False Start
Over the last year or so, I've had a problem with false starts on novels and short stories. I'll get three or four or five thousand words into a story and realize I have no idea where it's going. Or maybe I don't like the outline I've sketched. Or maybe I can't get a feeling for the characters. A lot of that was due to the stress of having a very sick baby. Some of it was caused by burnout from all that freelancing I did to pay those evil medical bills. A little bit of it stemmed from an issue with an editor who inherited me from someone else and didn't quite "get" my work.
It's easy to get stuck in a weird, self-defeating mindset when you're having problems moving forward or finishing a book. Writer's block is annoying as hell. When you're mired in it, finding a way out may seem impossible. The never-ending stream of false starts just compounded my stress level which, in turn, made it even harder to get over the initial hump of starting a book.
Around December, I made the decision to just stop trying to force it. I focused on reading for pleasure. I worked my way through a stack of nonfiction, paranormal and futuristic romances, steampunk and urban fantasy novels. I finally caught up on all the episodes of Dr. Who, The Big Bang Theory and Flashpoint I'd missed. I discovered Downton Abbey and Monday, Monday on my streaming Netflix menu. I enjoyed some seriously guilty pleasure episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey too.
I spent a lot of time playing with my kiddo and not feeling guilty for not working. Without the pressure of that relentless stream of medical bills, I didn't have to choose between spending time with my munchkin and Dave or knocking out a handful of articles to earn some cash. We could go to the park or head out for a long lunch at Cracker Barrel (kiddo's favorite place) or just spend the afternoon stacking blocks.
I can't tell you how much those few months of doing very little writing related helped. Recharging my creative batteries, so to speak, helped reboot my writing interest. I finally feel like writing again, creating again, making up stories.
In early April, I got my groove back. May was a fabulous month for me. I knocked out two 4,000 word short stories, a 12,000 word (long) short story and 25,000 words of a novel. I'm back on track, baby! June looks very promising so far. I'm very confident I'll continue to reach my writing goals as the year continues.
The point to this post? It's okay to have writer's block. It's okay to take a break. I think we often get caught up in this idea that if we're not producing, if we're not selling, we're going to lose momentum or see our careers stall. Sure, maybe that happens sometimes. It's not as common as you'd think. Lots of my romance and erotica writing friends have to take breaks for all kinds of reasons. New babies, moves across country, divorce, death, burnout–it happens, you know?
Don't fret. Just recharge and jump right back in the game!
It's easy to get stuck in a weird, self-defeating mindset when you're having problems moving forward or finishing a book. Writer's block is annoying as hell. When you're mired in it, finding a way out may seem impossible. The never-ending stream of false starts just compounded my stress level which, in turn, made it even harder to get over the initial hump of starting a book.
Around December, I made the decision to just stop trying to force it. I focused on reading for pleasure. I worked my way through a stack of nonfiction, paranormal and futuristic romances, steampunk and urban fantasy novels. I finally caught up on all the episodes of Dr. Who, The Big Bang Theory and Flashpoint I'd missed. I discovered Downton Abbey and Monday, Monday on my streaming Netflix menu. I enjoyed some seriously guilty pleasure episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey too.
I spent a lot of time playing with my kiddo and not feeling guilty for not working. Without the pressure of that relentless stream of medical bills, I didn't have to choose between spending time with my munchkin and Dave or knocking out a handful of articles to earn some cash. We could go to the park or head out for a long lunch at Cracker Barrel (kiddo's favorite place) or just spend the afternoon stacking blocks.
I can't tell you how much those few months of doing very little writing related helped. Recharging my creative batteries, so to speak, helped reboot my writing interest. I finally feel like writing again, creating again, making up stories.
In early April, I got my groove back. May was a fabulous month for me. I knocked out two 4,000 word short stories, a 12,000 word (long) short story and 25,000 words of a novel. I'm back on track, baby! June looks very promising so far. I'm very confident I'll continue to reach my writing goals as the year continues.
The point to this post? It's okay to have writer's block. It's okay to take a break. I think we often get caught up in this idea that if we're not producing, if we're not selling, we're going to lose momentum or see our careers stall. Sure, maybe that happens sometimes. It's not as common as you'd think. Lots of my romance and erotica writing friends have to take breaks for all kinds of reasons. New babies, moves across country, divorce, death, burnout–it happens, you know?
Don't fret. Just recharge and jump right back in the game!
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