It’s more than an addiction.
It’s who I am.
I have to write every day.
What happens if I don’t?
I have a hard time getting back into “author mode”.
The fact is, the more days that go by, the more hindered I
become and the longer it takes to get back in my routine. I realized this a few
days ago after staring at the blinking cursor on my screen for over two hours
without typing one single sentence.
Coming close to throwing my beloved computer across the room
and vowing never to write again (I’m not dramatic at all) a moment of clarity
slapped me in the face—nearly twelve days had ticked by and the closest thing
to a sentence I’d written was signing my name to a credit card slip. I’d been
on vacation for a week and jumped right back to my day job without so much as
even picking up the lap top. It’s no wonder I couldn’t think.
When I tell people this, I usually get the you-must-be-crazy
look but, I write like I read—multiple stories at once. I can’t help it. It works
for me. Currently I’m working on the third installment for my Night series, a short Christmas themed
story for Beachwalk Press, and two full novels. If I become stuck on a story
line or the characters are going in a completely different direction than what
I planned and I find myself fighting them, I take a break and open up another
WIP. Most of the time, the conflict between us is resolved by the time I get
back. Yes, the characters always win.
Music helps my writing flow more than anything.
I messaged a fellow author confessing my predicament and she
wisely informed me that music inspires her…something I already knew works for
me, but with the fear of falling deeper into a life of only sitting at the
keyboard with my fingers positioned on the little black tabs without moving,
I’d failed to think of it.
A few new songs have been downloaded and set to repeat on my
phone. Thanks to the advice of Jaye Shields and my new favorite musicians;
Emporers, Pete Yorn and Imagine Dragons, I’ve moved past the torture of not
being able to pen the next scene in my stories. Also I’ve learned no matter
where I am, or what is going on in my life I need to write. Even if ten minutes
is the most time I can squeeze in, I have to do it.
Every.
Single.
Day.
