Inspired.

I’m more of an ideas person. Ask anyone* and they’ll tell you. I have Ideas! I think it comes from my deep seated idealism that I can’t seem to shake (but that’s another story). So having Ideas to write about has never been a problem. I can come up will all manner of plots, characters, settings, worlds! It’s all there in my brain just waiting to escape out onto paper.

Which as it turns out is actually a problem because when it comes to writing down my ideas, putting the thoughts into actually words, dialogue and description, I fizzle and falter and eventually frustrated, I walk away.

Above my computer desk I have the following quote by William Faulkner:

I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately, I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.

It is there to remind me that waiting for inspiration to strike will not get a story written. Only actually writing can accomplish that. I look at it every morning when I sit down at the computer to write. An hour later, I look at it again and shake my head at the screen in front of me.

Waiting for ideas isn’t a problem. I’ve got those. Waiting for inspiration isn’t an issue. Why is it then I have nothing to show? Words and words that don’t connect or worse blank screen, blank paper, unloved and unused pens. It’s sad really. But then when NaNoWriMo comes around I can blast out 50k without a problem!

Is it the deadline? I’ve always worked best with one. Is it the self-inflicted pressure? Who knows best but me? So I am hereby giving myself a deadline. I will write, edit and be ready to send out a manuscript by June 1^st.

This year.

End of story.

*By “anyone” I really mean Sara as she bears the brunt of my “ideas.”