I once had a third-grade teacher who, when we had announced we were done with a test, would ask us if we were a cake. I didn't understand the grammatical nuance of that retort until years later. But in this case, I am more done than finished.
I'm done with writing, but I sure didn't finish anything. I'm not going to wallow in my quittingness, but I just want my word count buddies to know why I won't be posting. Basically, I hated writing. I hated planning it, I hated doing it, and I hated remembering it. Unlike running, which I also hated in the beginning, I have improved that talent and I enjoy doing it now. With writing, I've given it a good long trial period and it's still something that drains me instead of filling me up.
6 comments:
Well, you can't do everything all at once. I think you have a talent for writing, but if it's draining you, I guess striving for 100 words a day everyday without fail may be too much. At least for now. I still think there is something there, and maybe in two or five or ten years, you'll want to write again. After all, how many famous serial novelists are young mothers? Not a lot, I'll wager, because you have so much going on. I bet even fewer young famous novelistas mommies run marathons. Anyway, I say you can take a break for however long you want, but maybe someday you'll come back to writing. You're too good at it for it not to be inside you. :)
I had a feeling this was coming. It's too bad, because I really enjoyed the stuff you posted. Like Mars said, maybe one day you'll have a yen to come back to it. But in the end, all that matters is that you're doing what gives you satisfaction.
I really liked what your wrote, at least the things you posted. But if you don't like it, you don't like it. That's like me and scrapbooking, well maybe not quite the same because writing is a lot harder.
Nooooooo!!!!!! Sadness....
But you know, if writing just drains you, there's no reason you should feel like you have to do it. Maybe someday (maybe even in the relatively near future) you'll come back to it. Especially if you've got a story idea that sticks with you and keeps begging to be told. I guess I have kind of the opposite problem. I love writing and almost everything associated with it, but too often when it comes to fiction, I just don't have any sense of direction. Which is where the Word Count Buddies comes in, because they keep me moving.
I hope you'll consider writing again in the future; I know, from what I've seen, that you've got loads of talent. Maybe instead of leaving the WCB group completely you could put up a note on the excuse board and just take an indefinite hiatus?
Either way, if you ever want back in, you know where we are. And we still know where you are. :)
You need to do what's best for you. I second Ing. We'll be here if you ever want us, you'll always be welcomed. Don't leave just yet. Take a break, put up an excuse, and see how you feel in a couple weeks with no writing.
I would like to say though, don't give up on writing. Sometimes meeting a word count everyday sucks the fun out it. It makes it more of a job, harder somehow.
If you get the urge to write, go ahead. Maybe you'll find the attraction again once you don't need to meet a deadline.
Oh, and it does happen to all of us. I took nine months off between my second and third novels. Don't worry about it. Take care!
Thanks guys, I'd like to especially thank Liz, Ben and Ing for flogging me (that would be a strange sentence taken out of context).
I'll be back, I'm already feeling the writing itch again. It'll probably be at least 2 months before I can do it habitually though.
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