This morning, I sat down to write.I won’t delve into details but, lately, my mind is rather frazzled. I constantly feel like a D&D Wizard who only has a couple of spell slots left to use. So I knew that writing this morning would be difficult. I’d still enjoy it, but it would be a lot of work.
And, as predicted, the words did not flow like a river. Instead, they trickled like…um…a clogged gutter in a rain storm? See? Word problems, man.
I wrote a little, then I distracted myself. Rinse, repeat. Finally, I looked at my writing and thought to myself “I have GOT to get this chapter done!”
But, the truth is, I don’t have to get it done, do I? What happens if I don’t finish said chapter today? The Earth still turns and the sun will set, only to rise again in the morning and tell me to get my ass out of bed. Actually, the cats do that but the sun sure doesn’t stop them. Stupid sun.
You see, I’m an indie author and I publish my own writing. I don’t have an agent or a publisher to tell me what to do. YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! I am. So screw your deadlines!
Except, wrong. I mean, right. No, wait.
See, for me, part of writing is fulfilling that urge to not only complete something, but to have someone enjoy what I wrote. The latter was not always the case, but that’s another post for another time. What I’m trying to say is, I do have deadlines–the deadlines I make. They’re not hard and fast, and nothing monumental or world-ending will happen if I don’t meet them, but I also won’t get that rush of satisfaction. I won’t further the book and I won’t get to move onto new ideas.
So, yes, I have deadlines. However, my deadlines are my own. If they slip, it can be disappointing but in the scheme of things, I have only myself to whom I need to answer. Currently, my writing is small potatoes, and it doesn’t pay the bills. There is no pressure, no timeline, and nothing to propel me forward except my own determination.
Well, that, and several vocal individuals who keep asking “When’s the next book out?” (Those people are awesome, btw.)
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