I've always been a big game player. I love board games, card games, dice games. You name it, and I love it. You might even catch me watching the Game Show Network from time to time. Simply said, I love a challenge.
One way I survive the revision process is to think of it as a game. And since I'm a little competitive (okay, maybe a lot), I'm in it for the long haul. No way is that manuscript going to beat me. I will be victorious.
This mindset could hold true for a many number of things. Pick anything challenging you like to do (games, puzzles, workouts, etc.) and think of your manuscript in that light. You will be surprised by how motivated you become to solve any problems.
Do you come at your manuscript with a competitive, I'm-going-to-win attitude? Okay, then, let's go get 'em!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Make A Game Of It
I've always been a big game player. I love board games, card games, dice games. You name it, and I love it. You might even catch me watching the Game Show Network from time to time. Simply said, I love a challenge.
One way I survive the revision process is to think of it as a game. And since I'm a little competitive (okay, maybe a lot), I'm in it for the long haul. No way is that manuscript going to beat me. I will be victorious.
This mindset could hold true for a many number of things. Pick anything challenging you like to do (games, puzzles, workouts, etc.) and think of your manuscript in that light. You will be surprised by how motivated you become to solve any problems.
Do you come at your manuscript with a competitive, I'm-going-to-win attitude? Okay, then, let's go get 'em!
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36 comments:
My attitude revolves more around the fact that "all right, this sucker has had its fun long enough. I will be victorious!"
There's a Monopoly shoe??? Okay so now I've seen everything. =)
I take at writing like a test. I will give myself a treat before & then after when i "win". I gotta remember this strategy.
This is a wonderful suggestion. Thanks so much for sharing! I need this tactic right about now.
That's a good idea. Right now I'm coming to my WIP with too much of a defeatist attitude. I really need to attack it.
I'll let you know when I fiish the first draft...
Ooohhh, I really like that! I'm competitive too. I will conquer the revisions. (as soon as I start.)
I definitely need to start thinking this way! *pom poms*
I wish that psychology could work for me. I’m probably the least competitive person I know. I don’t even like competing with ME!
I often think of writing as running a marathon, or several marathons. It helps me get into that--it's a long haul attitude. Pace yourself and keep going.
I never thought about making it a competition. Games like this do wonders for me so thanks for the idea. (And being HIGHLY competitive helps)
Winged Writer
I'm not very competitive, but I do work well under pressure. So if I give myself a deadline, that helps to keep me going. Now I've got a deadline to rewrite the first few pages of a trunked novel for MONDAY!
See you next Tuesday! ;)
I love games too and am very competitive, so this is a great idea.
I'm competitive too, but I never thought about applying that to my manuscript. I think I'm going to now; it gives me a new way to look at it.
I think I might just use this idea to clean my house today! ha! Thanks Susan!
Great idea. I love any and all kinds of games as well so this just perked me right up. Time to start playing the revision game!
I love games too, and I've actually had this thought before while revising--like the manuscript is one big puzzle that needs to be solved. It's so satisfying when everything works out as it should.
Great post! I needed that analogy today. I feel like I'm buried in a mess that has no way out. Now I might have to enjoy finding the way. :)
I'm with you. I adore games of all kinds. Puzzles, video, etc. I'm a very competitive person. I actually think this is to my detriment in writing. I don't look at my MS as a challenge. Just something I have to do. Since I'm so competitive, I look at other writer's and how they're achieving what I'm maybe not. You know? So I really have to check my competitive streak at the door -- and just do my best.
Making a game of it would work for me. Maybe I'll try that.
Those shoes in that picture are hideous, by the way, unless you have them and in that case they are cute. :)
Oh heavens- I totally do this!
Each time I find a word to strike it's like a little victory. A sentence? I'm a rock star! Of course, this is going into revising with the mindset that I had to cut at least 20,000 words since I ended at 120,000. I've cut 25,000.
I also go into queries like it's a game. How tight can I make that one page pitch? Can I really get my entire plot into one sentence? It's quite the victory when I can.
Great encouragement! I'm not a big gamer, but I can be a slight perfectionist. That will drive me to be anal!
Great idea, I love games, I like to win, I'm competitive... should work for me! What would really do it though, is having someone tell me that I couldn't do it..that would be a challenge I'd take up in a hurry :)
I've never really thought about it like that. I'm not very competitive though.
My attitude is more like, "I know you hate me but we need to work through this for the sake of everyone."
I just sort of put questions I need answered under my pillow at night and wake up with the answers...
I dream through my creativity, not fight through it.
much love
I challenge you to a game of Uno. YEAH! Let's do this!
Uh, back to the real topic, I think that is a super way to look at it. One that I might borrow.
Sometimes revisions seem so humongous. But if I'm playin' a game they won't beat me. I shall OVERCOME!! Thanks for another excellent post, Susan. :-) What did I ever do without you? :-)
I love it ... what a great (and fun/motivating) suggestion!
I've never thought of doing this either. Maybe I can use this to motivate me to finish my first draft sooner rather than later:)
Wonderful suggestion! I really love doing revisions and rewrites, but sometimes it can be daunting if there's a lot of them.
yes ill be damned if it gets me!
I'm not sure how I'd turn editing into a game. Except that maybe after a while I 'win' chocolate.
Great idea! I need to tap into my competitive spirit and kill these revisions!!!
(pardon the overuse of exclamation points)
Ok. I'm going to pull out mine and organize it on the table using index cards. See where I am after that. On Saturday.
I treat my WIP like a fragile flower. Feed and water it and perhaps it will bloom.
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it :)
Yes, I need to adopt this philosophy! Make it into a challenge! Let's get 'em!!! Uh, so I totally did not notice that the shoe was a Monopoly shoe until browsing through the comments. Who would have ever thought! Susan, you are a genius when it comes to finding these shoes! Love it! :o)
A game? Gosh, I wish I could think of it like this. Maybe I need to start. I think of writing as some huge test I need to take and pass or else! Not very positive hey. I like your idea. I might try that out.
I've never thought of my manuscript as a game, unless puzzles count as games. I do try to see how all the pieces fit together and that is a challenge!
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