Just because you can doesn't mean you should...... Or so I tell myself. Is anyone familiar with the law of diminishing returns? That situation that occurs (usually after a drink late at night) where the more you think you're putting into something, the less you get out of it?
In fact, if my calculations are correct, my deficit could be measured in acres; and that's real English ones with cow-pats and everything. The truth is that when setting out on any enterprise there comes a point, (admit it, it happens to you as well), where you actually believe that you are terrible; things are getting so low that a new below water line level will have to be invented to take into account the mind bending, hand numbing awfulness of it all.
Creativity is a thing that operates within the same framework as the rest of life......
It may be romantic and rather glamorous to write a great poetic work at 3am; but it might be better..... but I admit, less glamorous to get some sleep. "What!" I hear you cry, "My inspiration strikes me and I find my true Muse." Naturally, under such circumstances indulge said Lady Muse, but then unwind with something less demanding and more mundane. It is the old ghost of "Writer's Block" that seems to follow some of you round like the undead, and rob you of the sanity that you so readily cast aside when venting your creative steam at some insane hour of the night (err..... Morning). Perhaps it is time to admit that you might be tired, stressed or in need of a really good cup of tea/hot chocolate/herbal infusion.
So before you attempt to shoot me for doing the job of pointing out the bloody obvious, think about how you regard your creative life? Is it part of life? All of life? An indecent obsession? A career? A hobby? Or none of the above?
I'm in the "Part of life/Obsession" Camp myself. That is because I have other things like sleep, shopping, work and sock washing that actually need doing. I would love to be in the "All of life/Career" group, and therefore be less obsessive, but no less devoted. In fact I think that the aspiring writer is the MOST obsessive. After all, you are hoping for your "Big Break". That event in space-time that you will mark the passage with copious amounts of treats and excited screeching. I want to feel that feeling too, but there is a mountain of writing, editing, angst, social networking, and Writer's Time Lag between you, me, and our respective success stories. It isn't helped by the knowledge that a lot of the people that are the most sympathetic to your fellow writer's plight might all live in different time zones. You can be supportive, but in a time travelled/city never sleeps kind of way. It is rather exciting I admit, to sit and your computer doing the maths with who-is-awake-in-the-world-right-now, as long as you do actually spend time resting your bones at some point.
When I am Famous I will come back and visit.......
"It won't change me". Nuts!! Of course it will. Apart from the smug satisfaction that you have now made it; will you actually have any more or less regard for the great undiscovered out there? You may become their inspiration, dispensing the story of how you did it far and wide, you may be humble or self assured or just SO happy it drives all your relatives to ask you not to say anything at family dinners; they want to get in there and tell the story first!
But then, with a wistful glance will you look back on these days and remember what it was really like? The retrospective view is the one I know I would prefer. That point where we can get all mushy and think of how things used to be..... secret chocolate binges and all.
What I hope is that we will get a hold of what made us better than ordinary; and that thing that drives us deep down will still live inside us somewhere. Even if you have a better set of steak knives, or are able to drive a car with really weird metallic paint work and not worry about the insurance; you will still be you. That mad, creative, obsessive, wonderful person with a fountain of ideas, and a truck full of hangups. All those things that you then turn into words, words and more words........
The first Rule of Writing is.......
Actually there isn't one. I don't think so. Apart from grammar and spelling and so on. And sentence structure, and context, and story arcs, and character, and plot...... and......
I think that you might leave it all aside and understand the art of writing, the soul of it. Your passion that is like no one else's. You cannot tell me; I cannot tell you how it should be. Only that it should BE.
I can do one thing: recommend that you don't give up; oh, and if you get stuck try a dose of NanoWrimo. Yes I know, that's Two Things. I am not a Rule person. I am not even a think outside the box person....
Shh!!! Only admit this at 3am.
There is no Box......
