The Writer's Real Life
In this quiet space between Christmas and New Year's Eve, when the shopping is finished and the presents are unwrapped (and put away), when the world seems to slow down a bit and wait for the next celebration, I resolved to spend some time doing nothing. I hibernated on a couch for a whole day. I sat in front of the Christmas tree with my laptop and played with my current novel. I walked the dog, thinking of nothing. I barely looked at my email. It all makes me feel refreshed and alive, and it makes me feel ready to write.
Colleen Lindsay, an agent who blogs, has written a wonderful post about the best way to be a better writer, and I'm happy to say it has nothing to do with blogging, or Tweeting, or even working too hard. In part, she writes that the way to be a better writer is to live your life--your real life!
She says, "What will make you a better writer? Living a full life. Having friends. Having lovers. Having a real community of people around you. Living outside your own head. Putting down the pen and paper, turning off the computer and walking away from it now and again and just allowing yourself to experience a real life."
She also gives three links to other agents' blogs, in case you find that helpful (and I do, from time to time). Check it out! http://www.facebook.com/#/notes/colleen-lindsay/losing-sight-of-whats-im...
About Louise
Louise Marley is a former concert and opera singer who now writes fulltime. She is a two-time Endeavour Award winner, has had several ALA Best Books of the Year honors, and two Nebula nominations. Her bibliography includes science fiction, fantasy, and young...
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Hmm - I dunno. Mind you I'm
Hmm - I dunno.
Mind you I'm aiming at 1,000words per day of a (hoped for) money-making thriller and now thinking I can do 1,500.
Dale,
I don't think the two approaches are exclusive. It's a question of balance, in my opinion. I did relax a lot over the holidays, but except for several days of houseguests, I still wrote a good bit.
Yup - find the balance in
Yup - find the balance in life and things go a lot more smoothly. I realize that *balance* does also include some extremes, however. And my thriller takes me to an extreme. An interesting encounter.
What a good point!
Balance includes extremes. I like that a lot, especially for us writers.
I was working on a really weird scene a couple of years ago and found myself literally fleeing my office to get away from it! Now I'm working on the copyedits, and the scene is just as weird--but great--as I remember.
As long as it is as *great*
As long as it is as *great* in the edit, all power to ya. Hope you don't have to flee the office. You sure have attained my interest to read the book.