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I’m in the doldrums. That space where, as a writer, I stall for a bit before the wind picks up and I’m sailing fast again.
Last week, I finished a story. One I had to push hard to reach The End. Adrenaline helped, because I was staring at an immoveable deadline. As soon as I wrapped up production and uploaded the sucker, I revised my plan and my bullet journal, and aimed at the next couple of hard deadlines, but then the wind died down. Ugh.
Lots of things are percolating, bubbling up like a fictional witch’s green, smelly goop. Stories I want to write, stories I have to edit. I took a bit of “me” time to hang with my daughter, which included a couple of days of shopping and junking. I played at cleaning up my workspace. Now, I have to get serious. Make myself afraid I’ll miss my dates. That’s the only way to motivate myself. I am an adrenaline junkie, and I’ve convinced myself over the years that I’m most creative when I’m riding that high. Huh. I need to change that internal narrative, because someday, I do want to be that plodding, methodical writer, who has “balance” in her life—not that I’ve ever met her.
Now, so many days have passed since I revamped my plan, that I have to revamp again, increasing my daily writing and editing page counts, in order to meet those hard dates. Here goes again…
Offer your thoughts for how I can goad myself into pushing through this slump to get back on track, and I’ll offer two stories, to two winners, readers’ choices!
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I would start with the books that need editing first ,that will help fastest to meet deadlines and also give you a little insite as to what you want to write next. The same genre or something else. I have heard several authors say this has helped clear their minds and also they decided to work on unfinished stories they had started to also help meet dead lines and gave them more ideas as to what they wanted to write next.
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I’m game for sprinting again… It helps me to push on and not idle lol
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I can’t offer any help. I am lazy as hell. If something doesn’t absolutely positively need to be done right now I don’t do it. You should see my desk, I just keep piling shit on and piling shit on. I have a laundry basket underneath from the last pile on and had to remove it all. I just stuck it in the laundry basket now it sits underneath the desk waiting for me to sort through it.
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Usually I take a down day and then I start strong the next day. Good luck getting out of your doldrums!
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Do something special for yourself like a manicure or buying a beautiful crystal to sit on your desk (citrine or amethyst) then sit down refreshed and ready to go.
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I think you desperately need to refresh your mind and body. Find somewhere you can go that will be peaceful to you. big thing is unwind and unplug. You would be surprised how much better you will feel. This your mind telling you it needs to rest. Good luck
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When I need a little push to get going, I break down what needs done into small manageable steps. Then when I complete one I give myself a small reward. I am not a writer but a paralegal, so for instance in my world I need to prepare a hearing notebook.
Step one gather exhibits.
Step two order exhibits
Step three bates number exhibits
Step four punch and bind exhibits.
Rewards: Finish first step small tea and snack break
Finish step two, reading break, one chapter
Finish step three, take a short walk to rejuvenate
Finish the project, 30 minute meal and reading break.
Plan my next project. Good luck!
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I am bad at that… I tend to push things off… try to plan… does not always work for me…
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Thanks for all your advice, ladies! I finished the first editing project yesterday! Woot!
The two winners, who may choose a copy of any of my recent downloadable books, are…Jeanette Whetzel and Charlene Michael! Congrats, ladies! Email me at Delilah@delilahdevlin.com and let me know which story you would like me to send to you!