I am writing every day again. Every every day. And now with over a week under my belt, writing is getting easy again.
(What does that under-the-belt expression mean? Is it referring to fat? Because that’s the only thing that’s under my belt, besides my internal organs if you dig deep enough. Okay, I’m talking about organs now. Can you tell I’ve been writing too much gore? My work in progress is DARK.)
Back to writing. The last few years, being one long transion, had completely destroyed my writing schedule. It frightens me that the last time I remember haveing a writing routine like this was when I was in school. That was almost two years ago. Coincidentally, that’s the last time I actually finished a brand new draft.
It’s not that I haven’t been working since then. I’ve done several very serious revisions and rewrites. But it was all done frantically, because I had no stable routine, no sense that I was getting things done at any kind of a steady pace. Those years were not the time for drafting, nor were they the time for steady work, as I was trying to keep up with the transitions and really, honestly doing the best I could.
But we’re done with that now, and I’m quite happy to discover that I haven’t lost my good work habits–only put them on hold for a while. And returning to them is much easier than I expected it to be. (I was afraid it would be impossible, honestly.) It feels like coming home.
Now that I have a steady pace again, I feel calmer and more confident. I’m discovering (again) that I’m not half bad at this whole writing thing. I can do this. One day at a time.
This makes me feel very defensive of my writing space. (Meaning it’s space in my life, figuratively, not the actual physical space. I’ve been writing at the kitchen table, so that could get awkward.) I want to defend it against the endless business tasks, the household tasks, the recreational activities. I want to stand guard over it and never let anything take it away from me again.
I’m sure something will take it away from me again at some point. But if I can just prevent it from being taken away for that LONG again, then I’ll be in really good shape.
