If you have looked at other online guides in the past then you might well be aware that there are MORE THAN ENOUGH articles that cover this exact same topic, usually in a very orthodox manner focusing on textbook answers such as: "Keep the room well lit" or "Make sure there isn't any distractions". Now that does in theory sound like a reasonable request but I'm going to hazard a guess that any human with any functional form of independence has already attempted this without it resulting in any significant difference. I never could imagine someone sitting down and reading these 'tips' while in a pitch-black room experiencing two rock concerts having a music battle on either side of his/her house and think to themselves "OH SO THAT WAS THE PROBLEM ALL ALONG!". 1013Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnYyo7ZFl0
In short the suggestions I'm going to make in all ways ignore the basics of writing. Most people know that distractions are.... distracting and that without light its very hard to see the words your writing. I also won't be addressing your writing set-up be it laptop, computer, pen and pencil or even crayon on a wall, or other conventional things such as the location where you prefer to write. With that said here are some of MY tips to getting in the groove of writing for semi-long to marathon sessions.
TIP 1: Get some music going!
My first tip is a very divisive one, some people find it insanely difficult to write and have any form of noise around them because it draws their focus from the book to the music in question. Personally I can't work half as long when there isn't anything busying my mind while I write, as strange as that sounds. The way it works for me is that while I'm using 'Language' part of my brain to formulate sentences or storyboarding there is also the music to activate my 'Audio' receptor elsewhere in my mind. The music's main purpose is to maintain a constant level of easy-going enjoyment while I work through hard or boring segments (the afore mentioned storyboarding).
With that being said there is a "Right and a Wrong" to picking the perfect music when sitting down or motivation yourself. Depending on your personal tastes in music it may be a little hard to find the right balance in certain genres so don't expect that you can just pump some 'Speedcore' music or 'Dragonforce' and be focused enough to write a touching romance novel. When looking for music I have devised a very simple system to get the most from it.
1. NEVER have ANY type of music TOO LOUD. This may seem a little basic (and I'm trying to avoid that in general) but I have found myself multiple times sitting at my desk writing away when some awesome piece of music comes on and I completely ignore everything else. After 5 odd minutes of sitting there and thinking the lyrics to myself I realised that I had just wasted so much time... AND WORSE that the main character had seemingly become insane because the regular conversation he was having now randomly begins rapping about cheese or something! So always make sure that your volume is lower than you'd have it when you are conventionally listening to it, preferably so its is quiet in normal regards.
2. AVOID having music with LYRICS. This isn't exactly a 'golden rule' as such but it does have an impact in my experience. I've stated in the first paragraph of this tip that there is a distinct difference way that writing and music affects the mind, however when they overlap it causes problems (much like the afore mentioned 'bout of insanity'). Unfortunately that means for most people that their mainstay music genre might be seemingly incompatible with writing but there are always exceptions. If need be try a new genre that is more suitable such as ambient or if your into gaming then there are ample OST's (Original Sound Tracks) or BGM's (BackGround Music) on YouTube to peruse.
3. TEMPO.....TEMPO....TEMPO. It isn't exactly rocket science to most that high energy music will warrant a high energy response, something that's somewhat hard to do when your attempting to form a cohesive story and sit in a stationary position. Choosing music with a more manageable BPM (beats per minute) helps to keep it ticking over in the back of your mind without becoming the focus of your attention. If the music is too slow it might seem lifeless and defeat the purpose of listening to it in the first place and inversely a fast-paced piece of music may become an overwhelming nuisance.
Just by following these rules two things are certain:
One - That you will find the perfect piece(s) of music to sate your needs when writing
Two - That there AREN'T MANY that fit into this format perfectly.
In regards to the second point, this is mostly true for conventional music but when you start looking for alternatives it becomes clear that there is indeed a thriving industry focused on easy-going and low intensity music. So those finding it hard to get started in the right direction I'll provide some music selections below.
Okamiden OST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff44kCUAQgc
The Journey (GTA4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsqMyuXZ8ng
Age of Mythology Soundtrack *EDIT*1013Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwTQkBR6EN
https://youtu.be/TGXwvLupP5A?t=54s1013Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsYpJYqkPs
Tip 2: Write every idea down as soon as you get it.
I think everyone who has ever decided to write a book or even something smaller has at one point forgotten some quintessential information along the way and that feels like a great loss to your overall idea. Usually this can happen in the brief time between transitioning from one room to another to reach the computer and write it down. For myself I've had countless awesome ideas while laying half-awake in my bed just letting my mind run wild but before I could get up and head to my computer desk its all but gone, just leaving random fragments in my memory.
