Busy... busy... busy...
Even this time of year, when we should find ourselves with more leisure time to persue our passions ( of all kinds...lo.! ) life has a way of getting in the way.
I envy writers and artists of all kinds who can be so regimented and set aside what I call office hours to work on their craft. Me? I am what they call a "pantster" -- think of Julia Robert's line in Pretty Woman when she said, "I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl!" Ask anyone who knows me and they'll agree!
That's not to say that I can't meet deadlines and get to work on time, it's just that my muse has a twisted sense of humor ( like me!) and she pops up at the most inconvenient times, like:
When I don't have time to work on it just then (usually when I'm getting ready for work or even working with a client!)
When I'm trying to sleep - they just invade my dreams... though that's not always a bad thing...LOL!
And, when I'm driving! That one calls for a notebook or digital recorder to be always at the ready.
Some days are prolific, but others feel like no matter how hard I try I can't seem to get the thoughts on the page. And if I force it I just end up re-writing it again later.
I recently added a fresh set of eyes (Thanks Erin!) to my beta readers and with her unique experience, she has given me some new insight -- namely the issue of forced writing.
Having made her way through the first five chapters, she had two main things to share:
1- She loved the story and cant wait to read more! ( Always a good thing!)
And...
2 - She could spot almost immediately where I was forcing my writing. She said that the parts where my voice told the story were very evident and fun to read, but here and there there were what I later found to be connector pieces that interrupted a natural rhythm or broke the emotional connection with the reader. Very insightful stuff! Being a pantster I don't write chronologically so this is very important information for me to hear and take into consideration!
As much as we hate to hear criticism - this is the kind that works! It points out both good and bad, but most importantly, things that aren't working or carrying the story forward. After all, that is what we are - story tellers! By hearing these kind very objective critiques helps us get better at what we do and there by enjoy the process more.
I don't know if there is a way to harness my muse ( which makes me think of the term herding cats which is all the more funny because I call one of my cats my mooze ) and make her behave in a more accommodating, ladylike manner -- after all, she is part of me -- but by learning to recognise when she's taking a nap, or busy with something else, I should instead-- when practical -- join her rather than fight her so that when we wake up, energized, both of us will be on the same page -- and that is what it's all about, isn't it!
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