Speaking from a heck-a-bunch of experience, I have sat in front of my computer and placed an inspiration-infused notebook beside it and an important-looking pen directly on top of the notebook. My glasses propped, just so, on the tip of my nose but only far enough to still look cool in case of web-cam intrusion. I secure my headphones on my ears and crank up the smooth jazz instrumentals to a comfortable, non-distracting volume. I am ready. I am so ready.
Three hours later…
Yes! The desired result is that I have written the beginning of a riveting piece of work that is so good the angels sing as I spin around the room with my computer in my outstretched arms like Belle dancing with Beast.
Okay. NOT.
I said that was the desired result. The real deal is that my glasses are not only crooked but have slid down below my chin. Not cool. I have called my important-looking pen a “stupid writing thingy” and have scribbled a few choice words with it across my now inspiration-confused notebook. The smooth jazz instrumentals have turned into a bunch of noisy sounds, and my computer has grown a personality with which it has decided to scoff at my fingers each time I switch a word in my one, halfway decent paragraph. Dang-it-to-cheese. So, what now?
What now? What now? Do it again — that’s what.
The reality and life of a writer is certainly one of revisiting what was once considered a previously thought-out, great idea and then digging through the imagination for those silver-lined, platinum-plated words and descriptions that you didn’t find for your first draft — and probably won’t find until after your seventh.
A writer’s life is not one of wimp-filled antics. Sure, there’s a little crying and draping over various pieces of furniture at times, but there’s no quitting. If you are serious about honing your craft and successfully engaging your target audience, giving up is never an option. You might feel like doing the big give up thing — but don’t. (Oh, and growling at the screen solves nothing, I tried it. So, save your throat, and let the project breathe a minute while you hyperventilate into a paper bag.)
Save what you have. Close your computer, and walk away for a few hours or even days, but have at it again. Don’t rush it. Wait for it. Creativity has a way of creeping up and poking you in the head with fabulous ideas when you least expect it. Be prepared.
Yes. It takes a lot of patience, research, creativity, and determination to do the writing thing with success, but it can be done. You might call your favorite pen a few choice names in the process but in my experience, I find pens to be quite forgiving.
Happy writing, be encouraged, and thank you for reading!
Ava Blu Wilson 