I’ve taken some personal hits lately, which is part of the reason why updating the blog has been so sporadic. Because I’m so emotionally drained, I’ve found it difficult to write anything, even emails. I’ve known writers who have been able to write through anything, and I admire them for that. I think I’m a writer that needs to know when to step away and lick my wounds before getting back in the fray again. Because that is what having a writing career is–one fight after another. You fight to get published and to get paid. You battle the inner critic and the elusive muse. You struggle to find words when there are none and to make sense of plots and ideas and characters that are nonsensical.
So why do it? Why write? I write because I have to. If I don’t write, then I feel as if a part of me is missing. And even though I might take an extended break from writing, I’m never gone from it for very long and it is never far from my thoughts.
How do you write through the pain?
Happy writing,
kathy
www.freerice.com
April 14, 2008 at 6:19 am |
I’ve personally found writing a great help in difficult times… but I think it only works that way when you leave yourself completely free to write what you need to write, without censoring it or feeling that you have to write about something in particular. So maybe you need to leave your writing project for a while and simply write about the hits you’ve taken. Easy for me to say as I’m not a professional writer of course! But I’ve found the idea of doing writing practices really helpful – there’s a blog that I found most inspiring – http://www.redravine.wordpress.com.
Hang on in there, anyway!
April 15, 2008 at 8:13 am |
Much of good art is from suffering. What is the saying? “Only through the cracks can one see the light.”
Dr. Tom Bibey
drtombibey.wordpress.com
April 16, 2008 at 2:15 pm |
That’s very true about art, Tom. Right now I’m feeling pretty cracked, so hopefully some light will come through.
I often tried to journal but for some reason I can’t keep up with it. I like the idea of doing the writing exercises–I’ll try that. Thanks, lirone, for the website too and the encouragement!