Most non-writers, when they think of writing stories,
imagine the process to be this intensely inspiring thing, where the muse gives
you one whiff of air and it sustains you to the end, which is more or less
three weeks from now.
I blame the media for this. Movies etc. dealing with
writers as characters often show them as starving. But never because they’re
stuck without having a word to write. Oh no, despite the fact that they are
living through intense dramas, often without food, their creativity keeps flowing
strong.
Reality deviates from this image quite a lot. I can’t
really say much for other writers, but my own experience taught me that
writing, while inspiring, isn’t just a matter of dumping a few words on the
page.
Well… actually it is, but to sit down every single day
(or most days) to dump those pages on the page isn’t easy. Because once the
first inspiration fades away, you’re left with nothing but an idea that the
story’s good. The only way to get it written is to commit to writing it and to
get it done.
You can’t imagine how angry I’ve made people with those
words, but it’s true. There’s no glamorous way to be inspired every day. In
fact, inspiration, while important in the beginning, is pretty over rater. It’s
not inspiration that’ll see you through to the end.
It’s sheer bloody-mindedness.
It’s sitting down even when you’re not feeling
particularly inspired, so that you can write a scene that you know needs to be
written. And if you’re not sure whether or not it should be in the book, it’s
about sitting down and writing that scene anyway.
It’s about forgetting what people think writers should be
like and focusing on writing. Don’t get trapped in the image. Create your
method. Find what works for you best (because nothing ever works perfectly) and
do that until your story’s done.
Tenacity is 90% of a book’s creation. 10% is inspiration.
Once you realize this, you’re in the right mind space to
finish that book. Good luck, and keep writing!
Blurb
Since
the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family
to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster
family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian
countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan
expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...
When
Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical
continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and
Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of
Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black
Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.
But
when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters
on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan
discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are
claiming she is their princess.
Now
with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain
blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret
grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her
family before war sets the realms afire.
Bio
M.
Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she
could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her
current projects.
She
lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain.
If
you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her
at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty
insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add The
Vanished Knight on Goodreads.
Links:
Wahoo! You said it, Misha. It's 100% sit-your-but-in-the-chair and get er done! But wouldn't be nice if there was a magic writing potion you could take where unexpectedly you'd have all the right words/scenes/phrases in a single week? =)
ReplyDeleteA very inspiring post Misha!
ReplyDeleteI need more tenacity, that's for sure. Thanks for the encouragement! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this - "Don't get trapped in the image." Writing is definitely harder than it looks, and it's not always easy to explain that to people. I've had people tell me all sorts of things I "should" be able to do - write anywhere, write anytime, my schedule is flexible etc. But those options don't always work for me or for a particular project.
ReplyDeleteCrystal - yes, I wish the words would just magically appear on the screen sometimes too . . .but it's all about tenacity.
ReplyDeleteMaurice - Misha rocks!
Karen - Thanks for stopping by. I think Misha is a great encourager!
Madeline - yes, I think Misha has nailed down tenacity, and writing not fitting the "image" that others have.
There is much to be said for the "get 'er done" discipline of writing. Although I also love this quote by Julia Cameron, "Being an artist requires enthusiasm more than discipline. Enthusiasm is not an emotional state. It is a spiritual commitment, a loving surrender to the creative process, a loving recognition of all the creativity around us
ReplyDeleteI think that surrender is an important part of discipline and creativity. Thanks for sharing that quote Julie!
ReplyDeleteIt's like a marriage - once the glow of love is over, the work begins.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Determination is more important than a muse. I like Julie's quote above, too.
ReplyDeleteAlex - yes, that's how it is, except thankfully in both writing and marriage we get bits of glow to keep us going.
ReplyDeleteSP - I agree. :)
Fantastic post! I say it to new writers over and over. Never give up. Just keep going even when it gets too hard. In fact, those days when it seems too hard, that's when you really need to keep going.
ReplyDeleteWriting definitely isn't easy. It often feels like pulling teeth!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Misha! Hi Tyrean!
ReplyDeleteReality check-thank you it was needed!
Now, I need new headphones to block out all distracting noise~
This is a great post! It's always good to remember to not give up on your goals.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Hey all, thanks for the great comments. Sorry for only showing up now. Still don't have internet. :-)
ReplyDeleteCrystal, I suspect if writing was as easy as downing a potion, I'd have another hobby. I'm weird like that. :-P
ReplyDeleteGlad you think so, Maurice.
Good luck to you, Karen!
Madeline, I've also had my blood pressure raise multiple times due to comments made by people who just don't have a clue.
Julie, I agree with that quote, although in my mind, discipline and commitment is the same thing, since I use them interchangeably when I write.
Great analogy, Alex!
Sara I agree. Inspiration is great, but it only takes us so far.
Christine, I think a lot of new writers are lost because no one told them it's okay to struggle.
Heather I know exactly what you mean.
Hope your writing is going well, Ella!
Thanks Gina. :-)