Success only flourishes in perseverance -- ceaseless, restless perseverance.
--Baron Manfred Von Richtofen

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Ebb and Flow

What with all the excitement and hubbub of Defenders of the Covenant being released, writing on my next novel went down the drain for a few weeks. Sure, I was doing lots of other important writing related tasks, but I still wanted to meet my weekly and monthly writing goals, and it just wasn't happening. Every time I thought I had gotten myself unstuck, I'd write two pages and come to a dead halt again. At that point, it was a lot more fun to go do some "marketing" or something rather than try to work on this book. I felt bad about it. I seriously wondered if maybe I were destined to be a one-hit wonder.

But, I have been through this kind of stuck-ness before, so I knew I could get out of it, if I just kept plugging along. I did. I made myself take time for writing every day even if I got nothing done.

I am happy to report that the writing is flowing now, and it is a great feeling! I just reached page 375, and hope do be to 400 by the end of next week. (I had hoped to get to 400 by the end of the month, but one week back isn't so bad.)

How do you get through periods of writer's block?

8 comments:

Carolyn V said...

Wow, that is awesome Angie! I get unstuck by just starting and keep going. It's the only way for me. (Plus maybe a little chocolate too. Mmm.) ;)

Anonymous said...

I can't imagine the difficulty of promoting and writing at the same time. My hat is tipped to you, good lady. My hat is tipped to you.

T. M. Hunter said...

When I find out, I'll let you know...I'm in the same boat, with the release of Death Brings Victory a few weeks ago. Add on top of that the overseas trip, and my writing output has been absolutely nil.

But like you mentioned, I always get out of the slump, so it'll likely just be a matter of me continuing to write, write, write!

Randy said...

Glad to hear that you are back on track. Sometimes just retyping my last finished page helps me get back into the flow of writing again.

Shallee said...

Yay Angie! Nice job on getting back into the groove.

I usually just have to sit my butt down and force out a few words. Once I get a few, a few more want to come, then a few more...they often turn out horrible and I trash them, but by letting myself be horrible I can usually get back into the flow.

Angie said...

Don't worry, Todd. It'll come. That's one thing I've learned.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congrats on your page count!
Sometimes I just plow through even if I'm writing junk, and sometimes I let myself take a break and write something else. Currently, I'm writing something else, while my book is being read by family members . . .and I keep getting comments in odd moments of the day - "you need more description, your romance just isn't fully realized, etc." - this could be at the breakfast table, on the phone, or at the mailbox. Writing something else is keeping me sane.

Angie said...

I'm glad that's working for you, Tyrean. Sounds like a good plan!