THE QUILL & THE INKPOT

Hi there, do you all still exist? I promise that I still do even though it’s been almost nine months since my last post. Life just kind of gets away from you sometimes, doesn’t it? It’s been a particularly long and winding nine months for me, filled with changes in family, career, and friends, and of course a never-ending global pandemic. I could tell you about those things, but this blog isn’t about lamenting the difficulties in life. This blog is about writing. So let’s talk writing.

In my previous post, I promised that this post would be titled, Habits: Honing the Craft. I had planned to write about all my awesome writing habits, how I put them into place, and how I stuck to them.

Do you ever look back at your past self and laugh? Perhaps a self-deprecating and slightly bitter laugh? Back when I wrote my last post, I was struggling a bit with my writing habit, but still hanging in there. In the past nine months, my writing habit has basically gone out the window. I haven’t stopped writing entirely, but most weeks I’d be lucky if I sat down to write even once, let alone every day as had been my habit. I did manage to pull something together for NaNoWriMo in November, but it felt like pulling teeth. I just barely eked out the 50,000 words for the month. It was painful, frustrating, and didn’t result in the jumpstart to my writing habit as I had wanted.

Yet here I am. I should give myself some credit. I did NaNoWriMo. I still am working on my trilogy as often as I can. I’ve even sat down and forced myself to write this blog. That’s something, right?

My writing habit isn’t where I want it to be; not even close. But for all the difficulties that the last nine months have seen, I still have one crucial thing—I would say most crucial—that any writer needs. I still have hope. I hope that one day my books will get picked up by a publisher. I hope that one day I’ll be able to quit my regular day job and become a full-time, paid author. I hope that someday my books will change the lives of the people who read them.

These aren’t languid, limp hopes. They’re strong and burning, like a fire that lights up the night. I hope and I believe. I will do these things. I will continue writing. My hopes will become reality. It may not be exactly the way I pictured, but I believe they will come to fruition.

I want this post to be more than just self-reflection. I want to leave you with something practical. This blog is, after all, supposed to be a collection of practical writing advice. So how do you hold on to hope? How do you keep pushing even after your hard-won habits seem to fade away into mist?

For me, this comes down to taking a look inside and listening for a moment to the voices that whisper in my mind. When I’m feeling hopeless, it’s because I’ve allowed the voices of fear and doubt and self-hatred to drown out the voices of love and understanding. How to turn down the wrong voices and turn up the right ones? Take a moment to listen to the dark voices. Hear what they’re saying and realize how stupid they are. Of course you’re not worthless. No, you are indeed talented–very talented. How many people do you know who have a love affair with the written word? Perhaps some. But I’d guess not many. And, I promise, none have your perspective, none can hear your unique Muse.

So listen to that dark voice for a moment. Take in what it has to say. Then calmly debunk its arguments. Quietly but strongly tell it that it is wrong. And turn it off. Those whispers of hope and joy and understanding will suddenly find the space to take a deep breath and make themselves heard.

This practice isn’t easy; I know that for a fact. And it’s a constant work, a regular practice. You may have to work those volume controls constantly throughout the day. But it’s worth the labor. Your voice, your ideas, your fantasies are worth hearing. You need to share them with the world. They’ll make it a better place.

That’s how you keep the hope going. Keep working those volume controls. Know that I—and so many other authors, so many other word-lovers throughout the world—are working with you.

That’s it for now. Just a quick note of encouragement. My next ABC post will start with I. I’m not yet sure what the full title will be; I’ve learned my lesson about naming posts prematurely. But I promise, it will be coming your way at some point! Until then, stay safe, stay sane, and keep the hope!