Personalities with short attention spans, ala mine, tend to jump around on ideas a lot. Heck, I've met a lot of artists who never finish anything because they either aren't content with it or another shiny idea distracts them. I'm surprised I can dedicate myself to one idea for so long and actually get projects finished, considering I have one of those personalities. To help temper that tendency, I have to have a very linear writing process where I can't skip ahead and write the scenes I want to. I have to write the in-between-scenes before the big confrontations. I have to write the development scenes before the action goes down. The lulls have to be the hardest part to write because of the potential for distraction.
Unfortunately this has happened and I've been plagued by the urges to rewrite, revise, skip around, deviate from my outline until the entire WIP is not salvageable. Resisting these urges is a trial in itself. When one of them proves necessary, like rewriting the opening, I can take a break from new material to fulfil it. However, the strong revision bug always inspires the same question, if this is boring me, then won't it be boring for my reader?
I've read on plenty of blogs that if a scene is boring you, you should change it to something that doesn't bore you. The writer's boredom is obvious to the reader through their writing. Of course, these train wrecks can be cut in the editing/revision stage, but getting through them is a test in itself. So, if a scene isn't interesting to me, in theory I should change it. Change it to what, though? That makes for either many hours of delightful brainstorming that renews enthusiasm, or many hours of sitting there, staring at a blank word processor and slowly killing your eyesight.
The two best solutions I've found, so far, while investigating ways of ending these creative dole drums, is rambling on for a paragraph or two about nothing until an idea hits and you roll with it, or rewriting the scene from the beginning from a few experimental angles to see what sticks. It's like spaghetti noodles! You see it's ready when it sticks to the wall. Or that's how the wives' tale goes...
What are some of your ways of breaking the infamous 'writer's block'? Do you think it even exists? Your thoughts are much appreciated! :)
On a side note, I have good news and bad news. The good, I have been searching for summer employment and finally landed a cashiering job at Borders! The bad, my Kobo screen turned all black and I can't read a thing on it. So, unfortunately I have to spend a good amount of money getting it fixed...it's going to be awhile before I can revel in portable ebooks again.
