It has been a busy - and very productive - few days. Work is going really well on both books - I resurrected my on-hold young adult one last week as well. I don't usually work on two projects at once: I started working on the young adult one as a Busman's holiday to counteract the occasional fatigue and boredom I feel with my work in progress. Sometimes writing can feel like wading through treacle, and it has been really helpful to switch between the two when my enthusiasm fades on one.
"You might not be at the point where you're stalled because of burnout, or deadline pressures, but if you keep writing, eventually you're likely to hit some variation of this problem. We all seem to run over most of the same ruts in the road sooner or later, after all. If and when you do bounce across this one, keep my busman's holiday in mind. Sometimes the only thing that will set your writing free is to write just for yourself. No matter how tight your deadline is or how desperate you are to get a particular project out the door, remember that your brain is not hardware. It doesn't come with software programmed to produce two thousand words a day, day in and day out. Your mind is a mystery, and one that likes to play. It can do more than you can imagine, but only if you give it a little time of its own, to just burst free without constraints or specified objectives. " - Holly Lisle
I find working on something different and writing with the pressure taken off is more relaxing than taking a complete break from working. It might not work for everybody, but if you are experiencing that wading-through-treacle feeling, it might be worth a shot.
The yWriter5 software has made an emormous difference to the way I work, as well, and has helped me immensely. I'm planning a whole post on this software and its benefits to the novel-writing process soon, but why wait for me to endorse it? It's free! Go download it and have a play.
Thank you so much for all the links you sent me on this post. I have drawn the name of the person who will receive a little parcel of goodies, and it is Elena Lu!. Please leave your email address in the comments, and I'll be in touch.
P.S. I have been thinking of a little get-together for Christchurch bloggers for a while. It would be lovely to meet those of you I haven't, and catch up with those I have. I thought The Tea Room on Lincoln Road would be a good place to meet for tea and cupcakes, and we could go on a little thrifting trip afterwards. Leave me a comment if you're interested in coming along!
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