This week I'm going to talk about a difficult part of the writing process -- floundering. This is the result of mild success and a lack of direction. I feel torn in many directions toward many different stories. Getting myself to listen to the right true voice is difficult. I want to go on sweeping fantastic journeys, dip into my storyteller heritage, and also illuminate hidden moments in history. All these multiple tugs cause me to flounder.
Life also causes me to flounder. The car dies, the refrigerator breaks and life rocks. These events muddle my mind. It takes intense focus to write books and after 15 long years and not near enough sales to justify the time, all of this does a number on the noggin. In the midst of this storm I give myself permission to write. I tap out words and stop worrying.
I slip into a story like into a favorite pair of sneakers. I fill myself up with glory of imagination. I remember the first time I ever decided to write a story. I relive the excitement and finally, though not artfully, I get back into shallow water where my feet can touch the ground. Back to writing a poem or a letter, just to enjoy the wonder of words, the power of communication.
I take several deep breaths. I rest in the shallow water, rest from my floundering, before I head back out into the ocean depths to see where the powerful currents of imagination will take me. I hope that you find your way into those currents this week.
I do have a doodle of the week -- I call it Electric Sky.
Remember: ©Molly Blaisdell, all rights reserved. If you want to use my cool doodles, ask permission first. It is so wrong to take people's doodles without permisison!
A quote to inspire
Only after many trials for strength,
Only when all stimulants fail,
Does the aspiring soul
By its own sheer power
Find the divine
By resting upon itself
Edgar Lee Masters
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