It’s Writing Monday…
More on the gloomy voices that plague writers and anyone involved in any creative process:
Gloomy Voice #6 – You waste too much time thinking about what to write.
The truth: You have to think before you can write, otherwise, what are you going to write about?
The biggest percentage of my writing work—and the most demanding part—doesn’t occur when I’m in the act of hitting some keys on a keyboard.
It generally occurs when I’m driving, falling asleep, or taking a walk. Because that’s my thinking time.
For me, thinking involves about 60 percent of every writing task I do. For example, 60 percent of my first non-fiction book, TV Time, was developed in my car and 40 percent at the keyboard. At the time, my son was an infant, so he would sleep in the car seat beside me as I drove two hours to visit my parents each weekend. I kept a small tape recorder and pen/tablet in the console between the seats.
To this day, if I haven’t thought about my work before sitting down to write, then I’m already behind, even though I just sat down.
Now, the time will come, however, when the negative voice will win if you don’t write something.
How do you write that “something” if you’re not inspired?
So you think good writing only comes when you’re inspired…
More truth: Good writing also comes when it hurts.
It comes when it’s a struggle to get out.
It comes after countless rewrites.
My inspiration often is directly tied to my deadlines. The more time I have, the more excuses I generate. The closer I am to the drop-dead hour, the more the juices flow. The negative voices seem to disappear when the piece is due tomorrow.
If it helps, give yourself deadlines, or ask a writer friend to impose deadlines on you.
Next Week: #7 (and final) Gloomy Voice – Publishing will change you; you’ll lose your grounding, your sense of self.
Historical intrigue interwoven with modern-day suspense and a touch of the mysterious.
Contemporary romantic suspense.
Coming-of-age sagas.
Debra, I too find it helpful to set deadlines. Structure is my friend! 🙂 For a long time I felt I was wasting time when not writing, but then I realized that some of my best ideas came while relaxing. I’m loving this series!