Current Project:Spirit of the Lake
Status: Page 104
It's the beginning of the year, the holidays are over, and I've been wracking my brain for a blog topic. Every time I hit on one I have a deja vu moment of a comment someone made on a past blog along that topic.
~Sigh~ I could talk about resolutions, but I'm not a resolution person. I write like I live- day to day with a big picture plan that I'm headed toward. Which makes some people dizzy and others nod their head. I'm not a list maker except for groceries and where I need to go in town. On the same token, I'm always early and always have projects done on time.
I believe in putting out 110% at whatever I'm doing whether it's cleaning a toilet or writing a story. However, I'm not a detail person. But if someone points out something I'm amiss about, I'll work twice as hard to fix it.
Something I've noticed, there are certain times of the month, whether they are moon driven or my own cycle driven, I'm not sure. But there are times when the words and ideas flow and I can't believe the words are mine. And then there are the down days when I force every sentence and word or worse can't figure out where the story is going.
Many blame it on a muse, but I'm a firm believer it is your own scrambled inner workings that have a hand in the problem.
This weekend was wonderful, my dh and I had a date night, he left me to doodle on the computer during the day, and I found the words flowing from my fingertips and glowing. Now the week before the holidays when everything was finished and all I had to do was write and wait to travel to our daughter's, I had to dig deep and force the ideas and words. I was not rushed or harried, yet the flow wasn't there.
I've discovered even though you may write every day that doesn't mean every day will be an easy writing day. All the factors and some that are not even of your control can seep in causing havoc with what you thought would be a good writing day.
Have you noticed a cycle in your writing? Are there certain events that make you more creative and others that stifle your creativity?
11 comments:
Hey, Paty!
Very thoughtful topic! I haven't noticed a cycle to my writing, but I think you're right on target that it is our own "scrambled inner workings."
If I try to push the story or rush it, I actually end up blocking the flow of ideas and words. But if I just become peaceful and ready to receive the story, it flows. That may sound simplistic, but it works for me!
Genene, I know what you're saying. It's weird but there have been times when I'm on a deadline and the work is actually better than when I can take my time and then again there are times when I take my time and the work is good and when I rush- it stinks.
Paty -- Ebb and flow. I think that's what it's all about in any occupation. Good days and bad. I think I've mentioned here before that I read a book by John D. MacDonald years ago called the Green Ripper in which the hero is forced into a rampage, it's him against six or seven people intent on killing him. He hides, sets traps, fires bullets, avoids grenades, darts and dashes and in the end, he's the one left standing. He calls what he had a John Wayne day, where everything went his way, where the law of averages swung into his favor for whatever reason and everything clicked. Maybe a good writing day is less intense (and dangerous) but it's the same kind of thing to me. I realized that phrase had insinuated it itself into my family when my daughter and I went shopping one day and everything worked, everything fit, we found everything we wanted and things we didn't know we wanted but were perfect and she commented we'd had a John Wayne shopping day.
I wish they were all like that, but perhaps then we'd take them for granted.
Genene -- I want to know how to find this peaceful, productive place you mention off and on. How about a workshop on THAT, too?
Alice, I agree having a John Wayne day every day would be boring, but having them more often would be fun. Or at least the ability to make them happen when you need them.
How are the book ideas coming along?
Wow, that was totally eloquent, what you said about writing days not always being good ones. I love it. ^_^ It's true, also. I try to write everyday (Christmas break from school kinda threw me off) but a lot of the time it's a struggle. I'm just at the beginning of my story, scratching the surface to see what's beneath all this clutter. Things are slow because I'm so worried about making every word count towards the story, even though it's just a rough draft and it doesn't matter. (I argue with myself back and forth about letting the rough draft be rough.) But as soon as the idea comes, BAM! Flows like liquid, and it's great. Then it goes back to yanking and pulling to get the next part in.
Sometimes I wonder why the heck I decided to be a writer. Then other times, it's the only thing that makes sense about me. I second the "ebb and flow" metaphor. ^_^
Katie, Writing isn't easy. Though there are many non-writers who believe it is.
But I'm with you, whether it's a good day or a bad day of writing- I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't write.
Alice, I like your "John Wayne Day" description too--but without bloodshed. :)
Everything clicks. Those are my peaceful, productive days that are coming more and more often.
I needed to read this post today. I struggle so much with the "even though you may write every day that doesn't mean every day will be an easy writing day."
Thank you so much for saying exactly what I needed to hear right now. Exactly. You are such an inspiration to me :)
Wavy, I am in awe of all of the writers who have small children and are pursuing their dream of publishing. When my kids were small I just dabbled and kept myself entertained. I didn't pursue a writing career until the youngest were in High school.
Writing is a struggle, but it is also a labor of love- and as we women know, labor is not easy! But what wonders it brings forth!
Paty-- This was a great post. And it's funny because I was just thinking about this sort of thing myself. I'd not written anything while the kids had Christmas break. It's just too chaotic a time of year for my poor little brain to try and separate everything, but last night, while I was fixing dinner, a bunch of ideas for something I need to fix in my MS just started flowing into my brain. I turned down the heat on the stove, ran over to my laptop and brought it into the kitchen. I opened up my doc and started typing away. Then, I went back to cooking. I ended up going back and forth from the stove to the laptop (which were only 10 inches apart. LOL) until I'd written all the ideas for the changes that I could get out of my brain. Now I just need to put them into the MS.
So, you're right. It just comes when it comes and there's no forcing it. I've tried. And it's so weird how it usually comes to me when I'm in the shower or fixing dinner! UGH! :)
I haven't noticed a monthly cycle in my writing, but I do have ebb and flow patterns. One day I'll write 4K words, the next nothing. Just seems to be the way I work. One day the words flow, the next they don't. But after reading your blog, Paty, I'll start paying closer attention. ;)
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