Finding the rhythm and flow of writing isn't easy. I think some new writers think that once you finish your first book, or sell a novel, that suddenly writing becomes easy. I know I did. Unfortunately, it never works that way. It has been several months since I finished my first draft of The Sometimes Sword, and yet the last few weeks have been the most difficult for me to find motivation. Now, I don't want to focus on the difficulties; I want to highlight some of the things that will, first, help you realize you aren't that different from the rest of us, and second, maybe find some good advice to help you out.
I don't have much in the way of advice today, but I do want to say this: ask yourself why you are writing. Is it just a hobby? For fun? Are you just bored? Do you want to someday sell a book? Whatever your answer is, be it ambitious or laid-back, that's fine. But, you need to look at what your intentions are, then carefully assess what you've been doing, and how it supports, or doesn't support your dream. If you want to make a living writing novels, then approaching it like a hobby is probably not going to work, etc. Just try to make good decisions, and constantly re-evaluate your priorities.
Now I want to hear from you. What advice can you give other readers about managing their dream, and finding the healthy groove of writing?
if you can't always get to the computer, keep a notebook nearby for when inspiration strikes. I wrote about half of my first two novels by hand. And just do it. Even if you don't feel like it, because honestly, you won't feel like it on most days. But if you love writing, you'll make the time to write.
ReplyDeleteI happen to think your sentence structure is very good by the way! May I comment even though I only write for a newspaper? I've learned that setting little deadlines for myself help keep me motivated. Of course, in the newspaper business there are always deadlines, but I set other deadlines as well. For instance, I'll say to myself, "Self, I will have one page written by 5:00 today." or "I will write this particular article before I allow myself to watch X Factor." Also, rewards work well for me. If I reward myself for writing a particular amount or for a certain amount of time, it really motivates me. I don't know if this helps, but it all works for me.
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