Creative Frustrations

So...I had the whole book planned out and organized. Everything should have been perfect. But it wasn't.

Writing felt like drudgery. Nothing was coming out correctly. I just couldn't think, and I wanted to compulsively refresh my twitter feed or read blogs or feed the cat...anything but write. I had to sit down and really try to analyze what was going on with me.

First, I haven't been exercising or eating right. I've been sitting in a chair all day, eating far too many sweets, and watching television at night. The extent of my exercise was a short, thirty-minute walk with the dogs at night.

Second, I explained my story idea to a friend, and he thought it was weird. I should have known better. I should have kept it a closely guarded secret, but I was just so excited. Now I'm struggling to hold on to the joy of my original vision.

Third, I'm feeling the time crunch. 13 days are gone. Only 47 days left. It's a lot of pressure.

What am I going to do now? Well, I'm going to write. It doesn't matter if I like it. I'm going to make it work because I have to. I won't let frustration or negativity bring me down. Writing is my job.

But I am going to do some things to make the process easier. First, I'm going to stop eating junk and give myself permission to exercise--to take some classes at the gym, or go swimming, or walk around the lake. I'll do something fun every night without fail because it's my responsibility to stay healthy. Second, I'm going to keep my lips zipped about my story. I'm not going to tell anybody else until it's done. Finally, I'm going to relax a little about the time crunch. I have plenty of time. If I let myself relax, I'll write fast, and I'll enjoy it. I just need to "let it be easy."

I wonder if others can relate. How do other people give themselves pep talks?