Packing Heat 015: Getting Unstuck
Posted by Jordan Castillo Price at 4/25/2008 8:34 AM and is filed under Motivation,Tips,Inspiration,Productivity 
Stuck? Get UnStuck!
 | Two weeks ago, we talked about clearing out the clutter from our
writing areas. Here's an in-depth look at what I found on my desk, and
probably more than you'll ever need to know about how I organize my
space! Here's a funny picture of the list I made about what was on my desk before I cleaned it. Every time I looked at the note, I thought, "WTF does peas all over mean?" Note to self: write so that I can read it. |
PROMO: Channeling Morpheus: Payback |
A vampire hunter in eyeliner, two sexy, gay vampires, and plenty of angst to go around. Available NOW from Changeling Press. This was the story I never thought I'd sell anywhere, because the horror elements seemed too heavy for erotica. I'm so happy it found a home where a publisher thought as much of it as I did! Changeling has even asked me to make it a series. |  |
Stick, stack, stuck...unstuck
Don't give up if you get stuck. I get stuck all the time. Here are some ways to get unstuck.
- Journal on paper
- Journal online
- Talk to someone...physically...with your mouth, even
- Let the work sit and breathe
- Take a walk
- Slip into a supporting character's head
Your Assignment
Try writing about your writing. I'll be back next week with a quickie, and in two weeks I'll give you a peek into my writing journal. Talk to ya then!
P.S., I think I called this episode 16 when I was recording. It's 15. Hear what I mean, not what I say
| Download | Duration: 00:31:05
Could that have been "pens all over?" Been trying to write so I can read it for awhile, so I've had a bit of practice at this. My handwriting is so bad I read pens not peas. I had very nice handwriting until I learned to type. Now I can't convince anyone that it is even writing.
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Ding! Ding! Ding! You win the prize! It totally is "pens all over" but I STILL read it as "peas," even though I don't form my a characters like that. (They look more like 5s, I think.) I never had nice handwriting. Good thing typing exists! I don't write as badly as you see in my example if I think other people will have to decipher it, though. I have a blockier printing style for public consumption.
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I snickered when you said "cable wrangler". That sounds really Martha S!
I very much relate to having to explain something to somebody to kickstart my actions and, I think you're right on with recommending walks. What a simple cure-all.
FYI - Your organizing comments were so powerful, I immediately had to start cleaning up a couple of paper piles.
Thanks for the podcast!
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I wish I had a gang of assistants who could deploy and make the cable-wrangler happen for me. I really do dislike cables!
I think sometimes simple solutions feel suspicious. If it were THAT easy to turn a problem around and look at it a different way, why doesn't everyone do it, you know? I think sometimes we're not in the right headspace to realize that a short walk, or a drink of water, or a ten-minute break, would make all the difference in the world.
I watch that show where people come in and clean other people's houses (actually, there are several shows like that) when I really need motivation. I can't watch one of those and not put at least a couple of things away.
Thank YOU for commenting
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