Swipe files are well known in the copywriting business. When you come across a really good piece of copy, you save it to your swipe file. Then, when you are stuck for ideas, you have some inspiring writing to check out. So, want to know how fiction writers benefit from swipe files?
Inspiration, not plagiarism
To dig deeper into the copywriting example, the aim is clearly not to plagiarise.
Swipe files are positively encouraged in the copywriting world.
All writers have fallow periods when it comes to inspiration and original ideas. Examples of how to do it well excite and inspire. They can release us from writer’s block.
They remind us of why we write in the first place.
Swipe files help all writers
So, how does a swipe file help a fiction writer? Or a poet, for that matter? The key is to take note of writing that particularly inspires you.
For example, there are passages in The Great Gatsby that I’d put in my swipe file. It could be the opening of chapter three when Nick attends his first party at Gatsby’s house. Or it could be the fabulous final page or so of the book.
Your swipe file could include inspirational prose, or even examples of technical mastery.
Perhaps you were blown away by a horror short story and the way the author built suspense.
Maybe it was a science fiction story that showed how to mix big ideas with credible world building and characterisation.
Or it could be an erotic short story that showed how to write sex scenes effectively and without the usual cliches.
Likewise, there might be some poetry that inspires you. It could be the rhythm of the language, the imagery, or something else.
What to do with your swipes
There are some days when you’ve run out of ideas.
Or you’re suffering from imposter syndrome.
Or maybe you’ve run into a technical problem – your sex scenes suck big time.
Too much world building at the beginning of a short story? How do you introduce your reader to your Martian colony in a way that is both fast and credible?
If it’s a short story, you have even less time and space to waste on details. Every word counts.
This is why short story swipe files are particularly great. But you could just save a single scene that blew you away with its brilliance. A combat scene that was well-choreographed, a great dialogue scene that revealed character or plot. A great description of location or character that was vibrant rather than boring.
Keeping examples in your swipe file allows you to pull them out and study them when you run into a problem.
Feel your dialogue is dull and inspiring? What about those fabulous dialogue scenes you saved from Novels X and Y.
Study them, get inspired. It’s not about copying.
Where to store your swipe file?
Swipe files can be kept on a computer or stored in a box file on your shelf. You might have both, for digital files and physical copy cut from a newspaper or magazine.
If you have a physical book collection, you could keep one shelf as your ‘swipe shelf’. Where you store the most inspirational material, including stories you’ve printed off or photocopied. You could keep these in a box file.
Swipe files are fuel for ideas
Whether it’s a technical issue you’re struggling with or just general inspiration, swipe files are a great resource.
If you want to get into science fiction, you could start saving your favourite SF short stories and explore what it is you admire about them. Check out the premise – it could be something big, or even a beautifully simple idea.
Also, don’t forget non-fiction. An informative article on the future colonisation of Mars? Save it. It might take you a while to get around to referring to some of your swipes, but the material will be there when you finally need that dose of inspiration.
And that’s how fiction writers benefit from swipe files!
While some writers can finish a book in a fast sprint, for most of us it’s more of a marathon. A writing project can take months or even years to complete, requiring commitment, freedom from distraction, and, hopefully, a writing routine.
It also helps if you can build up confidence and self-belief, not to mention setting reasonable goals. Self-sabotage is all too easy.
First and foremost, before we even look at writing standards or quality, it’s necessary to talk about establishing a regular writing routine.
Because this is how you build up writing stamina.
Without that, finishing any longer work is going to be difficult. Certainly in the shorter term.
Establishing a writing routine
When you first start writing, it’s a bit like taking up exercise or learning to play a musical instrument. You need to keep at it. You need to establish a routine. And the reason is somewhat more complex than it first appears.
First and foremost, there’s a neurological reason why you need to practice.
It’s to do with neural pathways. Firing cells become more and more efficient over time. And it’s the reason why you have to concentrate more while learning a new skill – but at a later point, you can do it almost without thinking.
In fact, once you have mastered a skill, the parts of the brain associated with daydreaming and mind-wandering take over.
This is the point where you are ‘in the zone’. Musicians, athletes, and others experience this.
So, if you want to establish a writing routine, you need to work at it. But research also shows that building up a skill slowly works best.
The ability to correct yourself when making a mistake, thereby refining your skills, is better achieved that way.
Additionally, sleep plays an important part in strengthening the new pathways, with reverse firing or signaling during sleep.
It’s therefore important to get a good sleep when you’re learning a new skill.
Setting goals and boundaries
Establishing a regular writing routine means a number of things.
Firstly, you have to find time in your day and set aside all other tasks. Even the tasks other people think are more important.
This could be housework, working in the garden, cooking, DIY, or just generally being at the beck and call of others.
You have to make it clear that your writing time is yours.
It’s quite possible, even likely, that you won’t have a lot of support for this. And if you are apologetic about wanting writing time, other people are less likely to take you seriously.
You need to be clear about how important writing is to you. Then try negotiating time in a way that also supports the interests of those around you. Aim for some give and take.
Start low. Aim high
There’s no point telling yourself you’re going to write 1000 words a day from the start, or even 500 words a day.
In fact, it’s not unusual for people to write higher word counts early on when they’re still in the honeymoon period of writing on a regular basis. You’re fired up, eager, and you might write more than you expect.
The trouble, though, is this period is unlikely to last.
One technique for establishing a very long-term writing habit that worked for me came from two pages in a large ring-binder diary. These two pages had a calendar for the entire year. Six months on one page, six on the other. Three months on the top half of the page, three on the bottom. With the days of each month listed by name and date, and a brief line space next to each.
