I still have another interview or two to post from behind-the-scenes at NYX, but that will keep until next week. Right now, I’m deep into finishing up a book that has given me far more trouble than it should have. I mean, every book has its own ups and downs—every story has a personality and a journey, and nothing is made in a vacuum. But I’m behind, and while I love the characters and the story, finding the right words has been difficult. Part of the problem, honestly? Can be summed up here:
I’ve found that writing novels is an all-absorbing experience—both physical and mental—and I have to do it every day in order to keep the rhythm, to keep myself focused on what I’m doing. Even Sunday, if possible. If there’s no family thing happening that day, I’ll at least work in the morning. Whenever I travel, I get thrown off completely. If I’m gone for two weeks, it takes me a good week to get back into the rhythm of what I was doing before.
Well, I wasn’t gone for two weeks, more like five days—at Comic Con—but that was enough. The only time that traveling doesn’t have an adverse effect on my writing is when I head over to China. I get there, take a walk, and my brain is ready to go. Not the case here and now.
So, what’s a girl to do?
1. Don’t stress out.
2. Don’t stress out.
3. Stress out a little.
4. Stress out a lot.
5. Stress out so much that you forget how to write.
6. Tell yourself that all this stress is worthless, this is not the end of the world, and give yourself a break.
7. Take a break.
8. Read a good book.
9. Read some poetry.
10. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
11. Don’t stress out.
12. Write. Write each little word, one after the other. Write until you forget that you are writing. Write until time bleeds away. Write until you no longer remember that you should be stressed, and you are so into the story that you cannot pull yourself away.
13. And then hold on to that feeling. Hold on tight.
I’m holding on. I’ll be holding on until this story is done.