How do you focus on one story? I was asked by my dear friend Kit, and yes clearly she is a writer.
I agree it’s hard. With everything we writers see, hear or feel, new things enter our creative domain, and then new things get created. I took some time to think about it, and I have to come clean before saying, well anything else really.
I might not be the best to answer this seeing that DoE is one big loss of focus. How so? To answer that I will tell you what DoE was suppose to be about. Don’t worry, it does not contain spoilers since hardly anything made it into the DoE as we know it today.
DoE was suppose to be a fairly simple ‘one book, one story’ type. It would begin with Darren and Le’on around 8 years old losing their mother, and that would kickstart their journey to different parts of their world where they would start to follow in their dads footstep trying to find him. Quickly I created Marriel as a silent guardian that would follow them in the beginning. She was someone they hardly knew, but she was loyal to their father, and that was kinda that. Marriel would die within the first half of the book. In this book there was nothing like E’cen. None. There was an order that their father belonged to. One that did fight demons, but it wasn’t the reapers. Demons were in this book, ordinary demons from hell lead by a crazy queen trying to take over the world. Lastly, the twins would find a man trapped within a mountain. While they are trying to free him a portal appears, and Marriel returns with another person. Here, the twins would learn that the man was placed in this prison by the Reapers. Reapers living in the next life. Reapers were a bit like Valkyries. When a warrior died they would be invited into the Reaper army fighting the real demons that was nothing like the ones from Darren and Le’on’s world. She told them that the demons the twins had seen were more like the rats running by as the Reapers were facing the dragons. So, now you know.
Why is this important? Well, you see I got distracted by the next world. I got distracted by the questions that arose like why would Marriel be loyal to Cenric? I got distracted by the characters they met.
So many other stories and people came to mind while planning, and I tried so hard to push them away. I wrote some ideas down and told myself I would use them later for something else, but it didn’t help. As any DoE reader can see the first notes are far from the DoE world. This happened because I gave in to all of these distraction. I cleaned the table, and started over. Placing all the pieces that I had come to find interesting, and adapted them to fit the same world. ‘One book, One Story’ was doomed by doing this, even that storyline above changed, and that world was killed off, but DoE was born.
DoE has seen plenty of changes as well. Like the story was still beginning in the same place as the other, and it then had only three main characters. Haha oh dear. Three main? Oh how cute it was.
So, now we are here, and I at least think that this loss of focus proved to be a good thing. I killed off some darlings, and no it wasn’t funny. Still, I’m glad I did.
Maybe keeping focus is not so important? I have been working on DoE for many years now. A bit on/off at time, but still. I also know that since the writing has just begone it will take many years to come, but I’m not getting bored anytime soon. I still lose focus for a few days here and there, but I always return to DoE. How? Because DoE is what it is now. I changed it until I was standing with this story that embodies so many amazing things that I find to be fun to work with. I think that when you have trouble keeping focus it’s because your story might not be there yet. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about how good a story is. I’m simply talking about how it is to work with. It’s hard admitting that maybe story X isn’t the one for you, but sometimes that’s better than never getting it done, and as with DoE you might not have to start all over. Maybe make a story X 2.0?
Something else that helps is keeping your characters close. This is something I’m going to talk more about under character developing, but I’ll just explain briefly.
Whenever you have the possibility conjure you characters in your day to day life, but don’t place them in their own world. Place them in your world. If you can do this by magic then please go ahead. The rest of us will have to use our imagination. You place them in your own world so you don’t start focusing on the fictive world. Besides things might happen in your world that you have no control over. You never know what makes for interesting character comments or banter. Like a while back a lady was being rude to me, and Jillian commented on the green stuff in between her teeth. Clearly the characters knows you are the only one who notice them. It more fun that way at least.
It might feel stiff, and weird in the beginning. You might spend too much brainpower thinking ‘What will Ed say to this?’ Or ‘does he like juice or not?’
It is however a good way to get closer to the characters, and see them as people, and not just a flat character. Besides, it let’s you keep in touch with the story. So even when you aren’t working, you kinda are. I for one also get the need to return home, and work on that specific story.
