…And will she ever get it back? More to the point, does she want to?
I have made only sporadic progress on the book I started writing in the summer of 2024. It’s titled LARCENY IN THE LIGHTHOUSE and is intended to be the first in a new cozy series called The Seahorse Bay Mysteries. I’m 62k words into book one, with only about another 18k to go. The plot excites me, the pacing is solid, the characters are entertaining, and the premise seems to work. I even have a really cute cover for the book.
Why, then, do I continue to go weeks and weeks without adding a word?
A little backstory:
My writing career began in 2020 when I started the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. I published the first book in January 2021 and subsequently wrote and published five additional books, the most recent one in April 2024. That’s six books in just over three years, for those of you keeping count. Not a bad pace. I attended a few conferences, won a few awards, garnered some decent sales and reviews. All in all, a heady pursuit.
Then the hubby retired. We moved from Texas to Colorado Springs, into a 55+ community filled with so many nice people and a plethora of fun activities. All my grandkids are local, as, obviously, are my daughters and their husbands. There’s so much to do, so much to see, so many people to enjoy. Writing began to seem like an after-thought instead of a passion. With three-quarters of the draft complete, I just can’t seem to accelerate to the finish line.
I’ve also been negligent on all things regarding marketing. I stopped tending to my social media. I do little in the way of advertising. And in-person events? I wasn’t good at those when I was all in, much less these days.
As I was discussing my lagging sales and non-existent writing schedule with my brother-in-law, a retired tax accountant, he said this:
“Do you know what we call that kind of career in tax circles? A hobby.”
I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection since that statement. What is it I actually want? I’ve considered giving up writing, and when I think about that, a tightness grows in my gut. Being an author has provided me with pleasure, confidence, friends, psychological healing—so many good things have come from writing.
And I feel in my heart I shouldn’t…can’t…quit.
So, here’s my plan: devote a few hours MOST days to finishing this book. Rebuild the writing habit. Commit to this for six months and see how I feel at the end of that time. Maybe it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing pursuit. Maybe the line between career and hobby is nebulous, and I can find a way to straddle it.
It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s what I have right now. My path toward getting my groove back.
Thanks for attending my personal therapy session. I would love to hear your experiences, thoughts, and advice.
The Callie Cassidy Mystery series is available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.
***
Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado, and the soon-to-be-released Seahorse Bay Mysteries, set in a Texas cruise port town. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com
Mine seems to be seasonal (usually in winter). I'm glad you're getting your groove back!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heather. As for getting it back...TBD!
DeleteLori, I so hope you get your writing groove back.
ReplyDeleteWhen I feel I'm getting burnout from writing, I take a day or two to refill the well. Lunch with friends. A drive or walk in the country (not right now, of course. SNOW!)
I suggest easing back into it. Tell yourself you're going to spend even fifteen minutes with the WIP. If you get sucked in and go longer, so much the better. But even a little writing is better than none. For me, if I step away for too long, I have to re-read the entire manuscript to remember what the heck my plan was.
That's what I'm doing now! I usually wait until a draft is done to do any editing, but this time I'm going through the 3/4 I have to refresh myself.
DeleteWhat your tax accountant b-i-l didn't say was there was anything wrong with having a hobby and not making it a business. Flipping that mental switch might relieve a lot of pressure. Then the writing is solely for your pleasure. Sure, you publish in on KDP and maybe make a few sales, but the pleasure comes from the creation process, not the sales.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with whatever you choose.
So true! That's how I started...then got sucked in to the business part.
DeleteI agree with Jim (and your b-i-l.) For me, writing is a hobby. While I do like to share my work with others (and certainly don't mind if a bit of money comes in) it's the writing that I value. Not much pressure, lots of pleasure. And if a longer work stalls, I write a short story. Sooner or later the longer work will call to me again. Or not, as the case may be.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice! Short stories seem to challenge a completely different part of my brain, too.
DeleteIt takes a lot of energy to write. It also takes a lot of energy to create a new life and learn how to balance all of the demands (grandchildren being there, husband being there, new options in terms of games and activities with people, etc). Eventually, you will find your groove and decide how and what you will prioritize. Just remember. - find joy in all of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra. Joy is the key.
DeleteThis really struck a nerve, as I have been away from writing for quite a while. I think of writing mojo as a surfer awaiting for a good wave, though I’ve been sitting on the beach for a while, not even touching my board lol. But the other day, I could feel myself slowly getting back in the water, watching the horizon.. So much good advice here. I think you just have to be patient with yourself, enjoy the new life you’ve built, a good (not perfect, but good) wave will come.
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DeleteAs a recovering perfectionist, I so appreciate this analogy!
DeleteI truly sympathize with what you are going through right now related to your writing career. It could almost be a reflection of my own. In my case, I have taken years off and find it very hard to get started again. So I wish you luck, and tell me what the secret is if you find your groove again.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Grace! Getting back into it has been nice, so we'll see what I can maintain.
DeleteA teaspoon a day, or 15 minutes. Find a new place to write and a new time of day and just do it.
ReplyDeleteI found my groove by writing something brand new in January. Writing was fun again.
I'm so glad to hear from others who've been through it. Gives me hope!
DeleteHugs! Sounds like you have a solid plan. See where you are at the end of six months and take it from there. I’m betting you turn into a writing dynamo, but if you don’t then I’m sure you are doing what is right for you.
ReplyDeleteThis post was balm on my troubled writer's soul. I'm realizing that life is very short and writing is important but not my only need in life. Your accountant brother-in-law clearly doesn't know anything about the reality of publishing. If we were measured by the tiny % paid to our profession the number of writing 'jobs' would be miniscule.
ReplyDelete