Finding Motivation

 

Slugging through the swamp of writing. That's where I am right now!

But, I'm still writing. This book will get finished if I have to do it a tiny paragraph at a time. I will reach the end.

I'm trying all the tricks. Music, walking, switching from typing to long hand. This isn't writers block that's slowing me down. This is intimidation.

The characters took over and made it too long, and now I'm scared it will never end. They're too chatty and they keep trying to take it slowly, but there has to be an end sometime. And I will reach it. That's my goal.

I will reach the end of this damn book, and it's gonna be great. Positivity and motivation!

The Slump

 

I've hit the 50,000 word slump.

In my current Work In Progress, I've reached that milestone, but knowing how much story there is still left to tell, and how many words I've used so far, the motivation has started to fade.

It seems like this book is going to finish up at a bajillion words long. Which mean it will be slightly less than a bajillion pages! That's too many. It was supposed to be a reasonable size.

So, the way it's spiralled out of control has thrown me into the doldrums. I have no idea how long this book will be because it feels like it's barely got going yet, but hell, it's either going to take some drastic editing, or maybe I'll just be giving a lot of book for the money.

Either way, the end feels like a long way off.

Speaking into the Mist

 

Some days I update social media even though I'm certain nobody reads it. I update my blog, my website. I work on my book. 

It's like I'm an echo, fading into the mist. My voice has no substance. 

That's the thing with being a writer. You can't guarantee that someone is going to read what you write, but personally, I do it anyway, because my brain throws out stories all the time. Characters, plots, scenes. So, I write them down, and hope that they make their way to someone who will like them. 

But I have to say, I do wish that every now and then, I didn't feel like it was such a redundant task. I guess these words can be just for me, and for the few who find them. 

I'm all about the words after all. I'm a writer. 

Loving #PitMad

A few days ago, I was scanning Twitter reading and loving all the pitches for #PitMad and wishing I had finished my book so I could have been a part of it. I'd have loved to have joined in. 

Unfortunately, my book is still in progress. I'm at the 50,000 word mark with no end in sight. It was supposed to be that length at completion but apparently my characters are little chatter boxes with too much to say. 

#PitMad was still fun to follow though. The goal is to write pitches for your book within 280 characters using hashtags to draw the right publishers and agents to your book. You post your pitch on twitter and get involved in the amazing writing community, all supporting and helping each other to reach out. 

Like I said, though, my book isn't finished so I was little more than an observer. It was still great to see how much support is out there among all the writers. 

Maybe I'll be ready to join in for the December round of #PitMad. I just gave myself a goal. 

Writing Through a Cold

 Pass me the whisky! I've got a cold! (And only a cold.)

I want soup, I want many cups of tea, I want hot toddies, I want thick duvets and I want to binge watch box sets. And then I'll be up to doing some writing.

I'm staying in my pjs until this passes. I feel awful - I look worse - but luckily writing is a solitary thing so nobody is here to see my greasy hair, pale face and red nose.

To be honest, the challenge with writing hasn't come from not feeling up to it. The challenge is coming from lack of peace and quiet in the house. Who knew that feeling ill would be the least of my problems this weekend.

All teamed together; the chaos, the crappiness of being poorly, and the people in the house not giving me a moment to myself has put me in a foul mood, which isn't the best temperament for writing romance.

That's the thing with being a writer though. Grumpiness and illness don't stop you from getting words down on the screen. You might not feel like it, but as with any job, you don't get to say, 'I just don't want to.' Not if you want to finish the WIP!

Still, with the help of my trusty earphones, my cups of tea and my comfy pjs, I'll power through and continue on this shifter romance that I'm currently writing.

 

Treats and Rewards

 

This week I'm all about organisation, and for every task I accomplish, I'm giving myself a reward.

Not necessarily huge rewards. I'm not giving myself a cruise for finishing a short story, but, for example, I have a week to finish the first draft of my WIP and if I succeed or work really hard at it, then I get rewarded with a night to myself with a takeout and a bottle of wine. Maybe a movie.

This is the thing, with the chaos of daily living, something as simple as that is a treat. I have the house to myself, I'm going to make the most of it, but I do need to finish my current book, so as long as I finish, or get close to finishing, then I've earned it.

So, like I said, I'm all about rewards for the work I'm doing. I'm all about incentives this week.

Busy Busy Busy

This has been a pretty hectic week.

I've had a lot on, which has meant writing hasn't been my number one priority, but even with the chaos running rampant through my daily routine, I'm still always thinking about the story.

I think that's the thing with being a writer. Every quiet moment, the mind drifts to plot conflicts, characters, scenes. I plan what is coming in the fictional worlds I'm writing about. I think it's more than likely the same for all creative people.

Every commute ends with a new scene in my mind, and I'm just waiting for the moment I can get out of my car and get it down on paper, trying to keep the words straight in my memory, but as I said, it's been a pretty busy week.

I'm supposed to be taking the weekend off because I have plans, but here I am at eight thirty on Saturday night, a small window of time to call my own, and I'm at my laptop working.

I think the windows are an important aspect of being a writer, especially a writer with a day job, because moments of time are sometimes all I get. I'm making the most of them this week.

Writing, getting this book down on screen.