Musings on Writing and Negativity

Writing takes on many diverse faces. "Faces" does not go deep enough on second thought. The depths of the writing psyche can overwhelm any writer. I should go out on a limb and say ALL writers suffer at one time or another the debilitating complexities of writing.

We stumble over our lives as writers, searching for that next connection with the ever elusive muse. Often we stress and force ourselves into non-production because we need to work. We need to connect with that aspect of ourselves that screams to be let out, but we find we cannot lay siege to free our creative side - we must softly approach and coax it out.

I know, I'm very abstract today, but I'm moving toward the ultimate goal of getting quality word down on screen. Just keying those last two words of that sentence, my curiosity is piqued and I want to divert off to all the cliche's that have to change to stay modern. The 'get it down on paper' applies less and less these days. I don't often write longhand anymore because I don't like to transcribe (as well as have to decipher my own penmanship...).

I have promised more fiction on this blog, and I shall deliver. I personally enjoy writing The Cold Bite of Autumn. For me, fiction writing is vacation time! I could key forever on stories and be a happy camper. It's what Tiggers do best! One day, I will get there.

Today I am working on the blogs, websites and any other more 'business' aspects of my vocation. I'm quitting my last remaining "job" where I actually receive a regular paycheck. This drives me into minor panic mode as well as major excitement mode. I do not possess an income necessary to meet my bills, yet I've hired an employee, and I'm quitting my only guaranteed money.

All for the greater good, though. I'm telling you writers - you MUST go after your dream. Passive approaches do not yield results. You commit to it and stop playing with it or all your writing dreams become intellectual toys. Pay your dues. As Popeye would say, "takes your chances". As you live and breathe, your chances stand before you.

I'm in New York writing this. I had to escape the drudgery and prison of preconceived notions about what I'm supposed to be doing as a writer and publisher. I've spent money I don't really have, I've abandoned my wife and three of four children for a week and I've taken on the 'monster' of my life - will I pursue and handle success.

Again, abstract, I know. But I suffer from a fear of success. This is insidious. I'm my own worst enemy. But I've surrounded myself with people who are positive, supportive, and progressive. The more I'm in this writing business, the more I see where the vast majority of people will bring you down. My encouragement to any writer who stumbles across this blog - find those writers who are "doing it". I don't mean necessarily the ones who have already made a big splash in the writing world. I'm speaking of the writers who doggedly move forward and who offer positive support. You desperately need these people in your life.

I'm thankful for the Rogues Gallery Writers. They are there for me and I for them. We are "doing it". I'm also very glad to have made connections with writers who have reached a level of success and are still hungry. Margie Lawson is a wonderful writer who has excellent material that puts incredible tools into writer's hands. Connecting with successful writers is good too!

This is my third day away from the pressures of home, business and many of the things that squelch my writing. As writers, though, most of the writing "baggage" is carried around in our hearts and minds. I'm freeing myself of some of those tethers. Sometimes a writer simply must 'detox' from the toxic world in which we live. I too often find myself surrounded by negativity. Negativity is the slayer of your muse and we as writers hand our creative side over to this destructive concept. The only negativity that can live within you is that which you allow.

Easy words to live, much more difficult to practice. Walk away from the negativity in your writing life. Hell, walk away from it in your everyday life. You do not need it. Negativity will rob you of every dream you'll ever have.

Admonishments from the Fiction's Footsteps author.

Writer's Hell

Writing can shove anchors down your "lazy-spine". Lazy may be unkind, but what else do you call it when you simply don't pull up your desk chair and write? Is there any other descriptive?

The reason most people do not write quickly becomes a scenario of intrusive tasks like taking out the garbage and repairing that window that's been busted for the past three years. Marriages improve and relationships blossom. Spouses and significant others revel in your new career because all the sudden you spend more quality time with them.

Then the dark clouds form over your eyes, and a crazed gleam gets caught flashing out at the world and you've transcended from marital or relationship bliss into Writer's Hell. That place where you know you need to write - in fact you MUST write - and you've created a daily routine that brims with duties and obligations that quarantine you from any appreciable writing time. That's Writing Hell.

Writing Hell then becomes a series of critical comments from significant others who do not understand that the next 2 to 14 hours get your mind body and soul with no time for food, kisses or even the neanderthal grunt. Deadlines loom and pressure builds as brain cells and synapses fire off like a 4th of July extravaganza. You perspire and fear for the circuitry in your keyboard and your mouse slips from your sweaty fingers.

Most of all you find your brain contains nothing intelligent except old algebraic formulas from 10th grade. Irritability sets in as significant others (including children, pets and small flying insects) attempt to distract your last remaining grip on 'the muse'. A pencil dropped in another room sends your ass skyward and your slippery hands to the doorknob. A fly buzzes your head like a low-flying jet and defensive maneuvers cause you to miss the doorknob. Your nose attempts to french the wood door and gets no love in return. Fury sends you into a Fred Flintstone beating of the door as you scream out the names of your loved ones in the hopes of detecting the location of the offending pencil dropper.

Suddenly the door opens causing you to levitate backwards for a moment with surreal images of books and chairs and computer screen glows panning across the scene before everything accelerates into the pain of the spike of a callously kicked off high heel impales a kidney and the cry of a mortally wounded soldier escapes your lips despite your urgency to appear sane and be able to avoid a Baker Act.

As they help you up from the floor your eyes glisten with the moisture of inspiration. Your nerves tingle and goosebumps decorate your arms like tiny armadas sailing off to war and your spirit soars as you shoo your rescuers out the door in the interest of genius about to be unleashed on the electrons staring at you expectantly from your monitor.

Ah yes, it's the writer's life for me! And Writer's Hell? A figment of your imagination like its cousin - Writer's Block. This day stands tall for this writer and the multitudes that will revel in his creation...

He's Baaaaack!!!!!!!!!!

It's time to get back in the saddle - to fire up the keyboard and head on into Writing Town! Clever little beasties thwarted my writing the past couple months - obligations real and imagined, emergencies the same, and a general lack of self confidence.

I hope I'm not the only writer out here that suffers debilitating bouts of questioning abilities, direction and goals. If so, I may be doomed to die an obscure writing death. If that be so, then bring it on. I can handle it simply because I have to. Writing is not just a hobby, vocation, or passion. Writing becomes obsession at some point. I fail to recognize a good reason to fight this insanity. In fact, I ache to embrace it. So bring on the crazy, frantic - "I don't know where my next dollar is coming from" way of life.

I'm returning to my fiction story here as well. I like the story even if none of you ever read it. I want to even cartoonize the daggone thing if I can figure out how to do it. I know, I know - it's called "graphic novel". They're still comic books to me...

Look for more consistent posts from here on out. My discipline level must pick up or I'm dead meat. Let me know if you read this. Don't leave me hanging, thinking the only thing that sees these words are the electrons on which they're inscribed.

See? This post was worth reading just for that last sentence...