Sunday, February 1, 2009

Writers, have you ever thought of...sssshhhh...giving up?

Have you?
I have.
There are so many times I wanted to throw my manuscript away forever. It’s easy. Just chuck it away and let it go. I get that feeling when
1. I’m stuck.
2. I feel insecure and unsure of myself as a writer.
3. Have the ideas, but don’t like the way the plot is moving.

So what do I do when I feel that way? Do I actually walk away? Do I actually throw it out? Sometimes.
But I always come back.
Staying away helps me gain perspective.
I get busy with other things that either inspire me or things that make me feel good about me. Some ideas are: reading a good book, reading my online friend’s blogs, do something simple I know I’m good at—like playing with my children and seeing laughter light up their faces, or join a spinning class (that’s a sure way to get those feel good hormones—endorphins—working) or even go for a walk to try to enjoy some stillness and quiet.
Once I’ve created some space between myself and my manuscript, I come back feeling refreshed and energized.
The space and distance gives me back my confidence and my will to keep moving forward.
It’s easy to give up.
Don’t.
Give yourself some space and then come back with renewed vigor to tackle your writing. Remember perseverance goes a long way.
Have you ever wanted to give up? Share your thoughts.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Maha,

    You're SOOO right. I had a really blah week. Nothing went as planned. School got cancelled because of snow. I got distracted, missed my word count, got disheartened, burnt out.

    So, instead of pushing on with my writing goal, I took my daughter shopping, hung out with my friends, went ice skating, bowling, went to the school concert ... and if two hundred 4th graders trying to sing 4 part harmony won't restore your spirit I don't know what will!!

    I had a fun weekend and feel like I'm ready to get back to writing on Monday!

    Space -- we all need it!! Hope you found yours too!

    Take care,
    N

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  2. Sounds like you had a great week! I've had a pretty blah week myself but I'm using that space to think, think, think. My story has to move forward and I figure the more "other" things I do, the more ideas I might get. I'm almost there :-)

    Thanks for commenting, Nandini!

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  3. Maha,

    How are you doing? I've just seen your comment on my blog page...I haven't been on in almost a year.

    You made a comment about your new email address but I haven't found it. My email address is still the same so drop me a line soon. I have soooo much to tell you!

    Hugs,
    Gillian

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