Saturday, December 4, 2010

Creative Paralysis Really Sucks

Hello again. I hope you are in the throughs of the holiday season. Whatever you believe.

Just a little note to those of you who enjoy workshops, I was informed of a worksop over at Sascha Illyvich
It's a Male POV workshop. $20 to sign up and the next workshop will take Dec 13-15. Head over to her site to find out more.

In the mean time, as I sit here at my ghetto MAC laptop, I am at a complete loss as to what to write. I was hoping to a book review, but I'm not finished yet. So next month look for my Book Review of Sin Undone by Larissa Ione. It's a goodie!

Question for you...Has this ever happened to you? You know you're supposed to by tapping away at the keyboard, or scribbling away with a pen to paper, you can feel a story brewing right at the tip of your frontal lobe. You wait patiently (or impatiently if you're me) to hear you muse and channel it into fruition. But instead of the greatest novel humankind has ever known (com'on you've all thought that), you come up with a big fat NOTHING. All that comes out is a choked silence. You screw up your nose and shake it off. It's coming, you just gotta wait a little longer. Never rush or pressure the muse.

Still you wait, thrumming your fingers on the desk, wondering if you made the right decision in painting the walls a day-glow shade of green- probably not, you think and bring you attention back to the blank screen that is taunting you.  It chortles, You've got nothing kid. Give it up. Run along. Taken aback by the screens blatant arrogance you defiantly type the first thing that comes to your head. I'll show you you non-living piece of crap. You can't break me! Feverishly running your fingers across the keyboard, you feel victorious, triumphant, glorious! You give the screen the bird and prepare yourself to feast upon the beautifully mastered tale you just created. Taking a confident breath you pompously dive in to the fantastic words....wait...what? That...doesn't...make..any...sense!
FECK!
Horribly defeated you hear the screen scoff, Told ya. Now just walk away before someone really gets hurt.


I've been told it happens to even the most seasoned writers- creative paralysis. I am dealing with me first bout of this. Which is probably why I'm not dealing with it very well. I know I have to take a break I can't force my muse to keep running 24/7, but why hell not! Why does she get to hightail it outta here without leaving a note saying when she'll be back? It's not fair. But I kinda need her to fuel my creative furnace so I'm making nice, waiting for her with open arms.

As deeply in love as I am with writing I am taking this, hopefully short, time to read and learn more about the craft. It has been nice actually. Not feeling bound to a story. Not hearing people in my head. Not flipping back and forth on whether not I'm ready to query the story. I get simply enjoy having my mind back. Well, this is what I'm telling myself.

What do you do when your muse wants to take a break and see other people? I'm interested to know the different methods my fellow scribes use to pass the time.

Thanks for listening to my bitty rant. I'm going to the cupboard and eat the Mars bar that's been calling my name.

Duckie

10 comments:

Jay Di Meo said...

I know exactly how that feels. It may be the end of the year lull, but I have no energy to write, even though I have plenty of ideas and unfinished stories. Let's hope that with the vacations the energy levels will go back up!

Jay

Brenda said...

Writing is so damn frustrating. I'm going through creative P right now--it's not that I don't know the story I want to write because i do. I know the characters, their goals, their motivations, conflicts, the subplots, etc, etc. What has me locked in creative P is I have recently finished my first novel. LOL it has taken me over 3 years of hard work from rough draft, through edits, edits, tears, laughter, wanting to rip out my hair, thinking me and my story suck.
Anyway, the writing of the first novel took up so much of my time and energy that I'm having a tough time getting back into writing mode!!!
LOL, I told myself that after Christmas it is time I get my a$$ in gear and get of the procrastination train at the next station.

Tabitha Blake said...

First off I want to say OMG! Sin Undone is one of my favorite books. I love the Demonica series. As far as writers block yeah it sucks and pulls me down way too much. I usually have to step away and take a break. It usually happens when I have been doing a lot of writing. I think it is like my brain gets overloaded and the just shuts down. After my break my brain and my muse seem to fall back into the writing and things take off again. I know what you mean my muse goes on hiatus and leaves me high and dry without a single word. But she is fantastic when she is in a writing mood so I can't say much. Hang in there it will pass.

Brenda said...

I think Jay may be right. The end of the year lulls, and tis the season where there is sooooo much to do that sometimes we have to put what we really want to do on the back burner.
Here's hoping the new year brings me and everyone else renewed vigor for our writing!!!

Duckie said...

Thanks guys for teh comments. I have been dealing with this for about 6 months now...and I've gotten tot eh point were if I get a neat idea I"m almost afraid to pursue it, b/c of the lack of muse...but I shall prevail!

Unknown said...

I am in a slumop right now and reading me arse off.

Brenda said...

Hey Duckie maybe try writing a short story. Don't worry about edits and stuff, just write. Writing short stories is fabulous practice for writing novels. Everything you need in a novel is the same as the short. Only shorter, lol. I learned to write the short before I tackled a novel.
Just a thought. And if this doesn't work then maybe in the new year you could message me and we can yap about what is going on with your writing. Sounds to me that fear is what's getting you---I know that feeling well!

D'Ann said...

I'm in a slump, too.
Just mentally exhausted. Worried about holidays, money, work...you name it.

D'Ann said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Duckie said...

thanks brenda, I'm working with fear, lack of creativity and no real time to write...I'm also a big time procrastinator....I was thinking about taking an writing course...Might do me some good...plus I need the grammar education:)