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Writing and Work
Jan. 18th, 2013 03:32 pmI've occasionally had the blissful moment when a story comes together, and writing it seems effortless. This happens very infrequently. I mostly find writing to be work. It is wonderful, rewarding work that I think is worthwhile, but it is still work (unlike, say, watching the next episode of whatever I'm currently hooked on). I also feel like an atypical writer in that I don't coast. I'm not sure if I'm atypical or not. But I do know that when I did NaNoWriMo it drove me a little crazy that so many of the emails seemed to be saying 'it's lovely, and then it's an uphill slog, and then you reach a magical point where everything seems to click and it's easy (or at least easier) and it all comes together.' This never happened for me. It was an uphill slog all the way (and more so the more I began to care about a book that started off as a writin exercise). I can't remember if there were days that weren't a slog, or hard work, that didn't involve lot's of antsiness and checking facebook and working to get those words written, but I know that even if there were, most days were hard.
But it's also addicting. Watching a story come out right is wonderful, and finishing a story is lovely (especially when it clicks). I'm two weeks into my New Year's Not-Resolution, and have managed to work on my latest novel for an hour each week (outlining, at this point, because I am the sort of author that needs an outline, or the story never goes anywhere). It's hard, and I keep having to stop myself from checking facebook or reading that latest post on that one website . . . but it's starting to come together, and it's so very good.
I'm also glad to be working on my stories again because it feels like work worth doing. I've spent so long not having a job, and before that, having a lousy job. I'm not sure when I'll get a job. I suspect when I do get a job, it will be entry level and not very challenging (the economy is pretty lousy here in SoCal), so I want to be doing work that is worth doing, and I think for me that is probably writing stories. I've decided that I can handle rejection and waiting around, because I've submitted a ridiculous amount of job applications and so very rarely ever heard back (my last interview, for a job I didn't even want, was over a year ago). So I am planning on editing and submitting stories this year, because even if it means waiting around for a pile of rejections, it will be because I'm submitting stories
But it's also addicting. Watching a story come out right is wonderful, and finishing a story is lovely (especially when it clicks). I'm two weeks into my New Year's Not-Resolution, and have managed to work on my latest novel for an hour each week (outlining, at this point, because I am the sort of author that needs an outline, or the story never goes anywhere). It's hard, and I keep having to stop myself from checking facebook or reading that latest post on that one website . . . but it's starting to come together, and it's so very good.
I'm also glad to be working on my stories again because it feels like work worth doing. I've spent so long not having a job, and before that, having a lousy job. I'm not sure when I'll get a job. I suspect when I do get a job, it will be entry level and not very challenging (the economy is pretty lousy here in SoCal), so I want to be doing work that is worth doing, and I think for me that is probably writing stories. I've decided that I can handle rejection and waiting around, because I've submitted a ridiculous amount of job applications and so very rarely ever heard back (my last interview, for a job I didn't even want, was over a year ago). So I am planning on editing and submitting stories this year, because even if it means waiting around for a pile of rejections, it will be because I'm submitting stories
