I’m SO excited to have Dan Springer here today because I LOVE the premise of his book, The Wilco Project. Also, Dan is just one of those amazingly talented guys that is down to earth and so supportive of others. I think every one will relate to this post in some way. Thank you for this honest and touching post, Dan. I’m so glad you are writing again. *Hugs*
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Writing Crash . . . How I Am Rebooting!
I am both a writer and a computer geek and I tend to express things in technology metaphors. In fact, computer and wireless technologies play a significant role in my mystery/suspense/thriller, The WILCO Project. So, as a self-professed nerd, I often compare my writing production with the performance of my trusty old (like, eight years old) PC—sometimes I click on a window and the computer responds immediately , while other times I sit in agony as the paralyzed, hourglass cursor stares back at me. Similarly, there are writing sessions where I crank out hundreds or thousands of words with ease, while other days I spend a hours and manage a paragraph or two.
Why does my ancient PC act so sluggish at times (other than it is too old and I am too cheap to replace it)? Usually I have opened too many programs: my word processor, Web browser, IM tool, Twitter client, photo editing tool, HTML editor, FTP client, file manager (you get the idea), all at the same time. This happens when I am multi-tasking, like creating content for DanielSpringer.com while monitoring Twitter, while IMing, while responding to email, while handling a conference call, while…again, you get the picture. My focus jumps from task to task and, at a certain point, my PC takes so long to switch from Word to Photoshop to Firefox that the whole thing becomes inefficient and frustrating. This is when I realize it is time to shut down the multiple programs and concentrate on one task at a time. More focus requires less open programs which results in much better response time from my PC making me more efficient.
I have found that many times a sluggish and inefficient writing session can be caused by a similar lack of focus. There is no real magic to my writing style—I have a movie playing in my head and I simply document it to the best of my ability with words. When I don’t concentrate and other thoughts interrupt the movie, it goes something like this:
“Annie inched along the…” Dan, did you remember to pay the electric bill? “…cliff, unable to…” Psst, don’t forget your Dad called yesterday! “…peer down at the roaring…” Have you thought about what to get Sheri for your anniversary? You only have six months left to purchase it! “…river below.”
I can guarantee my writing from a session like this will not be very good. So, how do I avoid this? How do attempt to concentrate and focus on writing? What works for me is to implement the following:
- Write consistently—I am optimal when I write at least six days a week (early in the morning when the house is quiet).
- Print out and edit the morning work later that evening (preferably right before going to bed).
- Start the next writing session by entering the edits from the previous night into the manuscript first, and then continue writing.
When I follow this process I seem to have better focus and concentration on the story which results in fewer inefficient sessions (like the one above). By writing almost every day, the story stays fresh in my mind and I feel intimately invested. Plus, working on a manuscript with very few days off is bound to result in progress, which is a real motivator for me. Writing in the morning and editing at night does a couple of things for me. First, it allows time to pass between writing and editing so I have a fresh perspective when wielding the red, editing pencil. Also, I find that editing right before going to bed seems to keep the story in my subconscious and I often dream about it and/or wake up with great new ideas. Lastly, starting the writing session by putting the previous night’s edits into the manuscript serves as a perfect warm-up for the morning’s writing session. It gives me the proper context for moving the story forward in fluid manner.
Now for something a bit more ominous—have you ever been plugging away on your computer and suddenly you are staring at the dreaded “blue screen of death?” (Apple users: you probably don’t have to worry about this, but for the sake of my analogy, please imagine your Mac just up and died!) That’s right, I am talking about a crash. When this has happened to me, all work just stops and I have to push and hold the power button until the thing reboots. Most of the time the reboot takes a long time (remember, I am using a steam-powered Dell that still runs Windows XP), as the hardware and file system is checked for errors. But finally, with any luck, the computer reboots and I thank the heavens I have dodged another bullet and won’t have to shell out for a new PC. But, my work is interrupted and some of the stuff I had been working on might have been lost.
Recently, my writing suffered a crash. In August I had written 16,000 words on the follow up novel to The WILCO Project when my progress unexpectedly halted—I crashed. I am rarely able to understand the cause when my PC crashes, but I know exactly what caused my writing crash: I lost a very close friend. His passing impacted me greatly and my writing (in all forms including tweets, blogs, my newsletter, and the book) halted. For a couple of months I left my writing at “the blue screen of death” to focus on other things—my motivation to write had vanished. It was not until a month or so ago that I even pressed the power button to begin the process of rebooting my writing.
