Commander, Command Thyself Part 2

COMMANDER, COMMAND THYSELF… PART 2 On December 26th, I made some New Years Resolutions, publically, here at Fantasy Author’s Handbook. Then I got here back on January 9 to report on my progress, bemoaning my lack of progress getting again to my very own writing. Now I’m more than a month previous that, and nonetheless falling behind my rosy predictions of how much writing I was going to get achieved. But this publish is not going to be a whining sessionâ€"I promise. Instead, perhaps I can serve for example of when we need to make tough decisions about our personal writing to be able to see that that call wasn’t really as powerful because it seemed. First of all, this is how I described the state of my writing productiveness again on January 9: Awful. What the hell! Most daysâ€"no writing in any respect. Not acceptable! Now, six weeks later? Disappointing. Better, although! Most daysâ€"a minimum of some writing. Could be tons higher. That’s progress, proper? Okay, so then additionally on January 9 I determined to take my own recommendation from my post from August 15 of last year, my cap to a protracted collection of posts analyzing Henry Miller’s advice to authors, starting with: PHIL’S TEN COMMANDMENTS OF WRITING (AFTER HENRY MILLER) 1. Work on one novel at a time till completed, while additionally writing the occasional poem, brief story, article, and weekly blog publish. Then I mentioned: I know exactly what that novel isâ€"the novel I’ve been ruminating over for, literally, years now. I’ve stuffed a full pocket book with worldbuilding and character notes. I’ve already written a couple of scattered scenes, and the whole thing is at least semi-shaped in my head. I know what the theme is. I know who the hero is, and who the villain is, and what they want, what they’re keen to spend to get it. I have just sufficient outline to get me started. There’s no reason not to dive in and write the rattling thing. And six weeks later? No precise work on that novel in any respect. I†™ve worked on other stuffâ€"poetry, short tales, and so on., however six weeks after this full-throated declaration, no work on the “work in progress.” Guess what? That means it’s not a piece in progress! It’s nonetheless a good suggestion for a e-book, I am still moderately clear on the place it starts, where it’s going, and so forth., so then why no writing? Maybe, I finally thought of, I’m simply not that into it. At least, not right now. That was when the lightbulb went off. I ended that very same list of “commandments” with: 10. Write the e-book you care the most aboutâ€"the story that speaks to you, that received’t allow you to sleep at evening, that won’t go away. And you understand what? This “work in progress” wasn’t it. Another guide was, thoughâ€"the one I figured I’d get to eventually, after I finished the opposite one I wasn’t writing. This realization could very nicely save my entire yr. I’ll start engaged on that other e-book instead. I just want I’d considered that sooner. So if, like me, you’re caught within the “in progress” half and never engaged within the “work,” contemplate this: It’s not you, it’s the book. â€"Philip Athans About Philip Athans You get to the e-book when the time is right. It’s onerous to put in writing without inspiration, irrespective of how nicely you've the story plotted.