Book Bling-Elizabeth Alsobrooks

#IWSG Driving Ms. Crazy An Adventure in Terror

6/1/2016

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG will be Murees Dupe, Alexia Chamberlynn, Chemist Ken, and Heather Gardner!

Driving Ms. Crazy An Adventure in Terror

I am driving myself crazy. Yup. Just call me Ms. Crazy. I have finally begun writing again in earnest. That's the good part. I write at least a little almost every day. That's the better part. So I am actually going somewhere. I write action/adventure fantasy so it takes place all over the globe--which requires a lot of research and imagination. I just wish it could all be in person. I write romance so the chapters often switch back and forth between H & H and location to location, which takes some creative focus and plotting for a pantser who happens to be ADHD and often has to work on her own writing in choppy, fragmented moments in time, like many writers with busy lives and work obligations. I want to just get it all down on paper and then go back and revise. I do. Honestly. I know I should. I know I must. But I can't. I have changed from first to third person. I have rearranged scenes. I have fleshed out scenes and done rewrites. I am driving myself crazy. But that is behind me now. I swear. I am now going to move forward and just write, without looking back...without looking back all the time. Okay, without looking back so much...as much, hardly ever. Is there a twelve-step program for perfectionist writers?

33 Comments

Nancy Gideon link

6/1/2016 04:23:43 am

Write on, Dr E!! Forward ho! You know what I'm going to say, so I'll just stick with write toward the end, don't keep your wheels spinning in the middle. At least, you're WRITING again!!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:50:05 pm

Thunk on head noted! LOL! Thanks, Nancy!

Pat Garcia link

6/1/2016 04:45:17 am

There are no perfect writers. Once you accept that all writers struggle with certain things that try to hinder their writing, maybe you will relax and just move with the flow.

Sometimes I read what I have written the previous day and I'll even make corrections, but I've learned to accept that that is okay.

Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia

http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/2016/06/iwsg-june-2016-recovery-is-not-matter.html

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:52:58 pm

Thanks, Pat. I will try to be more accepting of myself and my imperfections.

Loni Townsend link

6/1/2016 12:20:44 pm

Crazy is a fun state to be in. I hope you enjoy your stay!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:54:23 pm

Thanks, Loni! Thanks for stopping by the Nuthouse!

Heather M. Gardner link

6/1/2016 06:05:20 pm

I feel your pain. I really do, but you can't revise what you haven't written. It doesn't have to be great, or even good, just there so you can work on it.

Don't beat yourself up too much. We all overthink it.

Keep moving forward.

Heather M. Gardner
IWSG Co-Host

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:55:43 pm

Heather, you are so right. Control freaks have such a hard time letting go! I will try...

ChemistKen link

6/1/2016 08:23:55 pm

Sounds like a typical writer's life to me. Don't expect it to ever change. Good luck with the crazy!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:56:46 pm

Perhaps you can mix up a magic potion, Chemist Ken?!

Alex J. Cavanaugh link

6/2/2016 05:59:21 am

Just move forward and don't look back! Get that first draft done and then tinker with it. I never enjoy the first draft. I need to get it down on paper before I can really do anything with a story.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:57:41 pm

True, Captain Alex. Full steam ahead!

EE giorgi link

6/2/2016 07:10:28 am

you are doing the right thing, just flesh out that novel and when you are done and have a full plot, that's the time to go back and decide first or third, order of chapters, etc. Good luck!!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:58:35 pm

Thanks, EE! I appreciate the kind words.

Murees Dupe link

6/2/2016 07:43:39 am

The best thing is to get the story down. After that you can change things up, if you have to. At least you can now see whether you like your story better in first or third person. Some people actually do write novels in different points of view to see which they like best. I know you will work things out. Good-luck.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 10:59:53 pm

Thanks, Murees. I appreciate the encouragement.

Nicki Elson link

6/2/2016 07:49:50 am

Step 1: Post about it at IWSG
Step 2: Get advice from other authors
Step 3: See? You're already on step 3: read advice.
Step 4: Everyone's process is different, so take what advice works for you and discard what doesn't.
Steps 5-12: Repeat steps 1-4 as often as necessary. :)

Karen Walker link

6/2/2016 08:17:08 am

I wish you could be a bit more gentle with yourself. Sounds like you're doing just great.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 11:04:30 pm

Aw, thanks, Karen,

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 11:01:04 pm

Thanks, Nicki! I feel much better now that I have a sponsor! ;)

L. Diane Wolfe link

6/2/2016 11:55:07 am

Doesn't sound any crazier than anyone else's process. Welcome to the nuthouse of writing.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 11:03:28 pm

Thanks for stopping by, L. Diane. I feel cured already, just to know I'm "normal"!

Diane Burton

6/2/2016 08:16:22 pm

Keep on writing. As much as possible, don't look back. (Hard, I know.) Just keep on to the end. Then go back and revise. Best wishes.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 11:05:17 pm

Thanks, Diane. I appreciate the kind words.

C. Lee McKenzie link

6/2/2016 10:08:34 pm

The idea of "just write" is exactly perfect. What else can we do?

So glad you stopped in to say hi this month at The Write Game. Come back, please. We seem to share the same concerns.

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/2/2016 11:06:55 pm

Nice to see you here, C. Lee! There does seem to be a lot of looking back going around, doesn't there?

Alexia Chamberlynn link

6/3/2016 11:43:26 am

Oh man, I am all about the quick and dirty first draft. So I agree, quit messing and just write! You can edit your heart out later after the inspiration gets out intact :)

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/4/2016 10:17:21 am

Thanks, Alexia!

Lexa Cain link

6/3/2016 02:23:50 pm

The title of your post is so clever and funny! I'm an outliner, but that doesn't mean I write something down and then stick to it. Very often I have new and better ideas or realize something's not working. I NEVER go forward unless I'm sure that's what's behind me is logical and makes sense, so I'll go back and change, re-write, and then re-outline the whole thing. Otherwise you just find yourself lost in the woods and wandering around with no end in sight. Good luck!

Elizabeth Alsobrooks

6/4/2016 10:19:19 am

Thanks, Lexa! I'm very impressed that you outline, let alone outline again! Glad to know I am not the only one driving Ms Crazy! LOL!

Cynthia link

6/5/2016 03:16:52 am

Thanks for visiting my blog recently. I don't think perfectionist writers exist. I think those we think write "perfectly" have probably gone through the stuff you've mentioned in your post. Hang in there!

Cherie Reich link

6/6/2016 04:55:33 pm

It's okay if you do all that revision as you write. It sounds like you're figuring things out as you go, and there's nothing wrong with that. We have to write how we write, after all. :)

Michelle Wallace link

6/8/2016 01:05:46 pm

I thought I was the only one looking back all the time, changing things as I go along, struggling to just get the story down first.
Doing all these crazy things makes me wonder, how will I know when the first draft is done?
Love your post title...and play on words!
Thanks for visiting my blog!