Lesson 32

Writing Class by Rick Kurtis
 In a Slump. Lesson 32
 Welcome back for another lesson. It is so nice to have you all listening, or should I say reading. If you have missed any classes, or this is your first, feel free to read all from the beginning, posted on my website, and I want to thank you for joining us.
A lot of people have asked me, “Rick, how do you get through a slump? I just can’t pick up a pen. I have writer’s block. I don’t seem to find the time. I stare at a blank sheet of paper or my computer.”

These are all good questions, and we will go through them today. Hold onto your hats, here we go. Some people say they want to write, but they don’t know what to write about. That was lesson number two. Whether you want to write 100,000 word novel, or a 1000 word short story, pick something that really gets under your skin. Something you feel very passionate about. Maybe a dream you had and you can’t get it out of your head.
Short stories anywhere from 800 to 1000 words, or maybe 2000 words get you into a habit, and are a great exercise. Watch the news and write a rant, or question the weatherman’s prediction. Short stories can be sent to magazines so your name can get out as being published. Some will post them, and some may even buy them and post them. Also you can write for contests, greeting cards, or newspapers.
If you have a book in mind, but don’t know where to begin, go to your library or bookstore and browse. Check out books, or sit and page through reading other authors who wrote the same genre as yours. Learn from them. Obviously if they made it into a bookstore or library, they have done something right.
All right, you began your book. You have jotted down three chapters and you stumble with writer’s block. What do you do?
Think about your book on how you wanted to go. Put your character in a totally different scenario. Make a few shorts. Write one funny, make one sexual, make one scary, gruesome, or horrific. Mix it up with a few shorts to pluck your mind. It might even give you an idea for a different book, or take your character in a whole new direction. I usually have three books in writing at a time. If I get stuck on one, I will go to the other, giving the other one a rest. It seems to break up the monotony and gives me time to develop more ideas for my characters. Think how one character would react if placed with another character in a different book. Freaky, right? What advice they could give to one another.
Another thing to try is jump ahead. You know what you want to happen. You planned it out from the beginning to the end. So, write the ending, or write a great action scene coming up in the middle. This might make you have to change your first three chapters in order to tie them all together. But ultimately it will enhance your story. You may find your character taking over and your pen will fly across the page, your heart will pound, and your eyes will water as you become short of breath. Your hand will quiver so bad and write so fast that you won’t be able to read your own writing. Or is that just me?
A gal in the group said she would love to write, but with the kids, school, work, and the house, she just didn’t have time. The nice thing about today is technology. Buy a recorder, or record on your phone. When you’re cleaning, doing the laundry, cooking, driving the kids to school, just open your mouth and talk. Tell the story as if you were telling it to a friend. A lot of people listen to music and sing while they do housework. Instead of singing, let your thoughts go and record them by talking out loud. They just came out with a new little device that is a flash drive that contains a microphone. It is called UBS Voice Recorder. It has ten hours of battery life, and 400 hours of record time. When you’re done, it plugs right into your computer and downloads. This will give you all the time in the world. But if it is your passion, and you really want to do it, you will just have to make time for You.
Enjoy your week, and may you be blessed. I’ll look forward in sharing next week. Until then,
 
Happy Writing from rickkurtisbooks.com