The reboot process has been slow. One of the things that I focused on during my crash was my health, and that has proven beneficial in restarting me. I am 20 pounds lighter, in shape and feel fantastic. The other major factor helping my reboot process has been reading. All successful authors that I know are big readers, but I had devoted little time to reading prior to the crash as my focus had been writing. After pushing the power button and starting the reboot, I have been reading a lot, both fiction and non-fiction. All the reading has and motivated me to start working again.
Lastly, writing this for Ciara’s most excellent blog has been enjoyable and therapeutic. I haven’t written much of anything for nearly four months (I apologize for the rust and length of this piece) and penning this reminds me how much I enjoy putting words on paper. Ciara, thank you so much for unwittingly participating in my writing reboot!
Daniel Springer
BIO:
Daniel Springer is author of the The WILCO Project released by Solstice Publishing on October 31, 2010. The WILCO Project quickly hit the #1 best seller spot in the Suspense/Thriller category at Fictionwise.com and peaked at the #10 overall spot. The book received “honorable mention” in the 2005 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary awards for best unpublished novel and was also a semifinalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.
Daniel lives near Tampa, Florida with his wife of twenty-three years and their two children. His story ideas draw heavily from his extensive background and expertise in technology, having worked in the computer and telecommunications industries for the past twenty-five years. He enjoys golf, snowboarding, music and playing video games with his kids. Visit Daniel at http://DanielSpringer.com
BLURB:
When a phone call requesting his presence at a campus murder scene shatters Professor Steven Archer’s Saturday morning, he has no idea how the tragic events of the next forty-eight hours will change his life forever.
The dot-com millionaire turned college professor rushes to the scene and is devastated to learn that the victim died playing a cell phone game he invented. When his project manager becomes the prime suspect, Steven is thrust into the complex murder case against his will.
After a second student is murdered, everything is at risk—the fate of his project manager, the lives of the college students and Steven’s own career and reputation. Together with an old detective friend and a campus cub reporter, Steven must hunt down the murderer using all of his expertise before the killer strikes again.
The Kindle and eBook versions of the The WILCO Project are currently on sale for a limited time for $1.99! Plus, buy The WILCO Project (or any Solstice Publishing book) between now and December 24, 2011 and you could win a Kindle eReader. Details are here: http://www.solsticepublishing.com/pages/Author-Events-and-Contest.html
The Wilco Project can also be purchased at Amazon, Fictionwise, Solstice Publishing, Smashwords, and Bookstrand.
Ciara,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for allowing me to post of your blog!
Dan
Dan,
I’m so excited that you are here today. It is my pleasure to have you on my blog. You’ll find everyone is supportive and friendly around here. You’ll fit right in.
Thanks for this post. Dan, it’s nice to meet you and learn a bit more about you. Best of luck on your writing!!!
Hi Lynn, thanks for reading the post. By the way, I love following you on Twitter–you always have me laughing out loud!
Dan
Lynn is entertaining on Twitter. I wish I had half her stamina. The girl is crazy. In a good way.
Nice to meet you, Dan. Thanks for sharing your process. It must have been hard to start writing again after such a sad time. I love the sound of your book, thanks for sharing Ciara!
Hi Catherine,
It has been a challenge. Having been close friends with Greg for 22 years, his passing hit me hard. I will bounce back, he would have insisted on that for sure!
Dan
22 years of memories is a lot. He would want you to be happy for sure.
I agree, Catherine.
Hello Dan. Great post. I really enjoyed reading about your writing and editing process. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words, Maggie,
Dan
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Awesome post. I’m still shaking my head how you can have multiple screens open on an 8 yr old computer running XP. I mean, are you crazy??? You must like high-risk sports too. Ok, rant over.
I just bought your book! Sounds intriguing. (Thank you so much, Ciara, for stripping my wallet again)
Hi Laura,
I am crazy to still be using my old steam powered DELL with Windows XP :’) and, yes, I ski, snowboard, and have jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Thanks so much for buying THE WILCO PROJECT too!
Dan
I want to go snow skiing. I’ve never been. Of course, growing up in Florida I did plenty of water skiing.
The book sounds great. Here’s hoping for great success for you!
Hi Jillian,
Thank you very much for the kind words.
Dan
Ohh, I like it … too many ‘programs’ running in the old mellon … that sounds way better than ‘writer’s block’.
Hi Christopher,
Yeah, I am such a geek, aren’t I? The brain, after all, is a the original mainframe computer. ;’)
Dan
Constant writing last year during NaNo kept my writing and ideas flowing. Wish I typed faster so I could keep up with the movie in my head.
