Monday, August 13, 2007

Dry Spell

Rather than attempt to explain my current predicament, I'm going to ask you all for your tips and tricks. What do you do when you experience a writing dry spell?

I don't want to call it writer's block--that would imply that I want to write but can't. My problem is more global than that. I just don't feel a compelling need to write. Which, given that I've scarcely been able to keep my fingers off the keyboard for more than year is more than a little alarming.

The voices seem to have gone on vacation. What do I do with myself until they come back?

P.S. Please don't say housework!

10 comments:

lacey kaye said...

Enjoy being published?

Erica Ridley said...

Bwa, Lace. Excellent suggestion.

When I have a dry spell, I let myself have one, and I don't let myself feel bad about it.

People take vacations from their "real" job all the time without angsting over going 10 days without running the punch press in the machine shop, right?

So I say, give yourself a break. Allow the stories to percolate. And then, when your thoughts go from "Man, I don't know what to write" to "Man, I can't wait to write XYZ", then you'll know the time is right.

Because you're a writer, and the story will come! =)

lacey kaye said...

Great example, Erica. Funny, I didn't feel guilty at all for calling in sick yesterday, but I *did* feel guilty for staying home sick and not getting any writing done. Interesting...

Bill Clark said...

angsting?

I agree with Lacey that you should take some time to revel in the publication of the new book (*that* sure doesn't happen every day!), and also with Erica about letting the next words percolate until they're ready.

*Bill wonders why he bothers to post if he has nothing to add, and then decides it's OK to underscore the brilliance of Mavens Lacey and Erica*

Erica Ridley said...

Bill wonders why he bothers to post if he has nothing to add, and then decides it's OK to underscore the brilliance of Mavens Lacey and Erica

It is ALWAYS acceptable to underscore the brilliance of Mavens Lacey and Erica. *g

lacey kaye said...

hear, hear!

Jody W. and Meankitty said...

Read!

Unknown said...

I pretty much kissed July good-bye myself. I did a lot of reading. And thinking. I didn't beat myself up because I knew there was no point. The muse was backpacking in Europe or somewhere. She's back now, and brought me a couple of souvenirs. God bless those writers who just slug it out everyday even if the words are dead, but I can't do it.

Tessa Dare said...

It's been weeks since I wrote anything new, and a week since I've even revised old stuff .... it does make one a bit itchy, but it will always come back to you.

Looking forward to the 17th!

Isabel said...

*Bill wonders why he bothers to post if he has nothing to add, and then decides it's OK to underscore the brilliance of Mavens Lacey and Erica*

I'm with Bill.

But I do want to suggest, maybe watching a good movie? The Piano, The Kill Bill Movies, or classic, like Casablanca, or My Fair Lady.