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t publish The Hobbit until 1937, and then only by convenient circumstances and decades of effort … he was 45.

If you’re stopping to think that you’ve got a few years to catch up with these guys, how about this one?

The Beatles. Shea Stadium. 1965. Not far out of their teens and with years of preceding success to boot.

We all have potential to be successful in our chosen art, but it always has and always will be a gamble. What matters is to keep your expectations low and your esteem high. Don’t degrade yourself because others aren’t noticing your work, simply rejoice that you’re doing what you love.

Will you draw a profit someday? Maybe. Should it matter? Not in the slightest. Work at your own pace, and be happy you’re around to do it.

-Tori Domay

I’ll say this right now: I’m not one for treatments and outlines. I tend to utilize them in the middle of a project, but even then only briefly (just to remind myself what it is I’m writing about). Outside of writing the actual story, I only jot down important ideas for later that I don’t want to forget.

In terms of beginning a new story, this is what I told my friend:

“I figure out what story I want to tell and who I want it to be about. Then I go on the adventure with that person, discovering everything as they do.”

I tend to be spontaneous when I write. It’s always been certain of making it interesting for me; not knowing what to expect next. Granted, I do like to know the ending, and I especially know specific events that I want to detail, so my stories do bend to some sort of code, but in the end I prefer freedom with the page.

I’m still a young writer, and I may yet come to discover the perks of writing up treatments, but the way I see it, if you think too much about something, you end up getting bored of it, or maybe begin to doubt it. Like life, you won’t make a whole lot of progress sitting around thinking about what you’re going to do with yourself rather than actually doing it.

So if you’re someone who has trouble starting a story, understand these basics: What you want to tell, and who you want it to be about.

Going from there, I’m sure you might find yourself being just about as surprised as the reader.

-Tori Domay

Coffee, oh delicious elixir, how you complete me! You are my jump-starter and bittersweet lover! You mean the world to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you! Alright, enough of that.

Drinking too much coffee is always one of those things that tends to sneak up on me, especially if I’m out at a coffee shop writing. When I sit down to start a rewrite, it isn’t until my heart starts throbbing out of my chest that I notice the 5 empty coffee cups at my side. This is also a very bad habit for me considering I have poor heart health. Famed author Balzac literally died of caffeine poisoning. Although I don’t think I drink THAT much, it’s my hope to kick this habit eventually.

What really helps me is keeping a mental note of how many coffees I’ve had in a single day. When I get my first cup, I’ll say in my mind “number 1″. This way when my craving kicks in, I know how many I’ve had that day. Right now my limit is 3 *gulp* but it should be one, or none at all. Ah well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

When I’m in the middle of an intense writing session and I stop to think of what to write next, without fail my digits find their way into my mouth. It’s not just nails either. It’s cuticles, knuckles, you name it. Considering that my nails are always in a state of serrated decrepitude, I’ve made a decision to try to nix this habit once and for all. Generally this is a bad habit that doesn’t have any correlation with writing, but for me this happens primarily when I write.

To stop myself from doing this, I’ve found that using surges of hand sanitizer or moisturizer on my fingers not only helps to sooth the dry flaking I’ve inflicted, but also acts as a taste-bud attacker. Believe me, this works. The second I get a taste of that sterile residue I stop biting and don’t think twice about it. I can type a lot faster, I spend less time thinking, and I spend more time writing. Trust me, your fingers will thank you.

It’s unfortunate that I get a great deal of my best ideas while I’m out driving. Sometimes I’ll even get the urge to drive for several hours. I live in a very rural/boring area of Canada which provides excellent zoning out periods. It wasn’t until I started writing in public places where I noticed my ideas would flow best on the drive into town.

I don’t condone this kind of behaviour at all. Not only is it occasionally dangerous, it’s extraordinarily expensive as well. Gas prices have never been higher and a driving habit is probably one of the worst things to have right now. (Well, at least I’m not just burning or sniffing the gas, but I digress.)

To combat this habit, I’ve taken to walking instead. I’ll drive to a wooded conservation area or a nice neighbourhood, park the car and walk until the juices start flowing.

It’s also a lot better for my FAT ASS.

Where do I even begin? Cellphones, the internet, video games, netflix, social media – they’re all so toxic for me right now. I can’t write unless I rid myself of all these things. My nostalgia for the past keeps me locked in cheasy MS:DOS games (now available on iPhone!), as well as old TV shows on Netflix that I can’t stop watching. They are all so distracting and it’s gotten to the point when I’m going nuts. Even twitter, which was once a great networking platform for me, has recently become a venomous time eater. Fear not fellow distracted writers, for there is a cure!

