There are days... weeks... months even when every writer feels like she's at the end of her rope. Maybe you're just tired. Maybe you're battling under the weight of rejection. Maybe your muse has run away to Paris to have an affair with Self-Doubt. Scat Happens. Whatever the reason, whatever the cause... Whatever has brought you to the end of your rope...
Tie a knot and hang on.
This, too, shall pass.
And just so visitors here know they aren't alone, leave a comment talking about a time in your life when you had to tie a knot just to hang on. Better yet, tell us all about gathering the courage to climb again once the knot survived its purpose.
Personally, there are so many knots in my rope, I never have to tie another. I just slide down until I reach the one that will hold me until I get the strength to climb again.
Sometimes just hanging on IS a good day.
ReplyDeleteWhen my first agent couldn't sell my first book, I was depressed and frustrated. I felt like the world's biggest loser. I barely hung on to the dream of being published.
Finally I got my act together, left the agent, sold the book on my own, wrote another book, found another agent, and started the crazy climb two knots/slide down one cycle again.
I let go of the rope. More than once. I couldn't do the rope climb in gym class so why the heck did I think I could do it in my writing life? I didn't quit writing, I just quit trying to impress anyone. I wrote for myself.
ReplyDeleteThen I learned to parachute--figuratively and literally. Just taking that leap of faith was a lot easier than getting rope burns. It's worked out for me.
I tend to doubt my writing when outside forces intrude--university, the wedding, moving to another country etc... Basically, anything monumental that takes priority over my writing. I begin to think, "If I can't write now when I don't have deadlines, how am I going to do it when I have agents and editors hounding me?"
ReplyDeleteOf course, I know that's not fair to myself, but that's when I begin to doubt myself. I always pull back from the brink, but there's been a few close calls.
Crazy rope! Crazy business! Like JB, there have been days (years, let's not kid ourselves) when I've just barely hung on. I'm trying hard to let go of the rope (like Silver) and write for me - but being a needy and insecure writer makes it hard to actually release the darned thing.
ReplyDeleteAnother great analogy, B.E.!!