Your brain is on fire and your fingers are twitching.
Forget about going to sleep — there’s no way your eyes are closing for more than a few seconds.
That irascible urge to write is back in full force — running its sharpened nails across your mind’s blackboard until you finally give in.
Because there’s nothing else you can do.
Sure, you can try arguing with yourself, attempting to justify all the responsibilities and obligations in your life as having some higher degree of priority.
Good luck with that.
Here’s a short excerpt from Please God, Make Me a Writer with a few reminders — and truths —about the reality of writing.
Fair warning: You may discover you really don’t have a mind of your own …
When the Urge to Write Strikes, It’s Best to Remember Resistance is Futile
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” — Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt
Resisting the urge to write has become a losing battle, and I rarely win.
Because writing is my master — and frankly, she has little or no patience to spare.
Here’s the problem: The need to align my instincts in harmony with my schedule is usually centered on committing to a specific timeframe.
The rationale is simple. All that planning and commitment of time affects, well, everything. And unless my brain, fingers, and the clock are willing and able to perform, writing can easily become more like work than pleasure.
And that’s not what I signed up for.
For the record, I want to make it clear upfront that I don’t consider writing in the same league as cleaning the oven, washing the car, or doing the laundry. I consider those activities as maintenance duties — literal kissing cousins to paying bills, balancing the checkbook, and having my teeth cleaned.
Connected by necessity, repetition, and routine, they’re all chores and activities I need to plan and make room for in my schedule and life.
Which leaves limited time for writing.
And that’s the crux of the matter.
Because for me, writing is my go-to state of mind — a place where I can wander freely without the shackles of obligation distracting me from poking my nose into unknown territory.
Thanks for reading this excerpt from Please God, Make Me a Writer. For more info, watch the Book Trailer on my YouTube Channel - right here …
Thanks for reading,
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Jill Reid is the author of Please God, Make Me A Writer, Real Life, Discover Your Personal Truth, and Life in Small Doses. Her books, videos, and newsletters explore writing, life, relationships, and personal success strategies for building the skills and confidence you need to achieve your goals.