I’m back from vacation.
We unlocked the door and dumped our bags, adding to the stray belongings flung about during our packing tornado. Then big sighs on the couch, surveying our natural disaster.
This stinks. Or maybe I should say the house stinks, being closed up for two weeks with a cucumber rotting in the fridge, mossy and shriveled like a dead pickle.
We’re home and I’m in a funk. There’s no sugar-coating the post-vacation blues. (And since the cupboard is bare, I have no sugar anyway.)
There was no fiction writing on vacation. I barely even thought about writing. I snapped a photo of the charming Beach Haven Public Library to serve as inspiration for a new story, but that was it. The needle is pointing to “E” on my inspiration gauge.
So how do I jump back in the saddle again, I wonder? From where does the motivation arise? I sent nothing out on submission recently, and my middle grade work in progress has been frozen in mid-chapter ever since I received conflicting feedback at the NJ-SCBWI conference.
I used to be in a hurry to get my work published. I had a timeline for getting stories done and accepted. I’m not making that deadline, and what’s worse, I feel guilty that I’ve let this self-imposed schedule slip. I have friends with new agents, friends with new book deals, exciting happenings that should shove me into gear.
But, no. I’m still sculpting sand mermaids on the beach.
Perhaps that’s as it should be. I hear you saying, “Everyone needs a break, even writers!” But for the past few years, I didn’t believe this to be true. I write because I must write. I possess a DNA code that compells me to be creative. Shouldn’t I be writing every free moment of the day? And if I’m not, can I still call myself a writer?
An epiphany came yesterday while out to brunch. An elderly woman stopped by our table. With her fingertips brushing the tablecloth she said, “You look like a happy family. That’s so nice to see.”
I nearly teared up at her kindness…and at the realization that my publication woes are stupid, silly. I have a healthy family. A good life. I am a writer. I will write. The stories will come. Someday, they will be published. I will keep working until they’re good enough.
So for now, I’ll ride Western side-saddle. No need to gallop when I can mosey back in.
How about you? Do you have the late-summer blahs? How do you get motivated again after a break? After a rejection?
Brand new picture books!
As a children's book author and mother of two, I'm pushing a stroller along the path to publication. I collect shiny doodads on the journey and share them here. You've found a kidlit treasure box.
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August 17, 2009 at 1:21 pm
thelittlefluffycat
I’m behind on my submissions too, and haven’t managed to write anything much lately – what has just now knocked a bit of sense into me is my crit partner asking, last night, for things to edit. I didn’t have much to send, but his comments on what I did send lit me right up. “Hey, he’s right – that’s pretty good. I need to finish that, and get it in. . . ”
Next week the kiddos go back to school, and in between cleaning things no one will immediately mess up and not needing to worry about feeding or chauffing, I expect I will begin to get things done again on a regular basis.
We’ll get there! And the old lady was right, we’ll have more than writing to show for our time spent. 🙂
August 17, 2009 at 1:49 pm
scubacor
It’s tough. We’ve all been there. Sometimes I feel like posting helps me get my motivation back. All the supportive comments from my writer friends and blogging buddies!
August 17, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Talula
Set these two photos up near your writing area, and gaze on them several minutes a day. Perhaps they will stir a little magic up together! BTW: they sent my mind swirling off into mermaids and old libraries so fast i had to stop myself in mid- thought and write this post before i forgot to mention it to you.
I have my own middle grade piece brewing in my head at the moment and the research is so detailed that I don’t need to mix mermaids into the mix! Or maybe i could fit it in! Ha! Ha! Like anybody can control the muse when she rears up and flashes her sparkling magic wand at us!
Good luck with the quiet time of absorbing and processing for the next phase! We all need this space now and then, not just writers.
August 19, 2009 at 12:18 am
Heather
I’m still recovering from my vacation and it’s been almost two weeks ago now. I’m a big subscriber to the notion that we all need a writing break sometimes. The words will come when they are ready.