“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” — Samuel Johnson
The life of a writer is not one for the faint of heart. The ups and downs of the process are akin to riding a rollercoaster and are enough to take your breath away. The exhilaration when you come up with the perfect idea and can’t get it out of your head. Day in and day out you imagine scene and after scene. The first time your character meets the love of their life. The fire in your characters eyes as they march across the plains to save the world from destruction. The moment of despair as they sit holding the hand of a dying loved one. The possibilities are endless.
Then it hits you… Writer’s block. You stare at the blinking cursor and can’t come up with a single word. The fantasies that filled your mind are dead and gone. You close the document and try to take a break, waiting for the day your motivation returns, hoping it doesn’t take too long. Months pass. It never goes away. You have a Google Drive full of half written books and no motivation to finish anything. Sounds like fun hey? This is my life.
I’ve been trying to write a book for 6 years and go through wild phases where all I want to do is write and then sink into periods where I can’t even open the document and read the words I’ve written. I’ve started 3 full sized novels and multiple short stories and none of them are anywhere close to finished. Oh the joys of writers block. To combat this months long period of extreme writers block, I have been indulging… maybe over indulging in lots of Greys Anatomy, The Handmaids Tale, coffee and naps. Will it help? Who knows, but at least I am having fun doing it.
The highs of writing are so high and the lows are oh so low. But those highs make the lows so worth it. It’s what pushes all of us on, because when those waves of motivation hit you have to ride them. I’m hoping that mine comes back soon, and when it does I want to use this as a space to share my highs, lows, and things I’m learning along the way. Stay tuned!
Every Book and Cranny 