here's what I am worried about

I'm slogging through a story, 25K words into it and it's not coming together. I had a brief rant over it yesterday and one of my two crit partners who've been complaining about the meh story suggested I take a break and write the book of my heart.

I have no book of my heart.

At the moment I don't seem to have any particular books at all--not even of the liver or brain or kneecaps. I sit down and write because that's what I'm supposed to do. Then I end up with a slog, apparently. Soggy slog, a bog of chapters.

So do I keep slogging, waiting for the book to appear?
Do I take a break?
Take another walk? It is absolutely gorgeous out (no, that isn't the issue.)

I'm used to this sort of thing happening temporarily. Heck, everyone I know who's written more than a couple of books gets this condition eventually. But my boggy brain fizzle has been going on since about the middle of my last Bonnie cowritten book. I had to force that out. Luckily Bonnie was there to de-slog it for us.

No one wants to read a fluffy romance with no sense of fun, forced ha, ha, yay enthusiasm. I don't want to write 'em either.

Ah well. Until I can figure out another solution, I'm going to start work in a half hour. Sit down, put on the Wellies and head into the great dismal swamp. At least there's something on the page.


Comments

  1. I hear you. I go through periods like that, too. I'm usually juggling multiple projects in order to pay the bills, and sometimes they ALL feel like a slog.

    What I find helpful is to change scenery. Go somewhere new, even if it's only a short distance away -- a park, a beach, a walk in a different direction, a walk in a hedge maze or a labyrinth and not think about any of the books.

    The other thing that sometimes helps is not allowing myself to write ANYTHING for a set period of days, be it three days or a week. As soon as I'm "not allowed to write", all I want to do is write.

    And, finally, when the brain ache is too much, I go to a museum and look at paintings. Something about paint on canvas unlocks the stuck bits.

    Hang in there.

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  2. Yeah, good list of ideas. Thanks!

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  3. I still say better to write something than nothing at all. Even if it's boggy. That's what CPs are for. Sometimes I get really excited by the polished product even when I didn't love getting it down on paper the first time.

    Writing somewhere else and switching writing materials (a great pen and paper) help me too. Watching a bunch of movies and vegging out... Hard to make myself come back from that state, though.

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  4. If Barbaran O'Neal runs another voice class, you should take it. Meanwhile, check your email I'm sending you one of the hand-outs.

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