We’re more than halfway through the month. How many of you are still sticking it out? Good, I like to see that attitude.
The hard part is upon us. We are smack dab in the middle where inspiration has run out and we must keep going.
Have you been attending local write-ins? I joined a writing group that meets all year in 2012, and it was one of the best choices in my life. The act of leaving the house at a set time one day every week was the most rewarding habit I’ve picked up.
Sitting in front of a document and staring at it is work. No two ways around that, we must sit and defeat the project with our eyes. The key distinction to make is that sitting and staring doesn’t finish a book. Most of us only gleam the superficial elements of staring at our documents, but we never delve into the inner workings.
The act of sitting across our computer is an act of defiance. We are telling ourselves that writer’s block is not an excuse to do nothing. I remember not writing much for upwards to 80 minutes before finally breaking through on a story. It’s a common occurrence.
Spend those 80 minutes figuring out the truth of your characters and your story. You’ll grow stronger from it.