Over Labor Day weekend I met with a few friends to write. My goal, at the time, was to finish the second draft of my novel. Typically, my friends and I spend Labor Day weekend competing in the 3 Day Novel competition, or at least begin a first draft of something new.  However, after about 30 or so hours of writing that weekend, I simply couldn’t continue. I was like a plane that had just run out of fuel. I could coast on for a little while, but sooner or later I would come crashing to the ground and I’d have to either rewrite everything or simply delete it, wasting hours of time.

Since that time, if I’m honest, I’ve had little desire to write. The fuel of creativity was utterly spent after editing and writing and rewriting so intensely. At noon on September 5th I felt I was at the end of my work, roughly six chapters short and I was fine with that. It grew to the point where I felt disgusted by every word I put on the page. It was drivel, my inner critic said. Absolutely horrible.

It was then I knew I needed to take a step back and allow space and time to repair the damage I had done to my mind. Writing is to the mind like a sport is to the body. You only have so much energy before you simply cannot go on. I felt, during the weekend, I went to that point and eighteen miles beyond.

Now, as you may well have guessed, I feel it coming back. The enjoyment of words, the thrill of a new blogpost, the desire to see my characters finish the path I’ve set them on has returned. I have the energy to complete the last few chapters of my novel, molding characters and story lines into their final dramatic form. I hope, with great amounts of effort, to be done by Thanksgiving if I work on a chapter every week.

How are things going for you?

Challenge – finish 1000 words this weekend?