Cameron Darrow's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Chasing the Dragon
After the incredible high of the work I got done on Book iV a few weeks ago, I'm in the doldrums that always follows. It's inevitable, of course, I'd never experienced such intense creativity before. To be able to sustain it would be impossible. And it's not something you can just summon like a familiar, either. 'Be creative now!' Bam! Book finished. If it were that easy, it would decimate the alcohol industry.
So I know to at least try not to be discouraged when the ideas don't come when I want them to. After writing three novels, you have to allow yourself to take a mulligan now and then, and go do something else to keep from beating yourself up too much. I used to be much worse about it, but it didn't actually help me be any more productive. You have to get back in the saddle afterward, though. Sit down and bash out the words, knowing you can fix them later.
But that feeling of having them all come out right the first time, fully formed, is a goal worth chasing down, even if you only rarely catch it. It's rewarding, and reminds you that it can happen, you just have to sit down and give it the chance. Hitting your word count every day is the concrete goal, but when you do it with good words, it makes you want to do it again and again. Soon enough, you have a novel.
All three books (and what I have of the fourth so far), have developed differently, starting from different places in the story, but they are all a product of sitting down and doing the work, keeping the wheat and dumping the chaff. Or turning some of the chaff into wheat. I think I've lost the metaphor a bit, but you get what I'm saying.
Thank you for coming with me this far, both in this post and this series. There's more to come.
So I know to at least try not to be discouraged when the ideas don't come when I want them to. After writing three novels, you have to allow yourself to take a mulligan now and then, and go do something else to keep from beating yourself up too much. I used to be much worse about it, but it didn't actually help me be any more productive. You have to get back in the saddle afterward, though. Sit down and bash out the words, knowing you can fix them later.
But that feeling of having them all come out right the first time, fully formed, is a goal worth chasing down, even if you only rarely catch it. It's rewarding, and reminds you that it can happen, you just have to sit down and give it the chance. Hitting your word count every day is the concrete goal, but when you do it with good words, it makes you want to do it again and again. Soon enough, you have a novel.
All three books (and what I have of the fourth so far), have developed differently, starting from different places in the story, but they are all a product of sitting down and doing the work, keeping the wheat and dumping the chaff. Or turning some of the chaff into wheat. I think I've lost the metaphor a bit, but you get what I'm saying.
...
If you've read this far, can I ask a question? What would you like to know, or not know, about Hall of Mirrors? Last week's post had literally zero views other than my own, and I don't know how I should feel about it. Avoiding spoilers or utter disinterest are both possible, and my inner voice keeps taunting me with the latter. I would appreciate some feedback from you, so I have some idea what to say about it, other than the fact it's coming.Thank you for coming with me this far, both in this post and this series. There's more to come.