SHUT EVERYTHING OFF!!! (except your computer, if you need it.) As a result of my addictive tech personality, I’ve resorted to leaving my phone in the car, turning off my wifi connection and deleting addictive apps from my devices. It has helped my productivity soar in the last month. Some of you might remember my post about the gadget free day. I now stand resolute behind that statement. They are evil enemies of your craft and should be avoided at all costs.

I’m afraid this last habit has been the most difficult to kick. I struggle with it every day. (Hear that? That’s me feeling sorry for myself.) GUH, If I had a quarter for every time I stopped what I was doing and started feeling sorry for myself, I’d be a BAZILLIONTRILLIONQUADRILLIONAIRE. Even now, it’s not easy for me to write this because I feel like I’d be lying to myself.

When these pity parties usually start, it’s always when I’m facing a challenging rewrite. When I see the edit ahead of me, I take one look at the path ahead and turn around. Trek up a mountain just for a successful plot point? Kiss my ass! I’d rather sit on the beaches of my own lake of tears. Seriously, when will I get it into my thick skull that creative power is a result of positive personal affirmation? (Ah, there I go again. Being hard on myself.)

-No one is perfect.
-Everyone started somewhere.
-Don’t let others define your work.
-Small doable actions will take you further than big exhausting leaps.

These are all topics I’ve written about time and time again on this blog, yet I can’t seem to follow my own advice at times. I suppose that’s the nature of the beast being an artistic person. I have found however, that breaking this habit on occasion isn’t as hard as one may think. The key is to – WRITE ABOUT IT – I know that sounds silly, but writing about my problems in life both personally and creatively has always proven fruitful.

When I read through my journals, I can see my progress as a human being. I also find that I never run out of source material. There will always be challenges you’ll face as a writer. It’s best that you find a way to channel these problems creatively.
Hell, I even started a blog about it!

The point is that you DO something. Don’t just sit there and let it eat you up inside. Find like minded writers and TALK about it. The bottom line is that you must do something that is productive. Writing THROUGH these creative breakdowns is really the best thing you can do. Even if you only write a paragraph a day, what matters is that you WRITE.

I hope these crappy habits of mine have proven insightful. I realize things could be a lot worse. (I could be a coke sniffer or something!)

Sometimes, the best medicine is practicing that cliché of “getting back on the horse.”

Happy Writing~

– Daniel J. Pike

When “life” starts to get in the way of my craft, I like to turn to my old friend Mr. Egg Timer. You can use any timer really, whether it be a timer on your phone, digital watch or bedside alarm. The point of using a timer is to keep yourself focused for short bursts of time.

When I set my timer for… oh, let’s say 60 minutes, I make a personal vow to myself that I’m not allowed to check my inbox, my cellphone, or any other distracting tech at my side. It’s 60 minutes focused for writing only, and the payoff is always fruitful.

It’s important to know that one hour of writing time every day (or every other day), is better than NO writing time at all. An important lesson of my young adulthood has been in learning to take responsibility for my own actions. No amount of excuse making will genuinely excuse the fact that I’m not writing. Using a timer is just one of those little things that helps keep me focused when life starts to get punishing.

We’re always thinking, both grand and minute. In this way we always have ideas circulating our minds. Today you feel like writing a suspense, tomorrow you don’t. Or maybe right now you feel like a fantasy, but in a few minutes a mystery. Short story … then novel. Script … then poetry. There are times when you can aim our focus on one thing at a time, but when inspiration strikes, don’t hesitate to embrace it; you’ll regret it if you don’t.

To quote Robert Louis Stevenson:

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”

Nothing happens in an instant, least of all in the world of writing. Don’t rush yourself to finish the script or the novel or the story. Follow inspiration as it comes, because even if you have multiple projects on your plate, they’ll each be drenched in heart and soul.

-Tori Domay

There’s no time like the present.

A few months back Dan shared his thoughts of Stephen King’s On Writing. He has since then shared the book with me, and it’s impacted me in such a way that I can’t help but say a few things myself.

So, On Writing.

This is actually my first time reading a Stephen King novel. I’ve read The Body and dabbled into The Dark Tower (minutely), but I would consider this my first exposure to the author. I was never particular of King purely out of how mainstream he is (I’ve never been one for fads … in my childhood leastways), but I always intended to delve into his stuff someday. I suppose it makes sense that it would have to be one of my friends to get one of King’s books in my hand, but I can certainly say I’ll need no more convincing again (I’m writing this after having read Carrie).

First off, for those who’ve never been exposed to Stephen King’s work, I’d say this is an ideal place to start. On Writing is book-ended by an autobiography that details King’s life: the highs, lows and wisdom (particularly in terms of writing). When reading this I got an overwhelming sense of fraternity; I got to know the writer before the writing. What I found in these pages was a man I share much in common with, from the throes of student employment to the love of writing.

