I talk a lot about the importance of writing every day and for some, I understand that it’s not the way they work. But for me, I can tell you, I need it. Writing is like a drug, and I feel as though I’ve been jonesing for a fix for the last few weeks.
A few weeks ago, I finished the revision of my novel and made a new goal: finish reviewing my friend’s novel, then finish our taxes, then start polishing my novel from the beginning again. It was a good idea to give myself a break from the novel, so that when I start again, I’ll have a new perspective and be able to see more than if I had gone straight to through it after I’d just finished. And it was a necessary goal, because, as with all of us, I always have way too much on my plate and I needed to get a couple things off.
But last week, as I was feeling stressed (my day-job has been crazy too), I suddenly realized why I was feeling out of sorts — I wasn’t writing. I confessed to my husband, who said, “Get back to it!”
I’m happy to say that I did finish my friend’s novel and our taxes, so I will be getting back to 5am wake up times as soon as I get over this cold (uggg). But this taught me something, a lesson I’ve actually learned a number of times and am always surprised when I learn it again. I need to write. It’s as simple as that. When I’m writing, no matter what else is happening in my life, no matter how tired I am from my 5am wake ups, I can get through anything. Writing seems to center me and put everything else in my life in perspective, so I can better handle the stress.
We all need outlets of some kind. For us writers, writing is that outlet, and whether we’re doing it for profit or for fun, the need to do it is the same.
Although I needed the time off to do my friend’s novel and our taxes, next time I’m in this situation, I will change my goal. I’ll still give myself time to let a project sit between revisions — it can help enormously — but during that time, I’ll write something else.
So, on to some writing, of the community kind. Still no takers on the Community Story, but there are readers, so we’ll continue. Who will be the first to add a sentence or paragraph? Come on, don’t be shy.
Here’s what we have so far, plus my addition for this week. Post your addition in the comments and they’ll be listed next Monday.
Bonnie’s eyes flickered open as she laid on her back looking up at the sky. She caught a brief glimpse of a person moving away from a ledge 30 feet above her. Slightly dazed, she was not sure if she had fallen or been pushed, but what she did know was that her back was hurt and her head was throbbing from her fall. She lifted her right hand to her head. Wet. She was bleeding, and it didn’t feel like a cut that could be patched up with a Band Aid. It would have to wait, though. She could hear footsteps, and they were getting closer and more urgent.
Wincing against the pain that now radiated from her back as well as her head, Bonnie eased herself up to a sitting position and surveyed her surroundings. She had landed on a patch of soft grass nestled between two rock faces, and to her right was what looked like a drop off. She tried to stand, careful not to make any noise. But as her elbow buckled in pain, her hand knocked a small rock over the edge. She froze, waiting for the sound of the crash to alert the other people. But when no noise came, she looked over the edge and her head began to spin. The drop off was at least a hundred feet, ending in white caps of a rushing river.
Something hit the back of Bonnie’s head and she looked up. A rope had been thrown down from the ledge above her and a head was peering over the side. Panic rushed into Bonnie’s mind. “Climb up!” The head from above was shouting at her. But Bonnie didn’t know what to do. Was the head friend or foe? And really, what other choices did she have?
That last paragraph is this week’s addition. Post your additions in the comments and we’ll see where the story goes. Enjoy!
Write On!
I’m struggling with something similar right now. Granted, this is my NaNoWriMo novel, and substantial revisions are in order, but it’s a struggle. I went through withdrawl after November. I had a love-hate thing going on, but I couldn’t imagine a day not submerged in the little world I’d created. Now, though, it’s a little difficult to jump back in. Sometimes I get super antsy & give it a try – then it pitters out. I tried laying down the plot and background for my next novel project, but I can’t stay committed to that while my NaNo project is so unresolved.
So I’m stuck in this, “Well, then I won’t write.” stasis, even though I’m dying to do something. Trying not to force it though – it never ends pretty that way =/
Yeah, Islesam, forcing it won’t help, and I know what you mean about not wanting to not write and the frustration of it not going well.
I had a similar problem with my first novel. The middle needed a lot of major plot changes, and when I was doing my revision, I got totally stuck. For me, the problem was trying to see the big picture, how what happened in this one part affected the whole story. Like you, I also took a break and worked on something else, but ultimately, it didn’t help. I needed to work through the problems to come up with a solution.
What finally helped me was making a timeline. I drafted out a table like a calendar then marked each chapter on the day it would have occured, i.e. chapter one on Tuesday week 1, chapter two and three on Wednesday week 2, or whatever was the case. By doing this, I was able to see how the smaller parts fit into the whole and I could more easily see what needed to be fixed.
I’ll write about some other tricks in my blog post for tomorrow.
I can drift out of the habit, but if i go cold turkey out of a period of writing daily, i get bad insomnia. I discovered this after i first began to treat writing seriously n give it ‘real’ work time, and decided to take a fortnight off (on the same basis of treating it like career – professionals take breaks).
Seems i’m less of a professional than an addict.
But i rarely have trouble slipping little ‘day-trip’ diversions in between days of the main project. Perhaps because poetry and microfiction are such different experiences from long fiction.
I’m suffering at the moment, on the last leg of the first draft of one novel, haunted by the ghost of the second. But i can jot down notes for the second without it throwing me. I don’t think i could actually produce wordage on two projects of the same kind, say two novels, jumping from one to the other. My plan is to get this first draft completed, then spend some weeks planning the other story, forbidding myself to look at the first. (Self-discipline!) And then decide whether to revise the first or start writing the second. Maybe it will be possible to revise one while writing the other – they do use different sides of the brain, after all. Some authors do, i know. Only when i get to that stage shall i find out if i can.
Hey Mand,
I think that’s it. Writers are addicts! Why else would we make the time to do this with no promise of compensation?
I’m like you. I can take a day or two break, but much more than that and I start feeling antsy and aggravated. Plus, when I leave it for too long — like now — I feel nervous about jumping back in, like somehow I’m going to disappoint my characters or something.
Sounds like you have a good plan for your current writing. I think I wouldn’t feel so anxious now if I had mapped out my next book in my down time. Oh well. I’ll remember that for next time.
Good luck with yours.
I totally agree that when I’ve done some writing, everything in my life goes much more smoothly. I’m better able to handle the minor day to day stresses.
I find it hard to juggle different manuscripts too. I have one that is being critiqued by my writing group; meanwhile I’m working on draft #2 of another. It’s hard not work on the revisions for the first one as I get the critiques, but I’m trying to stay focussed on the second one, saving those wonderful critiques for time that is just for the first book alone. Of course, that means my ideas for a new book have to wait too.
I know what you mean, Andrea. So many ideas and so little time.
Good plan it may be but that’s no use until it moves into the present instead of the future!
It’s a relief to see that i’m not the only one who finds it difficult jumping back in, too. That reluctance feels like disloyalty but it’s not, of course, it’s a natural effect of taking a break.
Must be the only addiction where people are encouraged to keep doing more instead of stopping!
HAHAHA! Very true! But as addictions go, this is a good one.
And you’re right, it’s not disloyalty. For me, I think the reluctance comes more from insecurity. I’ve had great response to my book from critiques and my beta readers. Now that I’m doing the — hopefully — final polish, I’m nervous, wanting to make sure I don’t mess it up!
Here’s what I should be telling myself: It’s ok. You can always do another revision.