There’s a moment when I walk into my office each morning, coffee in hand, when I see the sunshine streaming through the windows and feel the day open up before me, full of possibilities. It’s a beautiful, soul calming moment.
Then I open my computer and the work begins. Sometimes that beautiful soul-moment stays with me, riding into a story through the typing of my fingers. And sometimes it becomes elusive, hiding in the steam of my coffee and threatening to dissipate just as quickly.
The beautiful, soul-moment days are wonderful, but rare. They’re valuable gems that I can think about and find encouragement to keep writing.
The elusive steam-days are more common, and they often find me still sitting at my desk eight hours after I originally sat down, struggling to eke out my 1500 word goal for the day.
I’m fighting those elusive steam-days lately. I shifted from working on Hidden Mythics II to working on the next adventure book. My plan, and timeline, make sense of this, but my writing brain does not love it.
This is what it is to be a writer. To make anything of it, you have to embrace the beautiful soul-days and the elusive steam-days together and find joy in the process because if you don’t, the latter will steal your ability to sit down and find the soul-days. Or even steal your desire to write at all.
I find, when I hold a finished product, that I value it all the more because of the depth soul-days and steam-days give it when mixed together. I worked for that finished story.
The adventure book I’m working on right now is clouded in steam-days, but I will love it all the more down the road because I fought for every word.
Blessings,
Jennifer
P.S. As a quick detail update, HM II is sitting just over 81K words. I will pick back up on the rough draft of this as soon as I finish the adventure book rough draft.
The next adventure book is slated to be around 28K words. I have 4,500 so far and counting =)
Neither book has an actual title yet that I’m satisfied with, so I’ll share titles as soon as I have something figured there.
I can definitely relate; every writer has days of flowing words and days of writer’s block. Hope you have more good writing days than bad! Can’t wait to learn more about your new books! 🙂
Hope you have more good writing days than bad as well!
Also, it’s good to hear you’re back to writing. I got your newsletter 😢 my sincerest condolences. Every time I see your author photo since reading it I’m sending up a prayer for you and your family.
Thank you, Jennifer. ❤️ I’m glad to be writing again too; it’s been good for healing. Thank you for the prayers!
Oh, those dratted steam days! I’ve certainly experienced a number of those, but, with the way my story is going, I know I’m going to hit those soul days right on the other side of the steam. It certainly is quite a process. I can’t wait to see how those clouded stories turn out!
I’m excited to read how your own soul and steam days go! Writing is certainly an adventure 🙂
I love the imagery in the soul and steam days!
That early morning sunshine is one of my all-time favorite things!!!
Mine too😊 it helps me see the possibilities instead of the work ahead.
Keep plugging away, sweet girl! I know you can do this and finding the joy in the journey is soooo worth it!
One day at a time! 😊
“The adventure book I’m working on right now is clouded in steam-days, but I will love it all the more down the road because I fought for every word.”
This reads so lovelily. Awesome post!
Thanks, Lucia 🙂 I’m sure you’ve experienced your own steam-days.
Drink in those soul days as the “mountain tops” are not where we stay but a place we visit, rejoice in, and drink in all the beauty of it. Good stuff!
Mountain tops! I like that analogy 🙂