It’s A Hard Knock Life

Progress Update: 2028 / 38,639. Can I get a HELL YEAH? I was on a smokin’ roll yesterday and I’m nearly done with the novella. WOO!

So. How is everyone today? Any progress in your work? Are you writing? If you are, what are you working on? If you aren’t, what’s your excuse?

I have a confession to make. I DID NOT want to write yesterday. But guess what? I did it anyway. I made myself sit down with my lunch and my Mini and go to town on the WIP and boy am I ever glad I did. I had only a small idea of where the story would go next, but I didn’t let that stop me either. I just started writing. I let the words flow. I didn’t think about the words; I just wrote.

I think part of writing is pushing yourself through the “don’t want to” syndrome. Do I want to go to work everyday? No. Do I have to? Sure, if I want to pay the mortgage. It’s not that I have a bad job either. I just have a case of the don’t-want-tos. I think we all get that. When writing is your second job, it’s all too easy to let it slide with excuses.

“I’m too tired.”

“I don’t want to tonight; I want to watch Lost.”

“I have to take the kid(s) to soccer/basketball/dance class/insert destination.”

“I have to cook dinner/do dishes/clean house/insert chore.”

And while those may be valid excuses, they’re only detrimental to your writing. I know, I know. I’m the LAST person on the planet that needs to be preaching that. I’m the World’s Worst Procrastinator (I’m sure you can relate, Lara). I love to wait until the last minute. That’s why I work so well on deadlines. I’m awesome at deadlines. If I know I have a deadline looming, and I wait until the 11th hour, I can knock it out and it’ll be some of my best work ever. Don’t know why it’s like that. It just is.

I’m a working mother, president of my local chapter, and volunteer judge. I have to give the Man and the Kid and the Cat ample attention or they all pout. Except for the cat who poops on the floor. Even I know how hard it is to squeeze in writing. But let me tell you – I’ve learned over these last few weeks that it CAN be done. All you have to do is carve out the time and find a way to make it happen. There are things that get in the way of writing even for me. And I know that means I have to push myself extra hard the next time I sit down to write. I know that writing during lunch absolutely works for me. It may not work for you if you have nosey co-workers.

If you want it to happen bad enough, you WILL find a way. I know Devon is nodding her head as she reads this. 🙂 And she’s right. She’s aboslutely right about it all.

If you want to write, you find a way. If you want to be published, you never give up. If you want to stay published, you keep writing even if you receive XX number of rejections. If you want to be a bestseller, you write the best book you can. 

Don’t tell yourself you’re not fast enough or good enough or smart enough. Don’t compare yourself to other writers. That will kill your confidence. Know what works for you and why. Know how YOU write. Embrace it. Love it. Enjoy it. DO IT. The only one stopping you is YOU.

Now go take on the page.