As you know, I'm busy writing on my current literary fiction novel. I've decided to share another excerpt with you and I guess many know exactly what my MC just goes through. Enjoy.
Every spare moment should be used to fill the gaps with letters, words of importance forming sentences of meaning. The characters must get a personality, a life to live and talk to the reader. Writing a book is hard work, if you do it on your own, or with a partner.
As often, you have difficulties to get into the head of your protagonists, they stare back at you in silence. A most frustrating situation if you only have so few spare days. How much you wish you could sit down and begin to type, letting your fingers take over.
It is not to be compared with the so called writer's block, it is deeper. Fear of failure lets you stiffen with every try to erase the blank space in front of you. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath. When you open them again, you type out an idea, then delete it again.
Your perfectionism is a bully. Like at school, when you were the most afraid of the older boys waiting around the corner, they would jump in your way when you approach. Anger thuds in your temples. Nothing seems good enough for you today.
When you come up with the next line, you write it again, swap it around, exchange words for others, read them aloud. They experience the same fate. 'Useless,' you say, louder than you wanted. It is as if your mind is set on automatic diversion.
Stick with it Stella, if it was easy, they'd call it football :-)
ReplyDeleteJackie,
ReplyDeleteI always stick with it. Even if it's hard. And you're quite right, nobody said it's easy.
Glad you liked my excerpt :-)