The actual “on writing” portion of the book is a pleasure to read. There were plenty of enlightening tips, though I found that most of what King talks about is sort of common sense (from what I know, that is). But what Stephen does so well is interact with the reader in a way that makes them feel like they’re sitting down for an interview in his study, so much that you might feel a lump in your throat when you arrive at the more intimate reflections of writing in the On Living portion of the book. I’ve never read any sort of “how to” books, but I gander that few of them are as casual as this – as real. King is very real with the reader.

On Writing raises the tried and true idea that writing isn’t just about knowing how to do it, nor of devoting time to it, but to live, plain and simple. In the past few months I found myself heavily inspired while reading this book; trying new things, writing sorts of stories that I never had before, and it was gushing with heart and soul. That’s what this book does to the aspiring artist: it makes them feel capable – makes them turn the grime of everyday life into something extraordinary.

If there’s one thing anybody can walk away from On Writing with, it’s a better understanding of the legendary author that is Stephen King … and the reassuring thought of how much he is just like every one of us.

-Tori Domay

I have a writer friend (let’s call him Shmaniel Shmames Shmike), who easily lets other people’s opinions affect the outcome of his story. It took me a long time to understand why I was doing this. Finally, the answer came to me one evening when I was playing the piano for a friend. I tried to hammer out a piece of music that exceeded my knowledge of the craft. I apologized for the mistakes and condemned myself as a pianist.

My friend who knew me quite well, told me not to be embarrassed. He’s heard me play marvellously, and although I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the notes, with practice he knew I would get it. I suddenly didn’t feel so incompetent and you know what? He was right. Had I viewed myself in a positive light, I could have seen the positive future for my craft.

There are any number of reasons why the things
people say may derail us as creators.

If something isn’t written well, or has problems, it’s better for you as an artist if you accept it for what it is before letting other eyes look at it. I understand the pains of seeing room for improvement in my work, but this is not a bad thing, for now I can see the problem, and I understand the solution. Every person can nit-pick and rip something apart if they wanted to. Hell, I have plenty of colleagues who think Jurassic Park is a shitty movie! These people are also idiots, but I digress.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Having bad grammar or being a bad speller does not make you a bad artist. You don’t have to a degree in creative writing to be a writer. All that is required of you, is that you write. Sometimes you just need to sit down, and quiet the thoughts in your head. Get rid of all the negative things people have said to you and start clean.

A constructive critic knows when your grammar isn’t working. They do not however, condemn you as an artist. Great artists defend the choices of other writers. It is important to learn how to defend your own work, and if you are happy with what you’ve made, you shouldn’t let other people change how you feel about it. After all, the more you write the better you get! Sometimes it’s easy letting other people’s opinions change how we think about our ourselves, and our craft. Especially if we respect the person who is giving us their thoughts.

I’ll end this post with one last story, and a few choice words:

A few months ago I had a friend who I let control my life. This in turn affected my creative life. One night we were driving home after seeing Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, and (movie aside) this friend proceeded to lecture to me why Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN was a terrible story. I asked him in bewilderment, “you think one of the greatest novels ever written (one that has withstood the test of time) is a bad story?”

Confused, I suddenly had a moment of lightning clarity as to why I had been feeling creatively suffocated for months. Talk about one hell of a creative “red flag”.

I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, but his argument was incredibly biased:
1) He doesn’t enjoy reading.
2) He doesn’t understand the concepts outlined by Shelley.
3) He didn’t understand the story. He said to me that I was stupid if I thought that Frankenstein was a well told story.
4) His final argument was: “It isn’t finished! You don’t know what happens to the monster at the end! Who writes something and doesn’t finish it!?” … Then I understood. He had mistaken what it means to have an ‘ending’ with his own personal lack of closure.

What a fool I had been! I had let a man who was blind to art dictate to me how I should feel about many things in my life, and I let him dictate how my stories were to be written. This was a relationship that had gone on for over 6 years! Writers – Don’t let people dictate how you work: You’re always going to get criticism, negative and positive. The trick is filtering through all of the “creativity nazis” out there and finding the people who know what they’re talking about.

The artists who succeed are the ones who have a firm foundation of personal values. The artists that succeed do not take their own mistakes and lock themselves away for it. Instead we should learn and grow from them.

Maybe you should ask yourself today what it is you value as an artist? What principles will you practice to give yourself a jumping platform for your work? If you’re trying your best and working hard, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

No amount of red pen marks, stupid idiots, or stuffy academic professors are going to stop me from writing. If anything, they’re going to make me work harder.

Best Wishes~
- Daniel J. Pike