Today I realized that my best path through writer's block is just to write. Inspiration isn't going to come if I just sit on my phone and stare at TikTok all day, although TikTok does have some useful and valid content. No, my best path to inspiration is just to sit down and type until the inspiration hits and we (inspiration and I together) find a breakthrough. Sometimes it's the characters and I who find a breakthrough together. My characters do all sorts of things against my will. It's a matter of taming them and finding a happy medium.
So my intention that I'm setting today is to try to write at least one scene per day. That may average out to seven scenes per week. I may be feeling productive one day and write two or three scenes, or more. Another day, it may be a struggle to even finish one scene. But I owe it to myself to at least sit down and try. And some weeks I may take the weekend off. And I'm giving myself permission here to do that.
On a positive note, the first (very rough) draft of Chapter One is complete in Souls (that's a working title for now). So I'm definitely making progress.
This is no NaNoWriMo type of writing. This is slow, careful work with an outline, a scene list, and a character sheet for every main and secondary character. Although, when I started Book of Caution a few years ago, I did have a pretty decent outline and a character sheet for every main and secondary character. I also had a map that I drew myself. But for Souls, my map is inside my head. I'm visiting places I'm familiar with, places that live inside me as much as I lived in or near them.
So, one scene per day on average. Get on one of my social media platforms and support me with kind words and encouragement if that's something you're comfortable with. I'd sure appreciate it!
