But I Don’t Wanna!

Novel Progression

I’m doing the second draft rewrites on chapter three, which actually means I am doing everything I can to distract myself from doing the rewrites on chapter three.

Writing Advice: This Is Hard Work!

Writing IS hard work. If anyone says differently, here is my suggestion to you: poke them in the eye. Then explain that since in the land of the blind the one eyed person is king, you have just ennobled them. They should feel honored, but with power comes responsibility.

Then explain that ermine is the fur of choice for their regal cape. If they complain, tell them they are one finger away from being dethroned.

What I am trying to say is that one of the hardest things about being a writer is all of the eye gouging.

Speaking of blindness, I have a way of measuring my laziness factor. What? Wait… terrible transition.

Anyway, here is my way of gauging (not gouging) my laziness factor. It involves a simple idea: how much work am I willing to put into avoiding work? Sometimes the amount is amazing. I’ll sit down in front of the keyboard, look at something that needs revision, then decide the house needs cleaning.

Speaking of that, just a moment…

…And there. The kitchen pantry is reorganized in alphabetical order. Mind you, I seem to get a lot of housework done when I’ve set aside time to write.

It’s because writing is damned hard sometimes. It requires thought and focus, and that gets exhausting when you do that day after day after tiring day. Scrubbing out the dish rack and rearranging the living room furniture is far less taxing.

It gives me the illusion of accomplishment when really I’m avoiding what I’m supposed to be doing. That gives me a high laziness factor.

So please explain to your now one-eyed friend that writing is difficult, solitary work. One has to toil with only their inner critic for company, and that critic can be terribly mean.

Explain to them that it’s like them trying to do their job while someone peers over their shoulder and whispers “that’s terrible! What are you doing? Do you even know anymore? Why not just take a break and dust the ceilings?”

If they still don’t get it, they don’t deserve to be king!

Has anyone said to you that writing is easy? What did you do?

I’m certainly not advocating gouging as a substitute for reasoned debate (most of the time). Maybe just walk away and write a nasty message about them in Tumblr or Facebook. Or count to ten. Or have a drink or four. Or poke them in the eye.