In 2012 my writing partner and I completed our first book in our fantasy series. We have been actively, well, okay, for the most part actively seeking an agent and/or a publisher for the book. We decided we wanted to go the traditional route with this novel for a number of reasons (which I won’t list in this post.) We decided that if we had not yet gotten a strong bite by the time we finished book two in the trilogy we would reassess things and again decide whether we still wanted to continue working the traditional road or whether will opt for the independent route.
Since then, we have both written our own books independent of each other while slowly working on book two of our fantasy series. While we have a strong 18,000 words (rough estimate) we have a way to go.
I’ve had some issues with motivation and creativity with regards to book two. It feels forced and I just am not doing so well; not feeling too great. Oh, the writing we have is good and I’m confident in that aspect but I just feel off kilt or something. And I just don’t know why! Last week I decided something had to be done. And fast!
Having been a whole year since I picked up book one I decided to go back in, with fresh eyes, to edit and polish and as all writers know…it is never perfect no matter how many times one goes back to their work in progress. I wanted to fall back in love with my characters, my worlds, my story. But I didn’t want to do it just by rereading it. So this time I pulled out the paper. Yep. Hard core in your hands ink and paper. I began writing the names of each character, the names of places, the pertinent facts, ect. I am being way organized about it too! *So proud of myself* LOL
I went into this believing I’d be bored. Editing is not the most fun chore in the writing process. In fact, it’s brutal most of the time. I’d rather pull my nails out one at a time with dull pliers. So I went into this book expecting the very same grueling emotions from within.
Boy was I ever surprised! I really am falling in love with the story all over again. I’m getting all the information down (by pen-I went out and bought a special one just for this!) and I’m going in deep. And I love it. I’m even more confident in the book I and William wrote together. (I even told him that too!)
So what is the moral of the story folks? Sometimes getting back to the basics, pen and paper, may not always motivate you or reawaken your muse or invigorate your creativity, in this case it was just what the doctor ordered. Another moral (yay-two for the price of one ((FREE)) is sometimes the writer has to shake up their methods and routines and opt for something old (or in my case, something new) to get past whatever obstacle you are facing.
Cheers,
Michala
