10. There is never enough coffee.
9. The ideas come either too fast or not fast enough.
8. You will always be the worst critic you ever face.
7. You will use more imagination in coming up with excuses on why you're not writing than you will ever use in your writing. (or maybe that's just me)
6. There will be days when it seems every writer you're in touch with is more productive than you.
However...
5. You will find something you've written that delights you and fills you with pride.
4. You will love all your characters; even the ones with serious issues.
3. You will find the courage to put your work in front of impartial eyes.
2. You will learn that somedays writing 100 words is a bigger triumph than writing 2500.
1. You will find that emergency supply of coffee that you hid behind the flour container. How did it get there? Never, ever ask.
Elspeth - Beautiful and succinct way to describe the payoffs and tradeoffs of writing. The next person who tells me how easy writing is gets to be the victim in my next whodunit.
ReplyDeleteHm, I´d better go and get some coffee...
ReplyDeleteBut at least you are right that I love my characters. How did you know?
Margot; I know exactly how you feel about those people! I also nominate those well-meaning souls who keep asking "Is it finished yet?"
ReplyDeleteDorte; I think if we didn't love our characters, we'd never finish anything. You can't spend all that time with characters you despise.
I think we all yearn for the days when the characters and the scenes delight us. If we are delighted, then chances are a reader will be, too.
ReplyDeleteMaryann; Those days are great, aren't they? I do wish there were more of them.
ReplyDeleteNice the way things tend to work themselves out, hmm? Loved this, lol - classic Elspeth post! ;-)
ReplyDeleteMarvin D Wilson
Amen to being our own worse critic...
ReplyDeleteThose are good reasons! Although I'm all right with the coffee running out.
ReplyDeleteOld Silly; I'm really hoping "Classic Elspeth post" is a good thing...
ReplyDeleteElizabeth; Isn't it appalling? And yet, we can't seem to stop it!
Alex; Pick a beverage of your choice. Don't run out of it.
How did you know about that can of coffee? Love your top tens. I might add #11--when you're writing you're not reading blogs and when you're blogging you're not writing. So the two guilts balance themselves out--right?
ReplyDeleteAnne; YES!!! It's a complicated life we lead.
ReplyDeleteGod, ain't that the truth. (
ReplyDeleteAlthough I would replace "coffee" with "chocolate".)
Substitute chocolate for coffee, and this is spot on.
ReplyDeleteTerry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery