Sometimes we get on a roll (like the proverbial un-fuzzy boulder), and have a time where writing is like an unbidden spring pouring forth from your brain directly to the paper/screen. When this happens, it’s very much like a bus or tank, loaded down to the hilt…. plowing down the city street, pushing and crushing cars along the way.

I think today is going to be more expository than usual. How do we continue on this streak without tearing everything apart? (like our sleep schedule) I know there’s a tendency to push through a streak to continue the flow. We don’t want to stop the ideas… the precious stream of words that are just perfect and amazing. (because a writing streak only gives you perfect and amazing prose, does it not?)

A few options: Coffee. While it may stimulate your brain and keep you awake (maybe), it’s not the same brain that’s creating the words after you add coffee. Same goes for Red Bull, Vodka, whatever your particular mind-altering drink of choice is. Pills. For example, No-Doze. Again, alters the chemistry of the brain, and you aren’t going to get the same… function. Staying awake to finish the flow. In this scenario, you just may get that last bit of push enough to finish the roll downhill. But then you’re missing sleep that you need to catch up on. When are you going to make that up? While writing furiously?

When I was doing Nano, I think I tried everything to just keep writing… keep that tank plowing down the street and watching the pretty explosions. The one thing that I found that helped the best? Write during the time I had set aside to write… get plenty of good rest (which was almost impossible as I was living on the West Coast and changing my sleeping pattern to be on East Coast time). Eat well. All the things that you need to write any other day.

Sometimes the rock is gonna roll…. sometimes it sits there waiting for a big enough idea to push it along again. There are even going to be times where you swear that rock has enough moss on it to never move again, but if you keep at it… we’ll get our stone rolling and helping us reach that fabled treasure at the end.