Bad Writer. BAD
I’ve learned a few things in the time I’ve been writing with intention. One of those things is to write every day no matter what. This is especially important to me in the middle of anything longer than a short story.
I didn’t write for three days. Of course it was harder to get back into it and of course I thought it would be easier to take that fourth day off. But discipline is discipline, so three days was as far as I was going to stretch it.
I know better. And this time just proved all over again why I need to write. every. day. Something interesting did happen, though. It reminded me of something Annie Dillard said in A Writing Life. If you just can’t bring yourself to write, the work has a flaw or you are headed in the wrong direction. I’m not sure that fully applies to my few days off, but the story had an interesting twist happen when I began writing again.
Would that twist have happened without time off?
One of my concerns with this novel is for the reader to believe the characters believe in a situation that is abnormal…or as my MC puts it “I refuse to be a freak in anyone’s freak show. This has gone too far.” In the scene following the break, she said those words and exhibited her denial. I think that’s important for the story overall and her believability.
Ah, well. I may never know. However, no more time off for me until the rough draft is out.
I have always considered the ‘dead space’ between thinking about a story and actually writing it out as an important way to let the narrative breathe. There have been times when the characters I created turned around and did something that was both completely in their nature yet wholly unexpected. Rushing to get the story down would have blunted those moments.
I’ve spent the last three days writing short stories rather than my NaNo novel, because the characters were doing strange things rather than following my game plan. When they are ready to play ball I’ll follow them and see what is going to happen. A strange way of working, I guess, but it should be more organic and believable than a plot-by-numbers novel.
It is so hard to get back into the groove when you have had a few days off.
Like you, I have to write everyday. Otherwise? It just sits and a good idea is just that. An idea.
When I write everyday, I feel whole. Alive. My life is totally filled with purpose that is just for me. Not for my family, kid, husband. No one. Only me.
I am feeding my soul.
I’ve now had two days off (if I don’t write tonight, and I might not, we’ll see), but it’s nothing to do with the novel that’s derailed me! Serious news sister, serious news. /goes off to email you