What Keeps You Writing?
19:00
Writing is a strange beast. Sometimes it comes so easily.
The words flow. The story pours
perfectly onto the page. It feels like magic. Other times it’s a gruelling slog.
And it changes from day to day. One day I am enthusiastic about it, powering
through page after page, absolutely in love with what I’m producing. The next I
struggle to put three words on paper. I’ve had a fair share of both recently
as I’ve been trying to hit a deadline,
and it’s been making me think about what exactly keeps me writing, even when it’s
tough.
Sometimes it’s purely because I love the story. Something
about the idea captivates me and won’t let me put it away, no matter how bad
the draft is currently, or how much work it needs to turn it into something that
even remotely resembles a book. I love the idea I’m trying to convey. I love
the story I’m telling. And I can’t let it gather dust in a corner.
Sometimes it’s because I can see where it’s going, what it
can become. Even in the depths of the most intense edits, sometimes I’ll get a
glimpse of what the book can be, what I can make of it, how good it could get
if I keep working. Catching that flash of brilliance is a reminder of what I
could achieve if I keep pushing through.
Sometimes it’s simply because I enjoy the act of writing.
There’s something so calming, so powerful about pouring out thousands of words
on a page and seeing them line up into something I could potentially share with
other people. Good words, bad words, they’re all magical, and the feeling of
writing them is amazing.
And sometimes, it’s all about being stubborn. I don’t feel
the love for the story. I can’t see the progress. I don’t love writing that
day. But I won’t give up, because I know that one bad day doesn’t mean that I’m
not meant to be a writer, that I should down tools and leave. Because when it
comes down to it, writing is an amazing thing. Bad day or good, I am a writer
6 comments
I stay writing because I'm going to finish this book, dadgummit! And also because I like the story and can see an ending. If I have no ideas, the story will fizzle and die. Every time.
ReplyDeleteHaving a story you love and want to see the end of is such a motivator, isn't it? Writing a book is such a long process, you really have to love the story to be able to see it to the end.
DeleteActually, I just picture this: https://goo.gl/images/WWEcSu and am instantly in the mood.
ReplyDeleteHaha, oh that's great. Let's all run away into an adventure!
DeleteWe share a lot of the same reasons for keeping on writing. Good post!
ReplyDeletestoritorigrace.blogspot.com
Thanks! It's good to remind yourself of exactly why you keep writing, isn't it?
Delete