The Freedom to Try Something New

When Inspiration is Lacking, Why Not Play?

A writer’s retreat is good for all sorts of things. Companionship, inspiration, rest, a new environment…

On my recent retreat I found myself oddly uninspired by my work in progress.

Usually that’s not my problem. I’ve often felt that I have so many ideas, I don’t know what to do with them. Which one to tackle first. But this time, I just felt…tired. Out of sorts with inspiration. Disconnected from the characters and plot I’d been working on for months. What to do?

When the Doldrums Strike

We writers have singular pressures, yes? Because we’re not rewarded by those small workplace victories of the 9-to-5 jobs – the summary to feel proud of, the kudos from colleagues, the successful bid, the student achievement – we have to reward ourselves. And most of the time that reward takes the form of success in publishing.

But, hey. We have no control over publishing.

Will that agent like my work? Will that publisher choose my book? Will I sell thousands of copies? Will it win awards?

Look – none of that is either guaranteed nor in our control. So when friends and family ask, “How’s the writing going?” or “When can I buy your book?” it can be a source of pain instead of pride.

Take Back Your Power

This place I was in, really for the past couple of months although I hadn’t focused on it, had to come to a head, and it certainly did on my retreat. But now that I’m back, I’ve got a new idea, and I am aiming to not only embrace it but to take back the power that I’ve inadvertently given to an unfeeling marketplace.

The novel that wasn’t quite working is going to become one or more short stories and will join a handful of other short stories I’ve written that never found a home, and I’ll self-publish an anthology that is connected by the theme I’ve played with in each one of these stories, old and new.

And then I’m going to self-publish this anthology.

Follow Me in This Journey

Because this is something of an experiment – both in self-publishing and in building an anthology – I have no emotional (or for that matter, financial) stake in its success. In that, it doesn’t matter to me how it sells. I’m simply excited to give myself this gift of play.

Plus…I’m going to bring you along for the ride. The step by step process, how it worked, how it felt, how I did it.

So, gang, let’s have some fun, shall we?

As always (even when the doldrums hit) keep writing!