3k and the Resurgence of The Vibe
Today was a day like most. I woke, early-ish, I loaded up the computer, opened my Word files for the day, checked email, nerded out on Twitter, surfed the ‘net in general. I got a few hundred words out. It was okay but I just haven’t been feeling the vibe much this year, all thirteen days that we are into it so far. Where has my vibe gone?
I ended last year by taking a bit of a break. My third novel was finished, first draft, and I had a few ideas for my fourth. The wedding went well, the honeymoon relaxed the dust from my bones and I came back fresh. But I did not come back at full strength. We had Xmas, New Years, then the missus went back to work. I was home all day with a new puppy. I’ll take her out for a play, do her business, feed her, those sorts of distractions and then back to the computer. Still not full strength, I had a new idea for a fourth novel and it started well, before. Now I feel like I’m punching the bag with the inside of my elbows.
Important, though; I keep at it. The last few days I have been getting a few hundred words down, in spits and spurts. I’m chipping away at it and some days that’s all you can do. You gotta at least try to eat the bar even if the bar will inevitably eat you, dude. I am also reading Stephen King’s Under The Dome and it kind of keeps getting better, and I have another four trades I desperately want to read but have been making myself hold back, for whatever various reasons. Yesterday I think I wrote about 1k and it has been weeks since I got a day over a k of words. It was exhilarating, like catching the first breaker of the year (if I actually knew how to surf…).
Granted (and here comes the big excuse), I have been getting together my first novel submission papers for another agency, which is a major pain in the ass and I keep proofing them over and over, plus I’m submitting a short story, so that’s been on my mind, and in front of me. I should not make excuses, I’m on holidays, with hours aplenty each day, but it just hasn’t been rolling. Yesterday felt like I finally got some movement towards rolling. Maybe forced a level under the rock ready to pounce on it like Matt Murdock on a playground see-saw…ugh.
I had that stereotypical morning today, woke the missus up with breakfast in bed, sent her off to work, did some exercise (which in this current heat was unpleasant but healthy body is a healthy mind, right?) and I set to work, Word and Firebox both offering distractions. And I worked.
It is now night time and today I’ve put down just under 3k today. It’s been a very good day, I dominated what I feel is a very good chapter. I delved into the sea of my character’s background, his favourite memories, and then I bashed him against the rocks. And be damned if we didn’t all enjoy the experience. I’m nearly 15k into this work and it’s got its flow back. I only want it to be 60k, maybe even a few under, so I feel like it is right on track. I’ve just set him up and now I’m adding the real major complication. It’ll be interesting from here and everything will change for him. Let’s hope he survives.
Its nice to have a successful day, to feel back in the groove. It really is true what they say; to write is awful but to have written is the greatest drug there is (paraphrased).
I still have two weeks off work, here’s hoping that vibe flows through me more and more. In fact, I’m off to start the next chapter right now, I know just the first line.
Posted on January 13th, 2010 by ryan
Filed under: Writing
Congrats on finding your way back to it.
My writing’s suffered the last week or so due to the terrible weather in the UK delaying my early journey to the office. It’s frustrating as hell, but I know I’ll get back to it. When you’re in it for the long haul, you just have to wait out the off-times.
Yeah, I know that there will be off days, and weeks, and taking this break just got me out of training. But I’m back now, fit as ever, and ready to write a marathon. (I hope that whole metaphor worked…)