I’m happy to say that I’ve found my writing groove again!
For those of you who have experienced this temporary mental setback, you’re probably thinking, “Of course it comes back.” But for a newbie like me, whose only been writing for eight months, IT WAS SCARY!
I had such a smooth beginning, and wrote The Elephant and the Dragon fable quickly (of course, it’s a glorified short story and not a novel). This novel business, though? There are a lot more mental mazes, details and character building involved. Again, for seasoned authors, this is a no-brainer.
Just like my fable, the first half of this novel wrote itself quickly. It wasn't until after the midway point that I had to sit back and ask myself some hard questions: "Where is this thing going?" "What's going to happen to my main character now?" These questions stalled my apparently tenuous creative process, and plunged me into a pretty big slump. I put it down and walked away.
Thankfully, my story came back to me, with a new turn that I'm embracing. I have to re-write some earlier chapters to make it all fit together. My brain hurts. But it’s a good kind of hurt.
I’m not really complaining, so please forgive me if it seems like I am. I’m just working through this writer’s journey thing, and hopefully encouraging a few others along the way by sharing how I feel.
If you enjoy writing too, don’t give up! Maybe let it go for a few weeks and let yourself enjoy something else. Your story will ruminate in the back of your mind and hopefully let you know when it’s time to write the story again.
We must be patient with ourselves and the twisted process that is writing.
