WRITING AGAIN!

My writer's block is gone for now at least. I was having a terrible time with one of the chapters of my latest fantasy/scifi novel, "M", but I had a dream that helped me through the conundrum.

That particular chapter was a hell of a write for many reasons, and I'd like to share the last sentence with you. It may seem that it gives too much away, but it doesn't.

"Then...the seconds and minutes passed...until the stillness overcame the immense savagery and iniquity of that one moment, leaving behind only dust and ashes, with no one to see it or feel it or remember."

WRITER'S BLOCK!

I went back to work on "M" in January, and the work proceeded well until the middle of chapter 4. At that point, I had to stop and earn some money for a while. That ended the flow of my creative energy, and I wasn't able to write at all through February and March.

Now, I'm cutting back on earning a living again and making more time for writing, but it's been extremely difficult to get back on track. I had been used to writing 5-6 days a week for about 6-8 hours a day ever since 2013 and having to take a break has actually made writing much more difficult.

Also, "M" is not an easy book to write. It is quite a bit different than my other books, and the plot line is much more complex and challenging.

However, there has also been a positive aspect to not being able to write. Chapter 4 is an extremely pivotal chapter in the telling of the story, and I have been dreaming and thinking about it around the clock. I almost have it figured out, so I'm hoping that I can get back to work very soon.

Not having the energy or drive to write has been very difficult for me. I miss it and hope that in the next day or two I can begin again. Wish me luck. I very much believe in this new novel and the story that it has to tell. I'll let you know when I get back at it and how it progresses.

For now, though, I have included the beginning of the book's Prologue for you to read.

Prologue

She had taken the last of his secrets as her own and had drained and exhausted her aged lover. He was stretched out in her arms and could barely open his eyes any longer. His features were brutally drawn and haggard from the suffering she had caused, and his skin was the color of tallow. There was no doubt that he was slipping away. She held him close and talked softly as she gave him wine mixed with herbal potions to ease his passing. But despite her acts of tenderness, terrible guilt emerged over what she had done. She assuaged herself with the truth that her love for him had not been false, and that even though his sight and magic had left him long ago, he still possessed considerable knowledge that needed to be shared. Yes, it would cause him pain, but it had to be done before it, too, was lost.

WRITER'S BLOCK!

(Coffman)

Well, this is no fun!

For the first time in almost 2 years of solid writing, I feel like I have a case of writer's block. It's an extremely strange and uncomfortable sensation. I DO NOT LIKE IT!

I just took time off from writing for three weeks, and now I'm trying to get back into it but am having trouble. It seems to be a combination of not doing it for a while and some fear of whether the words I lay down will be the best for the moment or for that particular scene. I'm even having difficulty picturing what's going on behind the words. Often I write by visualizing the book as a movie in my mind. IT'S JUST NOT WORKING AND THAT EMPTY PAGE IS NOT AN EASY THING TO LOOK AT!

I think I'm beginning to feel more pressure to write and am stopping the normal flow of words. Also, I was trying to decide whether to go back to Rooms and do some revisions or start my new book. I think I have to move on. I've done enough with Rooms and am proud of it, especially since it was my first novel. I need something new!

Maybe I have higher expectations of myself since completing The Chosen. Who knows...

However I look at it, I don't feel like it will last long, but I wanted to write about it since it's the first time it's happened to me. It's not a pleasant experience, but one that I know almost every author goes through. And that is the key, I think, to realize that and go through it to the other side. I have this feeling that once it's over, my writing will expand and grow even more.

But...I miss writing!

Oh...and by the way, after I wrote this entry, I sat down and started working. The words started coming. I could see the pictures again, and I feel much better. I think writing this helped a lot, and I'm writing again! :)

Writer's Block Image from:
Coffman, Drew. Writer's Block II. Digital image. Flickr. N.p., 19 July 2010. Web 5 May 2015.
<https.//www.flickr.com/photos/drecoffman/4815205740/>.CC Licensing agreement at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/