Sometimes I think just sitting down to do the work is the hardest part. Once I get started, things settle in and flow. I am trying to finish a 12th rewrite on my debut. My fulltime job pulls me away, but I am constantly swimming toward finishing the book. I always feel better when I’ve put in the creative time…
Thanks for sharing, Linda. With eleven rewrites under your belt you obviously have the discipline to finish a good book. Your full time job pulls you away but you always come back, which is everything. And I feel you. I used to get so restless sitting down to write, but I’ve kept the same hours and now my brain knows that when I sit at my desk between XX times on XX days, it’s time to write. And pretty soon I get lost in the process.
This resonates so much with me! I'm on my third book and I often struggle to find the excitement and inspiration I had with my first two--and I too am prone to thinking that I'm "wasting time," especially when it seems like everyone else is a faster writer than me! But you're so right that we have to trust the process, to realize it's not always going to be fun/exhilarating/easy, and keep showing up anyway. I recently despaired over "how long" brainstorming this current novel is taking me, thinking there was something wrong--and then I went back into the early documents for my previous novel and found literally hundreds of pages of seemingly worthless rambling that I had forgotten about (but had eventually led to the novel I'm so proud of). Apparently, this is part of my process and there is no need to punish myself for it! Thanks for sharing your insights and I can't wait to see your finished book in the world :)
Raquel, a career is work, right? Book after book after book you show up and do the work--as you have shown. And as you know, it's tricky when the romance wears off because writing is hard, just like any other profession. I love that you're on to yourself. You know your prone to thinking that you're wasting time, but you keep brainstorming anyway--because that's your process. I think identifying your process is important, so you can give yourself what you need. I also feel like everyone is writing faster than me, and I iterate a lot. I love that you're not punishing yourself for it. Thank you for reading, commenting, and I also can't wait for you to see my finished book in the world, lol! I hope to start querying this year.
There is so much in this post that I find inspiring -- your willingness to stick with your dream, to continually revise, and best of all -- your realization that the journey is the destination. I love your sentiment about how the process of dreamig is a process of becoming. Love your wisdom -- looking forward to reading your book.
It’s such an honor to be here to witness your growth and the evolution of your process. The perseverance and determination are inspiring!
Thank you my love. It's an honor to be married to you. Your kindness and encouragement inspire me to keep going.
"..any story beyond "I want to make the best thing I can make, whatever it is" are all undermining forces in the quest for greatness"
- Rick Rubin
Glad you found your flow!!
Yes! You see what I’m up to. Tying to make the best story I can. Thanks for sharing that quote, Tristan.
Trusting the process is everything. 🙏
Sometimes I think just sitting down to do the work is the hardest part. Once I get started, things settle in and flow. I am trying to finish a 12th rewrite on my debut. My fulltime job pulls me away, but I am constantly swimming toward finishing the book. I always feel better when I’ve put in the creative time…
Thanks for sharing, Linda. With eleven rewrites under your belt you obviously have the discipline to finish a good book. Your full time job pulls you away but you always come back, which is everything. And I feel you. I used to get so restless sitting down to write, but I’ve kept the same hours and now my brain knows that when I sit at my desk between XX times on XX days, it’s time to write. And pretty soon I get lost in the process.
i needed to hear this. thank you.
You’re welcome.
This resonates so much with me! I'm on my third book and I often struggle to find the excitement and inspiration I had with my first two--and I too am prone to thinking that I'm "wasting time," especially when it seems like everyone else is a faster writer than me! But you're so right that we have to trust the process, to realize it's not always going to be fun/exhilarating/easy, and keep showing up anyway. I recently despaired over "how long" brainstorming this current novel is taking me, thinking there was something wrong--and then I went back into the early documents for my previous novel and found literally hundreds of pages of seemingly worthless rambling that I had forgotten about (but had eventually led to the novel I'm so proud of). Apparently, this is part of my process and there is no need to punish myself for it! Thanks for sharing your insights and I can't wait to see your finished book in the world :)
Raquel, a career is work, right? Book after book after book you show up and do the work--as you have shown. And as you know, it's tricky when the romance wears off because writing is hard, just like any other profession. I love that you're on to yourself. You know your prone to thinking that you're wasting time, but you keep brainstorming anyway--because that's your process. I think identifying your process is important, so you can give yourself what you need. I also feel like everyone is writing faster than me, and I iterate a lot. I love that you're not punishing yourself for it. Thank you for reading, commenting, and I also can't wait for you to see my finished book in the world, lol! I hope to start querying this year.
Very good point that writing is supposed to be work like any other job! It's easy to forget that sometimes :)
Right? I blame Hollywood!
There is so much in this post that I find inspiring -- your willingness to stick with your dream, to continually revise, and best of all -- your realization that the journey is the destination. I love your sentiment about how the process of dreamig is a process of becoming. Love your wisdom -- looking forward to reading your book.
Thank you for making me smile, Kaarin. I'm so glad the post resonated with you, and thank you for reflecting back what inspired you. I appreciate you.