Tuesday, November 29, 2005

A Dog ate My WIP and Other Lame Excuses

I have an excuse for everything.  Well, not everything, but definitely for my lack of writing.  And most of the time I believe them.  

Myth: It’s the holidays, I’m too damn busy to write
Truth: I have time to read all the blogs and play computer games plus most of my shopping is done.

Myth: I have writer’s block
Truth: I’m writing this, aren’t I?  Plus I just finished a workshop over at Romance Central's Forums.  I can write anything I want, there is no block.

Myth:  I’m unmotivated.
Truth: Motivation is self-created.  We make our own motivation, it is not like the weather for which we have no control.

Myth: The kids are driving me crazy.
Truth:  Well, this is true, but it has been true for the last 5 years, so it really doesn’t play into my writing.

Truth: I am more concerned about the chance of my work selling and whether or not an editor is going to bother reading it.
Myth: It should dictate everything I write.

When I first started writing, I didn’t worry about the market.  I didn’t worry about whether I had a story that could sell or characters that fit the ideal of an editor or agent.  I wrote the story of my heart as it were.  I wrote what gave me pleasure.  Now that I’ve started submitting, I find much of the joy has left my writing.  I try too hard.  Does this story have the right hook?  Does it have the elements required to sell a novel?  I really resent this way of thinking.  I long for the days when I sat down and wrote for the pure pleasure of it.  I think back fondly to the time when I didn’t have a clue what a “guideline” was.  Sadly enough, I can never return to that place.  I need to find the balance between what my mind and heart want, forcing them to work together to create a book I can be proud of and enjoy writing.