I’ve been thinking about how to rediscover the joy of writing.
How do I recapture that feeling, that nervous excitment as the words flow, that sense of urgency?
The answer escaped me until I sat down to write this post. Because right now, I’ve recaptured that feeling. I’m enjoying writing this post in a way I haven’t enjoyed writing my novel.
So the real question isn’t how to rediscover the joy of writing, but how to rediscover the joy of writing my novel.
What is it about this blog post that makes it so fun to write?
What is it about my novel that makes it so hard?
The other night I had a cathartic rant about my recent burn out, and Steve Green replied with the following:
“[When] you are writing for yourself, for the sheer love of writing, then the payback will be all positive.”
I think back to the days when my productivity was highest and realise it’s when I wrote Above Ground, when each week I posted a chapter online with no further expectations.
Yes, the first draft was appalling. Yes, I rewrote it twice before “properly” publishing it. But a first draft isn’t meant to be perfect; it’s meant to capture the joy of writing that particular story.
This blog post is so fun to write because I don’t expect it to go anywhere other than my website. Because it doesn’t matter whether people love or hate it. Because I am writing just for myself.
Rediscovering the joy of writing only takes one step.
Kill your infernal inner editor — the one heaping expectations on your WIP — and write for yourself. For the sheer love of writing.
Someone get me a gun.
A.M. Harte 
Interesting, and good to hear. I missed your post on burnout, and I’m happy for you.
Keep up and don’t lose faith in yourself.
Thanks Vicente – supportive comments like yours are just the bullets I need to kill that pesky editor ;-)
Yeah, I am struggling to rediscover that. I am finally getting it, I think, after almost a year and a half break from publishing – I’m finally getting back to the joy of writing, and the joy of writing FOR writing. When I started publishing, there was so much paralyzing fear and questions of Is THIS right? Is THAT right?? What do I do NOW? What will people THINK??
For me, it took an extended break to be able to regain perspective and really get back to my work with a vengeance, and no fear. Always nice to be reminded of what matters: just writing!
It makes me feel relieved that I am not the only one who feels this way – a part of me was wondering if there was something wrong with me for burning out!
I think that one of the most valuable lessons about writing is how to keep your love of it, no matter what else happens. Because without the love, it’s really bloody hard! Pleased to see you’re making headway :-)
Good to hear from you too :-) It’s certainly a relief to be feeling a little less negative about writing recently.
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