Happy IWSG Day! It’s that day again. Where every first Wednesday of the new month, the ISWG gather to do what we do best. And sorely need. Support each other as we hone our craft. And as we toil in the highs and lows of writing, promoting, publishing and marketing our writing. And who do we have to thank for forming this creative support team? The ninja captain extraordinaire, Alex Cavanaugh!
To find out more about the group and/or maybe even sign-up, click on the badge above. And don’t forget to check out the awesome co-hosts for the February 3 posting of the IWSG: Allison Gammons,Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Rachel Pattison, and Ann V. Friend!
Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
What is my concern this month? Well it’s not a full, blown out and festering concern. But it’s niggling at me and I’m afraid that if I can’t find the answer, it might grow worse.
So please help me creative support team. Where is the love? And I’m not talking about the song by The Black eyed Peas. Although, it is a good song.
But how do you re-love your story? How do you get that initial spark back when you first began to write your novel? What do you do, to get back that feeling of excitement? That heady rush? And reinfuse and reinvigorate your manuscript once again, when the story is in danger of code blue staleness.
Any suggestions? I’m all ears.
PS I’m looking for a few more good bloggers to become blog hosts for my poetry chapbook Can You Catch My Flow? It’ll be soon available in print but you can find the ebook at Smashwords and Amazon. Don’t have an Amazon Kindle? Then download the free Amazon kindle app for your phone, tablet or pc! Just follow the link here.
The tour dates is from March 1-April 30, 2016 and if you’re interested, click the banner below to the sign up form. Looking forward to hearing from you! 😀
Paving My Author's Road 
I find the love again when someone helps me with it. Even if I have to rewrite something, it helps me to see what I loved about my story when they share that love.
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Sharing the love. I like that.
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If I’m mid-project, sometimes it helps to stop and re-read everything I’ve already written. I usually have one of two reactions: “Hey, this is pretty good. I want to keep writing this!” or, “Wow, this sucks, but I see now how I can fix it.” Either way, it gets me back to work.
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Reading to explore what works and fix and improve on what doesn’t. That’s good.
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Brought your ebook (smile) showing my support. Blessings!!
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Thank you Ann. And thanks for stopping by. 😀
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You are most welcome Lidy (smile) Have a blessed day!
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Signed up for your blog tour!!
Sometimes I get bored writing in my series. And I LOVE my series. But you just need a break. It’s like being with a loved one or a best friend. The time together is undoubtedly amazing, but after a little while, you get annoyed. You just need some time apart.
To get the love going again (he-he) I’d say try writing something else for a few days. Or a few weeks. Or a couple of months. You’ll miss your main WIP so much you’ll run back to it, arms open and fingers ready to type away. 🙂
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Thank you! Yeah, I can understand that. It’s the whole absence makes the heart grow fonder. Like Rachel asking Ross to take a break.
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You’re too close. Put it away for six months, work on something else, and read it with fresh eyes. No doubt you’ll fall for it all over again. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
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Hmm, too close. Put some distance and come back later to see things clearer. Can get behind that. Thanks Emaginette.
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I agree. I’ve heard this suggestion before. I don’t write, other than book reviews, but this method even works for that. Sometimes I come back to my review later and wonder “What was I thinking?” 🙂
@dino0726 from
FictionZeal – Impartial, Straightforward Fiction Book Reviews
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It’s tough to keep up that momentum you had at the beginning of a book, but sometimes you just have to make yourself sit down and write. As things progress, you start to fall in love with it again.
Stephanie
http://stephie5741.blogspot.com
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Yes, the initial momentum was the most productive writing time. But sticking through it until reaching THE END is another way to find love again. Thanks Stephanie. 😀
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I re-found the love for my novel by sending it off to be critiqued. The critique was honest and yet so many positive aspects. That reignited my passion to work on it and get it finished. Don’t lose heart. Give it time. You’ll find the love again. Sometimes these things just need a break from us. Have a great week.
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Thanks Nicola. That reminds me of the excitement I felt when I received feedback and critiques on Scribophile.
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If I grow weary of a story, I set it aside and work on another. After a while, I get a spark for the one I’ve set aside.
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Again, it’s the absence makes the heart grow fonder approach. Thanks Elizabeth! 😀
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I do what most have already suggested, set it aside and reread it later. I sometimes explore mixed media, like look up pictures for the characters, draw them, make a map, etc. And then I go back and reread the story. 🙂
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Interrelated projects and coming back to reread it later. Thanks Loni! 😀
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I look at my relationship with a story kind of the way that relationships work. I never get that first “honeymoon” feeling back once it’s gone, but I form a different kind of love that makes me want to work on the project until it’s done.
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Making it work. So like remembering the good instead of focusing on the bad to remind you of the love?
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I usually do what others have suggested. I start reading the story from the beginning, without an eye for editing, just to get into it again. That usually works for me, but on the rare times when it doesn’t, I put it away for a little while and work on another story. I hope you find something that works for you.
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Thanks for the suggestion Lori. I hope and will do my best to find that spark again.
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