Seriously, Though

Good morning, Readers!

Today, I am feeling meh.  I didn't get any writing done yesterday, though I did a a fair amount of reading through Daughters of Britain in an effort to get my head back into the story.

It's good so far...

But in all seriousness, the story is good but I'm having a lot of difficulty getting to the actual writing.  And that what I wanted to discuss at length.  But first, let me distract you with the most adorable kitty ZOMG SO MUCH SQUEE!

Isn't it adorable?

Now, onto the serious stuff.

Image courtesy of thingsiwouldsend.blogspot.ca. Click for link.

s have been asked a few times before where I find the inspiration/motivation to write.  I honestly am stumped how to answer the question well.  In truth, there really is only one answer:

I write.

In ordinary circumstances, I often have little trouble putting words down on the page.  Other times I do.  The point is not only to write when feeling inspired or motivated.  It's to write, period, no matter how you're feeling.  You plonk your behind in that chair and you start writing.  It will sometimes be really easy to do.  Sometimes it's like pulling teeth.

Writing Human was like pulling teeth.  It took me a year.  I hated every moment of writing that book.  Turns out, it's a great book.

Skylark was incredibly easy to write.  In less than a month, I had a finished first draft.  My Beta Readers loved it, so I'm guessing it's also a great book.

Writing since 2011 has given me a fair amount of experience with the writing struggle.  It surprises and amuses me how different each book is to write for me.  How much harder one book is over another.

But the difference between myself and those who never finish a manuscript it simply this:

I write.

Granted, I do a lot of goofing off as well.  Rest is important.  Every time I finish a project, I give myself some time off.  If I've finished a manuscript, I take a month off.  I need it.  Writing can be very draining and I need some time to recover.  If it's editing I finish, I give myself a week off.  Rest is important.

But I also sometimes just don't write when I should.  Do you know what happens then?  Nothing.

That's right.  Nothing.

There's no bomb explosion beneath my chair, there's no alarm sounding off over my head, there's just ... nothing.  And the manuscript is also nothing.  It remains unfinished, taunting me with cries of victory.

NO MANUSCRIPT! YOU WILL NOT WIN!  I WILL FINISH YOU!

Image courtesy of naosalvo.com.br. Click for link.

​Some people like to wax lyrical about the moods of their muses, but here's the actual truth.  If you show up, if you put in the work, your muse will too.  It's time to put to bed the fallacy that creative work isn't work.

It is work.  It is hard work.  It requires skill.  It requires imagination.  It requires discipline.  It requires effort.

It's work.

Now put your butt in that chair and write.

I'm off to do the same.

​Ciao!