I’m also a computer geek. Can’t go more than three years without a brand new computer though.
Hi Alex,
From one geek to another, thanks for taking the time to read my post.
Dan
Hi Dan! I love what you said about the importance of being a reader. I *never* read. Ever. I spend every free minute I have writing, so reading has suffered. I need to get back into the habit of reading, even if it’s just for 10 minutes before bed. I have so many books in my TBR pile, many of them written by friends (like Ciara!). Gotta find something to cut out so I can read.
Your book sounds awesome. Best of luck with your writing!
Hi Kendall,
Finding time to read is such a challenge! I have figured out a way to cheat a bit allowing me to “read” a lot more than I used to–I’ve been listening to audio books. I have always had a subscription to Audible.com, but now that I have a 4G LTE phone, downloading and streaming the books is a snap! I find myself listening to books while driving and working out. During this reboot I have read and listened to at least ten books (both fiction and non-fiction). The downside is I sometimes find myself sitting in front of the grocery store, unable to pry myself away from my audio book :’)
Dan
Dan, make sure that your computer has the most current hardware drivers available through Windows update. As well, it sounds like your computer may be old enough that Dell might have a new updated Bios that you can use to flash your Bios with. The blue screen of death can happen for any number of reasons, but it usually happens when there is a problem with the hardware communicating with the software…a driver that stops working or something like that. The error code that flashes briefly (something like 0X000EEE) that you see on the screen is important. You need to write that down and then plug it into a google search to go to the proper Windows forum.
Anyway, sounds like you have a good grasp on your writing process.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the tech advise, I appreciate it!
Dan
Thanks for sharing your process, Dan. Consistency does breed good habits.
Your book sounds interesting.
Happy Holidays.
Hi Isis,
Thanks for reading the post!
Dan
Morning Dan,
Thanks for sharing some of your writing process with us. I do agree that the need to concentrate while writing is important. I used to have a Dell running XP but never had the ‘blue screen’ problem. Of course I didn’t have as many windows open as you do. Mine finally just plan died.
Hi Lindsay,
You are welcome and thanks for commenting.
Dan
Nice to meet you, Dan. I like the technology metaphors. I never thought of it all quite that way, but it fits. Glad you found a way to re-boot yourself!
Hi Kirsten,
Great to meet you too!
Dan
I enjoyed reading your post and the computer comparisons. It’s a good reminder that we do need to reboot sometimes. Reading does always tend to take a back seat when we become busy. It’s a shame because, like you, I think reading some good books is an excellent way to get back in the groove. Happy writing
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for reading the post and commenting!
Dan
He edits his work by hand? That’s the second recommendation today to write by hand…maybe the universe is sending me a message.
Hi Maurice,
I do edit my day’s work by hand. I like to grab the printed pages from the morning writing session and find a quiet place (and not my office) like the back porch, and edit the old fashioned way (sometimes with a single-malt scotch or a nice glass of Merlot by my side too ;’)). For me, reading the words on paper is different than viewing them on a monitor. Plus, I can edit faster and more efficiently with a pencil–probably because of my days as the news editor of my college newspaper. Not sure if my way is the right way, but it seems to work for me.
Thanks for reading the post and commenting!
Dan
Dan seems like a very nice guy, Ciara, great work!
Hi Dezmond,
I am a nice guy, except for the murdering of a college girl here or there (in my book, of coarse)! :’)
Dan
Its great to meet you Dan! Good luck with The Wilco Project!
Nice to meet you too, Stephen! Thanks, Dan
I’m envious of your regular writing process. As for the story of your recent crash, all I can say is Dropbox. I have a laptop that is on the fritz due to all the reasons you’ve listed: age, multiple programs running, etc. It’s been a perfect solution for me.
Dan, your book sounds great! I’ll check it out. It’s going on the TBR list.
Hi Brinda,
I am glad to meet you and so happy you are interested in reading my book!
Dan
I can relate to so much you’ve said here. I often bemoan my computer and wish I were a computer expert–I don’t know how much time I waste waiting for things trying to happen or trying to fix something.
I saw the title of your book and I anxiously read on since I thought it was about the rock group Wilco (great group!). Your book still sounds pretty good. Enjoyed the post.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Hi Arlee,
Thanks for reading the post and your comments.
Dan
This was a great post, Dan. I’m struggling with getting myself up and going, and it’s encouraging to know I’m not the only one.
Hi Tess,
I am glad you enjoyed the post. I wish you luck in your reboot!
Dan