I have a confession to make.
I didn’t write yesterday, or do anything with the novel.
Technically, I didn’t write on Tuesday. But I reformatted copies of the novels, into Word and PDF, as well as print, and I emailed off versions as well as printed and put some copies into the post. I think that counts — though it wasn’t putting words onto paper it was writing business.
Yesterday, I did none of that. I baked banana bread and read instead. And maybe played a little Sudoku. I felt guilty.
But more importantly, by the end of the evening, I felt myself expanding. As if I’d been compressed, and now I was more open, more relaxed. I’d really needed that time off, more than I’d realized. It was much more important than the goal of writing every day this year.
Now tonight, well, it’s Thursday night. I always write Thursday nights. It would be wrong for me not to write tonight. But I’m not going to push it. If it ends up only being 20-30 minutes, that’s cool.
Next week I’m in class all week (Java boot camp.) I’ll write every morning, because that will make me happy. But if I end up sleeping in one morning and not writing, I think that will be okay too.
go you. creativity is delicate. while you do want discipline, you don’t want to crush it under an army boot. i struggle with that too.
My nephew describes writing as that magical time before it snows, when it’s all peaceful and quiet and yet there’s this terrific sense of anticipation. Just one day away from it and that feeling’s back. I have more than one project to choose from, and I’m excited about all of them.
I’m really glad I did the push that I did. I needed to meet those goals. However, I’m also glad for this respite, this breathing room. Once the comments come back I’ll have another push, not for as long (only about 75 days.) Then I think I’ll take another breather.
Best of luck to you and all your endeavors!
de-lurking
sounds like the day off was a kind of artist’s date (or artist’s vacation?), given the expansive effect you describe.
I recently skimmed through your entries about writing these novels (starting from when you first posted about doing the Writer’s Book of Days prompts — what can I say? I’m a gifted procrastinator with grading to avoid). congratulations on reaching this milestone! and thanks for the reminder of that book of prompts, which I’ve pulled off my own shelf again.
Re: de-lurking
Thanks! It still feels so good to have the novels finished.
I actually take myself out on specific writer’s dates, to fill back in the places that need filling. I’ll go out and take pictures of fall leaves, or do watercolor or other “bad art” (because I have to be so precise with the words, I’m deliberately imprecise with other things, and the results are generally private, hence, bad art.)