Sometimes you just have to let it go.

Elois isn’t flowing. I’ve mapped out the storyline, I’ve made character notes, I’ve set myself word targets. Nothing is working. I’ve sat myself down and made the words happen and some days it starts to flow and it all feels good, then it stalls again.

I don’t think Elois is quite ready for her story to be told. Or maybe I’m not in the right frame of mind for a younger book.

So, there’s a decision to be made. Do I carry on working on Elois, or do I revisit a different project, or start something new? Or do I pick up an existing character group and run with them for a while?

This is the curse, and the blessing, of the self-published, self-employed author. I have total freedom to choose what to write next, no deadlines to adhere to, and no-one nagging me for a particular book. Most of the time that’s fantastic, and I love it. But sometimes I flounder and life gets in the way and nothing gets written.

New Years resolution 1 this year was to crack on and get the first draft of a new book ready by Easter. It looks like that’s not going to happen.

I’ve listened to this so many times and it rings true every single time. Whatever happens, go out and make your art, make good art, make it for yourself, make art you love, but make art. No matter how rubbish things get, if you can lift your implement of choice, then go and make some art. When the sun shines, when it rains, snows, if there’s a hurricane: Make Good Art.

Make mistakes, learn from them, use them. Mistakes are great. Mistakes are opportunities.

Writing is art. A pen and notepad, or the keyboard, are my implements of choice. I fully intend to make many mistakes, but I’ll be writing some words as I go.