Free Post Thursday – Finding a Way Back In

I’ve mentioned recently that because of health issues I’ve not really been up to writing: looking at a calendar today I see it’s over 12 weeks since I last put words on a page.

If I am not writing, I am not a writer – and 25% of the year not writing is a pretty massive chunk. It’s horrible to feel that writing is something I did, not something I do, so it’s time to make writing accessible again.

I will not set myself an unreachable target with regard to my novel. I have to accept that isn’t the way forward for now, and trust that what I have completed so far will stand the test of time – and if not, it just means it wasn’t the right story after all.

Instead I need to pick up writing again, in a positive way. I need to be a poet for a while.

It’s no secret here that I enjoy the art of writing poetry more than novels, and part of that is the way I have always used poetry to process thoughts and feelings.

More importantly for now, though, is that they give me a sense of achievement. I produce a rough stone of a first draft, of course – but with a little cutting, a little polish, they end up as shiny gems in my portfolio.

So that is where I will start: building some glitter into my barren writing life and getting back into the habit of being a writer.

I don’t want to be in the habit of not being one, after all!

Happy writing,
EJ
🙂

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Week 175 – What’s the Wait?

This week I have tried to get back into the habit of writing. I’m not doing too badly – a bit of my own note-taking, a bit of advice to a writer friend about next steps in their own work (it involved a Venn diagram, I felt very scientific!) and when the writing muse went for her quiet time, I got on with some reading which has been a little bit of study in its own right.

Hopefully that last bit will make sense on Tuesday…

However, I still didn’t give my writing the time I wanted. Odd working arrangements, a family birthday and pantomime trip, Christmas drinks with one friend, a Christmas meal with another, shopping, wrapping and delivering presents, panto rehearsals…  I have let life be an excuse for a lack of writing in the last few months and now I am carrying that on.

I want to write, I feel the lack of writing, and yet I am putting barriers up in the way of myself once more. I know why, and I know I have to get over it.

That is my task, my responsibility for the next few months: to really get back into things and start producing work I am prepared to follow through to the end of the story, however the story goes.

I would say wish me luck, but it’s not luck I need. It’s a kick in the metaphorical posterior. Can you give me that instead?

Happy writing,
EJ
🙂

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Week 174 – Half A Step Forward (but at least it’s the right direction)

You can tell before reading this post that I didn’t do as well as I had said I would do, can’t you?

In my (self) defence it hasn’t been a straight forward week. Still, I did have time to write and chose not to do so. I also chose not to rehearse my panto role or wrap Christmas presents or sort through the remaining wedding odds and sods.

I chose to have a wallow instead – I watched some trashy tv and bad films, ate junk and generally lazed about when I wasn’t working. It was necessary, and the end result is a list of ideas I have for future works so it wasn’t a complete waste of time, but it wasn’t the most practical time management tool…

I haven’t started the last novel up again yet – I feel too far away from it in writing terms at the moment – but getting some ideas and concepts down is a good step in getting me back into thinking like a writer.

Realistically, I’m not going to get into a proper writing pattern until after Christmas as I have so many things on, but just getting back into the habit of writing some notes every day will ne useful, sensible, and valuable.

I feel really quite rusty at using my brain in that way, despite my notes when I was away, and the work I did before.  It’s almost like I’m training myself to write again.  So writing each day is my first target, and I want to achieve it this week.

In other news – there’s still plenty of time for you to suggest books for me to read in 2015, and I’d love to get your suggestions.  I’m even thinking about starting a local reading group to get some more interesting ideas from people (because one reading group just isn’t enough!)

And finally – on a semi-related subject, I haven’t read book 63 or 64 of the 100 novels list.  Both sound like they are worth investigating further though…  I am doing quite badly with this list but it is introducing me to new writers and new books so I guess I am doing well from it at the same time!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

 

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