Thursday, November 13, 2008

What Do You Do When...

"Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it." ~Truman Capote

I'm in a funny place right now: between projects. (Well, between writing projects, that is. I have more than enough projects from all other aspects of my life going on. But writing?) I finished the revision of One Night in Napa a few days ago and haven't looked at it since. I'm still mulling over what to do with Summer's Song. I have no articles due for ezines at the moment. I'm done judging the EPPIES, and I haven't taken on any other books to review right now. I'm gearing up for my NaNo project, but I haven't done much in the way of thinking or planning for it.

So...I haven't done any kind of writing in close to 4 days. And I gotta say, it's a little bit of a weird feeling. I have some ideas of future stories rattling around in my head, but I haven't even given them much time to speak of.

It's a little like working out or running, to be honest. Some days it's a joy to do; other days it's more like torture; but when you don't do it for a while, you feel as though something's missing.

So for all my fellow writers out there: what do you do when you're not writing? Or are you always, somehow, someway, writing?

9 comments:

Sarita Leone said...

Always writing. Although last month I was ill for a while, really flat out on my back away from my desk, and I didn't write. I felt too awful to care about writing but eventually I missed it. That's how I knew I was on the mend, LOL.

Hope you enjoy embarking on your new project. Beginning can be so exhilirating!

Long and Short Reviews said...

Just so you know -- you're the featured blog this week at LASR's yahoo group :-)

Happy Thursday.

Margay Leah Justice said...

Hey, Allie, just popping over from LASR, and what a timely topic! I have just finished another book and have so many ideas rushing trough me, but I am stymied as to how to begin! I hate beginnings - once I get beyond that first line, paragraph, page, I'm fine, but how to open it up - that's what sends me into fits! So, I usually have to unwind with a good book - someone else's - in between writing projects. Or knit - that's another good way to unwind.

Liz said...

Catch up on my reading. Draw. Treat myself to a shopping day and lunch.

Unknown said...

When I'm not writing? Editing, blogging, yahooing, visiting and spoiling grandsons, traveling. I write off and on all the time--or ou might say I re-write. I have three new stories in the beginning stages, but you know how it is--you get to say, page 70, and say--what happens next? If I have no idea, it just sits there until one of the characters tells me. Celia (I read the blog below this one--fantastic!)

Unknown said...

This is weird, Allie. I moved from your blog to LASR and saw they had randomly drawn your blog to post. So, here I am again--over from LASR. This is supposed to enter me in their contest. My answers in the previous Reply goes with this. Celia

Lynn Reynolds said...

Hi Allie - you'd posted a message a few days ago at The Wild Rose loop, I think, and I kept meaning to check you out - then I saw your blog featured at LASR, so I'm finally here. Very nice looking website and blog, by the way.

I'm also going through kind of a quiet spell writing-wise. Finished one book in record time and am waiting on galleys for another. I have lots of ideas knocking around in my head, as always, but not much coming out on the page lately. At least, not fiction-wise. I personally think this is because I'm a contrarian and I made the mistake of signing up for a NaNoWriMo project. So now, of course, I can't write!!!

Although I supose I am still writing - just finished a review for Romance Junkies and am planning on writing an entry for my own brand-spanking new blog later tonight. When I really do get away from writing, I like to read, run, spend inappropriate amounts of money on shoes and visits to the spa, and meet the girlfriends for lunch. Gosh, I sound pretty shallow, don't I ;-)

Asylumgirl said...

Coming over from LASR.

I wish I could finish reading a book, but I can't seem to get finished. I've just been staying too busy.

Maybe you should try a new hobby and it will give you some new ideas.

Deidre

Allie Boniface said...

Thanks for stopping by today, all!