A space to write and the difficult task of letting go!
Every writer needs the perfect space to write; a place where it’s easy for the words to flow and the mind to relax. Every workspace is different, cultivated by the writer to match their way of working. I’ve seen it all, from cluttered dining tables and pristine desks to a fold-up table in a garden shed, complete with tiny electric heater and fingerless gloves. My own preference is a permanent spot, next to fresh cut flowers. Everything needs to be neat and ordered otherwise I can’t settle.
Yet sometimes, it’s the mind that needs space. It gets clogged full of to-do lists, must haves and need to knows, which is even more distracting than unexpected technical errors. This is the perfect time to head to a different location, a change of scenery. This past week I’ve stayed in Schull, West Cork, where the welcome is as friendly and open as the surrounding sea breezes. The aim: to redraft my novel. Here’s my trusty writing desk that I chained myself to for the week:
During this escape, I’ve managed to update around 30,000 words. I’ve found new character names, improved the storyline, found new character traits and had a great time watching the novel improve. Now before it seems like I’m bragging, I’ve also discovered that it will definitely require a third draft and it won’t be ready to send to publishers until around November – that’ll make it exactly one year to complete the novel from start to finish. So rather than celebrate, I’m almost choking with frustration.
For many writers, the challenge is to sit and write. For me, it is to walk away satisfied with what I’ve achieved in each sitting. It’s not a skill I possess. Every minute needs to be filled with productivity, and most of that productivity involves writing; scribbling overheard conversations on the Luas, inventing characters in the shower, stealing names from shops and graveyards. It makes me wonder; is writing a gift or a curse? And surely I’m not alone?
Writing is certainly a craft. Those that do it well create magic. A well-written novel is like a gemstone; each and every sentence will shine after the author has loving polished it to perfection.
Writing isn’t the curse. It is the artist’s need to find their voice, pitch perfect that is their real burden… and our blessing, so keep it up!
I know how you feel, although completing a novel from start to finish in a year it pretty good going, I think.
I can also identify with the productivity issue. If I sit down and write, I really want to feel like I’m getting as much value out of my time as possible. It can be absolutely exhausting and often I walk away feeling like I haven’t achieved anything. Having said that writing is a gift and when your novel is finished, I’m sure that it will be amazing.
Keep it up! Olive