Keep moving forward

[pjthompson]

There are days when the last thing on earth I want is to sit down and write something. On those days, it makes me positively queasy to contemplate it. So on those days, I give myself permission to blow off my writing time—with the proviso that I must reread what I wrote the day before first.

Now, I am hip to this trick—I've been playing it on myself for years—but I usually go along with it anyway. Because sometimes, after I've done the reread, I still feel nauseated at the thought of writing. On those days, I really do let myself off the hook. I read a book or something during my writing time. Most times, though, when I come to the end of the reread, I've got something to say...and I start writing it down. In this way, I finish a novel.

Today was one of those days, a real black cloud day. I don't know if it's that time of the mon—er, manuscript, or if I really am about to give up writing for good like all the eleventy millionth times before. But I sat down and did my reread. And found I still had something to say. And the black cloud became not quite so black.

As I've said before, ad nauseam perhaps, writing is always the cure—even if it's the reason for the malady.

I keep writing. I keep moving forward.




Venus In Transit

I hit page 300 today. God knows how many there are left.

75,000 / 100,000 (75.0%)

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[pjthompson]

Huzzah, even! :-D

[windsong5.livejournal.com]

Nice tip. Thanks! :) Does this work for the rewrite/revision period as well?

[pjthompson]

Yes, although I don't dread rewrites as much as most people--at least initially. Once the first draft is complete, I know what my "assignment" is and just get to it. But this does work for that.

[windsong5.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the first rewrite too much. Generally that's the first time I read it all the way through. It's the fourth, fifth, etc. time that start to give me heartburn. ;) It's amazing how holes and errors can gape at me through each revision, but remain innocently invisible except in stages. :D

[pjthompson]

Ain't that the truth. I feel the same way. Those later rewrites can be excruciating.

[windsong5.livejournal.com]

Before I got more serious about writing, I used to think it was fun. But now I've learned it's a lot of work--work I love doing (most of the time), but work nonetheless. Rewrites are good things (especially when they're all done), but painful. :D

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Definitely a good tip -- thanks for throwing it out there. :-)

[pjthompson]

You're welcome. I've been doing it for awhile now, and it does help. Also gives you a chance to clean up the previous days pages a bit, which helps with the whole psychology of the writin' thing, for me at least.