I have been having a hard time getting back to work lately, but this helps. It also reduces my anxiety a great deal, but hopefully you don’t have that problem.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t think of yourself as the characters enemy (not even the bad guys), friend, lover nor family. You are the writer. You are the one person the character does not lie to. Around you they are their most true self. If you want to see them pretend to be something else then place another character in the room.
Again, I’ll get back to this later. It might sound crazy, but it’s not. Try it next time you eat alone or go shopping 🙂
For me this was always easy, and due to how my head works I get to see the people clear as day, but I hope you get some use of it as well. Many character traits, and conversions get’s developed like this. I don’t really think about that I’m doing this, and even though it’s all in my head I sometimes get surprised by the characters answers.
So get the day to day life a bit more colourful and the characters more personalized. It can be done with side characters as well to get a better understanding and feel with them.
Last night while walking my dog Calan joined in, and while writing all of this Darren stole one of my books and placed himself in my couch. Gabe is making noises upstairs, and Evi and Thea are doing something weird in the garden. So you see, you don’t even have to take part in whatever is going on.
Again, when it become a part of your day you’ll hardly think about doing it. Still, watch where you are going, and focus on driving!!
Keeping in touch with the story you want to focus on is key. Even if you want to work on something new or not work at all I still recommend that you at least open your story once a day. Read a few lines. To me getting that far is the hard part at times. When I do, however, I often find myself getting into the mood for continuing the story. Sometimes I don’t, and that’s just how it is then.
It’s better to write on another story than not at all! So you might have done everything to focus on story x, and still nothing or still your pull towards story y is killing you. Then go write story y! Maybe it takes a few days or a few weeks, and then it’s out of your system and you can return to x. Maybe y is the one that get’s finish first. Most importantly, you were writing! You have something to show for the time, and with every sentence you get better. So getting stuck is the last thing you would want to happen. Even if you are working on new stories every week, it’s still better.
But then I’ll never finish anything? Well that’s true, but hopefully you will find a story that doesn’t just sound cool or funny to write, but really speak to you. You need to ask yourself things like: What’s the main thing I want to say with this story? What do I like?
I for one sometimes get hit by the “Lobster Situation.” Yes the one from How I Met Your Mother. It’s a tiny background story, and goes like this: Robin’s doctor told her she was allergic to lobster and could never have it again. This leads to Robin to want the lobster so bad she eats it and get sick.
So I tell myself ‘I have a deadline
Small victories! Is a good place to start. After a long time of not finishing a story it can get harder. Try making short stories. Have a story that begins, and end within a page or two. Get the feeling of ending it. Get the joy of having a completed story. Get that win! It does help a lot. Besides, you can just keep the story and keep your eyes on the writers competitions out there. Maybe one of your little short stories fits the theme of a competition. Doing it like this gives the short stories even more meaning.
To stand or not to stand (alone).
Join up with other writers. Find someone you like more than the rest. Maybe a few. You can find writers on forums or even Facebook. Maybe you even have some among your friends. Now pour the and coffee, relax and take a moment to talk to them. From what I can see a lot of writers like the idea of meeting in writer groups. Each working on their own thing, but working in the room with someone else is a very good thing to do (if you find the right people). With some you can even make plans to help each other keeping head above the creative waters.
Find readers. I have some readers who helps me far more than they’ll ever know. I have sometimes been completely lost in another story or in a writers block, but getting mails like ‘When is the next part ready? I’m waiting! No pressure, but seriously just give it to me!’ It renews my love for the story, and leaves me with so much energy. You won’t need many. Just some who’s opinion you can take seriously.
Good luck!
I’ll keep thinking about focus. Maybe I have better advise in the future, but for now I hope some of these things help. It’s hard to contain creativity, so don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t lock it down into a ‘useful’ media. Self blame and frustration just might make it worse. Easier said than done, I know 🙂
So what do you think? Got any focus tricks to share with the group?
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