The Coal Game

[coalcube]

We're scrolling
And watching coalies make errors
The most pathetical errors!
We're watching experienced coalies
Who stayed up all night tracking a source in its original Latin
Up, writin'
And writin' bad!

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Comments

what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm starting to flag and I need to keep going, please provide advice oh wise coalies

(Don't say canon review, a. I've already done that b. For me personally it doesn't help...)

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

I just came back from a run without listening to music/podcasts and now I have my summary and a direction for the next two scenes!

For the actual writing, I find sprints on EAD or the Yuletide discord helps me get words. Even if they need fine-tuning later. I can't bring myself to do the shitty first draft thing unless I have that time pressure.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

Write on paper.

I hate it but it gets me unstuck.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

Write something else. I have two assignments I was completely stuck with and at a point where I was doubting my ability to string five words together, and I took a day off from them and instead wrote a fic I really wanted to write, chunked out more words in one day than I ever did before. Went back to my assignment the day after I finished that fic, and it's going better now because I'm feeling more confident.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

Take some time off. On purpose - "no working on that allowed until X Time". Hopefully you will be raring to go before the time's up.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

I find something else to do with my hands while I'm trying to compose the next sentence, rather than just sitting motionlessly staring at a blank page and trying to prod myself into thinking of something. Personally I tend to play casual one-player videogames like Tetris but anything like, IDK, colouring books or whatever would probably work; just something that keeps your hands moving without requiring any reading/calculations/memorisation that's going to interfere with the 'trying to come up with some words' part of your brain, and is easy to pick up and put down at any point. I guess for me it just helps keep up the sense that I'm still actively engaged in doing something while I sit there and think about what comes next, rather than if I'm sitting still doing nothing but trying to think and get stuck on, "I'm supposed to be writing but I'm not actually writing, nothing's happening, still nothing happening, aargh..."

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

For me, mood music can help. Something happy for a fluffy story, creepy for a horror fic, country music for something set in the woods... that kind of thing.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

Not canon review, but adjacent review of things that I want in the fic! I'll read an author I admire for tone I want to emulate, or compile a playlist with the mood I want to evoke.

Showers almost always work for me. I'll stare at the prompt and then go have a shower or hot bath. Idk temperature change is magical!

Going for a run or some sort of exercise and then immediately sitting down and forcing myself to do an outline even if it's one I'll throw away.

Re: what helps you get your writing mojo?

[(Anonymous)]

alcohol