Okay, not teeth, actually, but words.

This was THE slowest writing day EVER. Usually I hit a spot where the words just flow while time seems to slow.

Next think I know, I hit 1K+ words in more than an hour.

Not today.

Letter by letter, word by word, I eeked out a couple of crappy scenes.

See, it’s okay to stink up the page on the first draft.

It’s key to get the story down. Pantser or plotter, you have to eventually type words.

I’m confused about folk who can write a great scene the first time.

I must have missed that “talent” line in heaven when they called it out.

I have to write, then rewrite and rewrite one more time.

If I’m lucky, one more time before the editorial letter.

So the hard days feel like pulling teeth without Novocain.

What do to on the hard days?

1. Determine to keep your backside in the chair and hammer out every painful word until you’ve reached your goal.

2. Take short breaks.

3. Pray.

4. Call a friend for brainstorming ideas. If you there’s no one to call, talk to the dog.

5. Immerse yourself in water — pool, ocean, shower, bath. The best ideas come to me in those moments.

6. Pray.

7, Go to the gym. I’m amazed at the creative spark I get when I’m in spin class or lifting weights.

Here’s what to avoid on the hard days.

1. Entertainment. Amusement kills your muse. Don’t watch a movie or TV show thinking you’ll be inspired. Most likely you’ll be creatively drained and uninspired.

2. Email, social media, phone calls. Try to minimize your interaction with said things.

3. Food. Don’t bring food to your desk. You can’t type well with a Big Mac in your hand.

4. Excessive criticism. Hard days are not the time to decide you stink as a writer and will never get published, or that this book is the career killer you’ve been dreading. Don’t even let your mind go there.

5. Too much editing. Don’t go back and edit. Just write. Get the words down. See what pops. See what you can discover. Sometimes you discover you don’t know exactly where the story is going. Oh, maybe that’s just me. So, keep writing and find the heart of the story!

Now, I’m off to find a few more “teeth” to pull!

Happy writing!

Best-selling, award-winning author Rachel Hauck loves a great story. She excels in seeing the deeper layers of a story.

With a love for teaching and mentoring, Rachel comes alongside writers to help them craft their novel.

A worship leader, board member of ACFW and popular writing teacher, Rachel is the author of over 17 novels.

She lives in Florida with her husband and  dog. Contact her at: Rachel@mybooktherapy.com. Her latest release is Once Upon A Prince.

Go forth and write!

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