So, I tried an experiment. Towards the end of that January, which is when I happened to start the trial, I recorded daily word counts in these short line spaces. I also noted editing, rewrite word counts, and general note-taking word counts.
Then, I counted up the total word count for each month, each quarter, each half-year, and finally the entire year. The overall trajectory was upwards.
In the honeymoon period, I felt like I was getting into the habit of daily writing.
Then, at some point, it became a nuisance. It wasn’t necessarily what I wanted to do that day. Maybe I didn’t have the time, etc, etc.
But I knew I had to push through this phase. It was an interesting experience. Writing wasn’t fun anymore. It wasn’t something I did when I was in the mood. I was forcing myself to do it.
This could mean writing less some days, but since I included small word counts as being just as legitimate, I didn’t become demoralised.
In fact, I came to understand that the amount of time spent telling myself I didn’t have the time, was potential writing time! Maybe 30-100 words or more of writing time.
And writing time included rewriting and making notes. Which also made things easier, not to mention more realistic. Because this is where most writing work takes place – the planning stage, the research, the editing and rewriting.
Eventually, I broke through that “this is just annoying now” phase of having to write daily. On the other side lay the absolute need to write daily. I was no longer pushing myself. It came naturally. The day was incomplete without some writing.
By the end of the first year, I had written around 120,000 in just over eleven months. In another couple of years, it was beyond 250,000 and continued to rise.
Larger word counts came more easily as time went on. I think that makes sense. The process becomes more efficient.
I also think aiming too high too early is a form of self-sabotage. If you don’t reach your goal, you feel like a failure, and you quit.
But you’re not a failure. You just needed to set more reasonable goals.
Go easy on light writing days. And when you have an established writing routine, it’s easier to skip a day or two without losing your momentum. It’s much easier to lose your momentum early on.
To reiterate:
Establishing a writing routine is the number one priority
That means it doesn’t matter how much you write in any one day
This is because establishing a habit is harder than knocking off 1000 words every now and then
Establishing a habit means not slacking off on busy days – 30 words will do
Accepting that 30 words or 100 words is “good enough” takes away unreasonable expectations
Counting up the total word count at the end of each month allows you to see the bigger picture
Counting up the quarters, the half-year and the total annual count also means those smaller word counts contribute to the bigger picture
It’s also important to note down editing, rewriting or research activities
Avoiding online distractions
The next issue is how to find time when there are so many distractions around and the modern attention span is not what it used to be.
I totally recommend either switching the internet off or using social media blockers. I’ve written about this in an earlier post.
But to summarise, you need to identify the sites that are your biggest time wasters and block them. Or block the entire internet if necessary.
Try something like Cold Turkey. You can set a timer.
You might find yourself trying to check something online on instinct – remember those established neural pathways? It’s a difficult habit to break. So give yourself a hand with a social media blocker. Twitter or whatever will still be there when the time is up, but you’ll have some writing to show for your time offline.
Also, don’t compete with other people when it comes to writing.
Compete with yourself.
That’s why the weekly/monthly/quarterly/half year/annual wordcounts are so useful. It doesn’t matter what other people in the Twitter writing community are doing. It only matters what you’re doing.
Many years ago, I embarked on my first 365 photography project. At the time, I didn’t have my Nikon, just a digital camera with a less impressive megapixel count. I’d seen 365 projects on LiveJournal. So, I decided to do my own. I have since completed three – two 365s and a 366 (leap year). And one important lesson I learned is how writers benefit from these 365 photo projects.
Immediately, I began looking at the world in a different way, constantly attentive to small and previously overlooked details. Like beautiful old stonework with moss growing in the cracks. It reminded me of the knitting designer Kaffe Fassett who used walls as inspiration in his older work.
Anything was a potential subject. Including the pot drawer in the kitchen. Late one night, needing to take my photo fast, I opened the pot drawer and snapped the pots in there.
In a year where I took much better photos, which languish now on some old machine, this is one that stays in my mind. Shiny pots with annoying finger marks, the curving metal distorting my reflected face.
So if pots ever appeared in a story, I could have a character who longs to erase every last one of those finger marks. Maybe they’re a perfectionist, or maybe they start polishing when they’re stressed. A small detail, but a quirk that helps flesh out a character.
Writers need to be present in the world and notice the small details. And with mobile phone cameras, a regular photo project is easier than ever.
How to get started
If you’ve never engaged in a regular photo project, you don’t have to wait until the beginning of next year to start. Choose a starting date – the beginning of a month, or even your birthday – and work from there. If you want to give it a try, here are some suggestions:
Decide on a time period and stick to it – a year, 90 days, whatever.
Don’t fixate on taking the perfect photo – that’s not the point.
Don’t fixate on the best equipment – whatever fits in your pocket is best.
Be constantly attentive for a photo opportunity – study your surroundings.
Just about any object is a potential subject – including spilled refuse.
Don’t just look for attractive subjects.
Try taking your photo from an unusual angle.
Keep a file of your photos or post them somewhere.
Categorise them so you can find a subject easily – insects on flowers, etc.
Ultimately, the point of this project is to get you to observe the world around you in ways that can be used in your writing. It’s not about writing long descriptive passages, but describing things in a more evocative or unusual way, even if it’s just a phrase here or a sentence there.
If you haven’t tried this before, give it a go. You can even try it for a month – which is a shorter commitment.
One warning I’d give is that with projects like this, you might get off to an enthusiastic start and then find yourself flagging. It becomes an annoying task some days, but I strongly recommend you push through.
As writers we often live in our heads, not noticing the world around us. But if we want to better represent that world, we need to pay more attention.
