Merry Christmas!

I want to take a moment and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I've enjoyed all of your visits throughout the year.

I hope and pray that each of you finds progress within the New Year. May all of your dreams come true!

Writing Frustrations

What do you do when doubt creeps into your head?

You’ve got your story underway and suddenly the thought enters, “What am I doing? This is crap. No one’s going to want to read this!”

First of all, you have to figure out if it’s the evil voice or the logical voice speaking. But, how do you do that? Honestly, I’m not sure of the answer, but chances are it is the voice of the evil monkey that lives in your brain. The monkey doesn’t want you to succeed!

Take a step back from your work in progress. Work on something else, a poem, a short story, or even a shopping list. Take a walk, play with your pet, or enjoy a movie.

Chances are when you come back; everything will be fine once again.

As a writer, you can expect these mood swings. If you can learn to anticipate them, you may be able to jump over the rut before you get there. I haven’t actually accomplished this yet, but I have come to acknowledge that it is a routine that is happening. I get frustrated and depressed. I don’t feel like doing anything at all. But, once the cycle has run its course, I’m back to normal, except I’m upset at the hours I wasted in the meantime.

Knowing is half the battle, now it’s time to fight and win.

Do you go through these cycles? What do you do to fight back?