This winter has not been the greatest. My latest ailment: pneumonia. It's zapped my energies, taken my motivation, and reduced my work output to almost nothing.
From January to March, I reviewed about 50,000 words as I evaluated, edited, and cut my lovely prose. Then, mid-March, my ability to avoid viruses failed me. I got hit and hit hard. I've been lucky if I accomplish 2-hours of good work each day, compared to 10-15 hours normally.
It's discouraging. As a writer, the largest amount of apparent productivity shows itself in writing, editing, re-organizing, etc. Notice I said apparent productivity. But, almost equally, writers must spend an equally large amount of time thinking, planning, hypothesizing, mentally clarifying, and....well, dreaming. This is true productivity, even without one word written. Thinking time goes on throughout a project, from weighing a subject's viability to how to best present ideas to publishers. Planning also involves the same things, but especially the writing plan. Hypothesizing and clarifying cost the most time --if writers really want to write well---as they debate their own subject. Does the subject have merit? What arguments must I address (non-fic), or characteristics must I present (fic)? How can I better say this point, this sentence, this word?
When both apparent productivity and true productivity suffer, such as during illness, writers struggle to get back on track. I know I feel I'm slacking and not doing enough "real work."
My remedies may be old-hat to other writers, but maybe my stategies will help someone.
1./ I must remind myself that writing (and the dreaded editing) develop life -- an ebb and flow that cannot be forced.
2./ Writing often reflects life. If illness and fever overcome brain cells, that comes into the work, usually expressed as NO writing, no editing, and even an indifference to the project. Any other life crisis affects the craft in similar ways. Few people pick up a pen immediately when ungoing acute phases after the illness onset, after a death occurs, or even after some small life difficulty. When we can breathe again, that's when the pen becomes part of healing.
3./ Develop a work ethic to write at least an hour a day (or some other part of the project) even when ill. You may not get much done, but you've kept your hand there in its middle.
4./ Do not make MAJOR editing changes, however. Your fever might lead you to cut wonderful words!
5./ Illness makes a good time to just read your book. Mark spots that you need to re-read later. **NOTE: You must avoid self-criticism now, however. Illness clouds how you perceive your work and yourself.
6./ Read someone else! Reading is as much a part of writing as pen and paper (or Word and a keyboard). I've read Terri Irwin's book about her husband, Steve, and Randy Paush's book The Last Lecture riveted me from beginning to end. I also watched other Pausch lectures online (YouTube). He's so inspiring. No, not because Randy's dying, but because how he lives, how his mind works. I think Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, and Randy Paush are three top enthusiastic, contagious, educating, entertaining, and --people use this word too often!--wise people I've enjoyed in my life. Talk about cutting through the crap to REAL issues and emotions. Each have done so, and done it well.
7./ Reassure yourself when ill that you WILL return to the project when you feel better. Writers cannot help themselves. Words must follow words.
8./ It only seems life has stopped. It only seems as if you've been ill for "forever". Illness often forces us to take the break we refused to give ourselves when well. So, enjoy the time off life forced upon you. No, you may not get paid during this time. But you will be RECHARGED!
9./ Help someone else now. Give a critique. Edit someone's small work. Don't over extend yourself.
10./ Write personal letters. Reconnect to friends and family, and to your "other" life away from writing.
When you begin to feel better, approach the work fresh, as though today is the first day you started writing. Jot down any thoughts you had about your project when ill, and keep these in mind as you re-start your work. You may need to scan or re-read your writing or a portion of it. Start slow. Avoid feeling overwhelmed. Re-acquaint yourself with your own words and thinking. Note spots you might need to change--later. If you see a problem easy to fix, such as a typo, fix those as you start re-reading. Work up to working full time again rather than pushing yourself too hard and too fast. Try to incorporate into your writing now what you gained from your time off, your thinking then, and any insights or ideas you learned.
