Book Two

There are so many times in life when as a writer you sit and stare at a blank screen and wonder why. So why bother.

It's writing advice time, yet again.

Having put the last word to a 100K+ project, it was a little daunting when the other half of the writing team said. 'Let's do another.'

I was not quite sure whether or not I should laugh, get excited or hang my head in desperation. I'm sure you've all felt this way, you get to the end of a substantial project, only to realise its not really the end. There more to come, and your proofreaders want it now.

So, good feedback aside. That pressure of people wanting more is good, right? You've created colourful characters that people care about, have invested in, and desperately want to read more of.

Yet when the time comes, and you sit there in front of that huge screen of white nothingness. We find ourselves doubting. The usual questions come to mind, list time:

• What happens if I mess it up?
• Should I kill off a main character?
• Should I take it in a different direction?
• What happens if I go too far?
• ,,,
• ..

You know what I mean, the list expands. Before you know it you are doing more procrastinating but not in a good way. This is in self-doubt, too nervous to start, too worried to end.

So how do I get over it? Well the above counts for all of us. I would loop back to my default here, and remind everyone that I do not sleep. Which always comes in handy when you need to write to a deadline. Yet I can offer a bit of advice.

Leave the PC alone, step away from the keyboard. Grab a notebook and a pen. Yes, a good old paper writing session. Firstly it takes longer to write longhand, your brain can often work quicker then you can scribble. This is the opposite to when you type, when you feel that words are flowing 1:1.

So the first bit of advice is, grab a pen and slow down a bit. Take time to plot, and to think. it can really help.

The second bit of advice is this. Take pride in the pen. Yes, love that notebook. Rinse and repeat. Keep coming back to the one book. Build it over the years, full of anything and everything. The next time you get stuck, flip it open and read some of your past entries. You'll be surprised how a blank spell can be unstuck by your past version of yourself.

So do future you a favour and keep scribbling, even when you are prolific.

Anyway, I hope this helps somebody, somewhere.

For me and the rest of the team (you know who you are). It's onto book two. The notebook method really worked this time, a little too much I might add. Yet it served its purpose until next time its needed.