writer's blog

The new theme of this blog is a blog-related pun in every post title.

I am working on a project. As it turns out, I have been working on this project for about four years. I am not a genius, but most people who write fun upbeat funny warm uplifting novels are not geniuses either. I have an idea and a plan, and I cannot continue. I keep trying, but I find myself blocked to such an overwhelming extent that I actually feel tremendous relief taking a break to write this blog post. Like, incredible amazing relief.

I have set aside a lot of time over the coming months to work on this project. Ever since I recommitted myself to its completion, I've managed just a couple of paragraphs. Now I have a goal, a dream, an entire plot, characters, action, resolution, and no discernible way to get it all onto the page. It feels like I'm being asked to perform surgery on myself. This book is like a tumor: it's large and ample and ostensibly complete, but it is not coming out without blood.

I don't generally shy away from creative endeavors. And I know that I don't ever have to show this thing to anyone, that if it turns out terrible I can just keep it to myself. But I also know, I KNOW, that I must do it. I must complete it. I can't really do much else until I get at least some kind of half-assed draft of this thing done.

So how the hell do I do it? And why is it so fearsome? Why does it hurt so much?