If writers learn to use illness or life crises as times to re-generate, the experience and time off can only improve their writing.
Judith
From January to March, I reviewed about 50,000 words as I evaluated, edited, and cut my lovely prose. Then, mid-March, my ability to avoid viruses failed me. I got hit and hit hard. I've been lucky if I accomplish 2-hours of good work each day, compared to 10-15 hours normally.
It's discouraging. As a writer, the largest amount of apparent productivity shows itself in writing, editing, re-organizing, etc. Notice I said apparent productivity. But, almost equally, writers must spend an equally large amount of time thinking, planning, hypothesizing, mentally clarifying, and....well, dreaming. This is true productivity, even without one word written. Thinking time goes on throughout a project, from weighing a subject's viability to how to best present ideas to publishers. Planning also involves the same things, but especially the writing plan. Hypothesizing and clarifying cost the most time --if writers really want to write well---as they debate their own subject. Does the subject have merit? What arguments must I address (non-fic), or characteristics must I present (fic)? How can I better say this point, this sentence, this word?
When both apparent productivity and true productivity suffer, such as during illness, writers struggle to get back on track. I know I feel I'm slacking and not doing enough "real work."
My remedies may be old-hat to other writers, but maybe my stategies will help someone.
1./ I must remind myself that writing (and the dreaded editing) develop life -- an ebb and flow that cannot be forced.
2./ Writing often reflects life. If illness and fever overcome brain cells, that comes into the work, usually expressed as NO writing, no editing, and even an indifference to the project. Any other life crisis affects the craft in similar ways. Few people pick up a pen immediately when ungoing acute phases after the illness onset, after a death occurs, or even after some small life difficulty. When we can breathe again, that's when the pen becomes part of healing.
3./ Develop a work ethic to write at least an hour a day (or some other part of the project) even when ill. You may not get much done, but you've kept your hand there in its middle.
4./ Do not make MAJOR editing changes, however. Your fever might lead you to cut wonderful words!
5./ Illness makes a good time to just read your book. Mark spots that you need to re-read later. **NOTE: You must avoid self-criticism now, however. Illness clouds how you perceive your work and yourself.
6./ Read someone else! Reading is as much a part of writing as pen and paper (or Word and a keyboard). I've read Terri Irwin's book about her husband, Steve, and Randy Paush's book The Last Lecture riveted me from beginning to end. I also watched other Pausch lectures online (YouTube). He's so inspiring. No, not because Randy's dying, but because how he lives, how his mind works. I think Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, and Randy Paush are three top enthusiastic, contagious, educating, entertaining, and --people use this word too often!--wise people I've enjoyed in my life. Talk about cutting through the crap to REAL issues and emotions. Each have done so, and done it well.
7./ Reassure yourself when ill that you WILL return to the project when you feel better. Writers cannot help themselves. Words must follow words.
8./ It only seems life has stopped. It only seems as if you've been ill for "forever". Illness often forces us to take the break we refused to give ourselves when well. So, enjoy the time off life forced upon you. No, you may not get paid during this time. But you will be RECHARGED!
9./ Help someone else now. Give a critique. Edit someone's small work. Don't over extend yourself.
10./ Write personal letters. Reconnect to friends and family, and to your "other" life away from writing.
When you begin to feel better, approach the work fresh, as though today is the first day you started writing. Jot down any thoughts you had about your project when ill, and keep these in mind as you re-start your work. You may need to scan or re-read your writing or a portion of it. Start slow. Avoid feeling overwhelmed. Re-acquaint yourself with your own words and thinking. Note spots you might need to change--later. If you see a problem easy to fix, such as a typo, fix those as you start re-reading. Work up to working full time again rather than pushing yourself too hard and too fast. Try to incorporate into your writing now what you gained from your time off, your thinking then, and any insights or ideas you learned.
If writers learn to use illness or life crises as times to re-generate, the experience and time off can only improve their writing.
Judith
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