I don’t like to write. But I love having written.
Michael Kanin
I LOVE this quote. Mostly because I thought I was the only one who ever felt this way. All I ever hear is authors talking about characters that are screaming in their heads and having temper tantrums because the author doesn’t have enough time in the day to put their story on paper.
Oh to dream …
I am definitely thinking like an author these days. I can hear a snippet or see a picture and envision a story happening. Last week a friend was looking for some writing prompts and I went searching the internet for some pictures that would make any muse want to play. And mine frolicked. She was so happy coming up with story starters. Note the key word there people “starters”. But we had no idea where to go with it. Urrrrr … it was so frustrating.
I look back through the books I’ve written and marvel at the words I put together to weave a story. It amazes me. Makes me smile.
When I first started writing I loved the first draft. The creation process. I hated going back through the story and rewriting. Not that it didn’t need it, I just didn’t want to visit it again.
Now …
It’s just the opposite. I dread opening my WIP and seeing the empty page. Trying to help my characters through their journey to their happy-ever-after, kissing-in-the-sunset endings. I tried plotting. I soooo wanted that to work. But I nearly had seizures trying to do that. I mean granted, I plot the next scene in my head and often know where I’m going in the next chapter. But three chapters ahead? Puh-lease. I haven’t a clue.
Despite the fact that I absolutely love my characters, I’ve been stalling on my WIP. Avoiding it with every excuse on the planet. (See me here? Yes, I’m blogging instead of writing.) It doesn’t take much to send me careening down a different path of “to-do” lists. I hate that. I want my characters to jump up and down and have hissy fits until I can’t stand the noise anymore and I have to let them come out and play on the page. I want them pounding on the walls of my brain while I’m in the shower. Couldn’t they please break into my dreams and point me in the right direction? I mean I have very vivid dreams, but no character has ever shown up. I’d welcome them.
Authors who have this happen claim they can’t stand it. That it drives them insane. I say … bring it on! Since it hasn’t happened yet, I’m not holding my breath. I’ll continue to soldier on and head off into the writing cave and wrestle my muse into submission (along with a few wolf shifters). I’m determined to move forward today!
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