A Creative Stuck

I have no idea how to write a book and there have been many times over the past couple of months while trying to produce something vaguely readable that I have questioned the mental capacity of the judges at the ASA for giving me this mentorship. I have also written many an apology letter in my head to my lovely editor who is stuck reading my sentimental, clichéd rubbish when surely she has something far more enjoyable to do.

And then, because I was procrastinating more than it is healthy for any one person to do, I came across an article about getting stuck in the creative process, about hating every single thing you have written, about wanting to find the closest shredder (although it would be a virtual shredder these days) and line your chicken coop with the strips of torn paper so the hens can crap all over the garbage you have written! So someone else has felt like me at some point. And not just one someone but a whole lot of them. They didn’t all succumb to alcoholism or drugs in true literary fashion either! Six local authors just wrote blog posts addressing what they do when they are feeling discouraged about what they are working on. Dawn Barker talks about a ‘cycle of euphoria and despair’. Emma Chapman recommends reading about how other writer’s cope and Natasha Lester voices my worst enemy, that old procrastination, when I would rather clean the toilet than sit in front of the computer.

Although it is a horrible feeling that I wouldn’t wish on anyone I am finding comfort in the fact that so many other writers out there have been exactly where I am now. So what I am going to do? I am going to plough on, word by word. I have added a few new inspirational quotes to the cork board in front of me. I allowed myself time off to sweep the house – which I’m sure has you scratching your head in wonder but getting up and doing something active helped. And I’m going to accept that there will be ups and downs and that actually I love writing so what have I got to complain about!

Just in case you are an emerging author and you stumble across this while procrastinating about your own work – have faith, read and it will get better (I hope!)

She said yes!

In my last post I left you as I was eagerly waiting for a reply from my first choice of mentor. Well she said yes! I’m going to have a chance to work with Julia Stiles – Editor Extraordinaire! She has a very impressive bio (more on that later) and I’m honoured that she is interested in my project (although she has only read 10 pages so the other 300 odd might be pants). As I was lounging around in Eagle Bay last week I haven’t had the chance to have a chat with her yet but I am looking forward to that later this week.

Eagle Bay

Life’s pretty straight without mentees…

I’m sitting in the library on what is supposed to be my writing day – the one day a week I get eight hours uninterrupted writing as opposed to snippets on the other days. Today though I am procrastinating. I am just a little bit excited that the announcements have come out for the Australian Society of Authors Emerging Writers Mentorships and I am one of the winners! All of a sudden I am being asked for headshots, press release details and literary bios – something that as an unpublished author I have never had to think about before.

For a while now I have been wondering what on earth I would have to write about in a blog and last night my clever husband suggested that the concept had just fallen in my lap – I could write about my experience as an emerging writer in the mentor program. So here I am, two coffees down, not a lot achieved on my novel, Linkedin page created and first blog post being bashed out.