One of my favorite movies is The Princess Bride (one of my favorite books too :)). There is one part where the “man in black” has bested Inigo and so he goes back to the beginning. He returns to the village where Vinnizi found them and hired them to capture Princess Buttercup in hopes of finding out what to do next.
While I’m working on getting my writing mojo back, I figured that following Inigo’s words wouldn’t be a bad idea. “When a job went wrong, you go back to the beginning.”
Different things can throw a writer off his or her game- emotional (crushing defeats and scathing rejections), chronic life stressors (day job, family), acute stressors (deaths, marriages, births- even a good stressor is still a stressor), loss of joy in the process. Any of those (and there are probably as many out there as there are writers) can stop a writer dead in their tracks.
So, how does one go about getting moving again? Two blogs past I asked for ideas to help me get my mojo back- and I received some truly wonderful ones (check them out!). I’m feeling a bit more back in the game now, but still something is lingering around the edges- something holding me back. I think in the effort to become published I’d lost my sense of joy in my writing.
So, now I’m going back to the beginning and looking at the basic question every writer needs to ask themselves- why the hell am I doing this?
And back here in my little village of beginnings, I have my true answer (for me mind you, your mileage may vary) I write because I love the adventure. I love meeting these new people and exploring these new places, I love writing the types of books I want to read.
Now I’d be lying if I said I don’t care about publication. I do want to be published, I want other people to share these worlds and these characters with me. But the very basic truth, the one that is leading me back is that I love to play. I can’t worry about what the market is or isn’t doing when I’m creating. I create because of the joy of it- back at the beginning- and that’s a great place to start.
What about you? What is back at your beginning?
Thanks for coming by!
Hmm. I have vague memories of adolescent angst and a manuscript that began with the sentence "She was now certain there was a conspiracy against her." So I guess writing began as a therapy project. And then grew into an obsession. :)
ReplyDeletePS: I also remember Inigo imbibing large quantities of adult beverages while in said village. Am I going to have to dunk your head in a water barrel? And, yes. I have watched that movie way too many times.
LOL- good to know where it started Shoshana :)....hmmm- that is true...he had a lot to drink! Naw, I think I can do it without the booze, but good to know you and a water barrel will be near by should I change my mind!
DeleteThanks for coming by an commenting!
Take all the stressors you listed, add in spouse's job lost (& all the encompasses) and that was me five years ago. Too emotionally & physically exhausted to be creative, I quit. When the stressors eased, I did just as you said--I went back to the beginning when I wrote for the fun of it. My muse returned. We had fun again and I wrote for me. Wonderful feeling. When you think about, if we (as writers) love what we're doing, so will the readers. All the best on your journey--as you like. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming by and commenting Diane! I do think when we can just back back to joy of writing our muse is free to come back and play.
DeleteThank you and may your journy be wonderful as well!
Rejections beat me down a few years back Marie, and Ray Bradbury told me to write a new short story every week for a year. That exercise reminded me why I love to write and out of those short stories, I found 2 new novel series to write! Wow!
ReplyDeleteWhile writing the stories, I also finished 2 more novels...
I try really hard to always remind myself that my best writing is when I forget about the publishing end of it and just tell the story I love...
Hang in there! I hope your mojo comes flooding back!
*HUGS*
Lisa
Thank you for your positive words Lisa :)- you DO realize you are my role model, right? You are a wonderful writer (and person) who has kept going no matter what!
DeleteThank you for coming by and commenting- and hugs right back at you!
I really appreciate your willingness to share these experiences. As a new writer it seems like everyone else has been publishing since birth and I'm late to the game. It's reassuring to know that even good writers get blocks and it won't be the end of the world when it happens.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your wonderful blogs.
Cynthia
Thank you so much for coming by Cynthia- and your nice comments!
DeleteI do agree, so many times all we see is the good stuff, the "I've been writing since I was 5, my first book was published at 9, I've had one of the BEST agents in the world since I was 12..."
Writing is HARD. Getting published is HARD! Anyone saying different is lying-LOL. I figure we're all in this together no matter what age we start writing- so let's share the journey :).
I'm so glad you enjoy my blogs and came by to say so! :)