The start of something new can be invigorating. Whether it is a new beginning at college, a marriage or a move, there are moments in life that leave us full of energy and full of joy, thinking we might literally fly or perhaps, merely climb Everest.
I have felt like that many times with my writing too.That I could sit down and work through the night. My novel would be done and I can move onto the next project I have swirling in my mind. I admire Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes for his unquenchable energy and vigor or the characters in Jules Verne’s stories or the pace at which Dickens can lay down a story for the simple fact that their prose can move so ferociously fast and be so strikingly precise that you cannot help but be swept along by their current.
But what happens when your mind is not abuzz with ideas? When you are trying to drill down for water that just isn’t there to quench your parched aesthetic tongue? Can you simply pick yourself up by your bootstraps and march on? Not if your boots have been stolen.
So how do you continue writing during the dry times, whether in life or in the writing process? How are you encouraged to press and get to your writing implement to churn out more of your novel?
Cheers,
Bob
PART-TIME NOVEL 
It’s difficult to pinpoint how I get myself going, perhaps all of the above, or more accurately, constant obsessive analysis of my current work in progress and other works. There is definitely a need to expose oneself to the written word from others whether that is books, movies, journals newspapers or the web. Soak it all up.
Very good point. I agree with the constant analysis of other work in the literary community. That creates friendly competition and is encouraging as well.
Thanks for the comment and thanks for stopping by Andy.
I read – old favorites, new favorites, classics (my all-time favorites) …. I read to see what other writers are writing about, and how they write the gritty details of character, scene and plot. I savor words and phrases … then I meditate. If I can work through all the clutter, inspiration usually hits hard enough for me to run with it. Great post! ~ Julie 🙂
Thanks Julie! I rewrote the beginning paragraph to my novel about twelve times the other day. It just kept coming out clunky. When I told one of my writer friends that I just couldn’t do it and that I needed to give up he said just read the beginning of some books you love. I sat back in my chair stunned. I could not believe I did not think of doing that for inspiration!
You offer similarly sound advice. I appreciate it. Thank you for stopping in today.
Bob
I step away. If I remain sitting I’ll get frantic, so I step away and read King’s “on Writing” or any story by Hemingway.
If I’m in a bad moon I go watch a movie and toss my brain at the screen. lol
Haha! I agree a movie can be great. One of my favorite ones for inspiration lately is Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson. Great film about a wanna be writer.
On another note, slamming your writers’ self against a twelve foot brick wall won’t help them get over it. I tend to over think the problem. So I need to go for a walk, read, or anything else besides write. If I keep going I know I am going to delete all of it anyway. I need perspective and a fresh approach so I circle the runway to get a clearer shot at it.
Thanks for stopping in!
I suppose being in a bad “moon” can be used for bad “mood”, maybe. lol
Yeah, me too. I loved Midnight in Paris, even wrote a mini review for it somewhere. Ive started cutting things I love, even though I didn’t want to, but it made the piece sound better. The pieces I cut I save in a folder. It makes it easier to cut if you know you’re not throwing it away permanently and that it is there somewhere on the hard drive if ever you need it. Sometimes cutting something makes the ideas flow too.
I completely read over the moon/mood! I must be tired… I like the idea of cutting to create something new. I usually just create a new document titled draft 4 or 5 or 2,000, where ever I am in the editing process in order to keep what I have written already. Sometimes the best step forward is backward.