Wisdom for the struggling writer

Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of writing.

Unmanageable back pain at night has meant a lack of sleep and feeling “fuzzy-headed” during the day, so my capacity for creating has been reduced dramatically. I feel grateful when I get over 100 words down each day, rather than the 1,500 I expect to write.

It would be easy to give up, but I still try and sit at my computer each day, encouraged and supported by friends both in real life and online.

I am incredibly grateful for my writing tribe. They cheer on my successes, commiserate with my difficulties and urge me to take care of myself when it gets too much.

It also helps to know that other writers “get it”, have been there before you, and have left little nuggets of wisdom for you to chew on.

I love quotes, pithy sayings and wise words wrapped up in a convenient package. How I wish I could be that clever and witty, providing soundbites for the social media era. Maybe one day!

In light of my aching back, and real need to finish the second draft of my new novel before the end of September, I thought I would share some of the best quotes that I have found to help me keep going despite my difficulties.

I am really guilty of this. I get side tracked by online conversations, games, interesting trivia, and fall down rabbit holes as I research. Did you know, for instance that “Gandalf” is a combination of Norse words meaning “magic staff elf”? You are welcome.

I have mentioned my imposter syndrome fears before, and this continues to plague me. However, I have to keep working through it. When the writing isn’t going well, it is easy for those insidious voices to pipe up and try and derail you. I have learnt to stand firm and shut them down before they stop me completely. This is why I try and write something, even if it is only a few words, because eventually my creativity will return, and the words will flow once more.

Neil Gaiman is one of those clever people who seem to have a talent for wise words, and I have quite a few of his quotes in my favourites collection. When I read this, I can imagine him cheering me on during the lean times.

I always write my first draft of a story by hand. It is much more conducive for me when creating. If I start with a white computer screen, by mind goes blank, and The story won’t come out. The act of scribbling on a page, crossing things out, underlining words that aren’t-right-but-will-do-for-now, and making notes in the margins, releases something inside me.

Usually, those first drafts are awful. But a strange thing happens as I flesh out the story. It starts to take shape in my mind. The characters take a breath and begin to live, and the world turns from black and white into shades of colour. So, when I come to write it up on the computer as a second draft, it is often very different from those initial manuscripts.

I have kept all those first versions. Maybe one day, when I am a famous author, they will be worth a lot of money!

The advice and programmes on offer for writers is actually overwhelming. Many claim that their way of constructing a novel is the one to follow, and I have known people try and shape their story to fit the latest model. Sometimes they try and squeeze it into several models at the same time.

These can be helpful tools, but for me, they just stifle my creativity. I have never written to anything other than the rhythm of my own inner song. If I am hitting the right beats (and my five-star reviewers on Amazon suggest that I am), it is simply because I have spent my life reading stories, and I know the ones that work well. I write what I would love to read.

So, there you have it. Five useful quotes for when writing gets hard. If you know of anymore, I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below.