Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Blaaaah!

I don't know where all my lovely friends went. I had such a happy little bunch, and you've all disappeared. :-( I'm feeling awfully rejected (and not just because nobody else wanted to condemn stupid PC romances either. In fact, not just because of anything blog-related.)

I just feel bad. Not sad bad, angry bad. (Okay, maybe a little sad, but just sad enough to add a piquancy to my crankiness.) I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and no matter how many times I climb back in to start over the day is just not improving. I'm grumpy, I'm tired, I'm impatient--just generally pissed off at the world.

I'm having a little bit of a crisis of confidence. I can't seem to get cracking on my WIP. Doing a major edit that cost me over 5k words might be partly responsible, but just in general I'm having something of a slump. Which really pisses me off. I don't know if I'm putting too much pressure on myself or what. All I know is the head-to-hands link is just not working the last few days, I've gotten maybe 2k words done, and that is nowhere near where I need to be. I'm considering starting a different project just to see if it's some kind of slump. (I've had slumps, so I know. I used to play baseball with my brother.)

What do you do when things just aren't happening for you?

(And by the way, the stupid ugly-ass new Yahoo homepage isn't helping. Not only is it horrible to look at and confusing [I have to go through three steps now to check the US headlines] but the fucking thing moves. Every time you come back to it, the image slides down as a bar at the top widens. It is so fucking IRRITATING I can't stand it. SW I tried the company you recommended but just got an ad for some program. I need a new homepage!)

10 comments:

s.w. vaughn said...

(((hugs December)))

I'm sorry! I was at a two-day party that I had to start getting ready for on Sunday, and I missed so much while I was gone.

I love the post about PC romance. Only too happy to join in the condemnation!

Slumps are the suckiest things in the universe. I'm just clawing my way out of one right now... today I'm hoping to write two pages instead of one. Argh! So frustrating! I like to beat on immovable objects when I'm feeling nothing is happening -- mostly my trusty punching bag, but pillows work, and kicking walls can be fun as long as you don't put a foot through the plaster. I don't recommend kicking the refrigerator, though. :-)

Short of that, if you aren't a freak like me, I was surprised to find that those flash fiction exercises on the Crabby Cows blog actually helped me a lot. "Write something else" is generally good practice -- you don't have to go off and write another book before coming back to this one, but just a short fiction piece (non-fic and blog posts don't count!!) about anything else.

Sorry the homepage thing didn't work! Maybe I got the address wrong. I'll check it out. :-)

Hope you feel better soon!

Bernita said...

Ha! she muttered, from her dark corner,in between rocking back and forth, moaning, with her arms over her head.

Anonymous said...

Hey, December. I had a four day weekend and don't get to the blogs at home, only on company time. Shhhhh. Besides, the wife would get jealous if she knew I spent more time on these blogs than talking to her.

Anyway. I've mention before that I write for enjoyment and I never, ever submit anything to agents or editors. My self-confidence is waaaaaaaaay to low for the rejection. I may put something on LuLu someday, though. Just so I can buy my book and put it on my coffee table.

I said all that to say this: I dug out an old story I began writing in 1990 and read through it. It is still kind of cool to me and since it was written in pencil in a composition book, I decided to type it into my computer (WordPerfect sucks ass!!)I spent about eight hours this holiday weekend rearranging and rewriting several scenes and changing up some of the dialogue that wasn't exactly timeless. The point is, I enjoyed it (except for the WordimPerfect part). I don't think I ever really get blocked. Maybe because there is no pressure. But, when I do feel I'm having difficulty getting it the way I want it, I write sucky poetry. I especially use my own philosiphy (too lazy to check the spelling) of "Don't think. Write." I just start writing anything and everything that comes into my head. Yeah, it comes out pretty wierd, but so what? Give it a try if you haven't already. -JTC

A. M. said...

Housework works for me. (see my blogpost: All about my Muse. *cough*)

Driving works. Working on the outline rather than the WIP itself works well, too. Perhaps b/c the outline feels like less of a commitment? I don't know why.

Hey, weren't you supposed to feel all holiday-like over the weekend plus bridge-day plus the 4th in the first place? I know I did. Don't work on holidays unless Ms. Muse bites you in the arm or something.

That's all the useless input I could come up with. Doesn't help that France won, huh? I won't mention it, then.

Stacia said...

Aaaw, thanks everyone! I think the problem I'm having is that I'm getting myself twisted all in knots over another project I'm waiting to hear back on, and it's so on my mind my current WIP is taking a back seat.

Plus I'm a little slumped.

Those are all good suggestions. I'll probably try them all.

Thinking of starting a new project. See how that goes. I noticed I do work well when I have more than one thing going on.

T.A.Chase said...

December,

I usually work on two projects at the same time. That way if one isn't going right or has completely stopped, I can work on the other one.

Or as SW has recommended, writing a short scene or two (not part of any story you're working) helps me get back in the flow.

Anonymous said...

Hey December - how is it that you have the same entries viewable here and on DJ.. but if I reply to the other one it doesn's show up here??

I don't even know how I got to this one.. its the first I've seen it!

*confused*

Stacia said...

I copy the dj posts here (or sometimes vice versa).

There is a link to here from the dj, maybe you accidentally clicked it?

If I could customize this one to look like the dj I'd probably switch completely, since apparently it's harder for people to comment on the dj or something. At least, nobody ever does. But I can't, so it will just stay this way.

Sha'el, Princess of Pixies said...

Oh, dear. I've been really sick for quite a while. I've just started posting to my own blog again, and I'm getting back to the people and blogs I like.

The only way you'll keep me away is when you bury me. I don't post much, but I do visit.

Stacia said...

Sha'el!! I missed you!!