Did I get your attention? I’m on a free writing retreat. It’s complete with food, cable, and furry company.
I’m talking about housesitting. It’s the perfect opportunity to get some work done or even, you know, relax.
I’m not known for relaxing. My friend’s mug says it all. Instead I’m working on the 17th (!!!) draft of my first book to give to my agent.
Don’t worry. I get a vacation next week when we head down to Bryce Canyon, Utah.
Until then it’s work ’til I drop.
Perseverance. It’s been my mantra for the last three years.
How did I write 5 books? I didn’t give up. I sat down and did the work, and I repeated until I had achieved my goal.
Everything about being an author is founded on perseverance. From writing to landing an agent to publishing.
Day after day you have to put one foot in front of the other because you can achieve your dreams.
When things feel bleak and you’ve lost hope, what depends on success is whether you keep going anyway.
Even the most successful authors have doubts. It’s part of the job, but you can turn it around if you just keep going.
The first draft is going to be terrible, but that’s OK. You can fix it later. Nobody will see it until you want them to, but nobody will read your story unless you get it out there when it’s polished.
I lost my mom late Friday night.
I wonder at our need for words at the time of death. We search for thr right meaning, the best representation of how we feel. Yet the words are never enough. They fall empty.
Maybe if there was a spell to keep the pain away or a secret phrase to bring you back in time.
We write obituaries, say prayers, share platitudes and memories. Even then, as a writer, words only touch the surface of the experience of losing a loved one.
Sometimes there are no words, but no words have as much meaning as words. The empty space between lines screams with meaning.
We grasp at words, but clutch at a void where our loved one inhabits. Any explanation is lost with them.
Happy February!
I recently finished writing my 5th book which is a Snow White retelling. It’s a lot of fun!
Now, I’m editing my 3rd book before I edit the 5th. Not too informative I know.
I’m toying with a new idea. I’m interested in writing a traditional Christmas horror story BUT with romance and a HEA. The gears are turning.
Fingers crossed for a book deal!
The last few months (who am I kidding, the last year) I’ve fought against the worst brain fog. I’ve still managed to write 55k words of my WIP so far since September. Usually I can write through the block and come out with words writing themselves. Today, I haven’t been so lucky.
Let’s be honest, I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe ever writer has a reason they can’t seem to write. For me it’s sleepiness, anxiety, or my ADHD (or so they tell me). Writer’s block has become an umbrella term for the problems creatives face when nothing seems to give and when many of the problems can be classified by the DSM 5 (it’s a dense book).
Today, I’ve managed roughly 200 words. I’m going to try again because the only way to beat a block is to write. If that means staring at a blank page then go do something else. Take a walk, experience life, read, or drink coffee (lots of coffee). In the end, go back to writing. Creativity breeds creativity and sooner or later, you won’t struggle anymore.
P.S. I wrote this blog as a distraction from my WIP as well as to get myself writing.
Mae Thorn 