I realized recently why I have such a difficult time making myself sit down and write. Daydreaming about my story is no problem. Coming up with scenes and dialogue is fun, and I haven't really had a problem with writer's block when it comes to the creativity side of writing. I think my problem/issue is that I am impatient. I am not one of those people who can sit down and tackle a 1000-piece puzzle. A few years ago I thought I would give one of those mammoth puzzles a shot. I sat down for all of thirty seconds and stared at the pieces and then put them back in the box. The unfinished puzzle bugged me. It actually made me feel stressed out and anxious. I wanted it DONE NOW!!! I have not tried another puzzle since....unless it is one of those thirty-piece kids puzzles.
Now, I know that as a writer, this is a problem. Can I really expect to sit and write a 120,000 word book when I can't even commit to a puzzle? Am I doomed?! I am going to be optimistic and say no. I have always believed that the ones who succeed are the ones who TRY and TRY and TRY and NEVER give up and push past their human failings. I believe I can succeed (at writing the book, anyway...being published is kind of out of my hands) because even though I hate the long process of an unfinished work, I also love the process once I force myself to get started. It's kind of like going to the gym. You hate to go. You force yourself to put on the workout clothes and drive or walk yourself there, but once you step on that treadmill and start to get your blood pumping you realize, 'Why was I fighting this? This is great!'
I hate having only five chapters written out of twenty. I hate having the story in my mind and not on paper. Putting the words to paper is the hard part. But...I love seeing the words materialize once I force myself to sit and move my fingers. It truly is a love/hate relationship. So long as I love it more than I hate it, I think I am on the right track.
2 comments:
Some days it's really hard to make myself sit down and write. One problem is the Internet is such a distraction. But without fail, once I start typing, I love it and usually have to force myself to stop and go to bed (since I usually work at night). It sounds like you're on the right track - just keep the end result in mind.
The internet is definitely a distraction. Sometimes I wonder if I should try to go a week without it, just to focus on my writing. It is a good idea, but painful to think about :)
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