Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sunday Snivel – Nature vs. Writer's Block



I'm moody, constantly need something to feel excited about—a nice review, a new project I'm working about, etc.—and small things can throw me into a funk. Last Sunday misadventures with plumbing got me in a bad mood. Since misery loves company, other worries and self-doubts joined in and soon I had a full-blown anxiety attack. To top it all off, I had to admit that my WIP was in trouble.

Nature came to the rescue. I went to the park and lay under a tree. After a few hours of thinking, watching the birds, and one of them pooping on me, I figured out the problem—I'd jumped into the story before fully flashing out my protagonists. I went home feeling good, created detailed characters sheets, and started writing again.

Two chapters later, I realized it still wasn't working. In theory it was all there, but I wasn't feeling it. I couldn't inhabit my characters. Even with first person POV, I was looking at my narrator from the outside. So I took another trip to the park. I think I figured out the problem and the solution. We'll see. I still have anxiety. (And problems with plumbing.)



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