With each passing day, I find myself less and less motivated to write. It could be any number of things going on in life, both professionally and personally. It could be none of the above, and just general malaise about writing and publishing. Sales (or the general lack thereof) haven't really helped my motivation any. And of course, it's a vicious cycle that churns...not writing prevents new titles which eliminates the possibility of additional sales, which then stifles motivation, which keeps a person from writing.
That said, I've spent the past several days working on a screenplay version of Heroes Die Young. It's been great to get back to the old tales of Aston from yesteryear. And to be perfectly honest, my mind has always come up with all of my short stories and novels in terms of quick, action sequences with characters that jump off the page (in my humble opinion). I guess that's why I find it so easy to write in screenplay format.
So, then, maybe the question I should be asking is whether or not writing novels is truly my calling...or perhaps I've been wasting over half my life in that pursuit when I should have been taking a different path. One never truly knows, I suppose......
I took the entire month of March off from writing. It gave me a much-needed break and time to reconnect with my family.
ReplyDeleteI know that when I took a drawing class, my teacher kept reminding us to step back from our easel and walk around the studio a little. Sometimes we stood so close to the work, we lost our perspective on it. Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and get a different perspective on your art to get a true picture of its flaws and its beauty.
I'm still frustrated with my WIP, but I'm able to view it with fresh eyes and I'm seeing where it has been tripping me up much more clearly than before. I'm glad I didn't trash it all and start over. Some of my notes are evolving into short stories -- a new medium for me. That's scary and exciting.
Know that life is change. It's okay to want to explore new avenues and challenge yourself with different techniques and outlets. Just realize that you don't have to throw baby out with bathwater to try something new.
I quit writing, but it only lasted a day. After that, though, my motivation and joy returned. Maybe you need to quit for a day too, just to see how you feel. Whatever you do, though, don't think of all the writing you've done as wasted time. You created something that brought happiness to some of us. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's my struggle...it brings happiness to those who read it, which makes me feel a bit guilty if I gave it up. :-\
ReplyDelete(Part of me wonders whether I expect the books to pick up momentum like a stone going over the crest of a hill...and since it never seems to, it frustrates me...?)
Sadly, I've gone much longer than a day without writing...and the joy didn't return. I may have to take some of JC's advice listed above.
Yep. Better do it. Good luck!
ReplyDelete