Momentum is a wonderful thing. Losing it makes me want to cry… sometimes quite literally.
A little while ago I wrote about taking a break between writing and editing. In short: it’s a good thing. It gives distance and with it, clarity.
What is not such a good thing is taking a break in the middle of writing the thing in the first place (or, as in my current situation, the rewriting of the thing in the second place…)
As you may have guessed, I have had an extended interruption to my writing, in the form of a holiday. When I worked in Corporate Land I lived for holidays. Any excuse to take a break from work would do. But now that I am trying to finish writing a novel every interruption is viewed as The Enemy – holidays included.
It is all very well for Those Who Dispense Advice to tell us, “Write Every Day” and “Make The Time” but I must ask… do these people have an army of staff who will do their Christmas shopping for them, prepare meals, do laundry, feed the dogs… need I go on?
In an ideal world I would have made the time to write, at least a little, every day while I was away. I even took my manuscript with me, on a USB stick, as proof of my intention. Did I actually do any writing while I was away? No. Not a word.
Now, with Christmas coming up, do I intend continuing to write every day? Absolutely.
Will I? I’ll have to get back to you on that.
The way I see it, the angst of losing momentum is just one of those things we must learn to accept as a writer. But we need to remember that we are not writers only. We are also mothers/fathers/wives/husbands/daughters/sons and makers of the Christmas meal. We do not exist in a vacuum. Life surrounds us and it is from life that we draw our inspirations.
So do your best, this Festive Season, to write as often as you can. But don’t forget to live, too.
Momentum is certainly hard to regain, but not impossible.
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