To counteract this I implemented a two pronged plan. Firstly, always have a pen and paper within reaching distance of your work space AND a small notebook or notepad near your bed for those random sparks inspiration when you wake up. Secondly, never be afraid to write ANY of the ideas down! There are ideas that are instant goldmines for your stories and some that seem like garbage but both have their merits and as such should be both written down. This means that you can record them so they don't have to constantly be remembering them and also (for the useless ones) you completely remove them from your head so they don't infect your planned writing.
After only a short time you'll realise the HUGE volume of creative ideas you can come up with, some more handy than others of course. Use as many pages as necessary and don't hem yourself in with taking priority over what will have a bigger impact on your writings. The main reason that I endorse writing in a physical medium is because it has the flexibility to let you scrawl random things around the border of the page to label and categorise your ramblings listed. This is handy for the next step: "Storyboarding" because you can scribble page after page with numbers, arrows connecting ideas and sketches which will help you visualise concepts in your story. Physical writing also helps retain memories longer (scientifically proven) because as you move the pen across the page your muscle memory and brain remember EXACTLY what you've written in the past.
Lastly, avoid throwing away or destroying "bad" ideas at the time. It may seem stupid to list every idea you've had initially for the story but even though they might not be used for it you can always take a lone idea and just run with it for a whole new story! Minor plotline ideas could in themselves be added on to and modified into a whole new grand adventure by themselves, always give every idea a chance before you act upon them.
Here are some of my random unused ideas that I have in my personal notepad next to my bed, most of them will never be used but maybe they could spark some ideas in your head. Remember, these are just random sporadic ideas:
- An isolated tribal court that has the option to fight to the death in order to stop a law being passed. (Could be used in an adventure book)
- A main character having a missing arm / leg (An easy concept but one ignored for the most part. The writer needs to focus on the implication of his disability for everyday living and actions.)
- The idea of a society dependant on a substance in order to continue living. (This idea has been done in things like the drug "Candy" from 'Deadman Wonderland' and also that Hollywood movie I can't remember where everyone has a set timer to live that gets extended if the protagonist completes tasks. It always helps have an instant motivating point, just look at the movie 'Escape from L.A. with Kurt Russel.)
- Anything with super powers. Protagonist could: change object densities (which could create black holes etc.) or give life to small objects (to make an army out of office supplies and take over his/her workplace) or only be able to generate unlimited pineapple juice (who knows what could happen!). JUST MAKE SURE that they don't always follow all the common abilities like fire / ice powers or flying / running fast like all the other well-established super heroes have.
- And so on....
Tip 3: Storyboarding
All I can say is... I have spent SO MUCH TIME on the countless storyboards I've made for "Ubi" in order to make it a cohesive and immersive reading experience. In the same book that all my ideas go into there are many dedicated pages on mind maps and revisions for story elements that it looks like that cliché image of a conspiracy theorist's corkboard with all the red string connecting the dots. It is either a long slog through the unknown or it could be a ball of fun you could spend hours thinking up connecting themes and events (Like I do).
There are many benefits of having a in-depth storyboard for any long story (Novella, novel or longer) because it can concentrate all the premium ideas you've come up with in Tip 2 into a short list for application. This helps to both see the plotlines you have dedicated to the story and observe the outcome of it before you even lift a finger writing the story and jumping headlong into a mistake right off the bat.
Looking at my personal notes for 'Ubi' it may seem obvious that to anyone that has read the excerpt that the book it generally dark in tone, something that if left to wallow in its negative themes will leave the reader numb to the environment described in the fictitious town of "Grentin" for example. With my first storyboard it was painfully obvious that all my planned future content was all negative so when I made my revision before everything could go wrong I made new plotlines and a more complex trend of themes to mix in some uplifting aspects.
By applying a juxtaposing theme into the mix you 'refresh' the reader's mind from whatever the main theme of the book is. For example a horror book just cant have permanent suspense otherwise it become tedious for the most commonplace actions. Imagine the main character slowly opening a door, slowly sitting down with a tense expression, slowly opening a can of soda.... tensely. It would be the most boring thing ever so that's why the 'jump scare' or 'false scare' was implemented (mostly in visual media) so that the 'energy' of the scene goes from progressively tense to horrifically shocking and then to relief. RELIEF, something that when you ask a person about how they feel about horror movies they never respond with. This is a perfect example of the juxtaposing theme to counteract the mood!
By using your story board effectively you can sprinkle in scenes that have this effect on the story to get the most out of it. Got a romance? Use themes of sorrow or loss. Got an action? Swap out another scene about shooting bad guys and get some actual plot in there, human emotions or even signs of fear in the protagonist! How about a sci-fi? Have a race of rock-slinging brutes, or a xenophobic protagonist or even some wayward human that shuns technology and throws away his laser pistol for a revolver or something weirder like a banana because he's a pacifist.
All this potentially toxic oversaturation of a single theme can be seen from miles away with he help of a mind map, a list or just little scribbles in your book. Never underestimate the strength of what a few random thoughts and arrows connecting them could potentially do for your book.
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