Quick! What’s The Opposite Of Writer’s Block?
Writer’s Rock & Roll, of course! That’s what I have. Here’s what it does: Makes you want to spend all your time writing new stuff, rather than doting on the old stuff. (Yes, yes, I realize I have been feeding you my oldies but goodies, here seemingly contradicting myself. ) That’s good, to a point. The well never seems in danger of running dry. But, it makes you want to do everything Quickly! To keep moving forward on new publishing projects instead of dithering on the current one. Not always a good idea.
Blog sites, notwithstanding. Sometimes, I ignore you guys because I’m focusing on some other writing-related project. Or, as just this minute, wasting time on daily tasks, like getting stymied trying to hang drapery rods so that I can install the fabulous, light-blocking, mustard-colored, custom-made, drapes found at the thrift shop. Which just happen to be…I have now learned by finally measuring…eight-feet long. Help! That’s my ceiling height! I’ll bet that next I’ll learn that they’re too heavy for my rods; bought without benefit of an intense study of the drapes already in my possession.
Now, a quick read of the rod’s directions reveals that I must run out to the hardware store for different thingamajiggies for the screws. All this, to take advantage of a “real deal” on some good-looking drapes. Mine do need replacing, actually.
That’s kind of the way my writing goes. Very wingdingarooney. Actually, that’s the way I travel, too. Not a whole lot of pre-planning. Wheee! Life is an adventure!
Well, this Writer’s Unblock is like that too. Let’s get this thing DONE, says I! These days, all of a sudden, the self-publishing door flies open and I have a lifetime of writing to cram through it before I kick the bucket. Or, before the newest-style bugaboo hits – the dreaded Big A of the Elderly. Not that there’s a hint of either on the horizon, but at this age, one can’t just sit around smelling roses all the time.
What has brought me to this new state of introspection and critical evaluation? Yesterday, I emailed Patricia Fry, whom I will hire to copyedit my manuscript, and I got to reading her many blogs and her website for her Matilija Press, and realized that she had so much to teach me before I send this book, electronically, to her. Why should she be made to point out the obvious in correcting my manuscript, if I could learn, beforehand, to correct it on my own by reading her encylopedic book about writing and publishing, “The Right Way To Publish And Sell Your Book: Your Complete Guide To Successful Authorship.” Then, what I wind up sending her will be my very best effort, no holds barred, and not the lazy writer’s way of saying “Make me a famous author, now!” to the talent we hire to clean up our pages.
The flashlight turns inward upon my own crazy rush to get these pressing tasks DONE! Now!
Then, I am left with the writerly-equivalent of a bunch of too-big drapes and incorrect hardware. Which only leads to more time-consuming running around.
Slow down, Linda. Breathe!
Tags: , 1, Matilija Press, Patricia Fry, publishing, The Right Way to Publish And Sell Your Book, woes of writing, Tag Index
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