Okay, you're having one of those BAD days
(bad weeks, bad months), the ones all writers know and dread.
Your characters are starting to whine, your plot absolutely
refuses to thicken, and you're actually beginning to wonder why
you ever thought that you could be a writer. Maybe you've even
started using...you know...the Q word. "I'm quitting, quitting,
quitting," you tell your friends, the mirror, your dog, (cat,
gerbil, goldfish). "I really am. Maybe I'll get an easy job,
something like sword swallowing, or wild bull wrestling or
bungee jumping. The thrill is gone, the bloom is off the rose,
the lights are beginning to dim. I'm speaking in cliche," you
gasp. "That's it. It's definitely curtains for me."
What's a desperate writer to do?
Well, I'm no career counselor, but I am a writer, and I've
been there, too. Who hasn't? Sometimes writing is a joy, and
sometimes it's a big, hairy beast of doubt that makes me want to
crawl under my computer desk and console myself with large
amounts of chocolate. I don't, of course (at least not often).
That's because I've come to realize that the hairy beast isn't a
permanent guest or even all that scary. His presence just means
that I need to make a change. Or sometimes I need a confidence
booster, a touch of optimism. There are ways to push the hairy
beast out the door. All you have to do is experiment a little,
figure out which tricks or techniques are the ones that will get
you back on the right path, the writing path. Then, the next
time that ugly beast shows up at your door, you'll be ready and
waiting. He won't stay long.
So if you feel like your get up and go just caught the last
flight to Pluto, try some of the suggestions listed below. Some
of them have worked for me, some have come from other people,
some just seem silly or weird enough that they might work. And
anything that might lead you back to the joy of writing is worth
it, no matter how silly.
1. Talk to someone (or something).
Actually any object that can't escape is a prime target at a
desperate moment like this. However, if your audience is less
than human, please remember to first close all your windows and
doors. While talking to mirrors, pets, walls, flower pots or
pencil sharpeners is perfectly normal behavior for writers (and
extremely therapeutic), most "ordinary human beings" don't
recognize this. And if the writing isn't going well, chances
are good that you're feeling vulnerable. Utter humiliation is
not what you need right now. Lock up first. Then let it all
out. Complain. Whine. Compliment yourself. You are a writer,
after all. Be proud and be loud.
2. Sit down with a stack of books you've
already read. Some of them may be your favorites. Some may be
books you didn't even particularly enjoy. At any rate, all of
those books were chosen by an editor. Try to decide what it was
that made that book sell. What was it that made that book
special in some way? Then, try determining what it is about
your own writing that will make an editor want to buy it. If
you can't think of anything, then back up and begin to figure
out what it is that you would want to be known for. Then crawl
back to the keyboard to implement your plan.
3. In a pinch, remind yourself of some of
the quirky unsung benefits of writing: being able to name
hundreds of people without having to endure pregnancy, labor, or
your spouse's veto power; shuffling into work dressed in a
ripped T-shirt, your husband's boxer shorts and purple Barney
slippers; never having to explain to your coworkers why there's
a box of Oreos next to the paper clips in your top desk drawer.
4. Getting back to reading, try something
new and different (something informative or at least outside
your genre). While we are writers and need time to write, we
also need to allow time to refresh ourselves now and then, to
open our minds. We must remember (as others have reminded us
before) to feed our imaginations.
5. Get together with a writer friend or
friends (or simply sit down on your own) and brainstorm new
ideas for plots. Ask yourself what makes each idea workable.
At the end of the day you'll feel revved up and excited about
all the other projects you have waiting when the current one is
done. You'll know that you have plenty of ideas to pitch when
the big call finally does come.
6. Pamper yourself for a day. Right now
you're stressed out, so do something nice for yourself. Lie in
the sun, go to a museum, listen to all the music you haven't had
time for lately, test drive a Mercedes, take a long walk, study
the intricate patterns of your belly button. Indulge for a
short time, then hit the keyboard running.
7. Try changing your writing habits
temporarily. If you're used to writing in the morning, try
writing at night. Switch from a keyboard to paper for a day, or
talk into a recorder. Move your desk so that you're facing a
different direction. Put on pantyhose (ugh!) and a dress
instead of the usual sweatpants. The idea is to test new and
different things, to give yourself a jolt, to make a change, and
do whatever it takes to get yourself out of the rut.
8. Keep reminding yourself how very good
writing is for you. It expands your vocabulary, and regular
writing fosters creativity, nourishes the imagination, heightens
the ability to use the senses. We don't see green, we see
cactus green. We don't see a man bagging groceries, we see a
man who might have an underlying fiery spirit, a weekend Hells
angel, a volunteer fireman responsible for saving lives. These
tendencies to inspect perfect strangers may win us some odd
looks, but they enhance our writing. More importantly, they
enhance our quality of living, and that's certainly nothing to
sneer at. It makes me remember that every time I go out in
public I'm constantly seeing things, envisioning things, hearing
things (okay, all writers listen in on other people's
conversations, don't they?) that other people don't even dream
of, and that alone makes me feel powerful. It makes me want to
rush back to my computer and scribble down everything my
writer's antennae managed to pick up while I was out on the
street.
9. If you're beginning to doubt your
abilities as a writer, try picking up something you wrote two
years ago, or even just one year ago. And be prepared to do a
few backflips around the room (or at least a limp version of the
chicken dance for those of us who are less than athletic).
Seeing how far you've come, how much your writing has
progressed, is an instant ego inflator, and that's what you need
right now.
10. And, of course, there's this tried
and true, though less than popular suggestion. If all else
fails, just keep putting one word in front of the other. Every
day doesn't produce pearls. You already know that, but if you
keep writing and reading and trying each day, a few pearls will
slip in. Pick them up and arrange them in a way that appeals to
you. Then smile. You've made it through...again. |
