So last night I was at karaoke because I’m sort of an addict/host myself. I saw this guy who looked really familiar but I knew him from hockey games so I dismissed it as my crazy rattled brain mixing things up again. Turns out, it was him and of course he asked the both flattering but dreaded question, “Is book two of Amuse done?”.
I know book one took a long time but it was book one; it wasn’t just about the story it was about me overcoming my self doubts and other’s doubts that I could not only finish writing a book but that people would *gasp* possibly even like it. So book two was supposed to be sliding onto the screen, my fingers rapid firing across the keyboard carried by the momentum of ‘what’s next?’.
And then…it happened. WRITER’S BLOCK!!! Here’s the funny thing, I was making progress…at least I was putting words down, creating sentences…with dialogue!, paragraphs and even chapters but they were tasteless, boring and dare I say, predictable? I was facing pressure from friends and family who were eager for more and assuring me that it was good enough…good enough?
It hit me then; I loved writing my first book because I enjoyed the journey! Don’t get me wrong; I was thrilled that other people loved it but that wasn’t the point of writing it…it was the point of self publishing it; you know, putting myself out there to see how it would be received but ultimately, I said to myself I’m writing this for me and if other’s like it then great but I have to love it.
So, I answered his question honestly. Yes, I am working on Amuse…almost daily but it is something that I’m not rushing for I wish it to blow book one out of the water! I want people to be gasping with excitement and reading it again and feeling thrilled as though racing on a roller coaster! I don’t want it to be ‘good enough’; it can’t exist as ‘good enough’.
When I first attempted writing book two it was from the place of someone who did other things but also wrote. This time I decided that I needed to be someone who is a writer who does other things, also. I am a writer and writer’s create worlds and characters and move the readers emotions and it’s a noble thing and not something to take lightly, so as I approach this endeavor again it is with renewed excitement as I claim my title with deliberate intention.
I’ll keep you posted…
