Some days you just can't do it

You may think that becoming a published author makes the writing process easier.

Nope.

Yes, it's more rewarding because I know my words are being read, and my characters loved. That's what I worked all these years for. That's why I do it. Well, that and my head would explode if I didn't write all that stuff down. ; )

But as to the writing process itself -- one day I'm giddy with the joy of a new plot or character discovery and more pieces of the puzzle click into place. Then the next day, I think I'm writing swill and I am quite certain that I suck. This probably sounds plenty familiar to your writers out there. ; )

Last night's writing was . . .well, let's just say it didn't leap off the page for me. In fact, it just lay there, limp, flaccid. . you get the picture. I think the main reason why I kept getting stuck in previous weeks was not only had I not included Piaras and Talon, but that not having them in from the beginning kept the book's foundation from being as solid as it needed to be. I didn't have a solid foundation to support the story and subplots that I was building on top of it. And as we all know, a building without a solid foundation will fall -- so will a book. So that's what I'm doing now -- shoring up my foundation.

The other problem with yesterday's writing was simple exhaustion; it was just one of those days. My alarm went off at 5:45 (my normal time), I worked pretty much non-stop at my day job, pounded out three pages of The Trouble With Demons during my lunch break, and then went non-stop at work for the rest of the afternoon. I drive home, feed and potty all of the dogs & cats, cook dinner, feed me and Derek, and it's 7:30 by the time I got upstairs to my office.

It's no freaking wonder I got next to nothing done. After an hour and a half of sputtering around with the 8 pages that I have on this chapter, I decided that the best thing I could do for me, those who have to live with me, and the best thing I could do for the book was to stop, take a shower, and go to bed.

Some days it the writing just doesn't happen. And when that happens, you can't beat yourself up over it. By the time I got to my "writing time" last night, it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other, let alone one word in front of the other.

The most productive thing I could do for myself and the book was to get a good night's sleep. A good night's sleep will make the writing that you thought was sucky swill look not half bad the next day. ; )

Always be willing to cut yourself some slack. You deserve it.
Lisa