motivation

writing with low motivation

I’ve had really low motivation for the past week. Many different factors went into this, but they all begin with the words lack of.

Lack of sleep. Lack of healthy meals eaten at regular intervals (I have a terrible tendency to skip breakfast and lunch, and make it up with snacks. Don’t do this). Lack of exercise (with all our family activities in full swing, it’s easy to let that one go. Especially since I’ve never been excited about working out in the first place).

Lack of excitement about my work, exacerbated by the above factors.

I’ve been writing on willpower, with the aid of an egg timer and a wordcount tool to keep me on track for my word goals.

A bit of social pressure came into play as well. Since I self-identify publicly as a writer, I feel honor-bound to actually do the work.

Those things kept me going through the rough patch. I’ve had a couple of good nights, sleepwise, and I’m feeling all caught up. We’re on break on school this week, giving me time to breathe, recharge, and get my house in shape. I’m no neat freak, but after a while, clutter is just a drag on my spirit. Getting things put away in their proper places lifts my mood.

I’m planning on baking a chocolate cake this afternoon. Now that will really help!

How are you all doing?

why i write and publish

Because I’m thirty-something and I have a lot of unfinished stories. Stories that are stalled at a few scenes or chapters, stories that are just jotted notes in a notebook or Word document, stories that exist in ethereal fragments inside my head, and stories that are yet to come. One day I realized I’d better get moving if I want to tell even half of these.

Because of the look on my daughter’s face at her first riding lesson, and my determination that if this is what she wants to do, I want to find a way to make it happen.

Because of every reader who leaves a great review, writes an excited email, or signs up for my newsletter.

Because of all the time the oldest son and I have spent watching documentaries of awe-inspiring places and talking of far-off countries and said to each other, “We’ve got to go visit this some day!”

Because of those moments when I read something I’ve written and revised and copyedited and it’s so much more amazing than I could’ve imagined, even with its imperfections. And I think, “I created this. I breathed life into this story. This is the work of my mind.”

And so I write and write and put my work out there and write some more.

a numbers post, among other things

This month I have already written 26,302 words, which is a goodly chunk over my 25K goal. And I still have 7 more writing days to go!

Flare now sits at a hefty 51,990 words. I’m now in the second act, wherein my heroes have regrouped to make a push at solving their rather massive problem. They think they have a good plan–they’re even feeling cautiously optimistic for once–but they have no idea what I have in store for them.

Cue the maniacal laughter.

My rule is: what could go wrong, does.

In other news, I cleaned my desk.

Why is this a big deal? Well, I realized I was subconsciously avoiding my writing space. I’d pause at the study, frown at the clutter, then keep walking past. I’d write on the couch, my bed, or the kitchen table. Now I’m a big proponent of Have Laptop, Will Write Anywhere, but there’s something to be said about having a space of one’s own, with notes and pens and scrap paper within reach.

And all it took to reclaim the space was five minutes of stacking and putting away. I’m happier and the words flow better.

In other other news, the daughter had her very first riding lesson.

So it begins.

And that’s my midweek. How’s yours treating you?

good things still happen

One of the nice things about writing and publishing is that even if you go on a burnout-induced hiatus, good things can still happen in your career.

Stories on retailer sites continue to sell.

An editor contacts you and asks if you might possibly have something lying around for a themed anthology. Lo and behold, you actually have something that fits, written months ago and abandoned since. Even better, said editor likes the story and buys it.

Your husband hand-sells your books, and you hear back from a reader that you write like a poet, picking your words with care.

Your c0-writer points out that the story you wrote together made it onto an Honorable Mentions list for Best Horror from 2013 (I didn’t realize Creepy Doll Story, aka Sand and Seawater, was horror, but considering who I co-wrote it with… *eyes Jo*).

You go on Twitter after months of ignoring it (*blows dust off*) and discover that someone wrote a lovely review of your novella.

And when you finally return to your writing blog and start clearing out the tumbleweeds and cobwebs, you’re greeted with, “Missed you! So glad you’re back.”

All of which are so helpful as I return from a long, but much-needed, break.

So. *deep breath*

Hello, readers and writer friends. Hello, stories o’ mine. I’m back.