Yup, it’s actually week 9. I missed last week because I couldn’t stop writing. It seems like I wrote all day last Friday and sadly you’d never know given the word count. I find more and more I sit in front of the computer and try not to write. I’m not sure if it’s having the kidlets home or the pressure of having a deadline. Whatever the case it has to stop. And I think I’ve come up with a plan to make it stop. No more deadlines.
I’m not going to contract books until they are nearly done. The thing is, when I do nothing but fret over writing, it takes me way too long to write. And I end up going back over the same scenes over and over again, because I’m not seeing them clearly. I’m not able to get into the characters head immediately. I read a thing about burnout, I think it was by Morgan Hawk. (BTW if you are a writer or have interest in writing I recommend you check out Morgan’s blog. No I don’t follow all of Morgan’s ideas I have my own way of dealing with things, but I find when I have trouble in a particular area, I can usually find something on Morgan’s blog that will give me direction. The woman is brilliant and a hell of a great writer.) Anyway, back to what I was saying. There was an article talking about burnout and said if you aren’t doing real life stuff, like reading and watching TV your imagination is liable to dry up. Well, I’ve been experiencing that. Not in an extreme way or anything, but my ideas have been much less recently. I’ve been relying heavily on my CP’s to keep me in line. And tell me, “Hey that isn’t working.” And I don’t like that at all! I’m grateful that they are there, but I want to be able to do it and them say, “Yeah, this is great!” not “Do over!”.
This week(Shark Week) is the first time I’ve watched TV consistently in probably a year and a half and I even read a book the other night when my insomnia was taking a bite out of me. FYI my reading has been very infrequent lately. I’ve probably read 2 whole book all year not counting what I get to read from my CP’s to critique. As a result of watching TV and reading a book, I have characters coming out of the woodwork telling me all about themselves. I’d already planned on the characters but I was stuck with what to do with them, I only had vague plot ideas. Now, they won’t shut up! I’m getting to know THEM, not just their story, but their history and their quirks, likes and dislikes. Not that I’m complaining, I’ve missed that. Also, as a result, Remi and Jake have thrown me new curves and my last chapters haven’t had to be totally reworked. They’ve been talking to me and I’ve been able to get them written in half the time.
This weeks writing….really good. I’m not staring at the screen for hours on end begging the characters to talk to me. My biggest problem has been trying to get other characters to shut up and get in line. God, help me, if I keep it up Jamie is going to start yapping at me again. That’s another thing, he’s been suspiciously quiet lately, that isn’t at all like him, that has been one of my indicators that something has to change.
So, I’m asking you are readers to bear with me. It may take me awhile to get publishing slots at first, but eventually I’ll get caught up and they will be coming out regularly. The thing is when I’m not stressing I write much faster, because it pours out of me naturally. I want to get back to where I’m dying to write instead of forced to write. This week has been more like that, especially the last scene I wrote. Remi and Jake are talking to me, and Sterling? Oh he could easily become another Jamie. Next week…I should have this baby done and ready for self edits. I’m looking forward to it actually. Now back to Remi and Jake. I’m right in the middle of some major drama and action scenes
Written by JL Langley
JL is a full-time writer, with over ten novels to her credit. Among her hobbies she includes reading, practicing her marksmanship (she happens to be a great shot), gardening, working out (although she despises cardio), searching for the perfect chocolate dessert (so far as she can tell ALL chocolate is perfect, but it requires more research)
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sophie wrote,
JL, It is the first blog in a long time that I read from you where I don’t feel the overwhelming stress you are under - As if the decision you have come to, has brought you peace. Whatever works for you, your fans will follow.
PS: I have to admit, I did chuckle a few times while reading your blogs, you are quiet a story teller - maybe that is why you are a writer!
Link | August 3rd, 2007 at 4:54 pm
JL Langley wrote,
LOL Oh boy, has the stress be that obvious? It feels good having made that decision. I’m already feeling relieved. WC is flowing pretty well, I’d say it’s going great, but I have a chapter out to Kimber and the VEPB…We’ll see what they say. :) The great news is that Samhain seems to be working in my favor. They’ve made a new rule where they have to have a FULL synopsis and the first 3 chapters from their authors, no if’s and’s or but’s about it. So that is going to keep slots from filling up as fast.
Link | August 3rd, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Lidyah wrote,
I hope you can start writing when you’re stress free. I agree with Sophie, you can always feel the amount of stress you are under when reading your blogs. Hopefully once the main hurdles are out of the way, you can start writing the way you want too and not feeling overwhelmed.
*hugs*
Link | August 4th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Kimber wrote,
That’s a great piece of advice from Morgan. I too find that if I don’t occasionally stop to fill the well that my imagination and thus my writing stagnates. I don’t watch much TV though I will confess to being a huge fan of shark week like you, J. For me books are like air. Without them I would wither up and die.
Link | August 8th, 2007 at 10:17 am