A is for Axhsausted!
Graaahhh!
My novel isn’t cooperating, talked my webcomic over with a friend who is giving me suggestions on what to do, and though it’s all such good advice I feel like my brain has hit a wall. While I wearily feel like I have so much more to learn about this medium’s brand of storytelling, my sci-fi main character is poking her head out and asking, “Since they’re being annoying, can I come out now?”
It’s probably cuz I am exhausted. I need to finish reading some library books that indirectly have to do with my writing (reading them for fun AND for researching/writing style purposes), and tonight I am just so sleepy.
This probably means I need to let the writing stew for a while, which is good, so I can finish the books before April. I just wish everything wasn’t so fussy at the same time. I demand the best I can out of myself, and sometimes it takes a lot out of me. Like tonight. Oy.
I will say this, though. As I’ve lived on my own, grown a little, matured, I’ve started to realize that I can’t pour every good idea into the magnum opus fantasy series I’ve been working on for years. Eventually it will overflow with too much content. So I’ve started saving bits I like for different projects. After years of being hyper-focused on my baby, I’m suddenly having hundreds of ideas again, like Jo March in Little Women, who has a delightful quote (which escapes me) about having a bunch of different stories in her head all at once!
I used to be like this when I was younger, before I took on writing especially seriously, and to be honest I came to miss the many plots and characters from different universes running around in my head, like a giant house with many rooms echoing with the sound of happy voices. At first, once I started letting go the past few months, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to devote as much attention to my pet project. But now I see there is enough love to go around 😀 This pleases me muchly.
And so goodnight. I have a bed murmuring “I have sleep for you” (*cough* Anne of Green Gables *cough*), speaking wordless volumes about comfy mattresses and downy comforters. Zzzz…
2 Comments
K.M. Weiland
Love the cartoon! You often hear it said that you should never "hold anything back" for the next story. Leave everything you've got on the page right now. But I don't agree with that. If you're planning on a career as an author, you have to be aware of the long-range goal as well as the current book. If you use up all your good ideas on one book, what will you have left for those that follow? Make each book the best it can be, but don't be afraid to save good ideas for later as well.
Christina A. Nelson
Yes! I totally agree (probably obviously, haha). I have to say, I love your vlogs and I need to watch more of them! I have been busy, but I intend to 😀