On Facebook, I “like” a particular page for writers that regularly posts quotes about writing. Imagine that!
Today, the page administrator(s) posted,
Writing about writer’s block is better than not writing at all. — Charles Bukowski
I don’t think I necessarily have writer’s block. I’m not really sure what’s going on with me. Last spring, I hit my stride. I was writing like a madwoman. I would estimate I was about two weeks away from actually finishing a novel for the first time, with two more on its heals. I was on a roll.
Then I went rollerblading one Saturday morning.
I shattered my right wrist and fractured my left elbow. I was in a lot of pain. I had to have surgery to put a metal plate in my wrist and after they removed the splint, I had to wear a brace. My wrist hurt all.the.time. Even if my brain hadn’t been muddled by the pain killers, the pain was too much and I could only type with my right hand, which got tiring.
I lost my momentum. I figured I’d be able to pick right back up where I’d ended, but I couldn’t. I had to restart the book I had nearly finished and now the writing is coming hard and in spits and spurts. I’m frustrated.
Last week, I committed myself to write one hour a day, every day. I managed two or three days of that and haven’t done much else. I can’t get in the mood. I’m annoyed with myself.
So here I am blogging and hoping this little exercise will help me get back on track. While I love that I at least am able to make a living by being a writer, technical writer for a government agency is not my dream. I appreciate that I can be a little creative, that I can spend my days writing and editing and even more, I appreciate the paycheck and benefits that come with it.
I’m also quite afraid that if I do finish writing a novel, I will not find an agent or a publisher. I am afraid to fail. I’m not afraid of failure on its face. I’m afraid to find out that being a novelist is not really the life I was born to live. I’m afraid to lose my dream. But if I never try, I will fail for certain. That’s even worse.
And so back to the grind.
it’s tough to lose your stride, isn’t it? I usually , like you, try to push through rather than wait for the muse to return! You’ll get it back, I’m sure!
Thank you!
I’m so sorry about your injuries! Something similar happened to me a couple of years ago and it took a LONG time to get my writing mojo back.
Thanks! I remember you writing about it. It is not something I ever want to experience again, for sure. I’m actually getting back into writing finally. I’ve been pushing myself, but other things are starting to get in the way. Things just keep coming up.
I think it actually does help to just write something every day, even if it isn’t part of a book. Just write your thoughts out. One thing that could also help is to start working on a novel you have no idea of ever getting published. Maybe your memoirs or a crazy book about a spaceship or something. It could get you back in the habit of typing those words out…plus it might be fun!