Getting Out Of The Goop (or Writing Tips To Get Unstuck)

By Katrina Moore

Raise your hand if you’re feeling incredibly productive with your writing goals right now . . . 
Don’t be shy . . .

No one?

No one?

No wonder . . . we are still smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic [heavy sigh]. Know this . . . you are NOT alone! See all those hands raised [there are no hands raised]. . . that’s how many people’s writing is thriving right now.

If you’ve been following my writing journey (thank you!) you may be thinking . . . but you *JUST* had two different book deals announced “smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic [eye roll] ” and, you are not wrong. I’m so excited about the announcements for SOMETIMES LOVE & another picture book, and the TEENY HOUDINI Chapter Books announcements!

​But, remember, that in order to announce a book deal with an author and an illustrator, it requires both to receive, review, sign, and return the contracts. And when the project is acquired first with text only, and then an illustrator is chosen by the publisher, it can take a bit of time. Teeny Houdini was acquired last July, so it took almost a year before we were ready to announce it. Sometimes Love’s announcement happened a bit quicker. It was acquired late January 2020, and we were able to announce it six months later. So . . . all this is to say that the deals began pre-pandemic, and happened to announce during it. I’ll share more about both upcoming projects in the months to come.

But let’s get back on track! We were talking about being unproductive with our writing---feeling like we’re smack dab stuck in the middle of goop. 

Photo credit: Wildlife Alliance

So how do we get UNSTUCK?

On July 16th, I had the great pleasure of joining my friend, author Josh Funk, on his new Instagram Live Show: Funk & Friends. We talked about books, the inspiration behind them, and he asked me to share some writing tips on getting unstuck. Check out the episode to listen to our fun conversation.

After the show, I realized I had much more to share about ways to get unstuck, which I will finally . . . without further ado!

Disclaimer: I cannot promise that any one of these tips will work for you. I’d suggest trying out a few (or all) and seeing what sticks, er, unsticks! Personally, I use a variety of these and often discover new ways that work through experimentation and play.

Here we go . . .

​GETTING OUT OF THE GOOP: 

• Keep a folder/box/file of all your ideas and old manuscripts. Sometimes you’re stuck in the moment and can’t see a way out. It may take days or YEARS to figure your way of something. Don’t despair. Put it away. Work on something else. Come back to the previous project when you’re ready with fresh eyes and perspective.

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• ​When working back-to-back on different writing projects, a way to reset is to do something totally unrelated and FUN in between.

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• If you're stuck, start somewhere new.  Literally. Like write from the end and work your way back to the beginning.  You'll see things a whole new way.​​

• Switch projects. I like to work on a few things at one time (two to three) so that when I do get a chunk of writing time (which is very rare for me, so I want to be as productive as possible when I do!), I can switch from one to the next, and not lose overall momentum.

The key here is to make sure they're different (one you're starting and one you're refining, or different genres, structures, etc.) so you can approach each with fresh eyes. Also, this way, your writing for one project doesn’t bleed into the other, leading to two projects that are too similar. *I elaborate on this in my chat with Josh on Funk & Friends around the 22 min. mark*

• Always have a notebook near you and be ready to write when you’re doing other things. Most of my ideas and writing "aha"s come to me when I am *not* sitting down to write. Usually, it’s when I’m waiting outside my daughter’s ballet class (while my toddler is climbing on my head), on my drive to pick up my kids from school (I have safely pulled over more than once because I had to write something down), or while in the shower.

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• Something else l do to get into a creative & productive mindset is: Set a timer for 10 min:

-Create something new
-No censoring
-No erasing
JUST KEEP GOING

• Physically move to a new location. This year, I worked on picture books, chapter book, and middle grade projects (often in the same day). It helps me switch gears when l physically move for each (desk; counter; table) & take a walk outside to refresh and reflect between each working session.

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• Keep a praise folder/box/file/binder full of professional praise from agents, editors, industry professionals from conference critiques, critique partners, positive trade reviews of your published books, kind words from fans, etc. When you’re feeling stuck, or down in the dumps, pull this out to reread and remind yourself that others believe in you and your writing.

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• Reread books you love in the genre your work in progress is in. Do a picture book study to note what’s working and what you love about it. Can you apply some of that to your work in progress?

 

• Reach out to your writing community, whether that’s tweeting with hashtags such as #WritingCommunity #writerslife #amwriting etc. to commiserate or for camaraderie, or reach out to your trusted critique partners to set accountability goals, flash writing sessions together, check ins, or just to send them your work, even when it’s not as polished as you want it to be, to get fresh eyes and perspective on it. 

And again, because it’s worth repeating...know that you are not alone. We are all in the ucky mucky goop together.

Photo Credit: Thailand Department of National Parks (courtesy of https://healthyhappynews.com/rangers-help-free-6-baby-elephants-trapped-in-thailands-mud-hole/)

And we can help each other to get unstuck, and back into a writing groove, together.

Photo Credit: Thailand Department of National Parks

• My final tip, which goes along with always have a notebook near you (above) is to be on the lookout for stories all around you. In fact, I’ll bet many of your interests have been piqued by the elephant photographs in this post, and you’re curious to know more about their stories. Follow that curiosity. I’ve often started research with one topic in mind, and then veered off towards something else . . . and landed with a story I couldn’t wait to write. (One of the most inspiring posts I’ve read to help with this is Jess Keating’s guest post during Tara Lazar’s Storystorm on how she Notices the Amazing.)

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Wait, what about the first elephant?!

Well . . . here’s what happened (as is convenient for the purpose of this blog post 😎). Baby Elephant found that the way out was not by staring at the slippery wall it couldn’t climb, but by turning around, and finding a new way out.

TA-DA!
I hope these tips help you see a way out of the goop.

One foot at a time.

And lots of self care.

I’m wishing you some writing magic, too.

I’ll talk about voice in the next blog post: What it is, how to hone yours, and exemplary examples of voice in children’s literature. Make sure you’re signed up for the blog (see sidebar) so you don’t miss the post. I also tweet new #writingtips as they come to me. So if you’re not already, connect with me on twitter to get fresh tips every now and then.

Happy Writing!✨
-Katrina

Katrina Moore writes in New Jersey.  She holds a M.A. in Teaching and has been an elementary teacher for ten years. Her mission is to create books that children will hug for ages. She is the author of the picture books, ONE HUG, illustrated by Julia Woolf (HarperCollins/Tegen Books, Dec. 2019), GRANDPA GRUMPS, illustrated by Xindi Yan (Little Bee Books, April 2020), and the forthcoming SOMETIMES LOVE, a powerful and poetic exploration of love---from giving, to growing, to sometimes letting go, illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz (Penguin/Dial, Summer 2022). Her humorous chapter books series, TEENY HOUDINI, illustrated by Zoe Si, star the magical, mischievous, mayhem-maker Bessie Lee. Books 1 and 2 will publish Winter 2022 (HarperCollins/Tegen Books).

​When she is not writing or teaching, she is cooking without a recipe, painting outside the lines, or snuggling up with her two kids, husband, pups, and of course, a cozy book.  Connect with her on twitter @kmoorebooks or at www.katrinamoorebooks.com.

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