I’ve been spending a lot of time world-building, outlining, and developing characters for my next novel. It’s easy to get lost in this process, playing with ideas and detailing minutia. But at some point, you have to put the proverbial pen to paper and actually begin crafting. I’ve already written several novels, but it’s still a little scary. Will the magic come? Will it work for the reader? Well, you never know until you start….

You know those days. The ones where you have to get a bunch of things done. But your muse says, “Write for just a few minutes. It won’t hurt.” So you do and go on to your next chore. Only, your muse tags along and distracts you with whispers all day long. “What if the heroine said…” or “What if the villain did this…”. It gets so bad that you sit down at the end of your day and…

Some days you sit down to write, and the words just flow. But other days, it’s a struggle of epic proportions. My brain is lost in swirling mists, and my muse has abandoned me. Then that devil procrastination whispers in my ear, and I am sorely tempted to leave my post. But I fight on, struggling to bring words to the page and a story into existence.  Because defeat is not an option….

I finished the first draft of my latest novel this week. While I was tempted to call it a piece of crap, I decided doing so wouldn’t be fair. Instead, I realized it just looks odd because it’s not finished. Kind of like the framing of a house. It doesn’t keep the rain out, and it’s got holes you could drive a truck through. But it gives my ideas a shape—a form. A place to meet my characters and…

Some days, I ask myself, “Why do I do this?” You know. Writing. The pay is pretty bad, I frequently stay up late cranking out just a few more words, and then a review appears that makes you question everything. It’s then I realize I don’t have to do this. I could just… stop. Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I love it too much. Besides, every day I write, I get just a little bit better….

I ran across this quote, and it really spoke to me….