June Round Robin: Keep Writing

Why do you write or feel compelled to write even through the difficult parts?
This month’s round robin particularly appealed to me because experiencing difficult spells in my writing is something that I unfortunately seem to go through quite often.
Typing ‘The End’ on that first draft is one of the most exhilarating moments I have experienced as a writer. The sheer relief of having ‘stuck to it’ and brought my project to completion is incredible, even if it is still a very rough version at this stage. I am not even mentioning having the book accepted for publication, getting through the various rounds of edits, and of course seeing the book published and reading reviews.
Before reaching that wonderful stage however, there are many dark moments. Moments of doubt, loss of belief in the story and my skill as writer, and worst of all for me, the broken connection with the characters who suddenly stop ‘talking’ to me.
I love writing. It’s all I always wanted to do. I think about my story when I am driving, cooking, walking, ironing, washing my hair or drinking a cup of coffee; I dream about my hero (I know, it sounds silly and a little pathetic). I agonise about the twists and turns of my plot and subplots. I have conversations with my characters, laugh at their jokes, shake my head at their stupidity, or marvel at their ingenuity. I speak lines of dialogue aloud in different voices even when my children look at me in a funny way. When you do all that, you just don’t let those dark and difficult times defeat you. You don’t give up. You get on with it.
I find that when things get really tough, it’s usually because I cannot ‘hear’ my characters any longer, or because I got lost in an over-complicated plot. The best strategy for me then is to go back to the very beginning of the story, in order to add – or delete – layers and details, rekindle that precious connection with my characters, get the spark and the fun in writing again. 
There are many inspirational quotes from writers about dealing with writer’s block, self-doubt and dark and difficult moments, but I particularly like the ones below by JK Rowling.
“I just write what I wanted to write. I write what amuses me. It's totally for myself."
“What you write becomes who you are… So make sure you love what you write!”
Having fun and writing what you love is crucial, even if it means writing in a different genre or switching to short stories instead of writing a novel. A group of author friends and I recently released an anthology of feel-good and heart-warming short stories set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Haven Bridge (loosely based on the real town Hebden Bridge) in a bid to forget about the usual pressures and find 'the fun in writing again.' Miss Moonshine's Emporium of Happy Endings was released in May, and has since become a bestseller.

I may lose faith at times, and put a story aside for a few weeks or months, or go back to the beginning several times. I may even abandon a project for several years. But ultimately I cannot imagine my life without writing. 
Miss Moonshine's Emporium of Happy Endings is available for only £0.99 as an ebook and £7.99 in paperback  here.Please click on the links below to read what these authors have to say about the topic!
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.comDr. Bob Rich  https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1gQ
Connie Vines  http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Beverley Bateman  http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Aimee) A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Fiona McGier  http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Skye Taylor  http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Margaret Fieland  http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Rhobin L Courtright  http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com