When I'm tired and weary it's really hard to get in the groove. But I've found that if I do sit down and write, once the ideas get flowing, the pain dissipates (or I'm better able to ignore it), and the energy flows in with the creativity. Writing is truly my joy.
Cool thing happened yesterday. I don't know if it's the kind of thing that would impress anybody else, but it was a big thing for me. You see, I got my tax form from Writer's House (our agents), that shows the income we made from writing the books last year. Looking at the amount I realized that writing was truly the second most significant income I made (and darned near the first!). And THIS year, there's a very good chance that it will be my primary income source.
DRUM ROLL -- Writing has become my career! Not just a hobby. Not just a "what I wanna be when I grow up" but a real, honest to God job. (I mean that in the best possible way). Sometimes I have to step back from the day-to-day grind long enough to take a real look at how far I've come. It's like going on a long hike up a mountain. Each step doesn't seem like much, but when you look down from the destination you realize just how significant the distance really was and that each step DID matter.
I think that's the hardest thing to get across to folks who seem mired in the negative. It's not an overnight thing. You don't just wave your magic wand and have the "Great American Novel" magically appear fully formed on your hard drive. Instead, it's doing the little things every single day and watching them add up. Some days it's a paragraph, some days it's 20 pages, but if you do SOMETHING that moves you forward you'll eventually get a 'finished' product. (THEN you get to start editing. [grin]) I know a lot of folks who say they want to be writers and how "lucky" I am, but they don't think they'll be able to write unless they can do it on perfect equipment, full time, with no distractions. Sorry to say, if you're waiting for the perfect time, you're liable to be waiting forever. We're how many books in and I still have a full-time job as a legal assistant to keep the bills paid and my health insurance, and no interruptions? In my dreams!
OK, I did this long rant that I just deleted. Because I'm actually in a good mood, but occasionally I wind up on my soap box by accident and you SOOOOO don't want to hear it.
Gotta get to work.
Later.
Cie
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2 comments:
Cie, yeah I hear you on the writing thing. I am working on the dream of the "great American novel" myself, it has been a work in progress for like 2 years. I want it to be perfect. It is just for fun, so I do love writing it, as it is so part of me and who I am, so that's the fun part. And yeah, some days I can crank out a chapter and some days I edit like heck, we'll see how it turns out, but I do plan to get it published (or self publish) it someday, as I feel I'll owe it to myself to get it published even if I do it myself, as a bunch of my Friends want copies of it. I already have ideas for the cover art in my head, but not sure if it will be artwork or a photograph yet, but it will be eye catching I think with the ideas I have. As you know I am all about creativity, and because of that I am so glad that we got to communicate back and forth and got to be Friends, it's very cool to me. I am reading a lot more lately too, watching a lot of foreign films, studying a lot of history, mythology and lore, and ordered a bunch of movie plays to watch.
Jim
Put me on the list of folks who want a copy! I'm hoping Yolanda will get back to me again with the addresses of where her writing is as well. I'm looking forward to seeing what you both have to say. I've even PROMISED myself time to read this weekend. So, Yo, if you're reading this PLEASE forgive me for losing the links and resend. PRETTY PLEASE!!!
Jim, have a great Mardi Gras. Come back happy, healthy (and soon). :)
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