May 2016 Motivation Thread

Huh. Been so busy with my workout and deciding on career paths that I haven't given much thought to writing or the forums. Until Facing reached out to me to check up on me. It made me realize how much I missed writing, the forums, and my special writing forum buddies. So I am back! I had a burst of writing a few days ago, about 3200 words, so this is oddly fortuitous timing. For now I am just going to try to get back into the writing swing and maybe do the flash fiction this month.
 
Hobbles105 said:
Huh. Been so busy with my workout and deciding on career paths that I haven't given much thought to writing or the forums. Until Facing reached out to me to check up on me. It made me realize how much I missed writing, the forums, and my special writing forum buddies. So I am back! I had a burst of writing a few days ago, about 3200 words, so this is oddly fortuitous timing. For now I am just going to try to get back into the writing swing and maybe do the flash fiction this month.
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Welcome back, Hobbles! Good to see you again!

@CharlotteAshley, that's great news. Congrats!

With some help from friends I've worked out world building vs plotting problems on my Changeling story. Still, I have yet to put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, to write the necessary scenes with the solution in place. However, I did take my laptop to work today for the first time in almost a month. No taking it out, but it was there, so that's something. Right?
 
Hobbles105 said:
Until Facing reached out to me to check up on me. It made me realize how much I missed writing, the forums, and my special writing forum buddies.
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@RedMage did the same for me last year and I am still grateful. It is funny how just a bit of interest from another person can spur you on where you weren't able to motivate yourself.

If anyone else can think of a writing buddy who has been absent for a while, give them a shout.
 
Happy May, guys!

Not sure what I'm doing this month yet - I may or may not get my copyedits back for Dominion this month - if I do obviously that goes straight to the top of the list. Other than that I'm working on revisions for Book 3 which is currently pending a contract. My editor is taking a six month sabbatical starting in August and both he and I really want him to edit the book before he goes but again, pending contract at the moment.

Assuming all goes well on that front I'll need to turn the manuscript in mid-June, so it's got to ready by then.
 
SteveW said:
If anyone else can think of a writing buddy who has been absent for a while, give them a shout.
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Thanks for the poke!

I have been meaning to get back here and to MyWriteClub. And I will, but life is so busy at the moment. Writing is just another added stress. I had hoped to log into MyWriteClub today, but I have a couple of meetings later today to prep for. But tomorrow, I'll be there!

At the moment, my May goal is to get my schedule under control so I can add writing time back in. :)
 
I feel...pensive. I have spent a few hours reviewing what I have written and have yet to write in my book. I am torn between feeling so far away and so close to completion. My final work before my hiatus was forging a definitive, complete and solid chapter list and plan for book one as well as creating an organized MS Word navigation system which organized my huge manuscript. It is like I have turned a bend and while the finish line is a long way away, and my lungs burn, and my legs quake.... not only can I see the finish line but all the remaining obstacles left before me.

Eyes down, hammer back. Time to roll.
 
I seem to be going through some form of mid-life crisis. I know what I have to do, but I'm full of excuses lately. There's always some playoff hockey to watch instead, or soccer, or anything else I can think of but writing. I went through outlines a week ago, and once I'm at my desk and doing the job, it flows and I feel right back where I belong.

It's getting to my desk, that's the thing. Heck, lately, if I touch my computer more than once a week, even to play a game or something, it's incredible.

Maybe it's just Spring. I dunno. But, other than outlining, I've not written a word for weeks. I gave myself a tentative May date to publish the weird western novel, and I still have serious rewrites to do. Rewrites I haven't touched, and I wonder if that's the rub right there.

Whatever it is, I need to get over it. We are not given tomorrow.
 
I've just not been motivated much for the last 6 months or more. :( I have sort of forced myself to write for the contests and a few other things, but haven't really felt like my heart was in it.

Fortunately in the last few weeks the passion seems to be re-emerging. This week I've written two completed flash fiction drafts as well as another one (maybe longer) started in my journal and I am for the moment 'feeling it again.'
 
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Wilson Geiger said:
I seem to be going through some form of mid-life crisis. I know what I have to do, but I'm full of excuses lately. There's always some playoff hockey to watch instead, or soccer, or anything else I can think of but writing. I went through outlines a week ago, and once I'm at my desk and doing the job, it flows and I feel right back where I belong.

It's getting to my desk, that's the thing. Heck, lately, if I touch my computer more than once a week, even to play a game or something, it's incredible.

Maybe it's just Spring. I dunno. But, other than outlining, I've not written a word for weeks. I gave myself a tentative May date to publish the weird western novel, and I still have serious rewrites to do. Rewrites I haven't touched, and I wonder if that's the rub right there.

Whatever it is, I need to get over it. We are not given tomorrow.
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Maybe you need to give yourself permission to take a break on this particular project and write something brand new, maybe a short story unrelated to any of your current works.
 
Wilson Geiger said:
I know what I have to do, but I'm full of excuses lately.
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Don't sweat it. At the start of a novel I tend to just mess around with it on weekends, having been brain burned by the last novel's frantic finish. You'll get your traction back as things progress. Find some cool things to do, like discovering all the poison ivy wrapped up in the vines you were removing along the back fence. Feeding the chiggers...and then spraying said bastards in revenge. Buying that new car your wife will end up driving more than you will. Instead of heading to the desk to write after going out for breakfast, turn right and spend the day in Fredricksburg. Vent frustrations in Star Wars Battlezone, and when you've had enough abuse there, crank up Star Wars The Old Republic and kick some Republic butt. Maybe write a few hours on Sunday just to say you did.
 
@Wilson Geiger, I agree with Kerry and facing. Sometimes when I'm not writing I begin to worry, and then stress, about not writing, which makes it even more difficult to actually write. So give yourself a break. You have some good goals you were aiming for, but writing may be something your subconscious just isn't up to doing right now and you need do some other things while it works out story or life problems. Help around the house, read a book or two, play games by yourself and with your kids, take care of work stuff.
 
The end of April was as crazy as I was expecting it to be. The convention went extremely well. I ran out of all of my promotional bookmarks for my dad's ebook! I got a chance to visit with my publisher and editor. However, this was not writing. I managed to sneak in a little bit of writing this evening (just a little over 500 words). Then this weekend I'll be at a writer's conference. I don't expect to be able to get much writing done until Monday or Tuesday, but when I do get the chance, I need to be able to write more than 500 words a day. I promised a first draft by August. That needs to get done.
 
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