Life can get pretty hectic.  I try to start my day each morning, in the quiet of my kitchen before anybody else is awake and write. This way I start each day with something good and I know no matter what happens the rest of the day I did accomplish something good.

Sometimes though, life is so hectic that it is more stressful to try and sit and write in the mornings. Too many thoughts intruding on everything else, kids, family, errands to run, work, the list goes on.

When it finally gets to the point where writing is a chore and not fun I take a break. For that morning or the couple after I don’t sit and force the writing; instead I simply try and clear my head.

To do that, I go outside with the dog and watch him run in the wet grass. I listen to the birds greet the morning sun and the day. I watch the sky brighten and a new day begin and I don’t worry about what needs to be done.  I don’t worry about this problem or that problem.  I just watch the world around me for a bit.

Now some would say I should write each morning no matter what. But if I am more worried about this or that then my writing will suffer. If it takes a day or two of clearing the head to get back to the right frame of mind to get into the story then that is what I will do, and it works for me.

what works for you when life gets hectic and the story suffers?

World building can be a lot of fun. After all, you are the master and commander of your entire world. You decide what the people are like, who they worship, what kinds of trials they will face. But it can also be difficult, frustrating, and time consuming. If  you spend all your time deciding every little detail on how your world operates, when will you actually write the story?

It can be a tricky line to walk – world building just enough to know what kind of place your character lives in but not overdoing each detail so you never get to writing.

My current project I got stuck in thinking I had to answer all the questions. It can be overwhelming when you think about it – finding all the answers to every question about how a world operates and exists. I wanted to start the story, but I didn’t have enough detail on the world. So I ended up “interviewing” two of my main characters. Once I had that, I was able to build a kind of history, or backstory, to my world and know enough to get started.

Am I missing something somewhere? Probably, but at least now my characters will find it along with me. That’s the fun part of writing.   🙂