28 April 2017

Simple Truth

Written by Sarah-Maree

Writing isn’t easy. It may be easy for those lucky few, but I’m not one of them. Before I get too far, let me explain what I find difficult about writing.

Time. Focus. Inspiration. Confidence.

The upside to all of this…I’m not the only one struggling! Yes, I am happy about that, not because others are suffering – though I do love the whole Misery Loves Company idea – but rather that I don’t feel so lost because I know I’m not alone in this endeavor.

How do I cope? Same way most published writers do, I imagine, by treating my writing as a job rather than a hobby. Not saying a hobby can’t become something more, just that there is a huge difference between the two. To put it simply: hobbies are for when you have time whereas a job is something you make time for and you do it consistently.

I’ve known this for a while now. It’s a difficult lesson to come to grips with because I love writing much like I love crafting. That said, I don’t make time for my crafting and I certainly don’t treat it like a job.

Even knowing that doesn’t make the task any easier. So,sometimes I need advice to help inspire me and push me past a block in my writing. The advice occasionally gives me a boost of confidence as it reminds me that I have it mostly right, but then gives me a few more things to work on. In turn, my focus improves and I start making time for my writing again.

Ok. This brings me to my most recent inspiration. As I said in my last blog, I went to the Indianapolis Comic Con. Amazing! And I listened in on three writer’s panels; two of which were phenomenal!

The phenomenal panel authors - Dan Wells, Kevin J. Anderson, Josh Vogt, Claudia Gray, Neo Edmund

Well, lo and behold, someone said, and I’m paraphrasing here because it was extremelydifficult to hear the exact question that anyoneasked: “I struggle to write. How do I keep writing when I don’t feel like it?” The responses:

“It’s not a writing problem, it’s a values problem.”
“Treat it like a job.”
“It won’t get published if it doesn’t get written.”

I don’t know about you, but OUCH! Even when you go into it knowing the answer…ouch! The part that I loved about their responses was that they were so candid! Other questions had more detailed responses to more intricate questions. Questions like “How do you get your magic system across.” Or “How do you fit characters into a world you’ve built?” Yet the issue or writing had such a simple solution and it’s one that is true for writing or anything we do. If you don’t do it, then it won’t get done.

Never give up, and stay creative :)

Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder

About the Author

I may not be the nerdiest nerd you’ve ever met, but I still like to think of myself as a lover of science, video games, and of course, books.

CAFFEINE IS MY MUSE

Read plenty, read often

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