I’ve had some interesting conversations about goals and progress this week. Some people have commented on my “consistency” which I find flattering. I certainly don’t feel consistent. I just see all the wasted time, as I’ve said before. Hopefully, another 49 days and this book will be done. Then on to the next book, before coming around full circle and stepping back to look at the big picture. It’s been exactly a year and a half, and that isn’t a year and a half of constant writing. I went months and months or weeks and weeks without writing, mostly out of fear.
I’ve decided that I have to write every day. I usually love it, or I remember loving it. I know I love the feeling of “having written”. It’s been a hard go this past month. The last real string of daily writing was back in November, maybe December before getting back on the horse in the middle of May. I did some work on editing the first one in February and March, after I discovered how I had caught passive voice disease. The good thing is, the story feels alive again, even if I’m having trouble getting the words out of the Magic Fiction Machine and into the Word Processor. I even had a breakthrough the other day about a certain troublesome dragon. Guess what? He had every right to be troublesome. He finally got out a frying pan, hit me over the head with it, and made me understand his conundrum. Problem children. They are the best.
I’m going to try and keep taking my own advice. Don’t know what to do? Write. Afraid you’re messing it up? Write. Think this is going off in the wrong direction? Well, if you don’t write it, it won’t go in any direction, will it? So write.
Write.
funny, I was just reading something last night in 'Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark' he talks about replacing the word procrastination, or the idea of writer's block, with 'rehearsal' so that when you're not writing, instead of feeling guility about it use the the time to think about, to plan, or rehearse what you will write next.
ReplyDeleteKeep on Keeping on.
Lee
Write on!
ReplyDeleteI try to write every day. If not I try to get a good book to get some inspiration. People magazine doesn't count. (heehee) Sometimes it's hard and sometimes it's easy but we'll never get there if we only write when we're "in the mood."
I agree with you that this month has been a hard go. I'm a pretty inconsistant writer as well, but I do try and write every day. Now I just need to try and write more every day. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow. Mine took about a year and a half too, and a lot of that was spent not writing, even though when I did write it was like an addiction. You'll get it done! I have faith :-)
ReplyDeleteLee - yes, actually, I do this and still feel guilty. But I write at least five days a week... My goal this week is EVERY DAY!
ReplyDeleteSpam - too true!
CR - you and me both!
Sarah - thank you!
Thank you all for stopping by and commenting. I love getting comments!