Okay, so I’m going through this thing that will probably feel more familiar than your own pillow if you’re a writer…
I was moving along at a nice clip on my second novel, Kept. It was going so fast and so well, in fact, that my agent, who read a draft (and loved, I feel the need to add though I should also add that she’s my biggest cheerleader) told me I might want to slow down because we can’t submit it until Party Girl comes out.
So I slowed down. To the point that I stopped. I got busy with the Fox blog, the random TV show things, grogs, Party Girl amazon ranking obsessions, and life.
And now I’m at the point that going back to Kept sounds like a fate worse than a lifetime of walking barefoot on rusty nails.
I mean, the thought of working on it is horrible and depressing. I know this is all fear – those noises in my head that start up whenever I’ve stopped working on something and am scared about going back to it – but that doesn’t stop me from deciding that now is the time that I really should read all those books on my shelves that I only got halfway through, go over every summary on televisionwithoutpity, or at least clean out my keyboard several times — and then feel wracked with guilt over the fact that another day has passed without me adding one word to the goddamn manuscript.
Argh! Today I am biting the bullet and getting back to work. And I’m allowing myself to use a cliche like “biting the bullet” because that will get the cliches out of me so I won’t put them in Kept.
When I work on it today. You have my word.
Meanwhile, I don’t look anything like the above picture when I write. I don’t work on a laptop, nor do I wear makeup or smile. Christ, if I did all that, I definitely wouldn’t get any writing done.
sounds like you need to get away for the weekend and relax.( looks to me that your letting your amazon ranking stress you out) if you go to say Sonoma or somewere nice and forget every thing going on in your life focus on you, your book whoas will fade and you’ll feel better.
now quit obsessing over your ranking amazon ranking!!! people WILL buy your book cause your a good writer
I am in a bit of the same boat, but think I can claim “the well is dry” instead of writer’s block or distractions. But luckily, I have had a “deluge” in the form of figuring out how to end my book, so I am inspired to start writing again. Now I just have to get back on a regular sleep schedule.
What you are going through is pretty normal amongst writers. You love your craft, and grow to hate it, too. Some of the best and most prolific writers have had to force themselves to write every day. I recall one tale of a guy who would come downstairs with his morning coffee, undo his bathrobe and tie the sash to his chair to keep him their until he had written for three hours. Even if he typed nothing, he would stay there for three hours.
The way I go about getting inspired is finding things that usually get me inspired to begin with. Or, take myself away from everything, like a road trip, and thus I can’t write for a few days, and when I get back, I HAVE to write then.
Ideally, you need to write, and write everything and as fast as possible. Even if wrong, get it out, get it on paper. The sooner the better. Because once it is down, then you can edit, and editing can take who knows how long. Not to mention it beats constantly changing little things here and there. If you write it all out as quickly as possible, you stay in the same frame of mind, in my opinion.
Keep up the good work. (And who cares if you are not your usual lovely self when writing, I dig your personality.)
Sky
http://www.myspace.com/skyanimal
I am in a bit of the same boat, but think I can claim “the well is dry” instead of writer’s block or distractions. But luckily, I have had a “deluge” in the form of figuring out how to end my book, so I am inspired to start writing again. Now I just have to get back on a regular sleep schedule.
What you are going through is pretty normal amongst writers. You love your craft, and grow to hate it, too. Some of the best and most prolific writers have had to force themselves to write every day. I recall one tale of a guy who would come downstairs with his morning coffee, undo his bathrobe and tie the sash to his chair to keep him there until he had written for three hours. Even if he typed nothing, he would stay there for three hours.
The way I go about getting inspired is finding things that usually get me inspired to begin with. Or, take myself away from everything, like a road trip, and thus I can’t write for a few days, and when I get back, I HAVE to write then.
Ideally, you need to write, and write everything and as fast as possible. Even if wrong, get it out, get it on paper. The sooner the better. Because once it is done, then you can edit, and editing can take who knows how long. Not to mention it beats constantly changing little things here and there. If you write it all out as quickly as possible, you stay in the same frame of mind, in my opinion.
Keep up the good work. (And who cares if you are not your usual lovely self when writing, I dig your personality.)
Sky
http://www.myspace.com/skyanimal
I do write on a laptop, so perhaps it’s just a lack of makeup standing between me and today’s dose of literary greatness? How good would life be if all writers’ block can be cured by the application of a pretty lipgloss?