I’ll be honest, this isn’t something I do: but a writing friend told me that this is what they do, and I thought it might be useful for others to hear.
It’s just a quick tip: Do you struggle getting back into writing, when you start a new writing session on a book you’re currently working on?
If so, are you like me, and do you usually stop writing when you finish a chapter? That’s what I always do. It just feels natural. My readers will stop reading at a chapter, so that’s when I stop writing too. I’d say that puts me in a writing minority though. most writers have much more sophisticated – and probably much more sensible – approaches, and write in scenes, moments, arcs, or some other form, then work at putting it all together.
But just in case you’re like me, writing chapter-to-chapter, and keep finding that you’re struggling to start the next new chapter at the start of a writing session, it might be not the best idea to pick up at that point. There’s a sudden surge of “oh no, where was I going with this?”
If when you get back into your next session, you struggle to get “back to the pace”, here’s the tip: don’t finish on a chapter. Finish the chapter, then start writing a few sentences of the next chapter, while it’s still fresh in your mind. And hey, even better: finish MID-SENTENCE. Yes, that sounds like madness, but it might just help you pick right up when you start your next writing session.
Hey, if you’re struggling, it’s worth a try, right?
Andy Jones Online 