One of the valuable things from Masters course was the wealth of experience from across all forms of writing. It provided a font of tried and tested ideas unlike anything I had experienced before. I don't suppose everything works for everyone but the tips I have used before and know work for me, I have put below. Feel free to give them a go, I hope they help.
When I'm struggling to think through a 'scene' and it just isnt working, I leave my writing space and find something physically distracting to do. My favourite distraction for sorting this problem is a Jigsaw. It occupies the conscious area of my mind while the creative muse can run riot. Other things such as cleaning or walking on the treadmill can work too. It just needs to be something I dont have to concentrate doing.
Tension can be a big problem for the creation process. Looming deadlines, self-confidence problems, continuous interruptions, all (and many more) can lead to tension. All of the things I have listed plague me from time to time and I find that even though you need to be aware of your deadlines - including your self imposed ones - and to a lesser extent your personal limitations, these things must not occupy the forefront of your mind when you sit down to write.
If you feel less than confident about the quality of what you are writing, dont stop! Keep writing and forming the story, quality can be addressed during the next draft and there will always be something useful which comes out of the work you've already done - even if it's just the understanding of your characters or where the plot is going.
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Finding a place you can call your 'writing space' is important. This is something that I found quite hard to find at first but eventually settled in my conservatory with my laptop as it is quiet and has good light. Some of the things to keep in mind when choosing a space are:
- Light and power points (for the technical gadgets of our writing age) - Make sure everyone knows you are not to be disturbed or distracted there - No family members running/walking backwards and forwards past your field of view - A quiet space where noise (other than anything that helps you write) is kept to a minimum - warm and comfortable seating with suitable firm surface for a laptop or notepad and (my personal preference) ... with juice/tea/coffee 'on tap'. Dialogue... something I find particularly challenging but I was given some excellent advice. When you've written your dialogue speak it out loud. You will instantly know if it sounds like something your character would say and if it isn't then you can change it.
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